Food Plots & Fields

Through the center of the property, running NW to SE for over 3/4 of a mile, is an underground pipeline. Over 250,000 barrels of oil each day is passing through underground, silent and unseen. Some people may see this adversely, I see it as a huge benefit.  This area is an integral component  of our 20 acres of wildlife food plots. Because it is pipeline easement land, we can not plant trees on it.  The sloped areas on the pipeline provides for over 7 acres of native prairie and upland grasses. This 150' wide corridor provides for critical food sources and hidden nesting sites for many varied species within a heavy forested area. The flat areas are in various grasses, corn, beans, or varied food plot cover. It also provides over 1 1/2 miles of "sharp" edge effect. The sunlight it also provides is one of the reasons we harvest a lot of the wild berries, cherries and grapes that often don't mature within the darkness of the woods.

I am a firm believer that "you get out, what you put in". The food plot/crops have been constantly rotated since owning the land. We rotate these food plots with corn, soybeans, one year was even oats with an under story of alfalfa. Now in 2022, Oats were added. The alfalfa will remain as the primary cover converting over to just upland grasses.  These giant food plot provides critical nutrients going into winter for the wildlife. The alfalfa is also used year around by deer, turkey, grouse. in 2022, 28-1100 lb. hay bales were produce for local farms from some of the areas we cut. We do not sell these crops, they are planted, and cut for the benefit of the wildlife. To accomplish all this, there is a lot of sweat equity that goes into the land each year. However, the rewards always exceed the efforts in my opinion.

Our wildlife food crops are also now in the lake. In October 2017, we planted native wild rice in Twin Lake and Pretty Pond. Using about 40 pounds of seed, we made over 600 mud balls, about the size of a golf ball and planted in depths between 4" and 18". We are expecting to see our first crop within 3-4 years we will not harvest but rather let it reseed itself creating a stronger presence.