Originally Posted by Lockjaw
If you are going to do that, why even bother having a green field at all, just let the whole place grow up.

I would rather have a green field that I knew the soil PH was good, and that I could plant specific species of forage in it. There is a reason deer mow down soybeans. And why they grow big giant bucks in the heart of american farmland.



There’s a difference between old field management and letting it all “grow up” lol.
That difference is managing for invasive and native species. If you let everything grow up without any disturbance, you’re just gonna be slam full of invasives. ( Privet, sericea lespedeza, exotic turf grasses or cool season grasses (basically hay). Disturbance stimulates the seed bank and and will produce a mix of native and invasives. Treat the invasives and promote the natives and do so within timber and open areas. You create a base foundation of native habitat (browse/forbs) which is about 70% of your herds diet. Then food plots and feeding becomes surplus feed which is the other 30% of herd diet. Then just let your 3.5yr olds walk and harvest does according to ratio and in a couple years you can kill mature bucks IF you have a decent hunt strategy and setup accordingly.

Allfrey Land & Game
Wildlife & Habitat Consulting
256-206-6122
Alabama