Just bought 40 Acres....Now What?

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jwzimmer
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Just bought 40 Acres....Now What?

Unread postby jwzimmer » Wed Apr 26, 2017 3:50 am

I finally closed the deal on a forty acre piece of land 15 minutes from my house. The purpose of this property was mainly for investment but also recreational/hunting use. I walked the property and took some photos shown below. The main things that drew me to this place were 1) Price 2) Location 3) Habitat diversity. The neighbor situation is ideal in that all the land to the east is in city limits so guaranteed no gun hunting with more than likely little bow hunting, the land to the south is owned by a person that doesn't allow any hunting or trespassing of any kind, and the neighbors to the west manage for upper age class deer. I want to manage this property to be the best deer hunting habitat that it can be. This being my first land to ever own, I'm seeking advice from some of the more experienced beast members out there. If you were in my shoes what would you do next?

Topographic
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Satellite Image; Red - Property line, Green - Gated access road, Blue - Creek, Notice rail road track along east boarder all land east of this is in city limits / no gun hunting.
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Beaver's have killed some timber due to not being managed
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Cattail marsh area around beaver pond.
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Mixed open woods area on the high ground.
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Creek running through the middle of the place.
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Willow/Dogwood transition area from cattails to open woods. Beavers are keeping them trimmed back making new growth thick. Should provide decent bedding/browsing.
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Plenty of deer sign on the place.
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Re: Just bought 40 Acres....Now What?

Unread postby jwzimmer » Wed Apr 26, 2017 4:03 am

Land break down is a follows:
20 acres -- Mature Mix Timber 20-35 year old (Water Oak, Red Oak, White Oak, Spruce, Short Leaf Pine, Poplar, Magnolia, Sweet Gum, Elm, Sycamore, Hickory)
9 acres -- Young trees < 15 year old (Same as above)
6 acres -- Beaver Damaged and Willow/Dogwood thicket
5 acres -- Cattail/Beaver Pond Area
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Re: Just bought 40 Acres....Now What?

Unread postby moog5050 » Wed Apr 26, 2017 5:32 am

Sounds ideal. I can't see photos, but our best two small acreage parcels are bordered on one or two sides by no hunting areas (one is a preserve and the other a public park). Scout it now and do the best you can to anticipate deer usage, movement and identify bedding areas if any. Find the likely food sources. But I would hunt it as is first season and observe deer usage and movement. After a year or two, you will have good knowledge to make decisions on potential improvements. Enjoy having your own parcel. I envy the WI guys that have huge areas of public land to roam, but I also enjoy hunting our small plots. Good entry, exit and proper timing are critical for hunting small parcels more often and still having a chance at good bucks, IMO. Be careful not to overhunt it or risk bad winds. Good luck!
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Re: Just bought 40 Acres....Now What?

Unread postby Buckshot20 » Wed Apr 26, 2017 6:01 am

Maybe a little hinge cutting in those oxbows.
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Re: Just bought 40 Acres....Now What?

Unread postby matt1336 » Wed Apr 26, 2017 8:37 am

I like how that land sets up. I'd hunt the creek and creek crossings during the rut. In my experience deer like to bed along rr tracks if they're elevated to get out of the wind, if it's real windy. So the Lee side of the tracks.
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Re: Just bought 40 Acres....Now What?

Unread postby gjs4 » Wed Apr 26, 2017 10:11 am

Post it. Post it well.

Any ag near by? Other food sources? What are they doing off of this piece?

Minerals or water tanks with cams.

Establish exterior passage.

Learn all you can- Maybe a year or two, before planting or cutting. You will take to great status if you enhance what they like and supply what they need.... Good is all you'll get making moves anxiously.
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Re: Just bought 40 Acres....Now What?

Unread postby Florida » Wed Apr 26, 2017 10:23 am

Wow! Congratulations. That piece looks tremendous. What is the least common thing in the neighborhood? Food, water, cover? Take the least common element and enhance that on your property. With the protected area around you it might be tough to compete for bedding cover. Maybe food might be the easiest thing to enhance. Obviously you have water, but you could make it attractive with travel cooridors. Looks like it has tons of potential.
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Re: Just bought 40 Acres....Now What?

Unread postby jwzimmer » Wed Apr 26, 2017 11:21 am

gjs4 wrote:Post it. Post it well.

Any ag near by? Other food sources? What are they doing off of this piece?

Minerals or water tanks with cams.

Establish exterior passage.

Learn all you can- Maybe a year or two, before planting or cutting. You will take to great status if you enhance what they like and supply what they need.... Good is all you'll get making moves anxiously.


This is kinda what I was thinking. Everyone is asking what they n my family is askiywhat I'm gonna plant out there, but I'd really just prefer to sit back and learn how deer move through the property. Food is probably going to be the limiting factor around me. No AG near by, just woods.
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Re: Just bought 40 Acres....Now What?

Unread postby gjs4 » Wed Apr 26, 2017 12:04 pm

jwzimmer wrote:
gjs4 wrote:Post it. Post it well.

Any ag near by? Other food sources? What are they doing off of this piece?

Minerals or water tanks with cams.

Establish exterior passage.

Learn all you can- Maybe a year or two, before planting or cutting. You will take to great status if you enhance what they like and supply what they need.... Good is all you'll get making moves anxiously.


This is kinda what I was thinking. Everyone is asking what they n my family is askiywhat I'm gonna plant out there, but I'd really just prefer to sit back and learn how deer move through the property. Food is probably going to be the limiting factor around me. No AG near by, just woods.


Don Higgins said it best with something like the " more natural the more often. "

Bartylla has the best premise of stand quality is based on undetected entry and exit makes the stand.

Most don't get it in my opinion- just like Dans style of hunting...they emulate what others do and hope for great results while never understanding the why. I.e.- plant plots in a clearing. Hunt it smart letting every moment there be scouting. Then think how can I monopolize on what's going on and where am I lacking. Just my two cents. Good luck and keep us all posted.
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Re: Just bought 40 Acres....Now What?

Unread postby jwzimmer » Wed Apr 26, 2017 12:22 pm

That's one reason I was so jacked about the railroad along the east boarder. Our normal wind during hunting season is a west wind that change northwest and southwest depending on the front. This provides excellent access to the property with the ability to go undetected. There is a major travel route alone the hill that follows the railroad.
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Re: Just bought 40 Acres....Now What?

Unread postby Edcyclopedia » Wed Apr 26, 2017 12:52 pm

I would invite me down to help you kill your deer ;)
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Re: Just bought 40 Acres....Now What?

Unread postby tgreeno » Thu Apr 27, 2017 2:01 am

I would first find every bed on the property buck & doe. Then find out where they are feeding. Even if there's no AG close they are feeding somewhere on something. Their trails in/out of bedding are going show you their travel patterns. It doesn't really matter if they are feeding on your property. I think it's much more important that they are bedding on your property!
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Re: Just bought 40 Acres....Now What?

Unread postby jwzimmer » Thu Apr 27, 2017 2:13 am

tgreeno wrote:I would first find every bed on the property buck & doe. Then find out where they are feeding. Even if there's no AG close they are feeding somewhere on something. Their trails in/out of bedding are going show you their travel patterns. It doesn't really matter if they are feeding on your property. I think it's much more important that they are bedding on your property!


I think you make a great point! I often get lazy and see some thick stuff "like the willow/dogwood thicket" and tell myself that's a bedding area over there, but never actually go and find the specific beds. Knowing where the beds are now will save at least a few observation hunts at the beginning of the season next year, which means less of my scent in the woods. Thanks for an excellent suggestion! :clap: Keep the ideas coming guys.
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Re: Just bought 40 Acres....Now What?

Unread postby tbunao » Thu Apr 27, 2017 2:30 am

Something I've always thought about if I ever owned a small piece is oaks. I'm not into the food plots and all that besides that would cut 10 acres or so out of good habitat. I've browsed the Internet and found good white oak trees for sale pretty cheap as compared to gas for the tractor, seeds, time etc. Oaks are king IMO. Maybe after a year or 2 of learning the wind you could strategically plant oaks. With your property lying in a bottom it may have a little swirl but I'm sure you can learn how and where to use at your advantage. After you learn the wind there and how the deer like to move you should have a good idea on where to plant where the deer want to be. It's a long term investment bit like Higgins said in the above statement... More natural
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Re: Just bought 40 Acres....Now What?

Unread postby tim » Sun Apr 30, 2017 2:20 am

First off congrats. Second of all take your first season to learn the land and how they travel it then do what you will accordingly. I would get cams out in a while and see what you will be hunting in the fall. Enjoy it nothing like it!


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