How many of you have bought hunting land and ended up disappointed?

[kabic]

5-9 acre food plot inst too small. Maybe not super huge compared to the farm fields, but those farm fields are going to be harvested and yours would not be.

Plant something that will lasts well into the late season and you could see some action rut -gun - and post gun times.

 

[bat man]

I like using those tops from the timber cutting and pile/line them up in strategic areas to stop deer travel and make your access bullet proof. But don't do it to the benefit of the neighbors. Pile them parallel to the property lines to squeeze all the deer through the pink plots you put in 'x' yards from the border.

 

[BJE80]

BJE80, Something to think about, would be to keep land and start making the improvements that Steve has suggested and see if you could lease or get permission on some ag land close by. This would give you your early season hunting and also give your rut/late season hunting on your land. Then after you get your improvements done on your land and the deer hunting improves you can make decision to keep or sell. I know the area that you have your land and it is capable of producing 150 class bucks every year.

Oh they (big bucks) around. LOL. My neighbors show me pictures of them. I did have a really really nice buck stand behind me during the rut last year at last light. Could not get a shot.


I'll be honest. Doing 10 acres of food on my land is not going to happen (by me doing it). I might have just enough well drained soil area to do it. But that is a huge additional commiment in not only a tractor, yearly cost. A huge area to build the soil up. Trail improvments to be able to get a tractor to the back. And also putting a huge food plot so close to the neighbors without control over it would concern me. If I did do I 4 acre plot I would like to put just to the left of the cabin in the higher area so access by the tractor would not be such a big deal through the wet and rutted trails.

 

[Steve Bartylla]

Have the logger clear cut your new edge roads, and foodplots. Have them also leave all treetops.

And, while they're at in, have them give you a N/S rd along your W side, as well. Then, have them stack everything they pull up to make the rds on your side of the road, creating a blockade and screening. You can then later go in, make sure deer can't cross anywhere you don't want them to by dropping a few trees yourself and cut a hole or two where you want them to be able to cross between your and your neighbor's properties. So, you now have new roads, open plots, screening along your road (deer inside the property can't see you on the rd) and low impact funnels to hunt intercepting movement on and off your property.

I do think Pope/Nov is right that adding some spruce pockets would help, as well (and leave the tops of cut trees). I'd pay close attention to what Bueller is saying about making sure they don't take too few trees. Nothing is much worse that not taking enough trees to open up the ground to sun...Leaves you with the worst of both worlds.

Also, if you could get them down on their price a little ($1500ish an acre), I'd be REAL tempted to pick up that to the W. It looks like a lot more dry land and would help keep your food off the line a little. At $1500ish an acre, you won't lose $ if you want to sell 3-5 yrs from now, and all that food and good access rds will help you get an extra $100-$200 an acre over what you'd have gotten.

I know it's too easy to spend other ppl's $$$$. I also don't think it'd be a mistake to follow Pope/Nov's "gut" and start over somewhere else. That said, if you want to turn things around, I'm confident that'd do it for you.

P.S. I'd tweak the food plot a bit, but that's not important for now.

 

[Steve Bartylla]

Doing 10 acres of food on my land is not going to happen (by me doing it). I might have just enough well drained soil area to do it. But that is a huge additional commiment in not only a tractor, yearly cost.

so don't use a tractor. Sure, there would be the seed, fert and lime costs, along with spraying chemicals, but you wouldn't need a tractor or even an ATV with a disc. If I'm reading your soil situation correctly, it's ideal for spray and throw food plots. You don't even have to mow, if you merely drag over it with even a log to knock the dead weeds down on the seeds.

 

[Terrific_tom]

Oh they (big bucks) around. LOL. My neighbors show me pictures of them. I did have a really really nice buck stand behind me during the rut last year at last light. Could not get a shot.


I'll be honest. Doing 10 acres of food on my land is not going to happen (by me doing it). I might have just enough well drained soil area to do it. But that is a huge additional commiment in not only a tractor, yearly cost. A huge area to build the soil up. Trail improvments to be able to get a tractor to the back. And also putting a huge food plot so close to the neighbors without control over it would concern me. If I did do I 4 acre plot I would like to put just to the left of the cabin in the higher area so access by the tractor would not be such a big deal through the wet and rutted trails.

I do 8 acres with an ATV. I don't plant it all at once. I do 3 plantings. I plant my soybeans in late May, my brassicas in mid to late July and Cereal grains around Labor day. Each planting takes a day. I also have 1/2 day for spraying which makes it very manageable to use ATV for planting.

 

[BJE80]

Lots to think about here. My head is spinning. :)

 

[Tree Spud]

Lots to think about here. My head is spinning. :)

Maybe you should just go sit in a tree stand ... ;)

 

[BJE80]

The plan was to purchase some of that paper land to the west at some point when we could afford it. There are 320 acres for sale right now. I talked to them and they would not budge at $1,800/acre at that time which was 2 years ago. But it is mostly landlocked and the only way someone could get access is if they purchased the entire 320 acres and accessed it from the other side. It is not in the cards to shell out $72,000 for a 40 right now.

That land is dryer and more open. It is also ready for a cut to occur.


I also forgot to bring up again that the land is in MFL. So if I decided to go this route I would still need their permission.

 

[BJE80]

Maybe you should just go sit in a tree stand ... ;)

We already established earlier that was a bad idea this time of year on my land.








Kidding................

 

[Terrific_tom]

Is the Timber land open for hunting? If it is I would be doing some scouting and be finding some places to hunt closer to the ag land to the west of you for early bow hunting.

 

[BJE80]

How far is this place from Your home?

It's 2.5 hours of windshield time.

 

[BJE80]

Is the Timber land open for hunting? If it is I would be doing some scouting and be finding some places to hunt closer to the ag land to the west of you for early bow hunting.

Believe it or not no. They have it in Mfl closed because it is for sale. When I first bought my land it was in Mfl open which was a huge plus to have a land locked 320 of open land.

 

[BJE80]

I've thought about something like this for plots as well. Making the existing plot on the west side of the hemlock ribbon bigger and then trying to put a plot on the east side if I can find dry enough soil there. Would make a heck of a nice pinch point between them.

 

[bat man]

I have a cabin with a 2 acre plot 80 yards away. Any west wind it blows straight at the cabin and is very hunt able. Access is awesome. Dad sits that spot and sees deer about 90% of the time.

Never bumped a deer going to or from that plot.

 

[Greta&Gus]

Ouch I could never give up my cameras. To me that is a great part of owning land, cameras up/stands up, food plots in...Preparation for the hunt. Cameras allow me to judge the ratios and what is out there. Great enjoyment to see the animals using the land. I don't think cameras give you any extreme hunting advantage. Most of the time the bucks win anyway.

Running trail cameras is probably the single most entertaining aspect of land management.

 

[Terrific_tom]

I only like the aspect of catching trespassers. This year our cams have been on bear baits so we
Have no idea what's vertical which makes each sit like Xmas morning.

How did you do on the bear hunt?

 

[Terrific_tom]

No more hits after labor day, too much corn, nuts, apples. We are 50% ag. It closes on wed.?

Take some shelled corn and soak it down with a bottle of pancake syrup. That and spray the hell out of area with liquid smoke.

 

[BJE80]

The neighbor adjacent to me to the SW just shot a big big buck during the youth hunt Sunday night. I won't share the picture they said it rough scored 146" and I belive them based on the picture. They are around no question.