Want to share your Management Plan???

[b.latiolais]

My dad just recently purchased a place in Rocksprings. We are in need of a management plan for tax purposes. I was wondering if maybe some of you guys that own your own place would have one we could peruse for ideas and a starting point for our own written management plan. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[D12]

Don't own my own place but I think it starts with a deer inventory. Quantity and quality then ages.

[tbgascorer]

PM me your email and I will send you my WMP to get some ideas.

[BrandonA]

First ask your self this question. Do we want to manage for quality or quanity? Once you answer that question than you can start forming a plan.

[Foo_Dog]

What do you need to know? We've been WLM for several years now.

[SFAthumper]

im managing a premiere place.... send PM for more information or ideas

[b.latiolais]

tbga and sfathumper, I sent you a pm. Thanks for the help.

[Shake1]

tbgascorer and SFAthumper, I sent you PMs as well. Thanks.

[NBK75]

join the wildlife management association.... if tax break is what your looking for...its like having cattle on your place but tax break for wildlife

[SFAthumper]

pm replied...... hope my insight helps....

[mesquitecountry]

I have mine in a word doc. Gimme a minute.

[D12]

Quanity is the way I should have spelled that, ooppss

[mesquitecountry]

Berger Ranch Wild Game Management Plan

Habitat
• Goal- Provide adequate habitat for all species so they may flourish. Balance between dense cover, Tree Motts, and open grass lands.
o Mesquite control- Spraying mesquites and scrub brush that threaten to overtake open grass pastures.
o Shredding/Clearing Dense Cover through diagonal strips- Cutting strips through dense cover (i.e. Guajillo hills, thick underbrush) and continue to re-shred every year. Make them 100 yards long and 20 feet wide with at least 90 feet of brush between strips. This will provide a very high protein food source for all animals through the consumption of the tender regrowth.
o Provide abundant water for all animals. Animals will not optimize their nutrition without adequate clean water sources. Tanks and Creeks are the easiest. Windmills are generally trouble free and inexpensive.
o Leave roosting areas relatively untouched for doves, quail, turkeys etc.

Nutrition
• Goal- Optimize nutrition and provide enough forage for animals to reach their maximum potential.
o Year Round Feeding Program
 Corn 365 days a year (2 for every 250-300 acres)
 Supplemental Protein- December 1st through September 1st of the following Season (1 for every 250-300 acres)
 50 pounds of protein with wormer to rid animals of parasites (optional)
 Cotton Seed Supplement- March 1st- July 1st- Using cattle panel feeders (1 for every 350 acres)
 Quail/Turkey feeders- Milo or Hen Scratch (1 for every 500 acres minimum)
 Verify proper nutrition through exterior fat cover, organ fat cover (especially kidneys), absence or presence of ticks, check liver for liver flukes, recording any abnormalities.
 Good fat cover 1” or better on the exterior of the carcass. Fat covering the kidneys is a very good indication of adequate nutrition.

Whitetail Management
• Goal- Allow deer with the most appealing characteristics to live till maturity and harvest management bucks before they reach maturity. Work with neighbors to keep young deer from being killed.
o Harvest trophy bucks at a minimum of 6.5 years old.
o Do not shoot yearling does.
o Shoot Spikes that are longer than 6” and a body size similar to that of the mature does around them.
o Shoot all bucks over 2.5 years old that do not have browtines.
o Shoot management bucks starting at 3.5 years. (Depends upon individual Ranch on what is a management buck, see note farther down.)
o Do not over harvest in any given season. No mass shooting of does or bucks. Do not shoot extreme numbers of does. Nature will balance its own optimum buck to doe ratio. Does carry as much of the genetic traits if not more, than bucks and should not be wiped out. For every one buck you shoot, shoot one doe as well. Do not kill more than 15-20% of the total population in any given year. I am against totally against shooting huge quantities of does.
o In an average year mother nature will take 5-10 percent by herself.
o Get an approximate count of your whitetail population by using trail cameras, spotlighting in mid summer, recording sightings at stands by notebook and video.
o Build your herd. If all you see is 8 points let the best walk and let all young nine points walk. Then slowly move forward. Once you have 10’s shoot 99% of the 6, 7, and 8 points. If there are any 8 points that have potential let them walk. Everyone wants to shoot a big 8 point. Leave 9 pointers that have large frames. Long Beams, Good Spread, Tall Tines, Good Mass. If you have ten pointers that have short beams, short tines, then manage them as well once you have done all of the other steps first.
o Let all deer with uniqueness walk until 6.5 years. I.E. Third Beams, Drop tines, Tall Brows, kickers, Etc. Once you do you will continue to see those characteristics throughout your herd.
o Save all teeth from whitetail for aging and record keeping as well as recording their overall condition and gross B&C Score.
o Learn to evaluate whitetail age and score in the field through practice and using available reading materials.
o All of these things will allow you to continue to build a very good deer herd. You will see some results immediately but they will continue to improve gradually over time.

Predator Control
• Goal- Remove as many natural and non natural predators as possible.
o Shoot or Trap and kill all predators including (Coyotes, Bobcats, Mountain Lions, Wild Dogs, Large Hogs)
o Always be wary of poaching and report any suspected poaching to your Game Warden.


I'm including my Harvest Record. It's super easy. Just plug in your scores on your deer and it does all the work for you. When you want just print out copies or save it year by year.

Harvest Record Master.XLS

[FITZGERALD]

Quanity is the way I should have spelled that, ooppss

uhh no its not i think you meant quantity

[SFAthumper]

anyone else needing help?