So, (I don't know the history that well), while International Paper owned it (paper company managed), MO leased it and set the rules and planted food plots. After they left, it was leased and overharvested. Now some of has been cut hard and subdivided to private landowners (still multi-thousand acre landowners). Is that correct?
If so, I would think it would be easy to re-manage to excellent hunting through "mature buck standards", and better habitat management, which of the landowners I know there and neighbors, IS the standard. In addition, while 170 acres of foodplots sounds good, it still is a small proportion of the total land base (less than 2%) when the remainder is in mature woods and planted pines (again ownership dictated timber management for maximum
wood production). I've got neighbors to them that plant a SIGNIFICANTLY larger proportion to quality summer and winter foodplots. Foodplots don't make quality deer - habitat management does and some of the new owners (and neighbors) are doing that with burning (something that, I assume, MO did not do since IP owned it). You can accomplish a LOT more quality animal production with a logger and a match than a tractor!
A lot of assumptions and I could be wrong on any or all
It went from a private/commercial operation to a hunting club situation.
Most of it is not a club situation any more!
