New Guy - Big Project

[LarryBud]

Hello All,

I look forward to learning from the forum. I wish I would have had found this board earlier on my journey.

Two years ago last December, I purchased 31 acres of neglected land in West Central Missouri. Of the 31, 10 was a dirty hay field the neighbors would hay once a year for the hay and to keep it somewhat controlled. 1.5 was a yard with an old 30 x 40 Morton Building, and the rest was pasture which had not been managed for about 15-20 years. The result was a 20 acre tangle of Honey Locust ( native ), Cedar ( Invasive ) and Pear ( invasive ) trees. Also included was a wide variety of shrubs, vines and nasty weeds.

My vision is to return much of it to native prairie. Perhaps being a little too aggressive ( I still work full time ), I enrolled 16 acres in " Monarch Habitat " through the CSP Program and 2.5 acres in the " Deer & Pheasant Cover " EQUIP.

Last year I seeded the hay field which went well: Commercial chemical burn down, controlled burn, broadcast seed the Monarch Mix. This fall / winter we've cleared the remaining 8 acres with a skid steer and bulldozer, burned an untold mass of brush and will finally seed the 6 additional acres of CSP and the 2.5 of EQUIP this weekend.

The journey is far from over. I'll need to get these plantings up and I've learned that land management is a never ending job. So far, a labor of love.

I'm happy to share what I've learned along the way if anyone has a question about the programs or install. I think I'm on the right track.

 

[Natty Bumppo]

Sounds great. Welcome to the forum. Looking forward to seeing the progress.

 

[bigboreblr]

Welcome.

Sometimes that neglected nasty brush is the best spot for deer. Using the property for hunting?

Those pears can be grafted to other varieties. Don't forget to get a little seclusion from the morton shack. Alot of folks buy these proerties, but are afraid to use them in the off hunting season in fear of scaring away large game.

 

[LarryBud]

I will not manage this to hold / grow deer. ( although I did have a dandy 10 point hanging around last fall ). It's going to be mostly prairie grass which will hold some deer and I will have 3-4 acres of timber. I know this sounds silly but it's an insect farm. We're in the primary migration path for Monarchs. I'm trying to help them sustain or even build back.

I like to watch deer and have harvested many in my days. I've found that I'm a little too active on the property and have mostly moved the deer off. There is a lot of timber within a mile or two.

 

[TreeDaddy]

I will not manage this to hold / grow deer. ( although I did have a dandy 10 point hanging around last fall ). It's going to be mostly prairie grass which will hold some deer and I will have 3-4 acres of timber. I know this sounds silly but it's an insect farm. We're in the primary migration path for Monarchs. I'm trying to help them sustain or even build back.

I like to watch deer and have harvested many in my days. I've found that I'm a little too active on the property and have mostly moved the deer off. There is a lot of timber within a mile or two.

Doesn't sound silly to me

Have you considered keeping bees?

bill

 

[Bill]

I’ve finally owned my place long to have some 15 year old unmanaged overgrown pastures. I sure wouldn’t go back now. But I’m after deer, not butterflies.

If you clean that up deer usage will decline. But you own it so you get to make it what you want.

 

[omicron1792]

I’ve finally owned my place long to have some 15 year old unmanaged overgrown pastures. I sure wouldn’t go back now. But I’m after deer, not butterflies.

If you clean that up deer usage will decline. But you own it so you get to make it what you want.

I’m trying to do both, we will see! I want a beautiful long leaf savanna on 250 acres and will leave about 70 of hardwood bottoms and thick gnarly briars. Ha

 

[LarryBud]

Doesn't sound silly to me

Have you considered keeping bees?

bill

I'll look at bees down the road. I know it's complicated but I'm willing to learn when time allows.

 

[LarryBud]

I’ve finally owned my place long to have some 15 year old unmanaged overgrown pastures. I sure wouldn’t go back now. But I’m after deer, not butterflies.

If you clean that up deer usage will decline. But you own it so you get to make it what you want.

Bill,

Looks like we're going in opposite directions. Post your trail cam pics. I love seeing nice deer. I'll post butterfly pictures.

 

[Hoytvectrix]

Welcome to the forum! I think having a non-hunting perspective would be refreshing around here.

Any experiences you have with the programs you enroll in will be appreciated by many here. I'm closing on some land in under a week and plan on enrolling some of my new farm in a EQIP program and possibly some CRP programs. I plan on creating my own land tour thread and have been scavenging previous threads for lesson's learned. There are some great threads on many of these topics already, so feel free to comment in this thread or on those to bounce them to the top of "What's new".

 

[LarryBud]

Welcome to the forum! I think having a non-hunting perspective would be refreshing around here.

Any experiences you have with the programs you enroll in will be appreciated by many here. I'm closing on some land in under a week and plan on enrolling some of my new farm in a EQIP program and possibly some CRP programs. I plan on creating my own land tour thread and have been scavenging previous threads for lesson's learned. There are some great threads on many of these topics already, so feel free to comment in this thread or on those to bounce them to the top of "What's new".

CSP ( Conservation Stewardship Program ) is a great option if there's not a crop history, which was my case. EQIP worked for me where we couldn't find CSP to fit the project scope. The programs will help offset the expenses of shaping up the place.

Just today, I finished the install work for both. I do hunt BTW but I have good places to hunt and this little 31 acre track is for goofing around with the Grand kids. I have a 1 acre pond I working on as well.

Look forward to the land tour tread.

 

[Barndog56]

I'll look at bees down the road. I know it's complicated but I'm willing to learn when time allows.

Make sure you install some nesting areas for native solitary bees. You'll be amazed at how many find you with your monarch habitat.

 

[rocksnstumps]

^^^^ saw an exhibit once that made claims that where I live that WI has over 400 native species of bees. Never would have guessed that many around and frankly for just a small part of the Midwest.

Would assume that most areas of the country have a huge variety of pollinators where habitat favorable.

 

[buckdeer1]

Have you looked at the bee and butterfly fund?

 

[LarryBud]

Have you looked at the bee and butterfly fund?

Not previously but I just did. They have some great information. Thank you.

It reinforces that my job is far from over. I have installed the plantings by the book, but going from grass, plus plenty of weeds, to a healthy pollinator stand will not be an easy task.

I'll fight the fight.