Long Term Habitat Improvement Plan

[mrrr0809]

We had our property selectively logged last year, and I would like to revise what was once purely mature hardwood timber (large canopy, low stem count) with a more conducive habitat for mature buck. I’ll try to keep it brief. I recognize that what I have is an incredibly small amount of property to work with (40 acres total, 25 of which is wooded and the remainder is field/lawn/garden). I don’t have Jeff Sturgis money, so any feedback I can garnish on here is greatly appreciated!

Parcels 1, 2, and 3 are mine. Parcel 4 has about 5 acres of mature hardwood timber with a home shown in yellow. Parcel 5 is 20 acres and owned by someone who did a fairly heavy logging a few years back. Parcel 6 is roughly 400 acres with varying levels of people as it is a retreat center for people. Lots of mature hardwood timber with some ag fields just north of where the screenshot ends.
Homes are in yellow (mine with the blue dot inside and parcel 5 has a few dogs that roam the grassed area of their property), red is a fruit tree plot I started in the fall of last year, the white line is a logging road that was created by the loggers that we’re keeping open for access and run our side by side on, the blue lines are known deer trails, the green is potential areas for bedding and evergreens that’ll in planning on planting, and the two OnX markers are where I currently have tree stands (the white “X” one also has a stock tank of water that gets hammered by deer”).

While I’m happy it already has a ton of deer traffic, 99% of it is doe and young buck. Since we’ve logged and it’s been opened up a bit, I believe this has led mature buck to bypass this area as a travel corridor. My biggest questions are should I make any major habitat improvements now or alter my current plan or simply continue moving forward and see how the peppery matures as time goes on? I plan to continue planting various evergreens every year (spruce, pine, and hemlock) in the designated bedding areas while cutting down a handful of invasive birch that have taken over and eliminate sunlight from the forest floor. I would love to hear some thoughts on this. Thanks all.

 

[jsasker007]

If you want any trails/roads going through there cut them in the first year or two or it gets a lot more difficult as everything grows bigger.

 

[Ben.MN/WI]

It appears that the human pressure is the highest in the general area between the 3 houses, which includes most of your land. Does, fawns and little bucks don't mind human pressure, but old bucks prefer to bed in more remote areas if they are available. If you have a bunch of does around your house, then you will likely have some older bucks showing up in the rut to check on them. It seems likely that the old bucks are bedding in region 6 as this is a large property with fewer people. Logging changes things a lot, but logging will not cause mature bucks to leave your area. I've hunted a lot of logged properties and they all get better after logging, but the first year can be a little rough as travel patterns change. I would try to set up several 1/2-1 acre really thick bedding areas scattered around your place with trails going between each bedding area. The does should fill in the bedding areas and when the rut hits the bucks will cruise between bedding areas looking for them. You'll want to make sure you can slip in and out without spooking everything, so plan everything with wind in mind.

Tie down some branches along the trail for the bucks to scrape and maybe look at adding a pond or watering hole for added attraction. I don't think you will consistently get old bucks to bed on your place, but if you have a bunch of does, they will show up during the rut. I would also avoid walking or driving your ATV on any of your trails or back woods between mid summer and the end of the deer season. The less human presence, the better your hunting will be. And make sure your neighbors dogs never stroll through your land - nothing will screw up hunting like a neighborhood dog that is loose.

Good luck.

 

[Brian662]

Good stuff above from Ben and I'll add that mature bucks and just deer in general with all things being equal are going to choose higher elevations over lower elevations *most* of the time. You have a lot to overcome, but what it amounts to is the same for everyone of us - Figure out your area, understand what the area's limiting factors are, and provide them. Could be food, cover, water, security or a combination of all of them. You likely are never going to ever have the best spot in the neighborhood, but you might find that older bucks may hang around long enough to make a mistake and you're able to catch them doing it. Good luck.

 

[bigboreblr]

Genral rule of thumb, pick a spot where it'll get very brushy and don't go in there. Could convert an acre or two to a hinge cut or clear cut. Maybe run a tractor path through the middle. A little meandering and 2 paths wide. Cut the left side one year, the right side the next.

You should talk about how you use the property yourself. Where you camp, how you use it in the offseason. Because you're a factor too. I think not enjoying the property yourself during the offseason isn't a good idea. I know some who don't go there just to have a good weekend.

Consider growing some seclusion between you and the hunting areas. Like evergreen around the campfire area etc.

I know someone who has a property in kansas. IT's near AG and some houses, about your size. He leaves a corner alone, spreads rye and clover before he mows, and keeps a deer watering system going. Has a corner for him too. Gets nice deer with minimal work on his part.

What equipment do you have to use? Think learning up on hack and squirt might be a good investment.

 

[Angus 1895]

It seems when I started mowing and planting trees the bucks quit using my property.

I didn’t mind as I wanted trees.

but perhaps cover grass deals would help out.