Below, you will find a satellite image of the property (south is at the bottom left and north is at the top right...ish). There are over 300 acres, but I have only included an image of the part I am trying to make improvements to. The red line is the property line. There are currently 9 acres planted in corn (shaded blue top right) with around 15 acres of alfalfa to the northeast and northwest of the corn field.
The shaded blue area to the far left (about 24 acres) is wooded, but was logged about 5 years ago. They chose selective logging and left a bunch of junk trees. There are a few oaks, which I would like to leave. There is a small corn plot (1 acre) about a half mile away, but no other ag crops for a couple miles. There are three ridges dividing the area and I would like to clear about 4 acres for a food plot. I was thinking corn/soybeans/clover, but am open to suggestions. I was planning on clearing the area closest to the power line (farthest to the right of the shaded area).
The next shaded blue area is a field that is at the end of a primary ridge. It is currently grazed by cattle and horses, but I am planning to fence it off. It's about 4 acres and I was thinking about putting a food plot in it. What should I plant in it?
The smaller shaded blue area is a field that turkey and deer frequent. It is screened by a line of trees and we rarely go back there. Thoughts/suggestions about what to do with it are also appreciated.
The red shaded area is what I am planning for the sanctuary. We rarely go in there and it has decent cover. There are ridges on each side and it has a couple cedar thickets and is roughly 24 acres. Should I go in and do some hinge cutting now? Anything else to make it better for a bedding area?
I was also wondering about access roads. There are old logging roads that are overgrown and tough to walk on. I was thinking about cleaning them up with a bulldozer so the entire area is more accessible. Maybe one around the perimeter and some benches on the mountain. Would it be better to clear them by hand and make a smaller path? I didn't know if it would disturb the area too much or make the deer feel less comfortable on those trails.
I would also like to hear any other suggestions that you may have.
Thanks!
