Land Management
This section of the Dragon website journals an ongoing case study on creating a 108 acre whitetail sanctuary.
I bought 61 acres of land in central Maine in 2014 because it was 35 minutes from home and located in one of Maine’s “Expanded ArcheryZones.” Expanded Archery Zones have a longer deer hunting season (early September through early December) and a larger bag limit (an extra buck and unlimited does). I put in roads, trails, food plots, treestands, and added a barn. In 2017 I bought the 47 acres to the south and have added more roads, trails, food plots, and stands.
Click on the links below to read about my progress year-by-year, along with the techniques used and lessons learned.
Starting with 61 acres of thick hardwood regeneration …
Page 1. 2014 and 2015 - My background with hunting land. Finding the right parcel. Developing the plan. Cutting tractor roads for access. Clearing food plots and preparing the soil for planting.
Page 2. 2016 - Soil tests and lots of lime. Plowing a new food plot. Rock, rocks, and more rocks - what to do! Spreading clover seed and hoping for rain. Planting oats as a test. What to do when the soil is really poor - go to Plan B. How not to get killed spreading manure.
And ending with 108 acres of mixed food plots and bedding
Page 3. Early 2017 - Spring surprise! Hinge-cut barriers and new trails to direct deer movement. Trying a new clover mix. Spraying to control grasses and weeds. Evaluating the potential of the 47 acres next door, and buying it!
Page 4. Late 2017- A change of plans. Hiring a forester to guide the logging process. Clearcutting the old field. Getting the stumps out and bulldozing to turn forest into field - almost. Harvesting the first deer.
Page 5. 2018 - Dividing new field into six food plots. 20 acre select cut for bedding and browse. Spreading 15 tons of agricultural lime with a big truck! Using the landscape rake to get the wood and rocks out. Planting clover, alfalfa, oats, and winter peas. New camera system, e-bike, bucks cruising during the day, and two deer in the freezer.
Page 6. 2019 - A very wet spring forces a change of plans. Hinge-cut barriers, trails, box blinds, and waterholes. Don’t put all your food plots in one annual mix ahead of a drought. A shot at a trophy. A cell-linked camera system. And two deer in the freezer.
Every year I’ve raised more trophy bucks
Page 7. 2020 - Finished spreading gravel, moved a box blind, more hinge-cuts, and a new tree stand. Ripped-out a new food plot. Hitting the soil again with the big lime truck and fertilizer. Discovering the joy of soybeans! Summer drought puts the hurt on many food plots. Another shot opportunity at a trophy. And one deer in the freezer.
Page 8. 2021 - More hinge-cut barriers, cutting new trails with the forestry mulcher, moving my box blinds again, and building two new food plots. Tremendous results from a new brassica blend. And four deer in the freezer - by far the best hunting season so far!
Page 9. 2022 - Still more hinge-cut barriers and trails cut with the forestry mulcher, spring and fall plantings with the new grain drill, six new treestands, two new box blinds, a DIY cooler to hang deer in, two deer and a moose.
Page 10. 2023 - New trails, moving a blind, hanging a couple treestands, expanding my soybean/brassica acreage, bringing in a contractor to really improve the road system, and chasing a heavy bodied buck for too many days.
Page 11. 2024 - Always lots of plans for the new year.
Homestead was 7 acres of 50 year old white pine. It is now planted with various types of deer forage such as oats, clover, peas, soybeans, rye, and alfalfa.