Bowsnbucks
5 year old buck +
Wasn't sure where to put this topic.
For any & all on here, and for lurkers who may be checking in / reading the info here ..........
What lessons have we learned since we began planting habitat trees / shrubs, fruit trees, and food plots?? (If I could do it again, I'd ........ )
I'll start. I'd have started planting things sooner!! Our camp wasted good years when we could have had things growing for food and cover. I also should have planted some of our apple trees further away from pine trees - too much shade & competition for nutrients. We also COULD HAVE been planting food plots much earlier - which, once planted - began our uptick in deer numbers & quality / size. Probably our biggest waste of time & money was putting black corrugated plastic drain-pipe material around newly planted apple trees 15 years earlier. In our haste to "protect" our newly planted apple trees from mice / voles chewing the bark off in winter - we unknowingly built luxurious "hotels" for them to build nests in and feast on our new trees all winter. Lost every tree. Money, labor, a few years growth - wasted. Aluminum window screen from that day forward!!! No more "mouse / vole hotels."
We learned to NOT plant soybeans at our camp. Not enough acres, too many deer ate them to the ground. 5" tall at best before deer got every bit of green.
Also - think over and consider how certain trees / shrubs will grow and thrive (or NOT) in the locations we chose for them. We planted a few things in the shade of oak & maple trees that needed more sunlight, or were in danger of being crushed if those big oak & maple trees lose big limbs or go down in a storm. We DID change our planting habits after the first couple years - learning more (lots on this forum!!) & planning ahead to minimize mistakes.
For any & all on here, and for lurkers who may be checking in / reading the info here ..........
What lessons have we learned since we began planting habitat trees / shrubs, fruit trees, and food plots?? (If I could do it again, I'd ........ )
I'll start. I'd have started planting things sooner!! Our camp wasted good years when we could have had things growing for food and cover. I also should have planted some of our apple trees further away from pine trees - too much shade & competition for nutrients. We also COULD HAVE been planting food plots much earlier - which, once planted - began our uptick in deer numbers & quality / size. Probably our biggest waste of time & money was putting black corrugated plastic drain-pipe material around newly planted apple trees 15 years earlier. In our haste to "protect" our newly planted apple trees from mice / voles chewing the bark off in winter - we unknowingly built luxurious "hotels" for them to build nests in and feast on our new trees all winter. Lost every tree. Money, labor, a few years growth - wasted. Aluminum window screen from that day forward!!! No more "mouse / vole hotels."
We learned to NOT plant soybeans at our camp. Not enough acres, too many deer ate them to the ground. 5" tall at best before deer got every bit of green.
Also - think over and consider how certain trees / shrubs will grow and thrive (or NOT) in the locations we chose for them. We planted a few things in the shade of oak & maple trees that needed more sunlight, or were in danger of being crushed if those big oak & maple trees lose big limbs or go down in a storm. We DID change our planting habits after the first couple years - learning more (lots on this forum!!) & planning ahead to minimize mistakes.