35 acres, what to plant for turkey and deer?
01-18-2005, 07:55 PM
#1
Fork Horn
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: waterville/barre vermont USA
Posts: 337
35 acres, what to plant for turkey and deer?
ok, here's the scoop.. i have been semi-guiding in vt for turkey for the last 3 years, my problem is having to search for places to go each year. this weekend, i saw a guy i know,talked hunting, remarked how i wish i had a place to plant for birds, but it would be something for deer, too. he and his friend have been thinking of improving his friends property( next to his) in hopes of drawing in deer. intense pressure at his place, plus the local christmas tree farmer has decimated the herd when they start eating his trees. anyway, john gives me his friends number, says call, which i did. told the guy i was willing to plant/improve some plots on his 35 acres, in return for exclusive hunting rights for turkeys( not too many in that area, but some) and a bow hunt or so for myself, with the understanding that no matter what i did, nothing could be ready for spring birds this year, he gets to shoot a deer hopefully there this year. ok, property description : rectangler shape, camp almost in the middle. has been logged about ten years ago, not touched sinces, so mid size whips coming up, about 10 foot tall. thick whips. slightly sloping w/good drainage. at far end on neighbors land are beeches and apple trees. small seasonal seep on that end as well. bear and moose in the area, as well as deer. my thoughts are to make a clearing, (keep in mind this is being done by hand, i have no equipment or money, lol), on this end, and perhaps one on the other end, but i don't know what size, 100 by 10, 50 by 50, 10 by 10, to clear and plant, nor what to put in them. sun allllllll day long. ok, make it simple, and let me have your ideas. oh yeah, lots of blackberry bushes present from being logged. thanks,
Pat
Pat
01-18-2005, 08:24 PM
#2
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: cazenovia, NY USA
Posts: 2,973
RE: 35 acres, what to plant for turkey and deer?
Start in the spring - for a fall planting. That way you are not rushed - and will have time to do a good job.
Concentrate on the most open area - nearest the apple trees. Use Pruners and or chainsaw to clear whips that are present. Keep any Apple Trees, and Preferred shrub areas if there are any.
once cleared - let the grasses/berry bushes start to come green - then Hand Spray with 41% Glyphosate (roundup) - probably in May. Spray again in June, and Maybe again even in late July - just before broadcasting the clearing HEAVY with RYE in August. You should drag around something Heavy - like a couple logs - or something to improve the seed/soil contact.
The RYE is a natural weed surpressor - and will offer a wonderful fall plot - and is great for strutting Toms in the Spring. The very large root system, and weed inhibiting action - make it ideal for a FIRST plot in a cleared area. Its also very inexpensive compared to other options.
In the spring you'll have to re-evaluate - because the maturing Rye will do little for deer and Turkeys but offer cover.
Concentrate on the most open area - nearest the apple trees. Use Pruners and or chainsaw to clear whips that are present. Keep any Apple Trees, and Preferred shrub areas if there are any.
once cleared - let the grasses/berry bushes start to come green - then Hand Spray with 41% Glyphosate (roundup) - probably in May. Spray again in June, and Maybe again even in late July - just before broadcasting the clearing HEAVY with RYE in August. You should drag around something Heavy - like a couple logs - or something to improve the seed/soil contact.
The RYE is a natural weed surpressor - and will offer a wonderful fall plot - and is great for strutting Toms in the Spring. The very large root system, and weed inhibiting action - make it ideal for a FIRST plot in a cleared area. Its also very inexpensive compared to other options.
In the spring you'll have to re-evaluate - because the maturing Rye will do little for deer and Turkeys but offer cover.
01-18-2005, 08:50 PM
#3
Fork Horn
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: waterville/barre vermont USA
Posts: 337
RE: 35 acres, what to plant for turkey and deer?
if i recall correctly, the apple trees are all on the neighbors land, as are the beech trees. and there was an old skidder road dividing the two. plus a stone wall next to the skidder road. my thoughts, since i don't know if the neigbors hunt the birds, was to perhaps get a bit away from the property line before i start trimming, so the casual passerby wouldn't see the plots because of the whips present. however, i have also been wondering whether or not to cut some trails through the whips to the plot, both for human entrance and animal, i haven't been up there for a couple of years, and i know he hasn't done any cutting, so they must be fairly thick whips.
Pat
Pat
01-21-2005, 03:19 AM
#5
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location:
Posts: 241
RE: 35 acres, what to plant for turkey and deer?
Hello,
Listen don't cut or kill the berries. Fertilze them. Cut trails through the whips, make them wavy. This makes game feel secure because they feel that if they can't see far you can see far. Don't wait till spring. I start now! While the woods is thin. You can see what you looking at not at green up. Clear access trails now this will help come spring. Place cuttings along trail edge as spring growth will grow up and produce browse. Plant rye in these trails. It makes for a good plot. Also, since doing most work by hand, think about makeing a rolling pin style rake for seed/soil contact tool. Feel free to give me a call at [email protected]. When you shoot your birds in the spring cut them open and see what there eating. I do this to all game and fish. It'll improve you knowledge and success. It provides information as to what they are feeding on during the season.
Till our trails cross,
WW
Listen don't cut or kill the berries. Fertilze them. Cut trails through the whips, make them wavy. This makes game feel secure because they feel that if they can't see far you can see far. Don't wait till spring. I start now! While the woods is thin. You can see what you looking at not at green up. Clear access trails now this will help come spring. Place cuttings along trail edge as spring growth will grow up and produce browse. Plant rye in these trails. It makes for a good plot. Also, since doing most work by hand, think about makeing a rolling pin style rake for seed/soil contact tool. Feel free to give me a call at [email protected]. When you shoot your birds in the spring cut them open and see what there eating. I do this to all game and fish. It'll improve you knowledge and success. It provides information as to what they are feeding on during the season.
Till our trails cross,
WW
ORIGINAL: vtbuckrulrss
if i recall correctly, the apple trees are all on the neighbors land, as are the beech trees. and there was an old skidder road dividing the two. plus a stone wall next to the skidder road. my thoughts, since i don't know if the neigbors hunt the birds, was to perhaps get a bit away from the property line before i start trimming, so the casual passerby wouldn't see the plots because of the whips present. however, i have also been wondering whether or not to cut some trails through the whips to the plot, both for human entrance and animal, i haven't been up there for a couple of years, and i know he hasn't done any cutting, so they must be fairly thick whips.
Pat
if i recall correctly, the apple trees are all on the neighbors land, as are the beech trees. and there was an old skidder road dividing the two. plus a stone wall next to the skidder road. my thoughts, since i don't know if the neigbors hunt the birds, was to perhaps get a bit away from the property line before i start trimming, so the casual passerby wouldn't see the plots because of the whips present. however, i have also been wondering whether or not to cut some trails through the whips to the plot, both for human entrance and animal, i haven't been up there for a couple of years, and i know he hasn't done any cutting, so they must be fairly thick whips.
Pat
01-21-2005, 06:24 PM
#7
Fork Horn
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: waterville/barre vermont USA
Posts: 337
RE: 35 acres, what to plant for turkey and deer?
i think i am leaning towards making the openings, if possible two or three, roughly 40 yards x 40 yards, with two or three trails leading into them. the reason i picked that size is that i don't think they will be too hard to clear, there should be a few areas still on the property relatively whip free that size, which will reduce the work load, and you will know once a bird or deer steps into that opening that it will be within shotgun/bow range. i have had different opinions as to what to plant, ranging from rye, to chufa, to corn, to wheat, to buckwheat, to imperial whitetail, to sugarbeets. stil taking suggestions on both size and food to plant, though. i appreciate what everyone is saying,
Pat
Pat
01-21-2005, 08:53 PM
#8
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: cazenovia, NY USA
Posts: 2,973
RE: 35 acres, what to plant for turkey and deer?
Pat - one last thought - OK maybe two........
When you clear an area - if the area is relatively open - consider WHY its that way.
It could be a thin soik area- or a spot particually devoid of nutrients. This would not neccessarily be a great place to start.
Lastly - all this management improvement thought - might change your veiw on QDM??? Maybe not all at once - but keep an open mind - I do and my hunting experiences have been better for it ( Not QDM per se - but by keeping an open mind - I enjoy my hunts more.).
When you clear an area - if the area is relatively open - consider WHY its that way.
It could be a thin soik area- or a spot particually devoid of nutrients. This would not neccessarily be a great place to start.
Lastly - all this management improvement thought - might change your veiw on QDM??? Maybe not all at once - but keep an open mind - I do and my hunting experiences have been better for it ( Not QDM per se - but by keeping an open mind - I enjoy my hunts more.).