ACutting

I'm working on a piece of land that has 2200 acres of old growth forest with about 50 acres of heavily cut area (not clear cut). How much of this should I cut to open it up? I was thinking roughly 50% spread out so deer can easily get to cover with in 100-200 yards at all times. Also once I open it up planting 60 - 80 acres of food plots (30-40 2 acre plots), turning alot of the other open area's into regrowth areas with some burned and maintained as fields to be later turned into more food areas once the herd is larger. Any suggestions?

answerguy

It would be real important to tell us where you are located.

ACutting

SE Missouri. Terrain is gently rolling to hilly. Right now there is an estimated 6-10 deer per square mile in the area giving me 20-35 deer on the property. Not nearly the numbers I would like

pikecofoodplotter

Acutting not real sure on the logging part of the managment but on the foodplot I would cut back the number of foodplots and make some larger and some strickly nutritional plots. The more number of plots the harder it will be to hunt them as they will be more choices them to avoid you.

ACutting

At this point hunting them is not my main goal. Their numbers are so low shooting them would be damaging to my long term goals. I figured by planting more food plots around the property I can create multiple small herds on the property. There will be a large amount of open area left after I plant the smaller food plots which I could plant a good clover, alfalfa, chufa type "pasture".

redka

With a tract of that size and condition, before another tree is cut, I would get the services of a wildlife management professional along with a forester who also understands wildlife management. Together they can provide a written long term plan to meet your situation. Food plots are one of several tools.Improving native vegetation and bedding areas is necessary as well. A long term goal is needed that is carried out over a period of years. Sounds like you have an opportunity to create a good hunting tract, and there is also the possibility of messing it up real bad.

ACutting

Agreed on all of that. I already have a forester that I'm working with. He was the one who originally suggested opening up about 50% of the property to give alot of "edge" area and also create new growth/regrowth areas.

timbercruiser

Usually old growth timber stands aren't the best choice for wildlife. I'm wondering if you are after a wildlife oriented tract of timber or are you more concerned with a tract that is timber management first and wildlife a close second. Not knowing the type of timber stands you have and other needed information it is hard to make a lot of suggestions. I would consider taxes as well as the current timber market for the kind of timber you have in your area before I started whacking a lot of acres. An average of 8 deer per mile is very low density population, and cutting timber isn't necessarily going to make the numbers explode.

farm hunter

How do you know its 8 deer/square Mile? This is like an "Adirondak Mountain Density" - and seemingly very low for your area - especially if you have a 50 acre cutover on the property.

If it is - then there is no sense in putting in 60-80 acres of plots - it would a terrible waste of money.

Think that : 1 acre of Year Round food plot (in theory) - alonecan support 3 deer for one full year.

That is a good Foodplotting rule of thumb to go by.

Before I'd cut much more, Assuming you are protecting the property - I'd put in a Centrally Located - 5-10 acre plot of a substantial food source - like clover or a couple strips of different choices. From here you can feed, protect and Monitor your herd over the next couple years as you work to build up the population. Then maybe worry about putting in many smaller plots scattered about.

FH

ACutting

The timber is meaningless to me I am after wildlife. Deer, Turkey, quail, rabbits, all of those little guys. As far as the density goes even the QDMA deer density maps are saying the population is less than 15 per square mile (that is the lowest number they show). The idea that a food plot supports 3 deer per acre blows my mind. A deer needs roughly 3000 lbs of food per year and a food plot produces roughly 3000 lbs of food per year assuming clover and nearly 5000-6000 if you are planting alfalfa. If you get into annuals such as brassicas they could produce up to about 10-14,000 lbs per year but that plot is only good food after the first frost before that the leaves are too bitter to be palitable for the deer. I do agree I maybe wasting alot of money by planting a large number of acres in food plots. With the current estimated deer populations anything over about 30 acres of plots is too much. Assuming that the population on the property will grow at a rate of roughly 20% per year I could increase my plots by 20% per year until reaching the desired population of deer.

I didn't figure opening the land up would immediately create a large increase in the deer population. Growing the population will take some time. Even with 2200 acres I still have to compete with the neighboring properties. If they are hunting the deer hard my efforts could be in vain. Which is why my goal right now is not to hunt the deer until the population is high enough to sustain it, that way my land will become a sanctuary for the deer.