Bedding cover

[nchunter1989]

Opinions wanted y’all-

On the way out from the stand this morning I did a little scouting through a pocket of broom sedge. There is one section of the 14acr clear cut that was the loading deck & all that has grown there is “small” pines, broom sedge & briars. Seeing all the tracks in there got me thinking about clearing some of the junk hardwoods & letting it naturally regen with more broom sedge & briar.

There is a opening or buffer that could separate the areas, also 5-6 mature oaks that were left. Seems it could be a great bedding area to over look with a rifle.

Would it be worth it to fertilize the areas already established or just put that money into a natural seed mix?


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[Chainsaw]

Regarding fertilizing established areas--I would want to test a tiny portion of it to determine if fertilizing helps it, hurts it, or does nothing whatsoever. I would likely want to put up two small exclusion fences say about fifteen sq. ft each, one with no fertilizer and one with fertilizer and see what happens over a growing season. The fertilizer could enable grasses to overtake your desirable plants or it could help the desirable plants or enable other desirable plants to flourish. Also will need a PH test to see if the PH needs adjustment either way before fertilizing. Small steps are best.

 

[nchunter1989]

I know the soil is around 4.5-4.8 based on previous samples. I’m not too concerned about grasses, it’s already broom sedge & briars. Trying to create bedding & nesting habitat.


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[THE LLC]

If you'll just bushhog that area about every three to four years you'll have exactly what you want. Bushhog in late Feb or March. I have two areas I do like that and it is the bomb. No need to fertilize, lime, or anything. Broom sedge is awesome bedding cover. Nothing promotes broom sedge like bushhogging. Turkeys and rabbits will use it too, and quail if you have them.

 

[nchunter1989]

It was actually bushhogged 2yrs ago, I’ll try to take some photos next time I’m there.

I’m debating clearing out the sweet gum & small scrub oaks to expand the areas of grasses & briars. This ties right into an oak flat, makes sense to me.


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[DocHolladay]

I have a field like you are describing on a property I hunt. If it was up to me, I would mow it every 2 years, but the landowner wants it cut every year. I usually do it after deer season is over and by fall, it is over my head again. I will say that me mowing it ever since I have been there has taken care of some unwanted invasives and let some of the better natives come in. I would really like to plant some big bluestem and/or switchgrass in it, but the owner keeps talking about going back to a hay field.

 

[THE LLC]

I’m debating clearing out the sweet gum & small scrub oaks to expand the areas of grasses & briars. This ties right into an oak flat, makes sense to me.
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Absolutely. I leave a scrub tree every so often out in my "old fields", or perhaps a persimmon if I'm lucky. Deer seem to gravitate to them. Almost like a landmark they use in crossing them.

 

[nchunter1989]

There’s an linear opening in the area I had planned for a “sanctuary plot” but I think it may be better served with either natural forbs or dropping one of the larger junk trees


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