Late season food source

[Hillbilly Hunter]

Boom, easy fix.

I think we hunt pretty close to one another, so I bet your land is similar to mine.

Change your bushhogging rotation from May to late July to early August. Doing so will give you about 12 inches of new palatable growth (assuming it's buckbrush and blackberry briers if like my farms) by deer season, whereas bushhogging in May nets you nothing but cover, but no food. Plus the 12 inches of new growth has hardened by Jan/Feb and the deer can still utilize it for food. Simple and easy way to increase late season food, with no extra expense or time.

IF you have the time and are willing to spend a little more in diesel.... the very best option would be to bushhog the entire fields in May, then come back and bushog another 1/3 in strips in late July, then bushhog another 1/3 in strips lat August.... the third bushhogged in August will be extremely palatable come November and will be a primary drought resistant food source as the new growth is young and tender. The problem is... its also very susceptible to freeze kill since it's young and tender.... BUT, you have the third bushhogged in late July which (although not as palatable) is much cold hardy and deer can browse on all winter long. The third bushhogged in May remains as good cover (both thermal on sunny days as well as security cover).

But don't feel bad your deer are leaving in January to head to crop residue.... that just means other folks are feeding your deer for a good part of the year at no expense to you!

The areas that I only bushhog once a year, my main objective was to increase cover. They are close to foodplots, so I was trying to give them various habitats. Thanks for the info!

 

[megalomaniac]

The areas that I only bushhog once a year, my main objective was to increase cover. They are close to foodplots, so I was trying to give them various habitats. Thanks for the info!

you would be surprised how secure deer feel in 'cover' of native browse that is only 2ft tall.

The only problem with later bushhogging is amount of regrowth is so dependent on rainfall. Bushhog in early Aug, get tons of rain, and you have 2.5ft tall food and cover. Bushhog early Aug, get no rain, and you only have a foot tall of regrowth. Hard to plan for rainfall or lack thereof!

 

[TRHC]

So far, after numerous timbering operations, I've found the small family-run logging operations are the most conscientious. They may be slower, but they treat the property better.

This. If they're gonna make a mess, they'll make it at a slower pace that'll give you ample time to correct whatever they're doing wrong. I'm no longer in the industry, but for almost 20 years, I preferred smaller crews for lots of reasons but mostly this one. As hard as it is to please landowners, it was almost always in my benefit to have slower moving crews so we could change/adapt as we went.

As for the WBs/BBDs, I would suggest WBs for side roads or skidder trails that will be at least semi permanently closed to vehicles. Much traffic at all will eventually make your water bars fail and will require rebuilding. On access roads or other roads that will remain open, BBDs will work better. Knowing how to build these structures is paramount. Water bars ARE NOT just dams across the road. This was one of my pet leaves. To work properly, they have to be cut in and angled down and out to first get the water off the road, and secondly give it a place to go. If your loggers just dam up the road with no thought to where the water needs to go, it'll eventually just fill up with silt and then the water will overrun the bar and wash right down the road again. BBDs need to be properly constructed as well. Ditches and turnouts along with the BBDs will keep your main roads in good shape long term. A little maintenance here and there goes a long way. A smaller machine with a 6 way blade is way better for building and maintaining water control structures than a big straight blade machine that is often used in road construction.

 

[muddyboots]

I need to increase my food plots I guess.

I use corn. Leave it standing until I think I need them bushog about 4 swipes at a time. 2 acre patch. Seems to make all season

 

[BSK]

This. If they're gonna make a mess, they'll make it at a slower pace that'll give you ample time to correct whatever they're doing wrong. I'm no longer in the industry, but for almost 20 years, I preferred smaller crews for lots of reasons but mostly this one. As hard as it is to please landowners, it was almost always in my benefit to have slower moving crews so we could change/adapt as we went.

As for the WBs/BBDs, I would suggest WBs for side roads or skidder trails that will be at least semi permanently closed to vehicles. Much traffic at all will eventually make your water bars fail and will require rebuilding. On access roads or other roads that will remain open, BBDs will work better. Knowing how to build these structures is paramount. Water bars ARE NOT just dams across the road. This was one of my pet leaves. To work properly, they have to be cut in and angled down and out to first get the water off the road, and secondly give it a place to go. If your loggers just dam up the road with no thought to where the water needs to go, it'll eventually just fill up with silt and then the water will overrun the bar and wash right down the road again. BBDs need to be properly constructed as well. Ditches and turnouts along with the BBDs will keep your main roads in good shape long term. A little maintenance here and there goes a long way. A smaller machine with a 6 way blade is way better for building and maintaining water control structures than a big straight blade machine that is often used in road construction.

Agree with everything you say TRHC. Problem is, loggers don't seem to know any of this.

Honestly, if I knew how to operate a bulldozer, I would just rent one. I can't find anyone these days who will build/repair roads. Everyone is busy leveling home sites, which is heck of lot more profitable for the operator than road-building.