Post by tynimiller on Mar 30, 2016 12:01:48 GMT -5
Figured I'd document here the process (long process) I'll be going through transforming this piece of 22 and change acres over the coming years.
Some of you that follow Small Acre Hunting or are friends with me either in real life or on social media know I by the sheer grace of God, purchased a chunk of his creation! (close actually tomorrow technically)
I've already walked it multiple times, even found a small shed, and hung a camera (more to go)....I will edit this post and add pictures to the OP but for now device I'm on doesn't have any saved to it...so I'll write the description.
The brunt of the property is a rectangle, taller than it is wider at roughly 429yds x 219yds. There is in the top right corner of the property an attached square of timber roughly a shade over 100yds x 100yds.
Most of the main chunk is separated right down it's middle by an old dug out pond which is honestly at times just 20/25 feet across but stretches roughly 300 yards in length....the owner suspects the farmer long ago dug this so that both fields (now extremely grown up and fallow) on the East and West side of the pond would not have flooding issues as much as the water table is high (greater area is a basin like topographically speaking).
Pond has some fish in it...but due to how thick it is and full of downed trees I haven't tested what yet...it will get cleaned out and hopefully re-dug out at some point and stocked...but not the primary focus of the property.
The two fields are roughly 5 acres on the West and 7 acres on the East....the rest that isn't pond is mature forest or tree lines....the northern square is very mature and will get logged out this next winter (all cherry and walnut are GONERS!)...some HUGE pine trees as well which if loggers want will be gone too.
The goal right now is to create the already thick fallow field to the West a primary strip of bedding...cedar trees taller than my head exist in their and saplings and bushes of all kinds have sprung up over the last 7 years of no farming occurring. I have about 75 Norway Spruces planned to be planted this spring throughout...primarily in clumps (like would occur naturally) of 4-7 trees to encourage different "bedrooms" for doe families and bucks. I'll also be planting some Streamco willow cuttings throughout the edges and around the Northern edge where I will install a 1/5 acre or smaller kill plot with some great stand options present.
The way the pond blocks some suspected movement East-West and vice versa each end of the pond are going to be heavily used by the deer going to and from the bedding...making those areas MUST be given the safe feeling for the deer. Most likely I will plant some Norways in a row along my access road there and do whatever I can to thicken up sight blockage so they don't feel pinched as much. Warm season grasses are also going to be encouraged in pockets! This will make more sense when image is shared.
The Eastern field which is 7/8 acres and has only been fallow for about 3 or 4 years will be food central...however I am going to incorporate pockets of cover and separate plots with hedgerows and plot screens...may even have a small acre or so bedding area set up as well.
More to come...much much more.
Some of you that follow Small Acre Hunting or are friends with me either in real life or on social media know I by the sheer grace of God, purchased a chunk of his creation! (close actually tomorrow technically)
I've already walked it multiple times, even found a small shed, and hung a camera (more to go)....I will edit this post and add pictures to the OP but for now device I'm on doesn't have any saved to it...so I'll write the description.
The brunt of the property is a rectangle, taller than it is wider at roughly 429yds x 219yds. There is in the top right corner of the property an attached square of timber roughly a shade over 100yds x 100yds.
Most of the main chunk is separated right down it's middle by an old dug out pond which is honestly at times just 20/25 feet across but stretches roughly 300 yards in length....the owner suspects the farmer long ago dug this so that both fields (now extremely grown up and fallow) on the East and West side of the pond would not have flooding issues as much as the water table is high (greater area is a basin like topographically speaking).
Pond has some fish in it...but due to how thick it is and full of downed trees I haven't tested what yet...it will get cleaned out and hopefully re-dug out at some point and stocked...but not the primary focus of the property.
The two fields are roughly 5 acres on the West and 7 acres on the East....the rest that isn't pond is mature forest or tree lines....the northern square is very mature and will get logged out this next winter (all cherry and walnut are GONERS!)...some HUGE pine trees as well which if loggers want will be gone too.
The goal right now is to create the already thick fallow field to the West a primary strip of bedding...cedar trees taller than my head exist in their and saplings and bushes of all kinds have sprung up over the last 7 years of no farming occurring. I have about 75 Norway Spruces planned to be planted this spring throughout...primarily in clumps (like would occur naturally) of 4-7 trees to encourage different "bedrooms" for doe families and bucks. I'll also be planting some Streamco willow cuttings throughout the edges and around the Northern edge where I will install a 1/5 acre or smaller kill plot with some great stand options present.
The way the pond blocks some suspected movement East-West and vice versa each end of the pond are going to be heavily used by the deer going to and from the bedding...making those areas MUST be given the safe feeling for the deer. Most likely I will plant some Norways in a row along my access road there and do whatever I can to thicken up sight blockage so they don't feel pinched as much. Warm season grasses are also going to be encouraged in pockets! This will make more sense when image is shared.
The Eastern field which is 7/8 acres and has only been fallow for about 3 or 4 years will be food central...however I am going to incorporate pockets of cover and separate plots with hedgerows and plot screens...may even have a small acre or so bedding area set up as well.
More to come...much much more.
Sorry, it will happen
