B&D Property

[Bucks&Ducks]

Well I guess it is time to take the plunge and start a thread on my family property. Please feel free to give any suggestions on future projects, stand locations, etc.

Land overview




Work done since Google Earth image



The 40 acres to west is open lowland that is not hunted. 120ish acres the north/nw is pasture that has not been hunted for quite a few years. 80 acres to South is hunted by relative.

There is a ridge that runs from NE corner to SW and ends just before edge of land. Willow swamp surrounds west part of this ridge. Access is from the east. Most of the hardwood is oak with some poplar, birch, and ironwood mixed in.

Here are some picture of the cutting.





The food plots are divided into 6 or so strips of clover, rye and brassicas.








Any ideas of how to improve the property. I have some ideas but I always like to hear others opinions.

 

[scott44]

Nice looking property! Good looking plots, is that a power line or gas line running thruogh it?

 

[Bucks&Ducks]

It is an oil pipeline. Easement has been in place for quite awhile. They are pretty good about everything.

 

[huntall]

looks good! I like seeing what others are doing.

 

[Freeborn]

You have a similar situation as me in that your food plots are in wide open areas. I would think about adding kill plots in heavy cover areas and then adding some type of cover to split up your primary food plot. You can also use corn as it provides good cover as well as food but it is expensive. How big is your primary plot?

I see one pond towards the SW, you could add water attached to your kill plots.

 

[Bucks&Ducks]

We have two kill plots. Just put in this year. They are small yellow polygons on the one google earth image (hard to see). One is towards the north between the woods and swamp. The other is just north of the waterhole. I have thought about adding more but access is an issue.

The main food plot is about 10 acres if you count all the arms. The middle of the food plot has about a one acre that was left to go wild and spruce trees were planted in it. I hope that creates more of an edge and perhaps serve as doe bedding.

There is a waterhole in the SW and there is a diked ditch that holds water year round just south of our land. The swamps to the north and south also generally have quite a bit of water. I do think a waterhole somewhere on the east end would be a good idea.

The land tends to get used as a travel corridor with deer bedding on the west edge and just off of our land. They like to travel east west along the ridge.

 

[Freeborn]

It looks good. You have area left of your pipeline you could plant NWSG. I would focus on a tall grass mix that provides cover like Indian and Big Blue grasses. If you have decent soil you will get 6-7' Indian grass in 3-4 years. NWSG does provide cover but its not as good as forest land and it is not easy to see deer in.

What additions do you have planned?

 

[Bucks&Ducks]

Yes that spot is definitely one that I have struggled with. I have thought food plot or conifers before. I do like the NWSG idea.

As of now that open are has been used to direct deer around the ridge (that spot is on the top of the hill and I use hill and ridge loosely this is MN, it is a gradual sloping hill). I have done this in attempt to define the travel areas to each side of the hill. Secondly, when accessing stands we tend to kick up deer using our exterior road especially west of the pipeline. However the habitat part of me sees a open area prime for improvement.

Future plans include sidewalk/travel corridor through the woods on each side of the hill. Waterhole on east end of I get the equipment. There is a low area that held water well into June but was all dried up last time I checked. Possibly cutting all the hardwoods east of the pipeline to promote conifer regeneration while creating a bedding area (does) and thermal cover. I also want to add some more apples near the food plot.

 

[Bucks&Ducks]

Well I suppose a recap of the property is due. The kill plots were a major success until the snow flew. Need to figure out something to draw them in after the snow flies on small plots. Things really slowed down in general once it got cold and there was snow on the ground. This fits historical trends too. Working to add thermal cover but that will take time. But enough of that you guys just want to see pictures anyways.

View from a stand

View from stand near swamp

Spruce plantings from a year or 2 ago.

Some a little more sickly

The problem with planting pines is we have a bit of a rubbing problem.

Food plots fairly devoid of tracks once the snow hits but I did find a few. As mentioned in another thread I am going to add soybeans or corn to have something later in the year.

My next project. This is one of the only open areas in the woods but it is way too open. Hard to tell from the picture but a lot of the trees are big but I am not sure the area is big enough for a logger to be interested.

Turn 180 degrees and it looks a little better

Picked up a bonus grouse on my little trek

Lastly we were able to rekindle the family tradition of venison sausage smoking

 

[Freeborn]

Id bet you would have deer in your food plots if you had soybeans planted. Soybeans are a great draw and do very well until the snow gets to deep. So far this winter soybeans are a good fit as the snow is not that deep and they are a prefered food source.

 

[Bucks&Ducks]

Ya I think that is going to be the plan for the big field.. Along with apple trees around the kill plots. Kill plots are maybe 0.1 acre so corn and beans would never hold up. On another thread SD (i think it was him) mentioned sorghum but that would have to be planted earlier. Right now I am leaning toward sticking with rye and hoping the apples provide another source of food in a few years.

 

[Freeborn]

Ya I think that is going to be the plan for the big field.. Along with apple trees around the kill plots. Kill plots are maybe 0.1 acre so corn and beans would never hold up. On another thread SD (i think it was him) mentioned sorghum but that would have to be planted earlier. Right now I am leaning toward sticking with rye and hoping the apples provide another source of food in a few years.

I have had very good luck with Radish and think they would be a great draw for your kill plots. Radish at my place doesn't get hit until late summer so they work well for early bow season. Radish is a good addition to Rye.

 

[sandbur]

Ya I think that is going to be the plan for the big field.. Along with apple trees around the kill plots. Kill plots are maybe 0.1 acre so corn and beans would never hold up. On another thread SD (i think it was him) mentioned sorghum but that would have to be planted earlier. Right now I am leaning toward sticking with rye and hoping the apples provide another source of food in a few years.

My BIL planted some bmr sorghum as a cover crop. The deer bedded and ate in it throughout our rifle season. I think he said 20 acres and it was not terribly expensive.
What county are you located in?

I would tuck some spruce in those hinge cut trees and dropped popples. It will protect them from rubbing and also shade them. I see that brown spruce and would much rather see it shaded by some brush or weeds.

I still like corn, or do a mixed planting of beans and corn. On my property, the deer still prefer the corn over beans, but maybe it is because of cover with the corn.

 

[bwoods11]

Nice property!

Fun to make the improvements

 

[Bucks&Ducks]

This is in Wadena County. I will be planting some spruce in what was cut last winter and hopefully those will be protected. The brown looking spruce is in a bunch of weeds but either the wind knocked the weeds down or something bedded around there. I sprayed one year and it seemed like summer sun didn't do them any favors, so now i wait until after they are above the weeds before I spray.

 

[sandbur]

B and D-have the potato growers taken out lots of cover in your area? I believe former Potlatch lands have been converted to potatoes.

 

[shawnv]

One thing that stands out to me is the layout does not appear like you have a way in and out without bumping deer either visually or on a NW wind without them catching your scent. First, I would plant a strip of trees so you have hidden access along the south line and plot screen the entire plot. The plot seems to be more than what you need and allows some random movement but you can manipulate that. I think another plot north of the main plot is the ticket there and screen that in as well as I see that as a possible main area of travel between bedding areas.

Doing this I see you now having North and South access, a funnel created South of the Pond, a pinch point where they enter the destination plot on the North bottleneck, a nice point of travel on the North side that think would be great when bucks are cruising, another possible pinch area you can create just East of the hinge area where you can catch bucks scent checking the bedding area going between the two kill plots.

Purple: Hinge cut
Brown lines: Edge blocking
Off White lines: Plot screen
Light Green: Small Plot
Dark Green: Extra Pine strip

 

[Bucks&Ducks]

B and D-have the potato growers taken out lots of cover in your area? I believe former Potlatch lands have been converted to potatoes.

Potlach land is nearby but far enough to not really make a difference. The closer stuff wasn't cleared. It was either sold or is being leased.

 

[Bucks&Ducks]

Shawnv. Love the suggestions. You are right we have some access issues for sure. Some of your ideas are already in works.

The hinging on the west end was a project I had scheduled to do last spring but we got out there and everything was oak and a bunch were huge. We were hesitant to cut a bunch of old oaks down so we backed out and cut down the popples instead. Eventually we are going to do some cutting in there and would like to add some spruce as well.

Access with a north wind is our biggest problem. With a south wind I can come in on the north line without disturbing much. There is a ridge going down the middle which acts as a visual block. With a north wind things are difficult. First problem is the neighbor to the south is a relative we hunt with. Generally we each avoid blowing scent onto each others bedding areas if possibly. Not only is this being nice but many of the deer bed where we would be kicking things up if we walked the south line.

I like the idea of that north food plot. I agree I have a lot of edge work to do but for whatever reason I havent been able to get a good screen to grow.

 

[shawnv]

I had pretty good luck with the frigid forage plot screen mix but you can also buy the same stuff and make your own mix, I would suggest mixing in some black oil sunflowers in to help the EW keep from blowing over. Since you are related, will your neighbor allow you to slip in from his property on the South and behind where they are bedding? That would seem like a reasonable compromise for you not walking your South line.