Planting Trees for Turkey & Deer

[ncwoodsman]

Fellas, I need some advice and I hope you can help. My dad owns our family farm which has been in the family for over 100 years. I shot my first turkey there many years ago. I am considering building my dream home on this property someday. I have been thinking about planting some trees such as Sawtooth Oak, White Oak, etc. for deer and turkey now. Currently, we have about a 20 acre food plot with clover and chufa which has been great for the deer and turkeys. I have found many forums/websites with soft and hard mast packages. I'm planning on doing a ph (soil test) before purchasing.

My question is, what trees have you planted and had the most success with good results for wildlife? How long did they take to produce?

[Tail Feathers]

I'm no expert,  but I would plant differing varieties.  Live oaks tend to start producing acorn early in their life, as do sawtooth oaks.
White oaks are a favorite but they take a long time to mature and produce well.

[ncwoodsman]

This look interesting: http://www.nativnurseries.com/p-233-red-oak-hybrid-sale.aspx

[The Cohutta Strutter]

Woodsman, it may be helpful to check with someone local that's in the know such a forester. Someone that could give you and idea of good hardy tree types that are native to your particular area.

[ncwoodsman]

Thanks for the input guys. I know we have lots of White Oaks on the property already.

[dejake]

I think ensuring you have good nesting cover is just as important.

[ncwoodsman]

Good point, never really thought about that.

[buzzardroost]

Good nesting cover can also be great habitat for deer. Trying to reduce the nest raiders is important too for turkeys(coons, possums, etc)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[ncwoodsman]

I think we have some pines which should be ready to cut in the next 5 years or so. Should be good future nesting grounds.

[stinkpickle]

Woodsman, it may be helpful to check with someone local that's in the know such a forester. Someone that could give you and idea of good hardy tree types that are native to your particular area.

This. ^^^

[wvmntnhick]

The best time to plant a tree was 40 years ago. The next best time is today.


As for type, get a good blight resistant chestnut. They tend to produce faster than most oaks. Also, look into some soft mast. Persimmon is good but more for deer than the turkey. Plant some grapes and lots of them for the turkeys.

Someone mentioned nest raiders. I'd get plenty of dog proof traps if I could and set them when seasons allowed to keep the numbers down. They work great for coon and possum. They'll catch skunks but I've never had one in mine. Easy to set and can put them out fast. Couple dozen would take care of lots of the masked bandits I'm betting.

[BowBendr]

In our area of NC I've seen guys have the best results with sawtooth oaks and persimmons. The sawtooths don't take many years to start producing and many people tell me that deer seem to prefer them over the whites. Not sure about the turkeys, some think they seem to prefer the smaller size of the white oaks. So if you have native whites it's a win-win. The persimmons are a no-brainer, when the frost gets them and they drop good, I will hunt them exclusively if given the chance. A grape vine or two won't hurt either !
As mentioned above, manage for brood/nesting cover.
NC is a rapidly populating state, not a huge amount of large land tracts left in our area. If you can provide them with some safety and food, both deer and turkey will be there !

[ncwoodsman]

Thank you all who have responded and with great advice. I wish you all a Merry Christmas and prosperous 2017!

[nativeks]

Ill 2nd the consult with a forester. They can also give you some timber stand improvement ideas as well. Sawtooths are considered invasives in some states so I checked on that before planting. On my place I have been replacing hedge and honey locust with native grasses and more beneficial trees. So far I have planted American plum, Bur Oak, Persimmon, Paw Paw, mulberry, sawtooth oak, pin oak, white oak, swamp chesnut, and deer pear.

I will say you don't need those mossy oak trees. I am buying bare root seedlings from the state forest service 25/$20. I have had great success utilizing tree tubes from forestry suppliers. Also I will be planting with trees with fertilizer tablets this year. Plan on 10 more sawtooths, 25 Bur Oak, and 25 Swamp White oak. Also looking at planting 200 bushes for quail (mostly plum, serviceberry, fragrant sumac).

I've got a 50 lb bag of native warm season grasses with forbs like Maximillian sunflower, coneflower, etc.

[Kylongspur88]

The turkeys here love beech nuts. One of the first things I look for when I scout a new place are beech trees. Deer and tree rats love them too.