How to make this property better?
Wisconsin
I just purchased this 30 acre parcel in south eastern Wisconsin. It has a lot of potential with a pond, set aside fields and a large oak ridge and tamarack bog in the middle. I am overwhelmed as what to do first... So if it was you where would you start to make this the best deer habitat possible.
Hinge cut! Any of your larger trees that shade out the forest floor - hinge cut (smaller trees) or sell the logs - leave the tops on larger trees. I would suggest a "select" cut - don't cut it all. Let the sunlight in!! In two years that will be some of the most nasty- secure places on your property. A whitetails world is rarely over 6 feet tall. The new cover and food that it produces will be a magnet for deer. So many people I believe don't want to cut anything - you want deer - make cover for them...they'll come.
Sounds like you have a water source - now you can start food plotting if you wish as well..
Sounds like a nice piece of property now . I'd hunt it the first year without doing much at all . If you use camera's , put um out . But you know better than anyone what your neighbor's are up to . I'm sure some on here will suggest a food plot .
Before do anything come up with a plan. Plan first then cut/plot/etc. Defining your access trails is likely one of the most important first steps.
Check out QDMA.com for a ton of FREE information on habitat management. Look to Books by Jeff Sturgis (on QDMA.com) for information on laying out your land. Steve Bartylla has a newer book on on the subject as well.
PM me if you want some specific help. BC
I wouldn't hinge cut this property. It looks thick enough.
If it were me I'd take up swampys advice and yes maybe a good plot somewhere in there.
Like you I have 20 acres and have not done much with it. I don't know if it justifies throwing money at it to benefit the neighbors more than me. It's not enough land for deer to stay here so the deer can be cut off or down depending how you look at it before reaching my land. I have a feeling you'll run into that also with a smaller property. I would also hunt it a year or two and see how the critters use the land. Travel patterns and so on before going hog wild. But don't let what I say get you down. Some nice bucks can be found on small chunks!
I would plant as many apple trees I could afford asap. Liberty, enterprise, chestnut crabapple are a few good ones. If possible I would plant about 5 acres of plots. Soybeans, ladino clover, etc. Screen the plots with Egyption wheat or sorghum. Plant some Norway spruce for security and hinge cut all non marketable trees. Good luck#
Hire someone that can evaluate all aspects of your property and your goals and can write you an integrated management plan. Expecting random people who may or may not have any knowledge about management to give sound advice based on a leaf on air photo is not realistic.
Skookumjt
Is it really cost effective on smaller properties to develop a management plan.? I can see on say 150 acres or more but parcels 40 or less?
Learn your land and find out what it has to offer before doing anything. Food plots are good, if they can hold deer on your property. You might be better off creating funnels and sanctuaries where you can intercept the deer if they use your land to pass to and from your neighbors. What areas are they going to feel the safest in. What areas can you get into without kicking them out?
I really like to put clover next to water. It is something that they use all summer and an early season spot for a ground blind. Easy to maintain and you only need an acre to do a good job. It also doubles as a place to hunt turkeys.
I am thinking that your "bog" is a sanctuary. Find the trails and scout to see where they go.
Good luck!
Much cheaper to spend a few hundred dollars and have a solid plan in place than just guessing and wasting time and money.
I've talked with guy that turned 5 acres into a deer hunters dream. No, it wasn't the right 5 in the perfect spot. It was a pretty much a wide open field with poaching neighbors. 20 acres is plenty. Get help or teach yourself. You can do it! BC
Congrats, I live in SE wi as well. 30 acres is plenty to keep deer on. Provide bedding and whatever you do..... Ignore Neverbait. He's a damn idiot and really just likes to talk shit and say nothing that makes sense or will help you at all.
QDMA works if you are willing to put in the time! I would say it's works everywhere it's tried! I promise you this, you won't waste one cent of your money on your place if you practice QDMA and put your time and talents to good use. Educate yourself, don't listen to the naysayers! BC
Good call on talking with the neighbors, Neverbait. I hunt a few small parcels smaller than the OP's. I lucked out with understanding neighbors.
"Sounds like a nice piece of property now . I'd hunt it the first year without doing much at all . "
Good advice! Sometimes the best thing to do is nothing at all. You're new there so give it a season or two and see how things go...you might find out all you really need to do is tweak a stand location or two here and there. Hinge cutting is the last thing I'd do, but then I've never understood the philosophy of buying a perfectly nice wooded lot or land and hacking down the trees. Of course that's coming from a guy that watches as oak wilt riddles his land year after year, too, so take it for what it's worth..
In SE Wisconsin, you can start by eliminating the non-native invasive buckthorn. This will help the native browse species deer prefer to feed on. If you find any young oak seedlings sprouting in good locations, cage them to keep deer and rabbits off so they have a chance to grow above the browse line. Planting high preference native shrubs on field edges like wild plum, elderberry, highbush cranberry, hazelnut, ect, is never a bad thing. Caging may be necessary to get them established. Any potential future foodplot sites you could take soil samples to send in .... this will help with any future property planning. ;)
I agree with the guys saying hunt it this year as is and/or put up cams and see how deer are using the land now before doing much of anything. Also I'd recommend getting a forester in to give you advice, several private foresters can be found on the DNR's website with all their contact info. I've also been impressed with the actual DNR county foresters in the past, I've met with a few of them throughout the years and they were good people, straight shooters, very knowledgeable, and very helpful. In fact I'd recommend cutting nothing until a forester at least walks it with you and gives you some advice. Good luck and have fun!
Here are my suggestions/comments:
Why wait a year or two to start - you can tell by looking at the aerial and boots on the ground looking for deer sign to find travel patterns. That will tell you just about all you need to know. Really, your work will alter the travel patterns anyway to your benefit.
The work you do might benefit your neighbors, but you will get much more benefit than they do.
Getting profession assistance on this size of a property is well worth it. Having said that, you can do it yourself and you have time. Get Jeff Sturgis' three books, and Steve Bartylla's latest book and you will be well on your way. Jeff's books can be found at www.qdam.com. If you only have time for one, get Steve's for now, from his website.
A quick starting point for this year - it looks like you have close to 10 acres of land you can plant on? If so, think about planting 5 acres of Egyptian Wheat to help cover your access, provide cover for the deer and to create funnels past your stands. Plant the rest in food plots. You will vastly improve this property in one year for hunting.
If you know for sure were some of your bow stands will be. Plant some apples and some pears nearby to get those going as soon as you can. Plant a variety with different ripening dates.
I am not saying anyone else is wrong, this is just my opinion, this is what I would do. BC
