Backstory from 2011;


Bought a 34.4 acre Heavily Wooded parcel in NW Lower Peninsula of Michigan approx two years ago.














Had never planted a single plot seed, ran a chainsaw for more than 10 minutes, owned an ATV or hunted anywhere but tiny private parcels of family or battled it out on public land.


Bow/gun hunter all seasons since 1984.


Have since done many improvements.


First step was getting a full custom habitat plan done by Jake Ehlinger of http://www.habitatsolutions360.com/


Next I started cutting a trail around the back side of the place.


Normal visibility is about arms length on 90% of the place. If I want to shoot 30 yards I have to cut and clear 30 yards (or just hunt the driveway  )


Majority Dense Scotch pine overstory with denser Scotch pine, spruce, Larch, mixed hardwoods understory. Soil is medium grey sand 5.1ph to a surprising 6.7ph in one tiny spot averaging well under 6 in most areas. Past 8" down it is bright yellow or orange beach sand. Filters rain runoff nicely, best well water I have ever had.


Large elevation changes, 125ft tall ridge runs diagonal from SE to NW creating two separate long triangular valleys.


No water for approx 1/2 mile radius.


No ag for 5 miles.


6k acres of heavily wooded contiguous state land 2 miles south.


There is a 5 acre piece of mature Red Pines that is pure deer desert, not going to modify that for now.


Also have 5 acres of Blue Spruce, way overgrown christmas trees, most 50' plus. I have hacked two 0.2 acre linked plots into them and had great success growing food and drawing deer. Cut in four other plots as well and have them up and running some of Jakes Ultimate blend with a rye bump for the really hilly areas.


Added three waterholes and see deer at them all times of the day.





If you are interested in the rest of the backstory please click the link http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/forum/showthread.php?t=394363 to approx two years of posts at my local habitat board.





I will be updating this thread as I go forward.





Fast Forward to today;


This year has seen the cutting of plots finally done, nine in total.


Layout currently;








Recent improvements;


Two 8x8 Elevated blinds, 16' to floor














Doing soilbuilding in several plots, rotate that with others kept up to sustain current deer population;


Rye, Chicory, Clover, Hairy Vetch








Buckwheat trying to flower despite heavy browse pressure;






Activity near one of the three waterholes;






 

Also I built a sweet shooting range at the property too, gotta have somewhere to zero the 300 Black and plink on the AR500 targets;




























 

Tag for later - looks awesome OP!

Removed...krp

Postban looks like hard work is paying off.

Thanks for the comments guys!





July 21 update;





Got up to the Cabin after that sweaty week from hell to a great sunset and 79 degree temp. Ahhhh.





The only sunlight the ground under those Reds ever sees.



Started off Saturday working to clear shots from the box blinds, took this from an old treestand that will be moving. Panorama of two of the three "beans" Extreme left is straight North. Multiple linked plots with curving periphery of tornado hinged everything. Four entry points, red arrows. Rt Click, View Picture Enlarge for greater detail.








Deer have a funny way of using my biggest plot. It is 150 yards long and runs up hill from NW to SE. Top of the hill the buckwheat is decimated, mowed down to 2-3". Middle of the plot looking NW is this pics perspective and it is 9-12". Far NW end of the plot in the distance is unmolested 18-24" mature buckwheat.








Sunday saw a little more shot clearing work on the North Box and then we transitioned to Buck Bedding work in my North valley. We put in five beds using terrain features like level spots up hill from large trees or open areas in tight spruce thickets. My definition of "open" means just enough room for a deer, hunched over uncomfortable travel for me. I raked out all debris down to dirt and used Jakes trick of putting in Red Pine straw in three of them, other two left bare dirt. Grabbed a few logs to border the beds. Most of the overhead cover was already in place. Cleared out two in-out trails for each and cut and moved deadfall to allow easier travel in the area.





This spruce was just trimmed to make the bed visible in the background.

















Started seeing a lot of deer hair and initially thought "Wow, what a great bedding area" but then I found a lot more, like handfuls of it, everywhere. 3-4 sq/yds of deer hair smeared and spread out all over a small clearing. The I found the bucks skull. A little later I found what I think is a front leg. Quite a bit of mouse damage on it, no teeth left. One small antler base piece too. Guessing 1-1/2 year somebody wounded came here to lay down and die.








Found significant woodpecker activity on one big ugly Scotch,








Top of the ridge found these;







 

Oh my your map alone is great, that blind looks nice but it is going to be a bugger to get your propane bottle up there unless you use the little ones. Hey kidding aside that is a great plan you have!

Well of course the propane bottle will fit, it goes right next to the recliner and kitchen sink. How else will the shower get hot water?





Heard a million condo jokes too...



 

WOW!

You are dedicated. A buddy of mine lives near Manton. His wife won't let him shoot her deer friends on their property. More for you I guess.

Finally a Google maps update.





My place mid-2011








May-23-2013








Also did a little work on one of the blinds. Light shutters.. Drop Down windows and screens coming soon.


Camo net cut and stapled to the structure and braces.











Couple pics of the new blinds from a different perspective.

















Small spike in a couple vids











Here he is getting booted by a single mom.







 

8-3-2013 Update;





Final Fall plot put in, blinds done.





TSC Plot Spike Forage Oats at 5 days.








Antler King Trophy Clover Mix at 2 weeks.








"Fenced in Garden" surrounded by buckwheat at 5 days.








Dozens of beds put in.








Pine straw application;







 

Any insight you can share on how you made your elevation maps?

I have 25 acres of hills I would love to have mapped - would help a lot with planning.

Get your topo lines here, http://www.mytopo.com/





From there you will need some kinda mapping tool or CAD program, I am using AutoCad but a lot of others available.


I inserted a jpg of the topo/terrain into ACAD, scaled it and drew the rest of the features. The 3d thing was a ton more work in a pro cad system.


There is an Android app called "Sports Tracker" that will give you your properties google image with the trails or plot shapes you walk GPS traced onto it. Important you walk the plots for maximum accuracy, running or biking or riding a quad will have lines crossing. Walking gives you more precise borders.





Pic is output from Sports Tracker







 
 

Was up to the cabin week before last, moved some treestands and checked cameras. Everything is in just needing rain now.





Winter Rye, Spring Oats, Austrian Winter Peas, Ground Hog Radish germinated;








Connected Ladino-White Clover, Chicory, Dwarf Essex Rape and Purple Top Turnip plots/trail with a Field Sorghum, Forage Peas and Medium Red Clover plot in the far distance.







 

9-1-2013 update;





Hung 3 new treestands off trails on my high center ridge. These are well removed from the food plots and box blind areas. They offer a great view as the 100' high ridge lets you look down into my South Valley.





Prepare for a shock: I actually found a mature Red Oak full of acorns up on the ridge, musta walked/rode past it fifty times. Looked around for a place to lean a ladderstand and there it was twisting around a Scotch Pine. Anyone who knows Scotches will be scratching their heads as they are usually the ones twisting. Treestand name, Twisted Oak. That makes a total of five Oaks opposite a million Red Pines and Billion Scotches





Plots are continuing to green up.











Sorghum beginning to head out








First view of a tiny 10th/ac plot full of Jakes Mix.








Big plot in North Valley coming up








Box back in the trees




 

Almost for got the gun part, put up a bunch of new steel targets and another paper holder. Becoming a more challenging course.





Trying the course wearing the AR500ARMOR plate carrier setup.

Pistol ammo was old WOLF 115 and not really hitting on POA through the G19

Very cool!

9-6-2013 update



Turkey and Deer seem to like the newest little plot, oats and brassicas are doing well in there.









Big plots are doing well after a few rains and showing continued draw





Food trail which was greener is looking rough but showing traffic.





And off topic, the Emerald Vale GC is a beautiful course!

You will barely be able to recognize THE HABITAT KID without a chainsaw or shovel in his hand but I assure you that is him.

Place looks great. I admire the hard work people put into their properties.

That's sapsuckers, not woodpeckers.

9-15-2013 update.



Spent some time installing one of these in each blind on the rifle shot window. Table is attached to the wall studs. The leg folds under the table and the table folds down flush with the wall. The trap door can be opened with the table up or down by design.





Better view of the 194yd possible shot;





Some views out of the Bow Windows.







Water hole in center and two linked plots behind it.





This one really gives you the "Mordor" effect, just look at how grey these spruce are compared to the booming clover.





Its not a exclusion cage for the food plot, I am trying to start some mulberry trees in there. Rooted Cuttings from my Dads tree.





sand farmer

Postban Looking good. I like your fold down shooting bench. Now you just need some cool weather.

Very, very impressive

I got em coming...





I got em going...





I got em hanging around...





and my kids and I have three doe tags plus archery season. Gonna turn this girls hangout into a Gentlemens Club starting in about 10 days.



Don't they look a little chubby? :evil:



(Those middle two pics, Jakes mix on virgin acid sand!! What the hell is in that stuff? knee deep and lush as a bag of store bought salad)

I was wondering how much lime you had to put down to grow anything    


Looks fantastic!!

Be on the lookout for pudgy does with radish breath!!

Smashed down my poor attempt at deer-proofing a small "fenced garden" and pigged it all right down to the sand.





Snow didn't help any either.





Watched a yearling six point (65yds out) that had never showed on any camera chase does in my big north plot Saturday night. :D for the rut starting.

Neighbors Labrador chased a doe out of my big south plot as my son watched the whole thing. She was coming in to the "fenced garden" at 35yds to him and here comes this dog. :rant: Same dog is on camera.



Working out some final sight in details on my sons .243 and here comes another dog,

Neat. I know how rewarding it is to see things come together - we went through all of this with dad's farm ~15 years ago and I started last year on my own.

What's really awesome is watching deer flock to the acorns dropping from the sawtooth oaks we planted ~15 years ago. It's like a zoo back there when acorns are dropping.

This is why I built my box blinds. I am sitting in there with my 200yd capable and sighted rifle on a sturdy benchrest looking at my huge plot of Jakes Mix. Little doe shows about 0800 at 150yds but my 8x binos cannot confirm that it is not a button. I wait and watch it (her, I find out later) eat. Five minutes go by as the PTT and DER get guzzled. Then here comes one of my smaller spikes, beeline right towards the buffet participant. He never even nibbles just right at her. That is when I knew, she lowers her head and shoulders, stares at him and bounds off to the south with young Mr. in hot pursuit. At that moment I am pissed that I did not collect her but also call it a successful hunt having seen deer. slow rifle opener, only heard 3 shots and it is 0815.





Another deer appears in the same big plot to my ESE but it is obscured by a tree keeping it from being decided upon. As is my habit in this box I look out my North window which is barely cracked. I have light shutters that open inwards and windows that drop sliding straight down, makes it so I can be ready to shoot but also control light to the inside. I usually drop all the windows but leave the shutters open only a 1/2". I can standup and walk around inside to stretch without any movement visible. Nothing visible out the North so I check West, nope, then check south and bingo. One small button and a big doe right at 25 yds. These are the "deer outta nowhere" that we all have experienced. 3-5 minutes prior, nothing and now they're right out in the middle feeding hard. I lean back to the benchrest to grab the rifle, pull the light shutter open another 2" and then line up on the doe through the scope. She takes a few minutes of head down chomping Chicory and PTT to clear the button, gives me a perfect broadside. I squeeze....





Shot was 25yds into the tiny 0.2ac bow kill plot, big vertical leap/kick and two bounds into the brush heading East. The button buck standing three yards from her just kept eating.





Did not leave the food plot for 10 minutes despite lead in the air, big loud bang at close quarters. So I waited.


Then as I was gonna get out of the blind two more buttons showed up and fed for thirty minutes in the big adjacent plot the bench is aimed at.


I did not want to spook them from the blind so I waited. My 16yr old Daughter will be in the same blind tomorrow. So I waited some more.





Finally, no deer insight out all the windows, close up the blind and all the shutters, down the ladder.





She went about 30 yds with absolutely no blood sign at all, not a drop. I just followed the heavy dew claw strikes right to her.


Very little blood on her when I found her.


300 Blackout handload 125gr Hornady SST, 16.6gr Lil'gun, reformed LC


I built the rifle, PSA bbl, Mega lower, Magpul stock, Larue mount, Trijicon TR24G.








The bullet hit a rib and musta blew up, did not find any of it and no exit hole. It dumped every bit of energy inside and very little meat damage. Like a knitting needle that turns into a grenade. Pic is entrance hole.








Biggest doe I ever shot.








Hopefully my kids can swat two more for a real freezer full with the two weeks left in the rifle season.

 

More success with the 125gr SST. My Daughter connected on this doe at 180yds. Hit on left side high lung, exited right midsection through 2nd to last rib, splintered it. Not recovered but again very effective pill. Deer went 40yds with massive bloodtrail, lung chunks too.

Looks like all your hard work has paid off!

I've been following this since you started, I'm pretty jealous

This is a great thread.....

That is not a buck skull you found, that is the pelvic girdle of a deer. The "antler base" is actually the hip socket

ETA in reference to post dated 7/22/13

Nice work by the way

Big dump of global warming covering everything. Headed back up this weekend to call some coyotes, on snowshoes of course.













 

How'd it go? I love following your thread.

Sorry, missed an update here. Never saw any coyotes, too much snow now 3' plus everywhere. We will keep trying regardless.
2014-1-18 Update

Laid down about 10 Poplars today to see if that will get some tracks going on the place. Last time i did this they picked it clean of buds in days.

Silky Zubat and snowshoes makes a decent setup for scouting/cutting. Four new inches of snow since last weekend.










3' tall Field Sorghum plot still full of seed heads




Look in the central background at the box blind. I am standing 5yds into the plot, 55yds from the blind.


Metal roofing on this box. Check out that awesome camo job making it look like my ugly spruce trees.

Awesome thread OP

My father in law has 80 acres up east of pentwater. I will be building a blind and cleaning up the land this year also..

I will be pillaging this thread for Ideas  

Dreading the winter kill when I can finally get back up to the place.

Pic of better days.

4-20-2014 update.

Snow mostly gone, few drifts in the thicker areas and some plots.


The small turnip/radish growth I got showing some browse. They liked the tops, not so much the bulbs.


Decent growth of Winter Rye is now just straw hammered flat. Jumped a small doe out of here, turnips the only viable attraction.


I figured out the best use of a couple dozen 50' poplars, blocking on my northern boundary to confound a fence sitter. Habitat Hook worked great too. Pushed and pulled many of them to horizontal along with the same quantity of Scotches. Open canopy will help the White Spruce to thicken up this edge.


Lots more cutting/clearing to do in a non-habitat area coming up in future weeks, will get some lime down and then we restart the buckwheat cycles end of May.

5-5-14 update
The place is greening up some.
Fall planted Winter Rye and Spring Oats just out from under 3' of snow are on the rebound. Plenty of left over Turnips regenerating too.
This narrow area will see two batches of buckwheat starting 5-31-14 and 7-12-14. Then back to WR and SO for the fall planting.
Forward in the shady area will be a clover/chicory blend I made up. 30%White, 30%Ladino, 30%Crimson, 10%Chicory


Pretty sparse on closer examination but remember 13 months ago this plot was wild Scotch pine mess.

Looking good. Lot of work though

Above, working a plot to develop organic matter in the soil. Winter Rye and Spring Oats being turned in to allow a Spring buckwheat crop to be sowed.


Look at the belly on that Mama Doe, twins for sure and soon.

Coons came in and pissed off a Button


Another plot of WR/SO the night before I worked it. Put it on 1080 HD and full screen for full Michigan State Bird effect. Trillion skeeters.

Looks great dad cant wait to go up north again.

this is an excellent thread.

thank you for all the updates.

2014-06-06 Update.

Primarily doing some non-habitat cutting on two acres of nasty old White Spruce. Behold this tangle of widowmakers;


I've cut this kind of damage before, hook up a strap, notch the bottom, pull em down from safety. Just wanted to share the upcoming joy with you fellow sawyers.

The place is dry, needs rain. Buckwheat planted two weeks ago has yet to kick off.
Clover/Rape/Chicory plot doing well as usual. 1 plot out of eleven, par for the course.


Decent growth on a buck going into a bedding area. Four distinct bucks with growth and one button on other cameras.


Extra Large coyote, Grey Fox, Raccoon, Porcupine, WoodChuck, Rabbit galore on this camera. Also about 600 deer pics.

Nice place OP!

This will be my first hunting season in my new place and first time ever hunting "on my own land".  This thread does not help me enjoy summer...September can't come fast enough.  Meanwhile, I'll be scouting and prepping.  I don't want to do too much work and have it be a dud spot.  Trail cams are rolling.

Thanks for the tips and inspiration, OP.

06-14-2014 update.

Doing some more cutting, taking out nasty White Spruce. One acre of it planted 7x7. We're about 1/20th done


Everything in that pile in the upper right is 10' or longer, quicker to move them that way. Anybody wanna build a replica Fort Michilamacinac, I will have enough for two, maybe three....



One habitat thing we did get to is finally putting in the cedar post/rope job.  Supposed to be a draw for bucks to rub. The manilla rope is another trick mentioned in whispers by old timers. This will surely bring in the B&C size bruisers right? Note the custom scoring to raise the grain and release more cedar note.

nice read.  I'm jealous of land and the energy!  Keep up the posts this is a hell of a nice daydream