Hired a dozer!!!

[wisconsinteacher]

I met with a dozer operator this weekend and am booked for early July! I have 80 acres with 18 of it being swamp. So far the plan is to put in 3 plots ranging from .75 to 1 acre in size. I hope I put them in the right spots and the deer use them in a way I can hunt them successfully.

 

[Bassattackr]

Awesome! Update pics with progress

 

[Iowa_Dave]

Here's a thought for you...as I too have hired a dozer a few times in the past to clear plots. I would encourage you to avoid making a giant brushpile of the waste trees right next to the new plot, as those piles then attract coons, possums, ground hogs, bobcats, skunks, coyotes, etc. While not a giant problem, I would prefer not to make ideal predator, albeit small, habitat right next to a place where you want the deer to feel comfortable and also in an area where you probably don't want to "encourage" more egg eaters to live, etc.

Also, along the perimeter of the plot...consider knocking over some/all of the trees that will otherwise: 1. Shade the plot. 2. Drop branches/leaves in and/or fall into the plot over time. 3. Absorb some of your nutrients/moisture that you want for your plot.

If your plot is too "closed" IMO, you will not get as good of growth in the plot. You want it more "open" IMO. I also think that removing some/all of the bigger trees on the perimeter of the plot helps the wind flow through the plot better and reduces wind swirls later.

Good luck and be sure to soil test, you will probably need to add plenty of lime early on.

 

[bwoods11]

Sounds like a nice project good luck!

 

[35-acre]

I completely agree with Dave (above). If you leave the stuff on the edges of your plots, it turns them into an alley and deer will not like that trapped feeling.

While the guy is onsite, don't forget to include things like leveling/draining parking, making a dirt ramp to help will loading/unloading an ATV out of your truck (assumptions there), access routes of trails.

 

[wisconsinteacher]

I understand what everyone is saying about the big piles. What do you suggest doing so they are not there? My land is mostly 4-5" aspen trees where I want the plots. Do I pile it and burn it this winter?

 

[kl9]

I understand what everyone is saying about the big piles. What do you suggest doing so they are not there? My land is mostly 4-5" aspen trees where I want the plots. Do I pile it and burn it this winter?

Whereabouts in WI?

Also - have him burn the trees as he goes. Price will go up a bit but will be much cleaner


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[Iowa_Dave]

I understand what everyone is saying about the big piles. What do you suggest doing so they are not there? My land is mostly 4-5" aspen trees where I want the plots. Do I pile it and burn it this winter?

Have him pile them where you can then burn them off yourself at some later time OR have him do it. But if they lay out there for 6+ months first, they will burn up better. Just don't let him pile them where you can't, or don't want to, burn them off. Perhaps too close to other trees that you want to save or a fence line, etc.

 

[Troubles Trees]

Pile them in the plot and burn them there for the free fertilizer? I was thinking it so I had to say it lol

 

[Ben.MN/WI]

4" aspens rot down really quickly, so they won't last long even if you don't burn them. I've made a lot of small game brush piles with aspens and it almost isn't worth the effort since they break down so quickly. I haven't noticed any negative impacts from intentionally making a large number of brushpiles on my field edges, so I'd lean towards leaving some brushpiles for small game hunting and to steer the deer by a stand.

 

[4wanderingeyes]

I have always done this, I get a lot of deer bedding on the edges of the food plots because of it. I also get a grouse from doing it as well. Not sure that is a good thing, since I dont hunt grouse, and they scare the crap out of me everytime I flush one out.

 

[Iowa_Dave]

4" aspens rot down really quickly, so they won't last long even if you don't burn them. I've made a lot of small game brush piles with aspens and it almost isn't worth the effort since they break down so quickly. I haven't noticed any negative impacts from intentionally making a large number of brushpiles on my field edges, so I'd lean towards leaving some brushpiles for small game hunting and to steer the deer by a stand.

Reading this...I should amend my earlier answers...

I don't have any Aspen to speak of, so the tree species could be a factor here that I hadn't thought of. For me, trees scrubbed off for a food plot will likely be hickory, ironwood, oaks, etc. In other words, several of those species will last for YEARS in a brush pile. For all I know, aspen will "melt" away soon...so do take that into account.

But large brush piles immediately adjacent to "in timber" plots will draw other critters that will frustrate your deer hunting...at least in my experience. I have had deer spook and vanish when a family of raccoons trots out of a brush pile and I have had deer virtually ignore them other times. In any event, I prefer not to risk it.

 

[wisconsinteacher]

I will have him pile them and if it works out burn them this winter.

 

[BobinCt]

Def clear out the trees along the perimeter for what Iowa Dave said.

 

[35-acre]

And my comment was mostly about any debris that comes with stumps but my experience is with a more mature hardwood forest. I've still got some dirt mounds after 6-7 years but a lot of the tree debris is broken down (not gone). For several years this hurt me. I have built my field like a peanut in the shell - a narrow pinch point 30 yards wide with the overall field being 100+ yards long. Sitting that pinch point with dirt hills on one side really made the deer move through it rather than feed through it.

 

[yoderjac]

I met with a dozer operator this weekend and am booked for early July! I have 80 acres with 18 of it being swamp. So far the plan is to put in 3 plots ranging from .75 to 1 acre in size. I hope I put them in the right spots and the deer use them in a way I can hunt them successfully.

Some dozer operators who do a lot of food plots can do it well, but many are construction oriented. It is a completely different game. With some, all your topsoil and debris will be piled up and you will end up with a nice perfectly flat site of subsoil. Not good.

A good operator will separate the debris and keep the topsoil. Less disturbance is better. Whatever was there before had years of growth/death cycles to build soil and OM and you want to lose as little of that as possible. I prefer a track hoe myself. It can pull stumps and only disturb the spots around where the stumps are.

Hopefully you found a good dozer operator who knows what he is doing.