Allgood Acres
- Thread starter BenAllgood
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gut_pile
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This is something I drew up to help better explain what I was talking about in my previous post. Let's look at the two areas you have to draw deer from (labeled A and B). I put a big X across the parkway. Not that you won't have deer cross the parkway, but it wouldn't be the main area I focused on drawing my deer from. When looking at your two draws (A and B) B has the most woods to draw from. A is a nice spot for sure, but again, it is cut off by the parkway. A central located large plot here, say 5+ acres, could be a great draw from both A and B. I would set up two stands here (black boxes) to hunt with either a north or south wind, and have a good entrance and exit. If you look at the labels, you could have one large food plot and feed the same deer that could be spread out in food plots 1,2,3, and 4 instead. As a second option, expand food plot 5 into a larger plot as well and feed deer coming out of the "B" bottom.
Don't do too much at first. The first year is a great year to observe from a distance, see how your deer move, and then plant accordingly.
This is all just an opinion of mine, but as mentioned before, spreading your deer out too much can hurt your hunting and allows for the possibility of being in the wrong spot at the right time.
BenAllgood
Well-Known Member
It will be my wife, 3 kids and myself. It's usually 3 stands occupied. Trying to do that on a small property is a challenge.
BenAllgood
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Pulling the wind rose for the area was one of the first things I did and the main reason for that access route. It looked like a lot of south and southwest winds in November. The visibility from the roads isn't that good because of the berm like roadside, but I will need some screening in a couple small spots.
BenAllgood
Well-Known Member
I think I might start out a little at a time and use this first year as an observation time. I don't want to mess up the use already there. They were bedding everywhere along the wood edges for the entire length. I do like the destination plot idea also.
BenAllgood
Well-Known Member
Allgood Acres - Season 1
This first season will be all about access and ambush setups. I’ll use the knowledge gained in this first season to customize and tweak layout and improvements. I have a local farmer who will hay the property this year in exchange for putting in a heavy clover component to the fields as well as planting a screen along the wood lines and field perimeter by the road. This will tackle a few things. I will have screened access to my stands and a crop history in case I want to put ground into a USDA program.
So, this is the layout for season 1.
Yellow lines are screening (Green Screen by Arrow Seeds) and parking is at the southeast corner which is also screened. We can walk behind the screens for easy access. I’ll plant the two half acre foodplots during the first week of September. The screen will be planted towards the end of next month. I’ll also have screening running between the two points in a saddle on the ridge. One end of that funnel screen ends right in front of a stand at the center plot.
The northwest stand will have a half acre food plot planted the first week of September. I’ll bring the foodplot close to the stand and not run it all the way to the bottom. The screen will run right in front of the stand giving us easy, hidden access to it. This is the view from that stand:
And, the view from the treeline looking back to the stand:
The view from the center, funnel stand:
And, looking back towards the stand (screen will be at front and extend to the right to the other point):
Access from the back:
And, this is where the funnel between the two points will run:
And this is the stand closest to the parking area. There is a bench that runs along there with a good trail just inside the woodline.
This first season will be all about access and ambush setups. I’ll use the knowledge gained in this first season to customize and tweak layout and improvements. I have a local farmer who will hay the property this year in exchange for putting in a heavy clover component to the fields as well as planting a screen along the wood lines and field perimeter by the road. This will tackle a few things. I will have screened access to my stands and a crop history in case I want to put ground into a USDA program.
So, this is the layout for season 1.
Yellow lines are screening (Green Screen by Arrow Seeds) and parking is at the southeast corner which is also screened. We can walk behind the screens for easy access. I’ll plant the two half acre foodplots during the first week of September. The screen will be planted towards the end of next month. I’ll also have screening running between the two points in a saddle on the ridge. One end of that funnel screen ends right in front of a stand at the center plot.
The northwest stand will have a half acre food plot planted the first week of September. I’ll bring the foodplot close to the stand and not run it all the way to the bottom. The screen will run right in front of the stand giving us easy, hidden access to it. This is the view from that stand:
And, the view from the treeline looking back to the stand:
The view from the center, funnel stand:
And, looking back towards the stand (screen will be at front and extend to the right to the other point):
Access from the back:
And, this is where the funnel between the two points will run:
And this is the stand closest to the parking area. There is a bench that runs along there with a good trail just inside the woodline.
BenAllgood
Well-Known Member
The sellers decided to leave this old cultivator behind. Imagine the stories it could tell.
BenAllgood
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That's a welcome sight on the new farm.
pinetag
Well-Known Member
BenAllgood
Well-Known Member
We had a pretty good trip to the farm. I didn't even bring a bow with me because I had too much work to get done.
I met with a private lands biologist with Kentucky F&W. He was extremely helpful and knowledgeable getting me caught up on the different trees, shrubs, and grasses in Kentucky. We went over options for the property. I think I've settled on putting a good portion of my fields into pollinator plantings. After meeting with him and sprayer to get a quote on killing the fields, I went to the FSA office to get a farm number and then to the NRCS office to let them know I would be interested in enrolling in EQIP pollinator plantings and a Forest Management Plan to open up some canopy for the more beneficial wildlife trees like oaks, persimmon, and beech.
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Since I wasn't sure what the rain was going to do, I went with Rye at 200 lbs/acre and threw in some mustard for us to eat as well as putting some nitrogen and sulfur into the soil when it decomposes. I had it hayed right when we were there, so it was setup just ok but not great for a throw and mow scenario.
I also ran a push lawn mower over part of my permanent firebreaks and seeded that with rye as well.
Found several LARGE persimmons scattered along the edges of the fields. Pretty good crop this year.
This one has to be close to 60 feet tall. I'm standing about 15 foot above it's base here.
Not a great pic, but you can make out all the clusters of persimmons high in the top branches.
Doing an experiment with standing vs mowed thatch on winter rye.
My youngest helping with the bottom of the bags of seed.
I met with a private lands biologist with Kentucky F&W. He was extremely helpful and knowledgeable getting me caught up on the different trees, shrubs, and grasses in Kentucky. We went over options for the property. I think I've settled on putting a good portion of my fields into pollinator plantings. After meeting with him and sprayer to get a quote on killing the fields, I went to the FSA office to get a farm number and then to the NRCS office to let them know I would be interested in enrolling in EQIP pollinator plantings and a Forest Management Plan to open up some canopy for the more beneficial wildlife trees like oaks, persimmon, and beech.
.
Since I wasn't sure what the rain was going to do, I went with Rye at 200 lbs/acre and threw in some mustard for us to eat as well as putting some nitrogen and sulfur into the soil when it decomposes. I had it hayed right when we were there, so it was setup just ok but not great for a throw and mow scenario.
I also ran a push lawn mower over part of my permanent firebreaks and seeded that with rye as well.
Found several LARGE persimmons scattered along the edges of the fields. Pretty good crop this year.
This one has to be close to 60 feet tall. I'm standing about 15 foot above it's base here.
Not a great pic, but you can make out all the clusters of persimmons high in the top branches.
Doing an experiment with standing vs mowed thatch on winter rye.
My youngest helping with the bottom of the bags of seed.
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BenAllgood
Well-Known Member
My son is taking an environmental science class during his senior year of high school. Today, he texted me some of the results from a soil test he was conducting using a sample from one of our fields. The pH was most surprising being neutral. I asked him to get his teacher to verify that, and he said she did. This soil, according to the web soil survey, should be in the low to mid 5's. I'm pretty sure it hasn't been limed in a while. 
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BenAllgood
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Due to not being able to get to the property, I had a local outfitter do my plots this year. He used his blend of turnips, radishes, and crimson clover. I'll probably overseed red and arrowleaf into it before spring greenup.
I'm also trying some new locations for my plots this year as indicated on the maps. Those may need to be tweaked some as I see how they affect movement this year.
Still waiting on my pollinator contract to be finalized with the NRCS so I can get those fields going. He told me everything was done, and I've signed the contracts. Just waiting on the go ahead from them.
I'm also trying some new locations for my plots this year as indicated on the maps. Those may need to be tweaked some as I see how they affect movement this year.
Still waiting on my pollinator contract to be finalized with the NRCS so I can get those fields going. He told me everything was done, and I've signed the contracts. Just waiting on the go ahead from them.
BenAllgood
Well-Known Member
The kids getting ready for the 2020 Kentucky youth hunt sitting downwind of a foodplot.
Success on my middle son’s first deer. He dropped her in her tracks with a .243 Handi-Rifle. She came in with a yearling buck and doe (probably her fawns from last year). She had a tiny bit of milk left in her udder but didn’t have any of this year’s fawns with her.
Old traditions not forsaken.
Success on my middle son’s first deer. He dropped her in her tracks with a .243 Handi-Rifle. She came in with a yearling buck and doe (probably her fawns from last year). She had a tiny bit of milk left in her udder but didn’t have any of this year’s fawns with her.
Old traditions not forsaken.
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BenAllgood
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Our attempt at a DIY haybale blind. I would definitely do some things differently, and it needs to be re-covered with a black inner layer first, but it will have to do for now. At less than $150, though, it was ok.
The kids and wife were a huge help.
Basically, we build it with 2 50" x 6' cattle panels and cut one part off to use for side structure and make it 6' wide. We wrapped the whole thing with a whole roll of pallet wrap. Then, we covered the outside with a 6' x 16' reed garden fencing. We used 2 of those as well. We staked all 4 corners down with rebar.
Deer didn't seem to mind. We got pictures that next day of deer 20 yards in front of it.
The kids and wife were a huge help.
Basically, we build it with 2 50" x 6' cattle panels and cut one part off to use for side structure and make it 6' wide. We wrapped the whole thing with a whole roll of pallet wrap. Then, we covered the outside with a 6' x 16' reed garden fencing. We used 2 of those as well. We staked all 4 corners down with rebar.
Deer didn't seem to mind. We got pictures that next day of deer 20 yards in front of it.
Mennoniteman
Well-Known Member
Can't beat the price, if it works you can market the design. Waiting for pics of your first successful hunt out of it.
BenAllgood
Well-Known Member
This satellite view was from the September 2020 planting of my 3 plots totaling about 2 acres. They are the 3 brown areas inside the black outline. They were done with conventional tillage this first year but will not for the foreseeable future. The crimson clover, radish, and turnip mix did well except for the deer eating all the radishes before they could develop tubers. They loved the turnips from late season into spring. The plots were frost seeded with red clover at 25lbs/acre. I will not do anything to the plots until September 2021 when I top sow with oats, brassicas, and more clover if needed. I'll also spray if necessary at that time.
This satellite photo was from last week. The light tan areas show the results from my initial burndown. One more will be done in the the next couple of weeks and then 11 acres of it will be planted with a pollinator blend. There is a band I am not planting but was still sprayed. That will be left to grow as an experiment and will also include firebreaks and the areas next to the woods will be allowed to grow up and maintained as mid successional woody growth for edge feathering.
This satellite photo was from last week. The light tan areas show the results from my initial burndown. One more will be done in the the next couple of weeks and then 11 acres of it will be planted with a pollinator blend. There is a band I am not planting but was still sprayed. That will be left to grow as an experiment and will also include firebreaks and the areas next to the woods will be allowed to grow up and maintained as mid successional woody growth for edge feathering.
BenAllgood
Well-Known Member
I was able to buy the 6 acre field on my west border. This will give me 47 acres in total. I'm not sure exactly what I'll do with it yet. It does lie flatter than the rest of my fields which are a combination of pollinator plantings and 3 food plots, so cropping it might be an option. What it does give me, is great access, which I desperately needed on that side. I'm also bounded on 3 sides by roads. On my east border is a great neighbor who also manages his property.
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