What about forbs? They need to be seeded into those grassy pastures.

I'm on the road on the way there now but keep the ideas coming lol

Pulling into bucees to get some jerky

If there aren't any goats or cows on the place and rain eventually comes, which it will, the forbs will return. We've been burning grass and pushed cedar for a couple of weeks now. It looks really bad, but once spring arrives it will be gorgeous. You might check out prescribed burning in a couple of years. No livestock on the place lets grasses get out of hand. Burning can be a great tool, if used properly. If used incorrectly you could end up on KENS-5 San Antonio evening news.

If I am looking at the right place on google earth the only cover in the entire area is the State park.

So $30 bucks later you have a pack of Bucees jerky Their stuff is high dollar

It did look like that but when wildfires hit it also promoted a flush of new forb and browse growth due to cover being opened up. Some browse plants need first for the seeds to germ. Severe over grazing of sheep and goats changed the forb growth years ago. Tillage of soil in certain areas will create areas for seeds that are there now to sprout or the new ones added.

They are doing some shredding which is not as good as a prescribed burn. Some light discing n certain areas will improve forb growth along with over-seeding of new plants. Also taking some of the better browse plants and putting up a protective wire fence or cattle panel around them will allow them to expand their size till the new growth reaches outside the wire. Can be done on Red Oak and other select browse to allow basel sprouting. You can also plant seeds from the better native browse plants inside protective cattle panel rings. It can be labor intensive but improving habitat. All this will need LO approval to do it.

Have an idea of how you'll control unwanted plants like cedar in any of the wildlife areas. He's done a lot of work to get rid of the cedar he'll want answers to keep it from coming undone.

Don, there is a 200 acre spot in the very back that hasn't been cleared. I've got one stand and feeder there already. This is the area I want to concentrate on hunting next season. I don't know if the deer stay there or not, I left it pretty much untouched this season. But I'm here now so I'll look for signs of deer. Also putting out a camera. I'll snap a photo and put it up in a little while.

If you could get the landowner to get on board with what the biologist suggest it would be great. If he would agree to leave some of those areas with the trees allowing the natural brush to grow in, it would help tremendously.
I know what it's like to deal with landowners who want their property to look like a moon scape though, so good luck with it.

Lmao moon scape....exactly right

Just remember, you cannot cull your way to better genetics. The best you can do is raise the age of your bucks and pour the protein/natural goodies to them to improve their scores.

And it's all a crap shoot on 800 acres with minimal cover if hunting pressure goes up in the area. With a park and hippies as neighbors though you might be in a good situation to let bucks age.

Well after speaking to the landowner he's agreed to let me have sections of the land that will be designated "sanctuary" and in those spots Im allowed to do whatever. I've got two sections about 20 acres large so far. This is in addition to that back section that I'll post pics of, it's about 300 acres. In those spots I'm going to attempt to grow tasty native grasses and Forbes. I was also given the green light to sell a few hunts. For those people I've spoken to via PM, I will write you all back according to earliest request, and let you know what and when we can go scouting for whatever you're interested in hunting.

Sounds like a fun project ahead of you! Always good when the landowner comes on board. I've heard the horror stories in the past on this board where the leaser put in time and money only to have the land owner pull the rug out from under them. I hate to sound negative, but it's something to keep in your radar, since you are just starting out.

Jimbo, been there done that TWICE. Got the t-shirt too. It can happen contract or no contract unfortunately.

Understood! Good luck!

Hey guys
If the LO goes for it does anyone need a couple of doe for the freezer? He did say he would like to eventually sell some hunts but I've still got two doe tags to fill. Not really sure what a reasonable price would be but ill poke around and see what the going rate is. If anyone wants to go this Thursday-sat pm me. It will be great hunting weather.

I am getting confused. Are you leasing the place? Are you going to do hunts on the place? Are you going to be the middle man and sub lease it? Is the Landowner the one calling the shots on what you do?

No not leasing just selling the last two doe hunts if anyone wants them. Eventually maybe we would sell a few more and it will be a guided hunt with me. The LO is going to check with his lawyer for legal, liability questions regarding this first but he wouldn't mind making some money on some hunts I'll just guide them. It's his land not mine I just manage it. It's my decision as to who hunts what and when.

Well incase anyone was thinking about it, this week is out. I am going to take Travis back up and let him shoot his bb I promised him. I wouldn't want to have more than one person there at a time. SO! Back on the original subject......I will be growing the native forbes throughout the spring/summer in conjunction with keeping my broadcast feeders going year round with a mixture of peas, protein pellets and corn. I just bought another feeder so I have a total of 6 feeders running. Crossing my fingers this is a good start! I mean, the biologist says its a great start so we will see!! Thanks to STXRANCHMAN, DON K and everyone else that steered me in the right direction.

Good luck. I hope you get some average to above average rains this year.

lol me too. But to get it all started I'll be irrigating. LO even said he may just tap into the existing water supply (the city water tower is on our property and there are fire hydrants all over the place)

I don't think there will be much irrigating with Kerrville water system. As far as I know they are still under drought conditions and are restricting how water is used. None the less from what I have seen in that area you have some very good Blackbuck and should do very well with that part of the hunting.

Prescribed burning kills small cedars. About the only way to get rid of them. They will always try and come back. It's a lot cheaper than bulldozing too.