Food Plotsare thetopic in deer habitat management these days: And for good reason! Plant the right food items, manage them correctly, and you enhance your area’s big buck production/attraction significantly!
What do you get with an IWHS planted food plot? Superior seed that’s second to none, professional seedbed/site preparation, and planting the plot at the right time with the best, most high-tech equipment available. While big bucks are not included with our plots — they usually do show up! CLICK HERE to see a few of the bucks taken over IWHS food plots and seed mixes in 2007, including two world-class trophies!
Remember: It’s all about the quality of the habitat! Habitat…habitat…habitat! Don’t forget how important the quality of your farm’s habitat is in regards to the total deer population, the health of your herd, and it’s ability to produce big bucks!
Check out this TV Clip on Food Plots
(Approximately 7 minutes — originally aired on Family Game and Fish TV)
Forest Management
Forest management plays a vital role in the health and vitality of your forest habitat! This is important if you want the maximum yield of hard and soft mast (such as acorn, walnut and cherries, for example) for various wildlife species, and if you would like the highest quality and fastest growing trees around (who doesn’t?) Forest management procedures vary according to what prescription is necessary for your individual forest habitat and your goals. A few of the different procedures are listed below.
Timber Stand Improvement (TSI) Crop Tree Release Understory Release (weed tree removal) Site Preparation for Natural Regeneration Tree Planting
Be sure to watch the video below, showing basic technique for killing a tree during a “crop tree release” procedure.
Here are some of the services IWHS can provide you with:
Timber Stand Improvement (TSI): See video short on the TSI process at bottom of page! Cost-share money is available for up to 75% of the cost of this work. We will prepare a timber management plan for you and will provide the SWEAT work with the chain saws! More on TSI and how it helps your timber and wildlife below. We deem TSI to be one of the most economical and effective ways to increase the forested wildlife habitat on many tracts of land. TSI also greatly enhances log and land values for the future! It creates awesome deer habitat!
Timber Appraisals: Our forestry staff can appraise any timber parcel and tell you exactly how much log value is there. An appraisal will give you instant equity to add to the value of your land!
Tree Planting: Cost share is available for up to 90% of this cost! We do all the work you enjoy the trees!
Managing Timber Sales We can handle all aspects of selling timber ground for you and ensure you get the highest possible dollar. Right now is the time to sell because prices are excellent!
Native Grass Establishment (such as switchgrass): Cost-share funding is often available. Creates superb deer bedding and upland game cover! Native grass habitat is superb for all forms of wildlife, including trophy whitetails!
Soil Testing: The test will revel your soil’s PH, Phosphorus, Nitrogen and Potassium levels. Having this information is the first step in achieving a great food plot and is absolutely VITAL in achieving maximum food plot potential!
Food Plot Establishment We want your food plots to be super productive and to draw in lots of big bucks, turkeys, and other wildlife. We will make sure that your plots get everything they need — from the appropriate lime and fertilizer on the seedbed to proper planting, mowing, and disking, as needed. Contact us for pricing info.
Orchards: Plant fruit trees for you and/or the deer! An orchard add’s another vital component to your farm’s deer habitat. Apple/pear trees add value to your land and make a superb long term deer food plot for bow season! Apples and pears are about the most preferred deer food we can think of! We plant hundreds of apple trees each spring. Each tree is 4-7 foot high at planting time and starts producing fruit in just 2 years! Contact us NOW if you want fruit trees for spring of 2007. Pre-ordering your trees will get you the best selection of varities!
Farm Pond Construction — we work with biologists and pond design site engineers to decide if a farm pond is suitable for a certain area and to get criteria for construction. We oversee the farm pond construction crews to make sure the work is done right!
Farm Pond Stocking: If you have a pond that meets certain criteria for stocking (for instance, a pond must be at least 1/2 acre and 8 feet deep if stocked by the Iowa DNR), we’ll either stock it for you or have it stocked!
Prescribed Burns — we can help you formulate a burning plan.
Mineral Lick Establishment for Deer
Please note: If you own ground with at least 10 acres of timber and want to create better deer hunting as well as add value to your land, then you should have it inspected for TSI potential immediately! We offer free inspections so why wait? TSI not only boosts the quality of your forest but really creates some incredible deer habitat at ground level as well!
TSI — acronym for Timber Stand Improvement can be a big boon to your timber and the wildlife that use it. The nut and bolt of it is this: A TSI thins out the “undesired” trees so that the “desired” tree species can grow faster and with higher quality. Trees need a certain amount of space for optimal growth and a TSI gives desirable species room to grow at optimal levels. Doing a TSI also greatly enhances wildlife food production of native oak, hickoy, cherry, walnut trees , etc. The growth of various woody browse typically increases in the first few years following a TSI, due to increased light levels reaching the forest floor — thereby creating a top quality whitetail deer habitat where none may have existed before. All in all, TSI is considered to be a vital component to the development of a diverse woodland ecosystem in which wildlife food sources and nesting habitat components are maximized. An additional major benefit to the landowner is the drastic improvement in the quality of tree species that are present after TSI — trees that could bring a premium price if they should be chosen for harvest at some point in time.
Stan Tate, Iowa DNR District forester and renowned expert on white oak management (retired 2006)
“It’s sure been a pleasure working with fellow bowhunters and with real professionals such as yourselves in getting all of the various timber projects done in my district.”
E. Y. , Iowa
“Thanks so much for the TSI and apple trees!”
C.W., Nebraska
“Thanks for all the work you guys did — the apple orchards and TSI. And, man, that clover you guys put in is incredible! We’ve been seeing all kinds of bucks of 150 inches and bigger in there almost every day we hunt!”
W. R., Mississippi
“Thanks for everything. We are really looking forward to seeing all the managment you guys have done take shape”.
R. M. Alaska
“Thanks for looking over my timber guys. It is much appreciated”.
C. M. Missouri
“Your food plots were incredible for us! We had 13 different bucks in the clover at one time last fall. Thanks again….”
B. C. Iowa
“The clover you guys put in offered some great hunting last fall. Turkeys everywhere and we saw giant bucks too”.
M. G. Iowa
“Thanks for planting the apple trees. I am looking forward to hunting over them”.
D. G. Nebraska
“Thanks for the apple trees — they look great!”
D. W. Iowa
“Thanks so much for managing my timber sale — I’m very happy with the bids we received!”
C. W. Nebraska
“The TSI and tree planting you guys did looks awesome. Thanks!”
J. S. California
“Thanks for the food plots! They look great!”
T. S. Nebraska
“Thanks for checking out that timber for us. We really appreciate it!”
C. W. Florida
“I really appreciate all the the effort you guys put in!”
R. B. Iowa
“Thanks for the TSI and food plot work!”
G. R. Ilinois
“Thanks for checking out my food plot area on such a short noice! It is very appreciated!”
R. H. Iowa
“Thanks for all your work on the TSI. I’m very pleased with the results!”
M.T. Iowa
“Thanks again for all your work in my timber!”
M. C. Iowa
“Thanks so much for your help with my timber!”
P. K. Pennsylvania
“Thanks so much for all of your help. The plots turned out great last year and I saw more upland birds than ever before”
C. S. Iowa
“Thanks for all the work you guys have done, with the apple trees, timber, food plots and pond. We really appreciate it! We have had turkeys strutting every morning this spring in the food plot by the house you guys planted! The fish you guys stocked are doing fantastic — we really love the feeder!”
J.M. Iowa
“Thanks so much for inspecting the timber for me!”
P. T. Minnesota
“Thanks for getting all the trees out of my CRP so I could get re-enrolled in time!”
E. G. Iowa
“We are very happy with the pond you guys put in for us and all the other work your company has done for us”.
R. W. Iowa
“You guys are the premier wildlife management company in the bussiness.”
M. H., SE Iowa
“Thanks for doing the TSI and helping me with tree stand locations. For the first time, I am getting big bucks on my trail camera and seeing lots of animals when I hunt”.
B. K. SE Iowa
“The amount of turkey sign has more than doubled since we did the TSI and mowed those areas last year. I’m really looking forward to seeing the deer and turkey population explode after we implement the food plots this spring”
Rich Waite is a registered and licensed real estate Broker in Iowa with Midwest Property Sales. Midwest Property Sales is an Iowa-based real estate agency. Iowa Wildlife Habitat Services, LLC is a web-based marketing platform that showcases properties for sale, or auction, by licensed real estate agents and/or licensed auctioneers, where applicable — both with Midwest Property Sales and with partnering companies through statutory legal agreements. Rich Waite as owner of Iowa Wildlife Habitat Services, LLC makes no claims that Iowa Wildlife Habitat Services, LLC is an independent real estate company.
The information provided on these pages is deemed accurate, but is subject to errors, omissions, price changes, prior sale, or listing withdrawal. Iowa Wildlife Habitat Services LLC, and Rich Waite, as owner of, do not guarantee or are not in any way responsible for the accuracy or completeness of given information, and provide given information without warranty of any kind. Individuals should verify questions themselves and/or with appropriate agent of given listing.
Rich Waite is a licensed Iowa real estate broker and owner of Midwest Property Sales. He is a member of the Southeast Iowa Board Of Realtors, The Iowa Association of Realtors, and the National Association of Realtors.
Iowa Wildlife Habitat Services is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. We fully believe in and have used all the products that we provide links to. However, we care about you! So, please do not click on these links and do not purchase any items if you feel these products will not help you. We receive no sponsorship dollars and buy these items ourselves and only provide links to items that we think will help you!
topic in deer habitat management these days: And for good reason! Plant the right food items, manage them correctly, and you enhance your area’s big buck production/attraction significantly! 
Timber Stand Improvement (TSI)
Here are some of the services IWHS can provide you with: