Building a small acre honey hole

[sghoghunter]

I live in the edge of a real small town and have 9 ac’s to play with that’s mine with about an 80 ac small farm behind me. Up until two years ago there was a dry pond that was one of the best bedding areas around but now the dam has been fixed and is full of ducks and water. I’ve got about 3 ac’s of woods on the east side and the other is an old pecan orchard up front and the back is an old pasture that I’ve let grow up in briars,grass,dog fennel’s and everything else. I’ve already got 11 chestnuts planted,10 or so decent size female persimmons already producing in a wad and a few mature oaks that produce acorns nearly every yr. I’ve thought about planting some pines and maybe some more chestnuts or sawtooths in the part I’m letting grow up. What other ideas have y’all tried that worked out good? Also planning on building a permanent stand in the edge of the woods to get these grand boys insterested in hunting and working in the woods

 

[Canuck5]

Sounds like a little slice of heaven!

* cut some trails?
* salt lick?
* plant clover around the pond?
* clear out as many sweet gums as you can?
* mineral stumps?

 

[Gut_Pile]

Can you burn the grown up pasture?

 

[mattb78]

Sounds like a fun project.

Can you convert any of that pasture to a food plot? When hunting with kids an afternoon hunt over a food plot is a quick and comfortable hunt where they can see deer and begin to enjoy the sport.

 

[sghoghunter]

Can you burn the grown up pasture?

Yes sir I do that every other year

 

[sghoghunter]

Sounds like a fun project.

Can you convert any of that pasture to a food plot? When hunting with kids an afternoon hunt over a food plot is a quick and comfortable hunt where they can see deer and begin to enjoy the sport.

When I first bought this spot I put a narrow plot down the side of the woods but over the few years I’ve had it the plot has grew to about 15 yds wide and maybe 60 yds long. Got whitetail institute oats plus topped of with some purple top turnips,radishes and a pinch of clover

 

[livinoutdoors]

Well you are asking for tips but it seems like you could be the one giving em out! Looks like a good place you got going!

 

[Big7]

Sounds like a little slice of heaven!

* cut some trails?
* salt lick?
* plant clover around the pond?
* clear out as many sweet gums as you can?
* mineral stumps?

Makes sense.

 

[Mac]

I have a couple pieces of property I have been developing. Might want to add some more wildlife friendly fruit trees (apple, pear, etc.)

 

[Jdmb123]

We have a stand of sawtooth oaks on one of our leases, and you cannot run the deer out of it.

 

[sleepr71]

IF you want bedding cover on it..the thicker the better. planted pines are hard to beat. Plant them far enough apart to allow briars & such to grow up between them. I’d try to do it in the center of the property to give them more “security”.

 

[sghoghunter]

IF you want bedding cover on it..the thicker the better. planted pines are hard to beat. Plant them far enough apart to allow briars & such to grow up between them. I’d try to do it in the center of the property to give them more “security”.

That’s what I’ve been thinking about. It’s a spot I don’t have any plans for except for what I’m trying to do now. I know a guy that lives down the road that grows pine seedlings so I may go talk to him.

 

[sghoghunter]

Well you are asking for tips but it seems like you could be the one giving em out! Looks like a good place you got going!

I’ve got it set up real good the way it is now but I’m lacking the thick cover that makes them feel same coming out in the daylight

 

[sportsman94]

I’ve got it set up real good the way it is now but I’m lacking the thick cover that makes them feel same coming out in the daylight

It might be a relatively high up front cost, but could you plant some native grasses and forbs instead of planting pines? Pines are good, but they phase out depending on how your spacing is. A cheaper option, if you don’t already, is to disk the pasture to encourage growth of certain plants (forbs/grasses). That may allow more diverse plant life than just burning does. Either way, look into old field management and see if that’s something you would like to do. One of the benefits is you can hit “reset” easier than you can if you plant pines

 

[Semi-Pro]

This is the route I'm looking into. Been watching a Forester post his videos on it. Very interesting. Pine and oak savannahs

It might be a relatively high up front cost, but could you plant some native grasses and forbs instead of planting pines? Pines are good, but they phase out depending on how your spacing is. A cheaper option, if you don’t already, is to disk the pasture to encourage growth of certain plants (forbs/grasses). That may allow more diverse plant life than just burning does. Either way, look into old field management and see if that’s something you would like to do. One of the benefits is you can hit “reset” easier than you can if you plant pines

 

[sportsman94]

This is the route I'm looking into. Been watching a Forester post his videos on it. Very interesting. Pine and oak savannahs

It’s been awhile since I’ve looked into it, but the guys from land and legacy (podcasts and YouTube) used to talk about it a lot. May be another useful resource for you if you go that route.

 

[sghoghunter]

Well last weekend I finally got around to planting some quite a few loblolly pines.