Where To Start

[Wisco]

Hi Folks - You may have just seen my post in the "Who are you?" thread, but I'm new to the Habitat Talk group. I have LOTS of questions and was wondering if there's a certain resource any you would recommend I read up on prior to posting a bunch of "stupid" questions. Perhaps a book, a YouTube series, a couple of threads full of good info... Anything helps.

Additional background that could help: Primarily manage (by myself) my family property of 70 acres in SE WI, mostly hardwoods and swamp, but have some access to fields. Probably my favorite part of hunting is habitat improvement, but I'm somewhat limited on supplies/hands. Own a brush-mower, 4 wheeler, and a chainsaw, but have some awesome friends with farm equipment (that I'd like to avoid taking advantage of).

Common questions from me without pre-reading may look like:

"I just planted my foodplot half clover (shady edges) and half brassica (sunny middle). Now I'm reading about cereal rye and how much people live by it. Can I just add that to the mix by casting it on top of the other two?"

"What to plant for a plot screen?"

"SOO much buckthorn. How do you guys handle this issue?"

Thanks in advance for any pointers!
Caleb

 

[wiscwhip]

Welcome to the site!

A good answer to your question would be to go here....these are the Paul Knox/Dbltree/LickCreek threads here and at the Iowa Whitetails forum.

http://habitat-talk.com/index.php?forums/lickcreek.11/

https://iowawhitetail.com/forum/forums/dbltrees-corner.45/

READ IT ALL!!! Then come back and ask for any explanations you need on specific items. Seriously though, Paul either taught or reiterated most of the knowledge regarding what we all do here.

 

[j-bird]

For books I have a couple that I have read that I go back to often

For learning how to read topo maps and how terrain drives deer movements - "Mapping Trophy Bucks" Brad Herndon
For learning about food plots and different plot plants - "Quality Food plots" or "Food plot success by design" Jeff Sturgis
For learning about how to layout a property for hunting "Whitetail success by design" Jeff Sturgis or "Whitetail deer management and habitat improvement" by Steve Bartylla

this collection will help you understand your property, and how it influences deer movements....then help you understand how to better layout the property for hunting and how and where to best place plots and other habitat improvements. It all starts with a plan. I can't stress that enough. far too many, my self included, jump into plotting with no plan or no understanding of what they are doing. Without a well thought out plan in advance with HUNTING in mind for YOU.....you are going to waste time and money and create frustrating situations that you may later regret. Our properties all have limitations and we work with what we have.....but planning in advance, as boring as it sounds, is well worth the effort.

 

[bueller]

This forum has been up and running for a while now and it contains a ton of info, including a bunch from WI and the midwest. The search function works well to give quick answers and explore whatever topic pops in your head. With that being said, post your questions up. It sparks conversation that you and others will benefit from.

 

[yoderjac]

I would recommend the search function on the forum. You can search for keywords in your question and you will likely find older threads discussing the subject.

 

[Mortenson]

Also suggesting the search function on this site. Secondarily, the dlbtree pages on Iowa Whitetail as mentioned. You can read til next year on his threads. He answered and covered practically everything.

 

[Peplin Creek]

Check out whitetail habitat solutions YouTube channel. It’s a channel created by Jeff Sturgis, a lot of what he says and teaches seem to fall in line with my experience thus far. As others have stated, use the search option and last if it’s a spur of the moment thing, just post the question. People are mature enough to give straight honest answers even if it’s similar to another question already posted.

We would give answers to your questions like:

Yes, rye can be top seeded into an exsisting plot. It works rather well.

And

I believe the state offers assistance/funding for land owners to help clear out buckthorn.

Good luck.

 

[Wisco]

Wow, thanks so much everyone. These are exactly the answers I was hoping for.

 

[S.T.Fanatic]

Dont forget to check out the throw and mow thread. Will be of great value to you if you want to save those favors from your buddies for something else.

 

[j-bird]

As was mentioned....just ask. Many of us have done this for years, while others are new to the game. That is why many folks support a forum like this.....to pass along what works for us and to share information. Nobody here trying to sell you something. I would bet collectively if you took the top 20 posters on this site your looking at a couple 100 years of experience in doing this stuff...and from all over the country.

 

[TreeDaddy]

books recommended by j bird are excellent reads. I have read (and re read!!!!!) them all multiple times

The binding on Herndon's book is coming apart from such.

i would NOT subscribe to glossy mags

There is little information to be gleaned and you will probably find yourself letting subscription expire without renewal

you will also find your self reading Paul Knox's threads(LickCreek,Doubletree) hours on end

Welcome to the addiction

bill

 

[TreeDaddy]

Welcome to the site!

A good answer to your question would be to go here....these are the Paul Knox/Dbltree/LickCreek threads here and at the Iowa Whitetails forum.

http://habitat-talk.com/index.php?forums/lickcreek.11/

https://iowawhitetail.com/forum/forums/dbltrees-corner.45/

READ IT ALL!!! Then come back and ask for any explanations you need on specific items. Seriously though, Paul either taught or reiterated most of the knowledge regarding what we all do here.

^^^^^^^^^^ my #1 rec......

bill

 

[JFK52]

Welcome to the forum. I do not believe there are any "stupid questions". We all started at square one at one time or another. Ask away, search the forum for the subject you are interested in and best of luck with all your wildlife projects. There are a few "cheeseheads" on this forum, myself included.

 

[Tap]

The advice about reading Paul Knox info is spot-on. But be prepared for a pile of reading. There's a ton there.

And the Throw and Mow thread is also excellent. You may not (or you may) get the same amount of tonnage or picture-perfect plots that some other planting methods provide, but with limited equipment, TnM is a great way to produce a decent enough plot for wildlife purposes.

No matter how you go about your habitat work, remember this...nurture and protect your soil health. It'll pay dividends in the future. Healthy soil requires less fertilizer (cost savings). With healthy soil, rain is infiltrated and retained much more efficiently, which feeds a deeper root system. Deeper roots scavenge more locked-up nutrients within the soil and feed more of the micro critters that healthy soil requires. Healthy soil grows a healthier crop which can out-compete weeds better which saves on herbicide, time and fuel costs.

The less tillage you can do, the better. Cover crops should be part of your scheme, and it just so happens that a lot of cover crops make great wildlife forage and cover. Check out Ray The Soil Guy videos and Google anything about soil health and cover crops.

For the most part, forget about buying seed with the big buck on the bag. Most of that stuff is way over-priced. There are a lot a good ag seed dealers. Welters is a favorite on this forum, and I also like Green Cover Seed. They have lots of varieties and they also have something on their site called SmartMix Calculator, which helps you select varieties, mixture ratios, planting dates based on your goals that you select and based on your zip code and planting methods. WARNING, SmartMix Calculator is almost addictive. You can spend hours playing around with choosing and adjusting their recommendations.

AND LEARN WEED/PlANT IDENTIFICATION. Not all weeds are bad, and some are actually more desirable to deer than the stuff we plant, and those weeds are free.
Some weeds may seem like they are unused at one stage of their development, but they may be highly desired at another stage.
Other weeds can be a nightmare and need to be snuffed out as soon as they appear. If some are left alone because "it's only one, or only a few", they can quickly turn into something you'll spend wads of cash and many years fighting...time consuming hours that could be better spent on other habitat chores. Learn weed ID and learn how to (or if you should) fight them.
Name This Plant is a great part of this forum. Take lots of high quality, close-up pics of different plant parts and give as much info as you can...your growing zone, shade/soil conditions, etc.
I found the best way to post pics is with Tapatalk. It automatically resizes the pics to a file size that the forum accepts.

Pay attention to Native Hunter's posts on plant info...the guy is amazing.


Don't worry too much about having a clean and pristine plot. We are feeding deer, not growing crops for our livelihood.
There are a few aps for plant identification. I've tried Plantnet and found it to be about 50% accurate. There are others I haven't tried that may be better.

And you already own the best habitat tool...a chainsaw. Get chaps and other PPE and learn saw safety if you aren't already skilled. The book "To Fell A Tree" is excellent.

And take everything that you are told here with a grain of salt. It's pretty surprising how things can vary from one region to another. Deer use of plants, weed types, planting dates and forage varieties can be vastly different even a few miles away. What a guy does in Texas or South Florida may not apply to a guy in Minnesota or your state, so take advice with location in mind. Even N Pa is different than S Pa and I'll bettcha West TX is different than East TX.
I'll say it yet again...every poster should be required on these forums to display their state or zone in their avatar...not asking for an address or GPS numbers, just a general location.

Welcome to the addiction.

 

[Livesintrees]

Everyone here is pretty good. When I joined I had some questions. While I have a handle on some things. There were mixes I never used and planting and tree pruning and such I’ve never done. Guys here are so eager to help and pass the knowledge along from their own trial and error, that I’ve yet to see someone have a nasty put off reply.