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    Habitat management

    How many do habitat management on their place or where they hunt? If so what do you do? I’m not talking about feeders or food plots. But stuff like disking, burning,Tsi, tree planting grubbing. in general not just stuff that benefits deer, but many animals. Obviously different areas of the state benefit different practices. Reading on here and other places it just seems like most hunters think that filling feeders is management and that’s as far as they go. So I’m just curious how many others do habitat management.

    I’ll start.
    I’m in northeast Texas. Native grass planting, burning, brush piles, timber thinning and tsi. Planting and promoting native tree/ vegetation.

    #2
    On our family property in Alabama:

    We set aside about 200 acres out of 1,200 as a sanctuary. Have 18 very small green patches in heavily wooded areas with shooting houses for the nasty days and old folk. Oh, some of us have slipped into the sanctuary over the years.

    We tried different supplemental feed but stopped it because the deer are healthier without it.

    We do have a big creek that borders the whole west side and several small streams and creeks scattered.

    None of the properties and farms around us hunt for some reason.

    Maybe 5 of us hunt it.

    Timber management is the only thing we do other than a feeble attempt at managing beavers.

    We do keep the camp area trimmed and thinned like a park.
    Last edited by Johnny44; 02-23-2021, 08:53 PM.

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      #3
      get rid of some mesquite and cactus every year

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        #4
        Habitat management

        I probably spend more time doing habitat improvement than anything else. I really enjoy it. My main activities include hack n squirt for invasive trees or non-mast producing trees. I’ve been working to get my oaks freed from the many other species filling up the canopy. I also enjoy prescribed burns, our last was in April and have another that should be going within the next few weeks.
        We’ve been mechanically removing cedar as well. I’ve got more ERC than you’d ever want.
        Food plots in the spring for soil improvement, followed up with cereal grains and turnips for the fall.


        Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

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          #5
          Try to plant about 25 acres of food plots, fertilize pasture and spread clover & lezpedeza, thin timber, disc & burn on rotations.

          In the last few years I’ve really noticed an impact on the turkeys and we’re holding more deer, too. Lots of rabbits and I also notice a wide variety of songbirds in the summer time. I try to focus on creating edges and creating early successional habitat. It makes a big difference & puts 100x more food on the ground for all types of wildlife than you can pouring it out of a feed sack.

          Edit: forgot to mention that we’re seeing more quail, too.
          Attached Files

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            #6
            East TX. As I thin the pines I am seeding native grass and burning. Actually, the seed bank contains a lot of native seed. My place has been in timber since before the influx of exotic grasses for cattle, such as bermuda and bahia.
            If you have such a place, often times getting sunlight to the ground will get them started.

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              #7
              We clear cedars on our place in Menard County, TX and reseed native forbs and grasses. We try to keep some cedars but want to increase the amount of forage grown per acre while still providing escape cover. We are not grazing cattle this year to get enough grass/fuel and will do a prescribed burn next March (2022).

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                #8
                Originally posted by Razrbk89 View Post
                Try to plant about 25 acres of food plots, fertilize pasture and spread clover & lezpedeza, thin timber, disc & burn on rotations.

                In the last few years I’ve really noticed an impact on the turkeys and we’re holding more deer, too. Lots of rabbits and I also notice a wide variety of songbirds in the summer time. I try to focus on creating edges and creating early successional habitat. It makes a big difference & puts 100x more food on the ground for all types of wildlife than you can pouring it out of a feed sack.

                Edit: forgot to mention that we’re seeing more quail, too.
                Your place looks great! Keep up the great work.

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                  #9
                  I have 20 acres on one end of my place that is 100% untouched by humans. Its not enough but the deer pile up in it. The rest of the place we keep cactus free, we leave mesquites though. Deer seem to mostly want a safe place to bed and browse.

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                    #10
                    If more people did stuff like some of the responses we would still have quail, rabbits and turkey in east Texas. Not to mention way better habitat for deer.

                    Glad I’m not the only one. But we seem to be very few in number.

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                      #11
                      I'm in my 3rd year of significant Habitat work in southern Oklahoma.... like many, I started with food plots, but have learned that the rest of the habitat is more important and I now spend more time doing that than I do hunting.... and I really enjoy it (most of it). TSI, crop-tree release, edge feathering, old-field management, bermuda elimination, burning, invasive control, bedding thickets.

                      I'm really just starting my 2nd year of all of that, and have barely scratched the surface of what I would like to get done. For those interested in the topic, check out the Land & Legacy Podcast and website. I had them do a thorough habitat plan for my property last spring... it really helped me prioritize my work and give me a probably never-ending list of projects. The plan was not cheap, but for me I think it will be far more valuable than anything else I could have spent the money on to improve my habitat.

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                        #12
                        I cut cedar on our old place & my wife baited ant beds. We also seeded in some native grasses. Did bird houses & enjoyed watching them being utilized. We just got another place & looking forward to doing what I can to help the habitat. We do as much as we can ,because we like seeing the wildlife benefit.

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                          #13
                          Originally posted by Razrbk89 View Post
                          Try to plant about 25 acres of food plots, fertilize pasture and spread clover & lezpedeza, thin timber, disc & burn on rotations.

                          In the last few years I’ve really noticed an impact on the turkeys and we’re holding more deer, too. Lots of rabbits and I also notice a wide variety of songbirds in the summer time. I try to focus on creating edges and creating early successional habitat. It makes a big difference & puts 100x more food on the ground for all types of wildlife than you can pouring it out of a feed sack.

                          Edit: forgot to mention that we’re seeing more quail, too.
                          That place is awesome! It looks like you have done some great work.

                          Up here we are able to do a lot of work with fruit trees: apples, pears, & persimmons are my big planting projects. We have 2 orchards planted for predominately animal use. Natural management revolves around getting light to the ground as others have said. It gives you food and cover for deer, turkey, and small game. And as far as food plots are concerned, turnips and clover are king for small plots.

                          Like a lot of others I find just as much enjoyment managing the land for wildlife as I do hunting them. And I can do management work all year!
                          Attached Files
                          Last edited by tlh2865; 02-24-2021, 06:55 PM.

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                            #14
                            My favorite part about owning land. Spent all day today planting 200 lives stakes

                            Wore out. Projects for this spring include start converting 8 acre Bermuda pasture to native, hinge a 3 acre area for a staging area next to food plot and clear a 2 acre spot with forestry mulcher for a food plot.


                            Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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                              #15
                              Originally posted by armadillophil View Post
                              My favorite part about owning land. Spent all day today planting 200 lives stakes

                              Wore out. Projects for this spring include start converting 8 acre Bermuda pasture to native, hinge a 3 acre area for a staging area next to food plot and clear a 2 acre spot with forestry mulcher for a food plot.


                              Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
                              Tell us more about the live stakes. What species does it work with? Locations that they're going in?

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