Backyard...what to plant

[wmihunter]

I have deer all year on my 3 acres but it is more of a funnel. My initial plan was to create a brushy exterior and plant about 2food plots at a 1/2 acre each. I have a couple oaks that drop acorns and a couple Apple trees. Would it be better to plant oaks and dogwood? What brush would y'all recommend planting? Anyone here planted hybrid oaks? Most of my property is bordered by thick pines but the interior is a mix of autumn olive, goldenrod, small cherry, etc. I have one dogwood bush that deer love to browse on in summer. My soil is somewhat sandy but the ph is about 6.5. If it was a brand new property with a house on it would u lean towards trying to Make the property a bedding area or make it a thick secure food plot? My hope was that if I planted dogwood and small oaks it would be both (though much higher initial cost)

[ Post made via iPhone ]

[DaveT1963]

If it were me, for long term draw, I would plant some Dunstan Chestnuts. It would take some years (I think they start producing in 7?) but I don't think there is anything that draws wildlife like a chestnut - and the Dunstan are showing to be blight resistant.

[cbay]

Like Dave suggested and maybe mix it up so that different species produce at different times; Dwarf Chinkapins, Crabapples, Apples, Chestnut, etc. Then maybe some rye and clover in between the rows?

[headgear]

Yep think short and long term, food plots, apples, preferred nut or acorns. If you can drop some trees and get a nice thick bedding area going. Water source is also nice. I have 5 acres and the food seems to work the best, tried to build a nice little bedding area but I think the kids are just too active for it to hold anything. The deer do use it rifle season when other land is pressured so at least there is that.

[Hawthorne]

Give them what the area lacks the most of. If it's big woods plant food. If it's a high ag area give them cover. No water nearby give the a waterhole. I've planted lots of hybrid oaks from morse nursery in battle creek , mi. They've done ok. My best trees have been pears and apples from morse. I've heard not so good reviews on dunston chestnuts in Michigan. Really do you want to plant a tree in Michigan that comes from the Deep South? Not me.

[ Post made via iPhone ]

[wmihunter]

Gotcha. My area has a bit of everything but best bedding is about a 1/4 mile away. There are a ton of ponds in the area. Ag land is about 1/3 mile away. I will keep thinking about this

[ Post made via iPhone ]

[Bucky]

Dogwood and brush.... if you open it up and plant food... my guess is the deer will bed elsewhere and feed on urs at dark. Id want the bedding

Make it thick with defined travel cooridor that is easy accessible to you... but not the deer. Hinge cut... then make huge pile of crap/brush downwind of your hunting local with small access path for you.

[ Post made via Android ]

[DaveT1963]

Give them what the area lacks the most of. If it's big woods plant food. If it's a high ag area give them cover. No water nearby give the a waterhole. I've planted lots of hybrid oaks from morse nursery in battle creek , mi. They've done ok. My best trees have been pears and apples from morse. I've heard not so good reviews on dunston chestnuts in Michigan. Really do you want to plant a tree in Michigan that comes from the Deep South? Not me.

[ Post made via iPhone ]

N. Michigan might be too far north, Chestnuts are native to most of the East Coast and Mid USA - USDA Zones 5-9

[headgear]

Gotcha. My area has a bit of everything but best bedding is about a 1/4 mile away. There are a ton of ponds in the area. Ag land is about 1/3 mile away. I will keep thinking about this

[ Post made via iPhone ]

Then I would focus on bedding with food the next priority.

[FRH]

Dogwood and brush.... if you open it up and plant food... my guess is the deer will bed elsewhere and feed on urs at dark. Id want the bedding

Make it thick with defined travel cooridor that is easy accessible to you... but not the deer. Hinge cut... then make huge pile of crap/brush downwind of your hunting local with small access path for you.

[ Post made via Android ]

This is pretty much what I'm thinking. Bedding isn't the sexy good looking choice all the time but I'll take bed over food every time. With food your trying to draw them to you. With bedding you have them there feeding at night elsewhere.

[ Post made via iPhone ]

[DaveT1963]

Do both -a buck that can eat and bed in the same spot without getting harassed is a happy camper

[woodswalker]

Look up Red Osier dogwood. Deer love it and when browsed it grows thicker. In thick stands deer will shelter and make beds. You can start new plants from some that have grown large enough so you don't have to buy more plants from a nursery. It will take the winters where you live, it thrived in PA and we get some hard winters and it provided browse when there is snow on the ground. I have attached some info you may find helpful and give you some other ideas. Keep in mind, all these things take time until you will see results. http://michigansaf.org/ForestInfo/MSUEl ... erMDHA.PDF

[Stanley]

A lot depends on the surrounding properties. If you have lots of bedding in the surrounding properties a good food source would be the best. This also holds if you have ample food sources in the surrounding properties then bedding would be the choice. Open fields hold less deer than cover does. Keep this in mind.

[Twenty Up]

3 acres is tough... I would plant a food source not in your area as mentioned before and attempt a nice bedding area as well. I'd strategically locate the bedding area with your local topography and to your advantage if at all possible.

I'm a big advocate of Dunstan chestnuts as well, I'm growing several myself and just ordered some more seed as well. I'd be glad to ship you 5-6 started trees to see how they take that far North.

Shelter, Security, Food and Water is all you need