Best land manager

I would go for it. Confidence in a plan can make a world of difference. $500 is cheap confidence for the next X number of years. Man, if I had a project list prioritized for an efficient and effective hunting property over the next five years for $100 a year; that seems like a bargain. Then great hunting after that for free. Sign me up.


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I wanted to just run something by you because I don't think you mentioned your budget. In my opinion if your budget isn't enough to complete the improvements from a professional plan, I would reconsider spending 1-2K on a consultant. For example, Bartylla helped me immensely with my property at what I would say was a very, very reasonable price. Over 4 or 5 years I have spent about 7-8K implementing the plan. That also does not include tractor, brush hog, tillers, spreaders and other equipment needed to maintain the property and I never count the hundreds of sweat equity hours. Again I don't know your budget but, you need to think not only cost of plan but how you're going to implement it. If your budget is on the lower side and you're doing mostly by hand and sweat then I would do as others have mentioned and get some ideas on strategy and improvements from this site and other sources. There is so much experience on here that I can almost guarantee you could deer scape your property very successfully.
 
Steve used to do aerial maps for 500$

He recently told me he sold that company

He said he trained the new owner

FWIW

bill

Not that I didn't believe you but I did fact check this :)
Steves partner did in fact take over the land management plan business.
 
Any idea of the cost with Jim?
NO - you would have to talk with him. I know he is a very busy man and he and his crew are some chainsaw swinging SOB's.

I would assume "boots on the ground" sort of planning would be comparable to others... There is only so much you can gather from 2D data... Lots of details can be missed that can make a difference. I always wanted to have a consultant come out, but I just couldn't swing it...

Find some folks in your area that you respect and do a property visit and ask them for help and ideas... Might cost you some burgers and beer, but what the heck! I will also caution on using state resources. I used my DNR and the like and it was a total waste of time. Forestry types focus on just timber value, Biologists see all the critters and not just the critters you want to focus on. These folks may be different in your state but in mine - in many cases I did just the opposite and got the results I wanted any way. My state forester told me I was at least 20 years away from a timber harvest and the understory was fine and that the hard maple was all junk. A few years later I made almost 20K on a timber harvest...the logger loved the hard maple, the understory exploded AND I kept all my "high dollar" trees.

Even if you do get a plan done...you should certainly ask lots of questions. You need to understand the WHY just as much as the HOW. If they won't answer the WHY - you got the wrong person or group. You should know your property better than anyone and you can only communicate so much. You need to make sure the plan is something that YOU believe in. I can make you a plan and it won't mean squat... I can profess to be anything I want. You want logical and simple based on experience and practice... You want someone familiar with your area and general habitat types and how deer use them. A great dodge mechanic may not know a whole lot about fords... and a good engine mechanic may not be worth a toot when working on a transmission.
 
I’ve been looking at hiring a land manager to “setup” my 75 acres in Western PA. I was looking for first hand experience from
individuals and see who’s recommended. Myself and friends will do a majority of the work. This grounds main focus is whitetails, with turkey also being here noted there.


Since you said you and your buddies will be doing most of the work yourselves, I would post a few airial pictures, and some ground pictures on here, and see if you can get some free experienced help from this group of experienced habitat folks.

I did all mine myself, with some opinions from the members here, i have maybe 50% of what I want to do, done, and as I work, I find how the deer react to what I have already done, and change the plans as I go. Now I just look at stuff, and mentally I can make a plan in my head on what I want to do to it to make deer like it. For me it’s the time to do the plan is what I am lacking.

In a nutshell, create easy access points around the perimeter, make the center of your property the place the deer want to go to relax, and hide from your neighbors, and add areas to your property that the land around you don’t have. Such as a food plot if there isn’t much around for food, or thick cover, if you are in crop country.

Walk your property, find their trails, and figure out why they are using those trails, food? Cover? Or just passing through to get from a neighbors food source, to cover, etc. make them trails feel more secure to the deer, feather cut the edges, steer them where you want them to go.

One of the hardest things to do when you are a small land owner is to let the deer grow, lay off on the smaller bucks so they become bigger bucks. Set an achievable bar as to what size buck you will take, and raise that bar every year, soon you won’t be satisfied with the 2,3 year olds, and will let them walk for 4,5 year olds.
 
Get in touch with Land & Legacy (Adam Keith and Matt Dye). We had them out, and it was the best $ we have spent on the property.
 
"Find their trails" is a good point

Bartylla told me to use them for your "sidewalks" in so far as possible when he created my aerial plan

bill
 
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