Well the off season has started for me and I'm trying to determine whats best for my 5 acre hay field. It's located between my house and my dads. Its been alfalfa now for about 6 years so it needs a change. People presence is obvious, but does and fawns still use the field for eating during the daylight hours in the summer months and tend to stay off during day light hours in the fall. We currently own a total of 21 acres, mostly the creek bed/swamp that surrounds this field. On the other side of the swamp is more agriculture fields. Does and fawns currently use the creek bottom for bedding but not a ton of bucks do. The creek bottom is covered with Ash, birch, and maple trees. I hope to do some hinge cutting this winter to help increase the bedding area for the deer. Game Plan: This spring i would like to segment off the field into a few areas and use a mix of cedar/pine trees to offer breaks in view from our homestead (these are the blue lines in the picture). I currently have a 30 tree orchard on the south end of the field, all the trees are about 4 to 5ft tall and it has a 6ft solar electric fence around it, the deer have stayed out of it (black line around it). The east side of the property has some gardens, chickens, and ducks so that's hands off in regard to deer. What would you do?? I have access to ag equipment and trees. I'm thinking standing corn on the north side of the field with a mix of clover/foods plots within the segments. Should i break it up with trees? The skies the limit. I would love to hear your thoughts!! Thanks for your opinions!! Sorry for the long post!
I think I would do standing corn in the majority of the of the field with the exception of the area to the left and right of the black box and 40 yards in front of it. There I would do three small plots, say, clover to the left of the black box, buck forage oats in front, and turnips to the right. I like variety and you would have it there. I like cover grasses as opposed to trees in the middle of fields.
Thanks. I was thinking of trying sorghum grass as view blocker as well but I'm looking for something more long term that could add some thermal bedding in the winter. I think in the short term the answer will be trees and grasses with trees in the long term. thanks again for your opinion
