My in-laws farm was timbered 20-25 years ago. It has slowly matured through the stages and is now at the point that it doesn't hold many deer due to lack of cover. There are plenty of deer on the farm until crops come off and then they disappear except for when moving through. One of the guys who helps out has been cutting up the trees that got blown over in the storms this year and has REALLY opened some places up.
They are currently working with a timber buyer to get some large walnuts and do a light selective cut.
Once that's over my plan is to frost seed clover and other "no till" seeds along some of the paths cut through the woods. I'm also going to buy some different types of berry bushes so I can at least get something yummy out of the multitude of briars that I know will spring up with the increased sunlight to the ground. I'll also go through and do some selective cutting to drop some tree tops to create bedding areas.
Other things planned: Make a few small food plots for fall/winter once crops come down.
Use Jesse's mineral mix to make a salt lick or two
Buy some trees a mixture of evergreens and fruit trees to create some areas of food and cover.
Am I missing anything?
What grasses/plants/crops have you noticed the deer either really go after or completely ignore here in Ohio?
A friend has said he's had good success with rape/daikin radish and purple top turnips that I can seed into the soybeans once the leaves yellow and it won't interfere with harvesting.
I'll do my best to take photos so you all can journey with me and also laugh at my mistakes.
They are currently working with a timber buyer to get some large walnuts and do a light selective cut.
Once that's over my plan is to frost seed clover and other "no till" seeds along some of the paths cut through the woods. I'm also going to buy some different types of berry bushes so I can at least get something yummy out of the multitude of briars that I know will spring up with the increased sunlight to the ground. I'll also go through and do some selective cutting to drop some tree tops to create bedding areas.
Other things planned: Make a few small food plots for fall/winter once crops come down.
Use Jesse's mineral mix to make a salt lick or two
Buy some trees a mixture of evergreens and fruit trees to create some areas of food and cover.
Am I missing anything?
What grasses/plants/crops have you noticed the deer either really go after or completely ignore here in Ohio?
A friend has said he's had good success with rape/daikin radish and purple top turnips that I can seed into the soybeans once the leaves yellow and it won't interfere with harvesting.
I'll do my best to take photos so you all can journey with me and also laugh at my mistakes.