New piece of land how to improve it?
Contributors to this thread:Whitetail Deer
From: algee
11-Jul-17
First time poster on this site.But now that I have some land of my own I would like to make it more attractive to deer. I recently purchased this 30 acre parcel in southeastern Wisconsin. What would be the best bang for the buck to get some results for hunting this fall. I do plan on planting more trees on the property over the next few years. All the open fields are just grasses no crops have been planted in then quite a few years. The tillable land is about 12 acres with a wet bog in the middle and a wooded 8 acre ridge behind that.
Thanks Gee
From: Fuzzy
11-Jul-17
it's gonna be hard to get anything in this late to attract in the fall. I'd go with a brassica plot and some winter rye
From: MK111
11-Jul-17
I would plant a leafy plant like Fuzzy stated this year. Even get some of the clear land prepared for a frost seeding of clover. The clover will be good deer attract next year. Then next year plant plant a spring crop. I would plan on planting every cleared area there is. I would plant the proposed trees in the off areas. Plant food plots and the deer will come.
From: drycreek
11-Jul-17
I have to disagree on the too late for fall. In fact, even in Wisconsin it's too early to plant grains for fall. No way y'all could be more than a month ahead of us in the south, and I generally plant wheat, oats, or rye between September 1st and 15th. Good luck !
From: M.Pauls
11-Jul-17
I would personally leave it alone this year. We're getting close to fall already and I wouldn't want to put continual pressure from land improvement on a parcel of that size. My guess is if you work a descent amount of time in there, you'll just pressure it too much, especially any mature whitetails that are in there. Have you hunted it before? I'd want to spend some time observing deer before going to work to make sure you are in fact 'improving'. It's exciting buying land! Welcome to the forum
From: algee
12-Jul-17
I have hunted the property the last 4 years. The bedding areas are mainly south of my property they do bed in the bog but it has been very wet the last few years and is not being use as much. All of the land that surrounds me is not Ag most is just woods and prairie grass and marsh grass. The closest Ag field is about a mile north some of the neighbors do have plots on there land but not many for the size of the area. I was maybe considering leasing out the bigger fields for crop production and working out a deal to leave a certain amount left standing each year?
From: sawtooth
12-Jul-17
Wait two weeks, then plant winter rye.
From: wilbur
12-Jul-17
wilbur's Link
Contact John O'Brion at Grandpa Ray Outdoors. He is in Wisconsin he will be able to give you great advice.
From: MQQSE
12-Jul-17
Mow mow and spray in about ten days areas you will plant in August. We are just getting ours ready to plant next month here in Missouri.
From: ARROWONEPY
12-Jul-17
i would plant 2 acres of rape and clover on the deep end of the field with easy access for yourself. its not too late to plant. leave tall grasses around it to hide it
From: Franzen
12-Jul-17
Without topo, a little difficult to say for sure, but I would enhance bedding habitat on the south end. Also, minimize disturbance. The first item is more of a long-term thing, but minimizing disturbance would certainly help for this season too.
Also, hard to tell from this one photo, but it looks like your property corner meets with a curve in the road. Make sure that area is screened off from view.
From: Fuzzy
13-Jul-17
right drycreek, there's plenty of time for brassicas and rye, etc. just not so much for clover, alfagraze, and other perennial attractants......
From: Charlie Rehor
13-Jul-17
Year in and year out no other state produces more P&Y entries than WI! Good luck with your new piece of gold! C
From: t-roy
13-Jul-17
Drycreek X3. Plenty of time to get some brassicas as well as cereal grains in. You could also put some clover in with a cereal grain as a nurse crop/attractant food source. What is your situation as far as equipment, to accomplish what you're wanting to do? Do you have any equipment yet, have access to some, or know someone in the area that is willing to do custom work for you?
If you're going to get much in the ground this fall, you need to get as much of the grasses off of the areas to plant as possible to get good germination of whatever you plant. Not sure what type of grass is growing, but If you could get someone to mow and bale the grass ( if it's worth it to someone) that would get rid of most of the trash. Then it would be way easier to get the ground worked up. Don't expect great results getting it worked up the first year. The grass root balls are a PITA, but next year it will work up much better. You could also do a chemical burn down, then burn the dead grasses to get rid of the trash, but this will take longer (it can take up to 2 weeks or more for the grasses to be dry enough to actually burn).
Congratulations on your new property! Nothing like working on your own land. Enjoy every minute of it!
From: Wishedhead
13-Jul-17
Two words- soil sample!!!!!!!
From: kokosing
14-Jul-17
I would work up a small piece where you wants the deer and plant turnips right away. That will be good this fall and think about it this winter.
From: Bowriter
14-Jul-17
Step #1, always...determine if it needs improving. Sometimes, land is better left alone.
From: Michael Schwister
14-Jul-17
Right now get out and do soil testing, the results will be back in time for time to plant this fall. I am from WI (6th gen farm) and my folks are still on the farm. WInter wheat is the best draw as all the neighbors have corn/beans/alfalfa. Our land goes itno winter wheat on the beans coming off, even late OCT planting brings deer in droves. Creating lots of thickets that you do not go in, ever is the best way to draw/hold deer on your property year around, and when you do hunt it always go in from downwind. I recommend you divide total acres into 3. 1/3 in a clover mix (spring or fall plant with w nurse crop such as oats), one third in soybeans (real world work great in WI, then overseed the beans with a winter rye when they turn brown for a beans and green draw/feed plot, then the remaining into a brassica mix (plant 15 august)in fall and perhaps buckwheat in spring. Fertility and weed control really will make the difference. Soild test every year and pre-plant three points of action on any non RR crops. Clover can be sprayed early, but mowing is essential. Good luck!
From: Bowhuntingboy
15-Aug-17
I would plot the 1/2 acre between woods and pond
From: algee
17-Aug-17
So a little follow up on the this property. I closed on it July 1st we moved in that week. I sprayed 3 different areas two are about 1/2 acre one to the north and the one on the south by the pond and wood the other is 1 acre area in front of the house to the west of the tree line. MY friend came over with his tractor and equipment brush hogged tilled and planted for me. The big plot in front of the house is more for wild life viewing it is planted in Horney buck Booya blend the two smaller one are also HB seed mixes with more fall winter stuff. I plan on doing a lot of buck thorn removal as it is thick in most of the edges along the fields. And spring apple tree planting to the south of the house. All the plots are looking great will add some pictures soon.
From: XMan
17-Aug-17
Agree with Drycreek and others, plenty of time to plant and make your property better. I just burned my fields last week and will be planting my grains in a week or two when the ash settles.
Best of luck on the new property, looks like a great place with huge potential.
From: drycreek
17-Aug-17
algee, take some pics of your plots if you can and let us see how you're doing. Always like to look at food plots.
From: Deerplotter
17-Aug-17
Combine a forage Radish with Winter Rye or Oats for this year.
From: algee
18-Aug-17
Here are couple pictures one is the long plot in front of the house and the other in the plot on the north side of the property. Both are about week after they where planted.
From: algee
18-Aug-17
From: algee
23-Aug-17
Here are some more pictures I took over the weekend of plot pictured above. Last evening I had the first day light visitors in the plot two adult doe and 3 fawns. This plot is really lush cant wait till fall!
From: t-roy
23-Aug-17
Too late for an intervention now! Looks like you are addicted;-)
Plots look great!
