New blank canvas farm tour in Northern MO

[Hoytvectrix]

This will be a farm tour thread for a new farm I just purchased with my brother. This is in Northern MO. It is 187 acres, with 40 in current tillable for cash rent, another 15 soon to be tillable, around 50 acres of timber, with the rest in pasture. We have have another brother who had bought around 60 acres of an original 250 from an older gentleman. This past spring we found out that he was interested in selling the rest of the farm. We just closed last week. The farm never made it to market and we managed to all feel like we had an agreeable price. Our plan is to hold this farm and not flip it.

We know from our other brother's inside knowledge that this farm is in an incredible neighborhood in terms of whitetail genetics. I posted a thread of a deadhead I had found and I am not quite sure yet if I will post recent or older trail camera photos/videos of this farm. All but the tillable acres have been in pasture ground for the last 40 years and as far as we know has never had hunting pressure. We consider it to be a true blank canvas and think that it has the right amount of work yet to be done for our future plans.

A look at the neighborhood. It works out that this farm sits between where most of the cover is and where most of the Ag is located. What I found most appealing is that it has mostly south and east facing slopes, with access from just about all sides.


Here is what the topography looks like:


Our focus will be on improving the habitat for whitetail, quail, and turkey. Ultimately, this will include enrolling some acres in EQIP and CSP. I have already met with USDA and am creating a multi-year plan for some of the hay ground that is not currently in timber or has little agricultural value.

 

[Hoytvectrix]

Here are some other looks at the topography:

 

[Hoytvectrix]

Some of the best timber itself is a bit of a headscratcher. Because it was a pasture for so long, the woods are extremely open and resemble an oak savannah. We get a little bit of look into the future by seeing what is happening on the same farm with our neighbor's (brother's) place. Our plan is to bring in a forester to determine what our next steps will be from the perspective of timber stand improvement, income, and overall habitat quality.

I'd love to hear what others have experienced with woods like these following the removal of cattle grazing.

 

[Tree Spud]

This will be a farm tour thread for a new farm I just purchased with my brother. This is in Northern MO. It is 187 acres, with 40 in current tillable for cash rent, another 15 soon to be tillable, around 50 acres of timber, with the rest in pasture. We have have another brother who had bought around 60 acres of an original 250 from an older gentleman. This past spring we found out that he was interested in selling the rest of the farm. We just closed last week. The farm never made it to market and we managed to all feel like we had an agreeable price. Our plan is to hold this farm and not flip it.

We know from our other brother's inside knowledge that this farm is in an incredible neighborhood in terms of whitetail genetics. I posted a thread of a deadhead I had found and I am not quite sure yet if I will post recent or older trail camera photos/videos of this farm. All but the tillable acres have been in pasture ground for the last 40 years and as far as we know has never had hunting pressure. We consider it to be a true blank canvas and think that it has the right amount of work yet to be done for our future plans.

A look at the neighborhood. It works out that this farm sits between where most of the cover is and where most of the Ag is located. What I found most appealing is that it has mostly south and east facing slopes, with access from just about all sides.
View attachment 50639

Here is what the topography looks like:
View attachment 50638

Our focus will be on improving the habitat for whitetail, quail, and turkey. Ultimately, this will include enrolling some acres in EQIP and CSP. I have already met with USDA and am creating a multi-year plan for some of the hay ground that is not currently in timber or has little agricultural value.

Nice rolling hills, the south facing should be good. Is that a creek that runs through on the dotted blue line?

 

[Tree Spud]

You mention lots of open space. Any plans to create pockets of cover or travel corridors?

 

[bwoods11]

Cool farm.. congrats ! I’d leave some of that Oak Savanna!

 

[Hoytvectrix]

Nice rolling hills, the south facing should be good. Is that a creek that runs through on the dotted blue line?

Yes, there are actually two creeks flowing through two parts of the property. The southern one moves south to north and dries out a bit in the summer.

 

[Hoytvectrix]

You mention lots of open space. Any plans to create pockets of cover or travel corridors?

The current long term plan is to create both cover and travel corridors. We don't know for sure how deer will use this now that cattle are off of it, so I will not be making any permanent changes for the time being. Eventually, I'd like to create wind rows to provide some edge for deer and quail and break up sight lines, giving us access to the interior of the property without being seen.

 

[Hoytvectrix]

Cool farm.. congrats ! I’d leave some of that Oak Savanna!

Given the limited timber on this farm, we are very likely not going to have any timber harvested. There are probably 500 oaks that are close to maturity though. We are curious how the woods will respond without cattle. Deer have always been using the woods, so I am confident it will improve if anything. Invasives moving in might be an issue.

 

[356]

First, congratulations on the new place. It looks like a phenomenal opportunity to develop a world class whitetail habitat (along with Turkey and quail). I was hunting on a place in northern Missouri that has been under QDM for 12 years and the results were nothing short of amazing. On that doe management hunt I saw several 4 1/2 and older deer. Northern Missouri is vastly underrated for quality Whitetails. If you want, I can put you in touch with that landowner to share ideas.

Second, are you planning on developing a management plan yourself or getting assistance in the process? The reason I am asking is that I am wondering if some of us “northern Missouri” members might want to get together for a “habitat plan” review day.

As for cattle, I have 40 acres in Southern Missouri that is on a cattle lease. The neighbors fenced in a 40 acre section about 10 years ago and the area is now Savannah. I am surprised that it is not being overtaken by invasive plants.

 

[swat1018]

All of North MO is an amazing neighborhood for genetics! Congrats...

 

[bwoods11]

Any updates ?

 

[Hoytvectrix]

Any updates ?

Yeah, I haven't done a very good job with the first land tour thread. I will update after next week when I visit. Not a whole lot to report otherwise.

I have been (somewhat) resisting the urge to do too much too soon. Although we have a decent idea for how deer are using the farm, I am trying to add things to improve food and habitat that do not affect deer movement. With that said, we planted a few hundred trees including Concordia oaks, hazelnuts, arrowwood viburnum, persimmon, wild plum, hybrid chestnuts, Chinquapin chestnuts (courtesy of @letemgrow), and allegheny chinkapin chestnuts. Most have been put into Miracle tubes and placed near where similar type trees are already growing well.

I did plant a few kill plots that I know I can get in and out of without the deer knowing. Despite there being an early drought, I feel like I got pretty lucky with some rains:




We did have most of the pasture bailed. This was more of a form of weed control and a bit of extra income until we can start our plan with the USDA (that is still yet to be determined). The fields are pretty clean and it was worryingly wide open when it was bailed, but the pasture has been filling back in already. Makes for some pretty views:

 

[Hoytvectrix]

First, congratulations on the new place. It looks like a phenomenal opportunity to develop a world class whitetail habitat (along with Turkey and quail). I was hunting on a place in northern Missouri that has been under QDM for 12 years and the results were nothing short of amazing. On that doe management hunt I saw several 4 1/2 and older deer. Northern Missouri is vastly underrated for quality Whitetails. If you want, I can put you in touch with that landowner to share ideas.

Second, are you planning on developing a management plan yourself or getting assistance in the process? The reason I am asking is that I am wondering if some of us “northern Missouri” members might want to get together for a “habitat plan” review day.

As for cattle, I have 40 acres in Southern Missouri that is on a cattle lease. The neighbors fenced in a 40 acre section about 10 years ago and the area is now Savannah. I am surprised that it is not being overtaken by invasive plants.

I am not sure how I missed this comment last time. I would love to have some people out to the new farm or even just look at some of our plans. We have been going back and forth on whether or not we will hire a consultant. At this point, it probably is on the back burner.

 

[Brian662]

I am not sure how I missed this comment last time. I would love to have some people out to the new farm or even just look at some of our plans. We have been going back and forth on whether or not we will hire a consultant. At this point, it probably is on the back burner.

It seems like a property and area that the Land&Legacy boys would be suited for.

Beautiful property, I look forward to seeing more of it.

If it were me, I would plant some of those hillsides into beautiful tall grass prairies that would benefit wildlife and allow access trails with screening for hunters. The old saying of view your landscape and find the limiting factor applies on a property like this. Get some solid cover and the big boys will show up for the security, IMO.

 

[Hoytvectrix]

It seems like a property and area that the Land&Legacy boys would be suited for.

Beautiful property, I look forward to seeing more of it.

If it were me, I would plant some of those hillsides into beautiful tall grass prairies that would benefit wildlife and allow access trails with screening for hunters. The old saying of view your landscape and find the limiting factor applies on a property like this. Get some solid cover and the big boys will show up for the security, IMO.

That is pretty much exactly the plan for the open pasture fields. I am planning on using hazelnut, arrowwood viburnum, american plum, and elderberry to make up most of the windrows. More than likely there will be clover+chicory paths for firebreaks that encompass each of the segmented fields.

 

[letemgrow]

Personally I like a lot more forbs in the open areas as opposed to native grasses.

I'd spray the pastures in blocks and see what comes up that is already in the seedbank....could be good and could be bad before you go planting back any natives.

I'll take a field of annual sunflowers, giant ragweed, trailing wild bean and foxtail over a native grass stand any day of the week.

 

[Wind Gypsy]

Personally I like a lot more forbs in the open areas as opposed to native grasses.

I'd spray the pastures in blocks and see what comes up that is already in the seedbank....could be good and could be bad before you go planting back any natives.

I'll take a field of annual sunflowers, giant ragweed, trailing wild bean and foxtail over a native grass stand any day of the week.

How does that stuff look come late Oct through November in northern MO?

 

[letemgrow]

How does that stuff look come late Oct through November in northern MO?

There's a patch of weeds growing up I-29 just into IA that stands all winter long. The biggest plant there is the annual sunflower.

I've had the large trailing wild bean keep intact pods into December.

 

[PatinPA]

Given the limited timber on this farm, we are very likely not going to have any timber harvested. There are probably 500 oaks that are close to maturity though. We are curious how the woods will respond without cattle. Deer have always been using the woods, so I am confident it will improve if anything. Invasives moving in might be an issue.

ya I was just going to say. Invasives will probably be a big problem. Get on top of them quickly.