Land Management (wild life)

Mitigator33 · Jul 20, 2011

First here is some background...I recently bought 50 acres that I then select cleared with a mulcher (rotoax/fecon) about 20 acres of it. It backs up to a National Forrest. Once cleared I did a control burn and then cleaned up with a tractor and bulldozer.

I want to begin to plant some food plots this fall in so I will be ready for the 2012 hunting season I will miss this year.

OK now the question. It has been about 2 months since the burn and the native vegetation (privet, weeds, etc) have started to return and in some areas are up to 3-4 feet tall already and I can see them getting out of control fast. A lot of the roads that I had plowed and cleared are starting to grow over etc...I had back surgery a month ago and have been unable to work over there. My brother is going to pick up some slack for me now. How and what do I do to begin to control and eventually eliminate the native weeds/woody stuff? I have been told to wait until August and burn it again then spray round up then plant a month later (forester/timber cruiser in family). I have been told bush hog wait a week then spray round up (local biologist from Ag extension) and many other things.

If you guys have any advice that would save some time and money I would appreciate it.

BayouMan · Jul 21, 2011

Privet is up there in the top 5 food sources for deer, at least in Louisiana.

To control on your roads and food plots, you may have to use a mixture of Round-up and 2-4-d to kill the unwanted bushes.

Good luck on your endeavors.

Mike

davygp38 · Jul 22, 2011

Our rule of thumb, is to round up twice before planting. You have to wait until you see green growth each time. Our forester also recommends doing the second round up in late August, when the plants are getting ready to go dormant, so the round up gets into the roots.

Mitigator33 · Jul 22, 2011

Thanks for the reply's. My problem with the privet is that it is everywhere and this land had been neglected for 10-15 years. It looked like a privet and sapling forest. It took a fecon mulcher and rotoax a week just to clear it to where it is now and that was not cheap so I want to get this under control now before it gets out of hand again.

We still have a good number of trees on the front side of the property with a couple of 1 acre food plots that have been cleared. the back 25 acres is mature hardwoods ridges and bottoms. I live in a hilly part of Alabama near Cheaha mountain.

Western · Jul 22, 2011

I would go with what your local Ag agent said, shredding is cheap compared to other alternatives. Shredding it now in the heat may kill a good bit of it, or at least give you a handle on it.

schoolsout · Jul 22, 2011

If you're not a member of QDMA, I'd suggest joining. Cheap insurance and magazine has some good info, too.

Mitigator33 · Jul 22, 2011

I checked out the QDMA website. What insurance are you talking about I did not see any listed. Thanks.

Scott

schoolsout · Jul 22, 2011

Society and Lifestyles category web sites are blocked from work, but Google produced this

Hunting Land Liability Insurance – Quality Deer Management Association

You don't really have to be a "hunt club," per se...just list those that would possibly hunt and go from there.

Wattsleft · Jul 22, 2011

I would wait till after Labor day as a rule to plant anything like foodplots.
In the meantime, concentrate on keeping the roads clear and let the ground cover grow. It may attract enough wildlife to salvage this years hunt. Also consider bushhawging a few areas and putting up feeders to bring in the bucks.
A controlled burn later in the year and possibly applying fertilizer before the overseed. If you have a source of natural nitrogen such as cow or chicken manure, I would cover the place with as much as I could stand and spray the weeds in the spring with 2-4-d or Round up.
You didn't say what you were going to plant but I personally have had good results with Biologic blends. They are too expensive to do the whole place but make great smaller plots... Hope this helps..