Property Design Help

[andersont@maccray.k12.mn.]

Looking for advice on how to set up this property in the Midwest. Big agriculture country, rolling hills and little cover with a small creek. Where to put food plots and where to put cover.

White dots= current bedding. Green X's -rotating crops of beans and corn (harvested before November generally) Blue- water stock dam and Red X = 20 acre alfalfa field. I have access from 3 directions EAST, WEST & SOUTH and I can manipulate anything inside the Red.

I have an ATV, Sprayer and Drag

Thank you to ANYONE with input!

 

[sandbur]

I am not sure how big your property is, but probably about 20 acres?

I live in ag country and am surrounded by fields with irrigation on three sides.

In general, with a small property, make it thick and only hunt accessible pinch points , with outside access. For me, I stay off of most of the cover from mid August until the rut.

Look closely at the river bottoms and hills and identify accessible pinch points for different winds. Accessible is the key.

If you don’t have conifers, plant them. Clumps first bedding and broken strings for travel corridors for the rut after leaf fall.

If you can plant 2-3 acres of corn(far north ag belt) or beans (where the snow doesn’t get deep) for winter feed, do so.

Don’t jump too much into foodplots, in strong ag country, thick, never entered by human, cover is king!

In southern ag country where snow is not to deep, cover crops on adjoining crop lands might be the only feed needed.


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[sandbur]

I will add that I do not pheasant hunt until after the rut.

In short, make it thick and stay out until the rut.

Deer will move in after the corn is harvested and after leaf fall.


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[Troubles Trees]

I agree with Sandbur, cover in wide open country like that is king, in general old mature bucks don't like to be seen during daylight.
Planting food plots next to big AG fields isn't ideal, but if you make it a secluded plot it is more ideal, especially if it doesn't have a lot of human intrusion. If you know what your neighbors are planting you can do the opposite, if they plant clover and corn you can plant Buckwheat or winter rye or anything else except for corn and clover really.

I try to key in on food sources unique to my area or in general try to give deer something the surrounding area doesn't have. If there are Oak trees for miles I wouldn't plant more Oak trees, I would plant Chestnuts and Hazelnuts. If there are native pear or apple trees for miles, I would plant Persimmon and plumbs. Today there are so many options for trees with specific drop times it does make it easier to have deer food available when you need it, just bear in mind that the drop time in say Pennsylvania where they are sold isn't the same drop time as Wisconsin so adjust accordingly or get a cultivar with a long drop time.

 

[hesseu]

Size of property? Is that fescue currently growing on your place? If yes, that is the first thing I would go after. Pretty inexpensive (even with glyphosate prices these days) means of helping a property out. I would spray it out this fall (October) and come back next spring right at green up and spray again if possible.

Again, not knowing the size...but you do have good access from 3 directions, I would hunt the perimeter of the property based on wind direction. It looks to me like they would be going off your property to destination feeding sources. I would manipulate tree's, etc and create blockades where there are only a few areas for entry / exit onto your property for each wind direction. Essentially, manipulate and create that funnel. YOU have the cover.

On the east rectangle portion, you may add a "hidey hole" food plot on each side of that middle wooded draw. Something just to slow 'em down / stop them for a minute. On the west triangle, at the very east tip of that triangle one may also be added for the same purpose.

Biggest thing I see that jumps out to me, is this property is centrally located for the rut and best cover. So, take advantage of that! And, do what you can to put the deer where you want them based on your access in and out. Quality cover is king on this property IMO

 

[bigboreblr]

A few things I see. Obviously this is a strong bedding / cover area. Annually, I would focus on one half or another not to spook them too much.

Any shrubs or trees sticking out of the forested area, I'd leave alone to make it brushier. Or, do something like confier trees, edible shrub browse.

A big thing I see is the Big V of trees to the north of your property. could see a buck scooting to cross there. Make a nice home base for him to run too. Possibly in the forested edges, do a single annual mowing to make a nice narrow travel path for your deer. However, make it not noticable for kids with atv's or something. Come in and out of the path with the mower off.

To hunt, you dont need to do much to have a great spot from what I am seeing. I do food plot as reparations for taking some of herd away for my use..... Winter forage would be a real nice benefit for the deer. This could be incorporated into planting cover grass somehow too, your selection. Standing corn, sorghum, some mix some millet in to plots.

A few questions:

What equipment do you have to use to improve the property? how often can you get there? This "wild grass" in your box and around it, what is it? The alphalfa field, is it permanent? or does it get rotated into other crops? Any other plans for the property? hunting cabin? We're assuming you hunt deer? any other recreation use for the property? small game, family camping, place to target shoot.....

 

[andersont@maccray.k12.mn.]

A lot of awesome input from everyone!! I bow hunt deer. No plans to build and there are a couple people who turkey and shed hunt but generally just me September- Late November. Some gun pressure in late November-December in all 4 directions. The property is roughly 270 acres but the only cover being a small winding crick that provides a long 40 acres of cover. Once the crop fields are harvested there are 2 food sources in the surrounding area OFF this property. A 20 acre yearly alfalfa field to the North and 5 acre yearly Corn food plot. Any trees you see are all conifer and everything else is Brome grass. There is almost zero browse because of the Brome grass and no mast trees. Wondering if I should spray out a good chunk of the brome grass and broadcast clover, alfalfa, tree seeds and let it go just to provide some browse around bedding areas. I wouldn't be against them but I found that planting, watering, caging and success rate of mast trees may not be worth the effort. I live 1.5 hours away and this is our family farm. I have access to any ag equipment but the boulders in the ground and uneveness of the terrain makes my ATV, sprayer, broadcaster and drag the feasible route.
Any thoughts on cutting out 1-2 living room size pockets in the conifer? A few areas are so thick that it's near impossible to utilize and has zero green undergrowth.

 

[andersont@maccray.k12.mn.]

A lot of awesome input from everyone!! I bow hunt deer. No plans to build and there are a couple people who turkey and shed hunt but generally just me September- Late November. Some gun pressure in late November-December in all 4 directions. The property is roughly 270 acres but the only cover being a small winding crick that provides a long 40 acres of cover. Once the crop fields are harvested there are 2 food sources in the surrounding area OFF this property. A 20 acre yearly alfalfa field to the North and 5 acre yearly Corn food plot. Any trees you see are all conifer and everything else is Brome grass. There is almost zero browse because of the Brome grass and no mast trees. Wondering if I should spray out a good chunk of the brome grass and broadcast clover, alfalfa, tree seeds and let it go just to provide some browse around bedding areas. I wouldn't be against them but I found that planting, watering, caging and success rate of mast trees may not be worth the effort. I live 1.5 hours away and this is our family farm. I have access to any ag equipment but the boulders in the ground and uneveness of the terrain makes my ATV, sprayer, broadcaster and drag the feasible route.
Any thoughts on cutting out 1-2 living room size pockets in the conifer? A few areas are so thick that it's near impossible to utilize and has zero green undergrowth.

I should add the 5 acre corn plot is to the EAST just off our property boarder and any areas I have sprayed or disturbed in the past seem to pop up in thistles, thistles and more thistles. Cereal Rye and Brassicas seem to grow well and the deer hammer them here.

 

[Brian662]

Sounds like a neat property. You can certainly cut trails and pockets in the thick conifers to create travel corridors or bedding pockets.

If there is already 20 acres of alfalfa, I wouldn't personally plant any. I'd focus on planting things the deer don't currently get within the nearby surroundings.

This is a great podcast with Craig Harper that talks about jump starting early successional growth through a few different methods. Just killing the brome grass will get the habitat jump started in ways that will benefit all wildlife. After that you could plant strips or clumps of switchgrass for cover throughout. This will also create edge that deer and other critters will utilize.

Good luck on your journey, a property that size and with minimal cover around could be an absolute gem if you hunt it smart and make the proper adjustments based on how the deer react.

 

[rocksnstumps]

In regards to mast trees for something you dont have to go in and plant annually. Sounds like mast plantings have been challenging in the past. If you are itching to try something like chestnut but think it might be borderline for you area forget about it. Pass on planting any of those interesting things others make all sorts of great comments and pictures about on better soils and maybe warmer zones or less drying winds or whatever.

You have mostly conifers in the area so soil is probably on the sandier side and maybe more so in higher spots with the rocks. Lots of boulders everywhere. Thistles are your top three weed problems whenever you spray. I can relate.

For soft mast would stick with crabapples. Stay away from semi standard size and smaller growing rootstocks. You want a vigorous root system. Maybe try to find crabapples that have various drop times and fruit 1 inch or better. Read some of the crabapple threads posted by Sandbur and a few others on here. Alternatively start out with just some dolgo and red splendor bare root seedlings, ones on their own roots. They are super hardy and cheap and if after several years they are still growing maybe try to get some of the nursery ones that cost 10x to 20x as much but have the known fruit sizes and drop times. If you cant get a dolgo seedling on own roots to grow you can forget about all the others in the apple family anyway. Do try to reduce grass competition and that thick sod mat right around a tree. Spray a small circle or try some weed mats. Good luck

 

[westonwhitetail]

Just my opinion but I’d think about adding a couple plots with screening around them in the green areas below. Seems like you could access those areas easily. Do late season plots so they have food by you when the crops come off. Also add some apple trees and pears to the plots as well.

Then make the cover better everywhere else on the property, like others have been saying. Maybe plant native grasses and some mix of pines in the brown shaded area. Thicken the woods up if it needs it by thinning some trees.

Good luck! Looks like a nice place.

 

[andersont@maccray.k12.mn.]

Trying to thicken up this area. Any open space is covered with Brome Grass and provides zero cover or food value. I'm planning to spray and kill the grass and I'm wondering if I should plant some turnips and radishes to provide some food and help break up the sod base and then frost seed the switchgrass in early Spring (2023) or if I should just spray out the grass and frost seed in the Spring (skipping the food source prior) Appreciate any feedback!

 

[hesseu]

Trying to thicken up this area. Any open space is covered with Brome Grass and provides zero cover or food value. I'm planning to spray and kill the grass and I'm wondering if I should plant some turnips and radishes to provide some food and help break up the sod base and then frost seed the switchgrass in early Spring (2023) or if I should just spray out the grass and frost seed in the Spring (skipping the food source prior) Appreciate any feedback!

Spray it w/ gly and see what naturally occurs in the seedbank. There is a great likelihood that many beneficial native species are sitting dormant just waiting to be released.

 

[bigboreblr]

Im no switchgrass expert, but you may be able to grow a stand now.

I'd actually do both. Spray it all as soon as you can. Outside area put switchgrass in. Inside area do buckwheat and throw some clover in. When planting late summer for a fall plot, do raddishes mostly, add a little clover too. Then a couple weeks later hand spread some rye into that raddish patch. IF that switchgrass didnt pan out, toss some rye into that area too.

Sorghum milo can be options too.

 

[Brian662]

You will not get switchgrass to grow effectively if it is competing with brome grass. You'll have to kill off the grass first. Even if you drill the switch through the brome and spray the growing brome, the switch will struggle getting through.

If you're trying to establish switchgrass, you're better off waiting a year until you have the ground prepped correctly or you're likely throwing money away on expensive switch seed.