There are several things that are often overlooked when developing a plan....

*Sometimes FP' s are established on the best ground, but not the best location, either in an area that is not condusive to secure deer travel, or in an area that is frequently saturated with human activity.

*When establishing a trail system, it' s nice to be able to access your property from the opposite side your prevailing winds come from. My winds are primarily SW to NW, so I established a road loop on the east side of the property to keep away from my centrally established larger feeding plots.

*It' s also nice to have completely different entrance and exit routes that can be used for varying wind patterns and geared towards either daylight or darkness travel.

*For forestry practices future timber growth may not be able to be in the plans to successfully establish an effective management plans on certain portions of the property. For example:

Friends of mine have a 40 acre hardwoods gold-mine. Some vaneer, and lots of good saw-logs. Their property is also terrible for wildlife. You can actually see up to 200 yards through the woods in the middle of summer, and the sunlight never reaches the ground. A forester friend of mine marked their entire 40 for select-cut harvest. He is a good forester, and will do a great job ensuring future boards per foot, but.....there is certainly an improvement to the basic forestry plan. My friends have a small home on the north side of the property, and a road that runs along the west side and north side. The east and south currently are where any deer would come onto the property, with 1 neighbor to the east. The best thing they could do would be to clearcut a 100 yard path on the south end of the property, starting from around 40-50 yards just inside the west line, and continuing until about the same distance from the eastern edge. Towards the SE corner, but back from the clearcut, there is an approximate 3 acre are surrounded by older hemlock. This would also be a great clearcut area, with the establishment of a 1 acre food plot located in the best place in the opening for huntability-most likely the northern edge. The SE corner, extending north approximately 200 yards of the 40 should be left untouched, so that the park-like open setting would discourage deer movement downwind of a NW/W/SW wind. The next step would be the establishment of a trails system on the eastern edge of the property to access a couple of stands set for varying winds around the 3 acre clearing with 1 acre food plot. Towards the center of the property, and agressive select cut could take place, forming a " T" with the back clearcut, heading north to about 100 yards south of the cabin. This select-cut would remove all trees except a few of the best varying age candidates for future prime timber harvest, and would establish another beeding/sanctuary area tying into the first one-the south 100 yards x 350 yard total clearcut. There is currently a food plot on the western edge of the property, with an old RR grade parrelling the FP about 50 yards to the east. The RR grade should be opened up approximately 50 yards x 60' , just north and touching the south clearcut, resulting in a 1/4 acre food plot to be used as a harvest plot as the deer travel to the west 1/2 acre food plot that is more in the open, from the south clearcut. This 1/4 acre food plot could be used with a S wind, with a S wind covering approach, and stand position while hunting. Just north and a little east of the 1/4 acre food plot, a small pond could be established along the western edge of the interior agressive select-cut, to not only provide a much-needed water source, but to cover and block a potential downwind approaching deer while hunting your 1/4 acre plot. Also, follow the forester' s recommendation of an entire property select-cut, except for the SE corner and north. Finally, plant a good covering of White pine and White spruce along the more opend/field area of the western edge of the property for screening cover/escape cover from deer either entering the property from the west, or potential poachers shooting into the property from the road.

By doing the above you would end up with great bedding cover, 1 3/4 Acres of FP, enhance native vegitation that could also be fertalized to increased productivity, safety areas to promote increased property traffic and holding ability, various stand sites designed for specific wind directions, a much needed water source, and improved screening cover to combat potential poachers. You will also assured that a good portion of the property will allow for future timber growth and harvest.

Basically, you drastically improved, established, or secured:

Multiple Quality food sources
Water
Safety/bedding cover
Screening cover
Access choices
Various stand sites with potential downwind deer movements minimized
Centrally located holding/bedding area
Future timber growth and harvest

The best part of the above is that it would ALL be paid by the timber currently on the property, with several thousand dollars to spend, save, or pay for future FP maintainance/property expenses. Add in a credible biologists doe harvest recommendation, and a realistic buck harvest guideline for a prime 40 acre parcel, say 2.5 year old or better, and you' ve got yourself a plan.

Some properties need more or less of the necessaties, but the bottom line, it' s still possible to make your property, even property 40 acres or smaller, the best piece of deer habitat in the area. If the above things were completed on my friends property, they would have made drastic changes to the drawing power of their 40.
Just for starters....
From roughly 4000#' s of forage.....to 46,000#' s of forage
No bedding areas.....to substantial bedding areas
No water source.....to not only a water source, but a downwind blocker to a great stand site.

There really so much that can be improved on just a basic small parcel, and the best part, my friends could have the entire project completed by money fromt the property.

Jeff...U.P. of Michigan