Land Planning Ideas

[Deadeye]

Well I took the plunge and bought some land as shown, roughly 11 acres, borders a bit inside the lines shown and excludes the 1 acre around the upper right house. "House" in the middle is where I hope to put a new rancher. The yellow line is a previously mowed path wide enough to be a jeep trail. This year it will be disturbed to make the house. Behind me toward the development is not my land nor to either side. But all around not likely to be developed. It is the woodlands mgt program and nearly all the oaks are gone but two trees plus some beech trees left. The rest gum trees and cherry.  The house in the middle is at the top of a hill so land  slopes down steeply to west and gradually to south and east. SO here's my initial thoughts and would welcome any ideas:

Year 1: Maybe add a narrow easy set up plot on the back run of trail (west-east line) with something good to grow in shade. Avoid disturbing that stretch at all for walking. At the grassy meadow along the road maybe make a small sunny exposed plot. Not sure yet what is growing in the farm field across the street. The road is my northern border. Otherwise leave alone and figure out natural activity and hunt the activity I see.

Year 2 ??

Edited June 22, 2019 by Deadeye

[Live to Hunt]

Looks very nice.  Good luck with it.   Little piece of heaven for you. 

[tcook8296]

Congrats on the land. 

I would avoid planting anything along the road. Guaranteed every time there are deer in the plot, you will have every hunter that drives by stopping and gawking or even poaching. 

Also food along the road if its a busy one you will lose a few to cars. If the farm across the street has a depridation permit, you are steering deer towards danger. 

Food ,cover and water is what whitetails need. 

If I could only do one food plot, it would be clover. 

I have clover around my food plots in Nj as well as the midwest. Im building a home on my property now which allows me to watch deer every day. 

They like soybeans but they spend more time eating clover. 

If you dont have cover, you can create it by hingecutting. 

Hingecutting is getting very popular as it gets results. Several guys on this site have  been doing it and you could find there posts with a quick searh. 

Water, if you dont have it, you can create it. If you have access to a backhoe you could dig a small water hole or even use a fish pond or kiddie pool. 

A couple fruit trees caged was the 1st improvements I did on both my places as they will take a few years to benefit from. 

Lastly this is Nj, your property should be freshly marked from a survey, get those property lines posted accurately. 

If its not marked, there are apps available or get it surveyed.  

People love to fence sit so get that done right away

[Deadeye]

Thanks!! Yeah I already have some signs up facing two tree stands off my property. Can't be helped. I'll try to meet up with them if possible. I would at least like a call if they have a deer hit go on my property. Adding more friends is  better than making enemies. I like the hinge cutting idea. In a thick spot I have found a couple beds so need to not go in there again. Clover should be perfect. The rear edge of the open field near the house I'll try that area too and leave the open patch near the road alone. Was there today and the road is a lot more busy than I thought so definitely adding a hazard if I do a plot there. Looks like the farmer planted squash near the road but about 200 yds off looks like corn. Some large deer tracks but no rubs. Set up a trail cam for some early snooping. Might have to put off retirement by 5 yrs but should have some fun.

[Livesintrees]

Way to much to even beginning typing on the subject. And without walking the spot it’s hard for someone to give suggestions. As tcook hs said avoid planting along the road. 

I will say that first and foremost, before beginning a single improvement, work on access. If you don’t have bulletproof access, you don’t have anything. 

Ive been out to three farms this year and what they thought was “great” when they began 4 years ago was actually making nearly impossible to hunt the property. That’s all fixed now, and I expect to get a picture of an 160”11 point down by seasons end