Clearing woods for food plot.

[OkieKubota]

David, you’ve been given great advice. The only thing I would add his even if you hire out the heavy lifting, it will take a long time to clear out all those roots and truly get your plots in order. We cleared 9 or so acres 5 years ago and I’m still dealing with roots. Other comment is to take real advantage of you limited plot space, you’ll probably want to thin the woods around the plot to decrease the shade. I would hinge cut this thinned area to creat pinch point travel corridors into the plot. It really makes a difference if you’re bowhuting. Finally, get the lime down as early as you can....lime, even pellet lime, takes time. Good luck!

If you have a dozer in there have them use the tree piles they take out to help funnel the deer to entry points you want them to use. If you have enough land you can clear you can even clear a buffer zone around the plot to let go fallow that will do 2 things...a softer transition from solid woods that still feels somewhat secure and may give you a shot at a buck that doesn’t want to step into the wide open and it also takes care of the shading issues around the edge of your plot. You can clear that buffer zone with equipment or a chainsaw...

 

[Drycreek]

If you have a dozer in there have them use the tree piles they take out to help funnel the deer to entry points you want them to use. If you have enough land you can clear you can even clear a buffer zone around the plot to let go fallow that will do 2 things...a softer transition from solid woods that still feels somewhat secure and may give you a shot at a buck that doesn’t want to step into the wide open and it also takes care of the shading issues around the edge of your plot. You can clear that buffer zone with equipment or a chainsaw...

This is something that I wish I had done on the place I sold. I always planted right up to the timber and it did little good. The moisture competition from tree roots already well established left a 8’/10’ bare strip around the edge of the plots. I would have been better served to have cleared another 15’/20’ on all edges and just let it grow up in whatever would have grown there. The advantages Okie mention plus the extra sunlight would have beneficial.

Unfortunately, on my lease I can’t clear anything that might make $ for the landowner, we are tied to what’s already open. At home though, it’s a different matter and after deer season is over my son and I are gonna take some trees out in our main plot and re-work the edges. Free firewood, except for the sweat, (mostly his) and more sunlight ! I’m tired of dodging those damn trees too !