I have come to find that planting the rite kind of tree can make your hunting land better and valuable. On forty plus acres located in south central Alabama is where I started a small project on managing for my deer herd and turkey population.
I have come to understand that there is more to managing for trophy deer and turkey than just feeding or planting a food plot. The food plot industry has shot way up in the last ten years. Have you ever thoght of planting a food plot that will last longer than the average three to five year plot? How about a tree food plot that could last you a lifetime and probably your kids also.
I started with forty plus acres and planted trees twenty feet apart in rows. Why twenty feet apart you may ask? Well this gives me plenty of space to bush hogg and plow between them to plant other things like clovers, chicory, and even a bean type plant in the summer if I choose to do so.
I wanted to find a tree that would grow fast and produce a fruit within a short period of time. The one tree that I went with was the sawtooth oak. If taken properly care of the tree can produce nuts or fruits in three to five years based on how much tender love and care you give it. By fertilizing the trees the proper time of the year will also help speed up the process of the fruit there is to bare.
In the sawtooth oak you have two types of trees. One is the regular sawtooth and it’s acorns are 3/4″ – 1 1/2″ long, egg-shaped; about 1/4 enclosed by shallow cup with hairy scales. The second sawtooth oak looks the same but the acorns are smaller in size and can also grow very fast. I have trees on my property that are almost ten to twelve feet tall and are only four years old.
The live oak is another fast growing tree that you can plant and can produce nuts in a few years after planting. The live oak is a medium-sized evergreen tree with short, broad trunk buttressed at the base forking into a few nearly horizontal, long branches, and very broad, spreading, dense crown. These trees are high in value in the south mainly being used for land scapeing for lawns in the city area. It’s fruit is acorns 5/8″ – 1″ long, narrow and oblong, ¼ – ½ enclosed by deep cup; green becoming brown; maturing first year.
Keep in mind that when you pick and plant your wildlife trees to make sure that you plant them far enough apart so you can also palnt other things like clovers and chicory around them. Having a tree type food plot and the extra foods around them can pay off big. Remember that this is only a small thing that you can do to harvest a trophy animal on your property. Also remember that if it’s trophy deer your after that buck has to reach the rite age before he’s going look great on the wall. If you plant trees for yourself today then your kids will have them for tomorrow.