Cover / Bedding Crop Experience anyone?

[Upstate Nerdneck]

I have about 5 acres I want to turn from open field into bedding & travel corridors this year.  Been looking around, quite a few options out there.

General idea is to plant some young fruit trees, fence them in, and plant something that will grow up thick by the end of summer.  Preferably a perennial that I don't have to re-plant each year.  Which kind of rules out Whitetail Institutes Conceal, unless I'm misunderstanding it.

Any recommendations, anyone?

[G-man]

Personal experiance  I took  an open field and converted it to a food  plot  ,set me back  about 5 years.  Was a fawning area. Once gone  the deer were as well.  Took burning it and reseeding  it into native grasses.  To get it back to what it was.   

I'd look at taking a portion of it  into an orchard  group 3 to 5 trees together and  look into a native grass mix.  You can  put clover  in the orchard areas. 

Biggest thing  I've learned  it's to truly access waht areas are being  use as/ for and seasons  used.. before making changes.  Also access all 4 seasons  what your herd is missing  or lacking in .. it maybe winter thermal cover or  food  if all big woods with no ag around.

If you decide to go native grass mix

https://www.americanmeadows.com/product/grass-and-groundcover-seeds/northeast-native-grass-seed-mixture?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAiAuNGuBhAkEiwAGId4altbkEYZWRJbnL6NmaqCfsqS3wW9YW194HVS2sxbbXq9cuCXG1UmsBoCxqAQAvD_BwE

Edited February 20, 2024 by G-man

[Upstate Nerdneck]

5 minutes ago, G-man said:

Personal experiance  I took  an open field and converted it to a food  plot  ,set me back  about 5 years.  Was a fawning area. Once gone  the deer were as well.  Took burning it and reseeding  it into native grasses.  To get it back to what it was.   

I'd look at taking a portion of it  into an orchard  group 3 to 5 trees together and  look into a native grass mix.  You can  put clover  in the orchard areas. 

Biggest thing  I've learned  it's to truly access waht areas are being  use as/ for and seasons  used.. before making changes.  Also access all 4 seasons  what your herd is missing  or lacking in .. it maybe winter thermal cover or  food  if all big woods with no ag around. 

This is my top piece, 90 acres.  All big woods, fields, with about 4 acres of food plots scattered about.  Lacks bedding and travel corridors.  Mainly I'm trying to "widen" the hedge rows in a couple of key center places by adding cover to either side of them.  It's really not going to take a substantial chunk out of my open fields.  5 acres out of 65 or so.

[Robhuntandfish]

I've always wanted to plant blueberry bushes for cover and feed and for myself.  We have considered it a few times, and want to try a few to test to see if they will take off. 

[Upstate Nerdneck]

Contemplating putting in an order of 100 or so baby cedars to plant to along with this!

[Otto]

If you are widening hedgerows, I would look for native seedlings of trees and grass that are in the area now.  I think you could pull some saplings from the area and add them along the hedgerows.  Or get the barefoot trees from Soil and Water Conservation in your area.  

[Bucndoe]

If you are willing to put in the time and effort, switchgrass will suit your needs. It takes about 2-3 years to get it established and you must stay on top of it for weed control for it to take in the beginning. It doesn't not like any competition. 

Im going into year 2 on one stand of switchgrass and year 3 of another. I screwed up both by not staying on top of it with weed control but the last 2 years have been committed to it. 

However, switchgrass loves and thrives in full sun, that may not work for you

[Bucksnbows]

Count me as a fan of cool season/native grasses. They evolved here and do well in most soils and are drought tolerant. They grow fast and won’t need maintenance unless you’re surrounded with invasives. And you can mow a few paths for travel corridors they will use like an interstate highway.  They make great bedding cover which is the key. 

[G-man]

If you want what is native and prefered try this..  

https://www.americanmeadows.com/category/grass-and-groundcover-seeds/native-grass-seed?gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwhtWvBhD9ARIsAOP0GojhIyNbmy0hEhTUd4vmHKKV1fuYVps-KrrCGjwiPyN9Nyjt2uoULfwaAt_lEALw_wcB