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Working at the Farm - Took a few I-Phone Pics
- Thread starter Native Hunter
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Native Hunter
Well-Known Member
I'm considering making a change next year at my 100-acre farm where I have the 60-acre NWSG prairie, and I would like your opinions on this. My CREP contract has now expired, and I am no longer making any money for growing NWSGs. About 1/2 (or 30 acres) of the prairie is good farmland, and the other half is marginal (slope wise). I have talked to a farmer who is willing to farm the good 30 acres, and I would leave the rest in NWSGs. Below are the details:
1. The crops would be rotated between corn and soybeans. Likely corn the first few years.
2. He is willing to not remove the crops until sometime after our gun season is over (Late November).
3. He carries crop insurance, so even with an unlikely crop failure, I still get paid.
4. This cuts my prairie maintenance in half, and I still have lots of cover (roughly 30 acres and NWSG and 40 acres of trees).
5. My current shooting lanes in the NWSGs change very little. I can leave out whatever I desire, and he is okay with it.
6. I would likely have the only crop fields in the areas that were not harvested by gun season.
7. None of this would affect my tree planting and fruit trees.
I can't see how this should negatively affect my hunting, but I would like to hear other's thoughts. I mow shooting lanes mid-August each year and then stay out until after hunting season. The farmer would be out of there a long time before that and wouldn't be back in until after season was over. Let me know what you think.
1. The crops would be rotated between corn and soybeans. Likely corn the first few years.
2. He is willing to not remove the crops until sometime after our gun season is over (Late November).
3. He carries crop insurance, so even with an unlikely crop failure, I still get paid.
4. This cuts my prairie maintenance in half, and I still have lots of cover (roughly 30 acres and NWSG and 40 acres of trees).
5. My current shooting lanes in the NWSGs change very little. I can leave out whatever I desire, and he is okay with it.
6. I would likely have the only crop fields in the areas that were not harvested by gun season.
7. None of this would affect my tree planting and fruit trees.
I can't see how this should negatively affect my hunting, but I would like to hear other's thoughts. I mow shooting lanes mid-August each year and then stay out until after hunting season. The farmer would be out of there a long time before that and wouldn't be back in until after season was over. Let me know what you think.
Drycreek
Well-Known Member
Native, it sounds like a win-win to me. I’m not a farmer, (nor do I play one on tv), but I can’t see a downside to this. We all know how much deer love corn and beans, so you have more to attract them. Besides that, standing corn is cover too. Beans are somewhat also, although you didn’t specify how long the beans would be there. I’m assuming the beans would be combined (if that’s the right wording) before they shatter.
BenAllgood
Well-Known Member
That's a tough one Steve. You have an awesome setup, and it's hard to mess with success like you've had. It seems like what you have now is a hunting setup where you can take advantage of a reliable bed to food transition. I don't know for certain, but it seems like you're in an area that's more food rich than cover, and you have the best cover. Eliminating some of that could spread the deer out more across the landscape. On corn years, it wouldn't be as bad from a holding standpoint because of the food/cover it offers. You'd definitely draw a lot of deer from the surrounding area. I just don't know if they'd increase densities in your cover or not. They may pile in there, and your shooting lanes looking over the remaining cover could be even better than it is now. Or, they could spread out more to the available cover on your neighbors and come to you to feed. That could hurt the predictability patterns you have now. I really don't have a strong leaning either way, but I'd be leery of changing a good thing.
Native Hunter
Well-Known Member
Thanks Drycreek. He said he could plant beans late and not harvest them until late November. So, whether corn or beans the harvest would still be late. And, I agree that corn is cover and beans are to some extent.
Native Hunter
Well-Known Member
Good thoughts Ben. Let me know if you have any more ideas on this before next year.
Native Hunter
Well-Known Member
I can’t do that, because I save all my fescue seed for you. I enjoy planting in your plots when you go lay on the beach.
Drycreek
Well-Known Member
weekender21
Well-Known Member
It would be tough for me to replace that beautiful native habitat with crops. If you need the extra cash I can certainly understand the desire and wouldn’t hesitate. If the money isn’t all that important, I’d leave it in natives.
That kick ass habitat is what makes your place different and AWESOME!
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
That kick ass habitat is what makes your place different and AWESOME!
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
George
Well-Known Member
What would cash rent bring on 30 acres? $1500? We'll start a save Native's natives fund if we have to.
G
Native Hunter
Well-Known Member
The cash would be a little more than double that amount, but cash isn’t the main reason I’m considering this. I’m getting older and cutting back on some of the maintenance is desirable. Also, if I had a good relationship with this fellow I could hire him to do maintenance for me on the remaining prairie if I was ever sick or unable to do things myself. Right now I’m just brainstorming a few different ideas.
PS- if I did this it would be nearly flat land, so erosion wouldn’t be a factor.
Native Hunter
Well-Known Member
Three more things are happening near me that could change my hunting. Time will tell how much and whether for better or worse:
1. Bordering me on the southeast they cut timber this spring in a 20 acre woods. This will be a grown up jungle soon. I'm not sure if the guy who hunts it will know how to hunt it. It doesn't take much human pressure on 20 acres to keep the good ones from bedding there.
2. Bordering me on the south - the farmer is letting his crop field edges go fallow. It will be heavy cover, but it will be narrow strips not over 40 yards wide. The guy who hunts there is constantly driving an ATV all over the place, so I doubt the good ones will try to bed in it.
3. About 1/2 mile to the southwest on another farm that doesn't join me - they sold out and the new owners are putting in 8 chicken houses. I'm hoping it ends the hunting there, because some of my best future prospects we passed have been killed on that farm.
1. Bordering me on the southeast they cut timber this spring in a 20 acre woods. This will be a grown up jungle soon. I'm not sure if the guy who hunts it will know how to hunt it. It doesn't take much human pressure on 20 acres to keep the good ones from bedding there.
2. Bordering me on the south - the farmer is letting his crop field edges go fallow. It will be heavy cover, but it will be narrow strips not over 40 yards wide. The guy who hunts there is constantly driving an ATV all over the place, so I doubt the good ones will try to bed in it.
3. About 1/2 mile to the southwest on another farm that doesn't join me - they sold out and the new owners are putting in 8 chicken houses. I'm hoping it ends the hunting there, because some of my best future prospects we passed have been killed on that farm.
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