Texas...What's going to "stump" you is the pond...If you are talking 10-12 food plots of about an acre apiece, a good 40-60 hp tractor or so will do all you need to do...You mentioned digging "ponds"...Is this one 1/2 acre pond or 2-3 10-12 acre ponds??? You might come out better finding someone with the proper equipment to dig the pond, than buying a tractor too big for your food plots or too small to be very efficient digging a pond...Most tractors are designed for tilling, planting, spraying etc...Adding a backhoe or a loader does not make them a backhoe/loader...It just lets you do a little light work with them....The frame is made differently and the stress put upon it are different for different applications....

Most of the ponds I see made around here are done with a bulldozer and pan.