Training the local herd

[rocksnstumps]

I swear the local deer must check out all the crap I do as soon as I leave my land. Case in point. Last week I went to check on some apple trees planted early this year. Was gone out of town for work most of this summer and land visits were way down. I did notice that a Dolgo had a few fruit it's first year and went back to check again yesterday. Dolgo's now gone and a nearby tree in tube was pulled down and top all munched (ran short of cages this spring and threw smaller stuff in tubes). Refastened tube at top and hopefully they leave it be now. Its not like they dont have plenty to eat all around me corn beans alfalfa on neighbors plus my small clover plots. During the winter they like to follow my snowshoe trails and check out any brush cutting I do and eat the buds from prickly ash

 

[Turkey Creek]

Nobody ever said deer were stupid .... :D

 

[kpj5br]

I have the same type of thing. My cameras suggest that deer and turkeys investigate very quickly after I'm out there doing something, often as soon as 20 minutes after my 4-wheeler is gone. It just has to be that they have come to associate the 4-wheeler with some kind of food motivation isn't it? Kind of funny knowing all those animals have us patterned!

 

[4wanderingeyes]

I can relate as well. Between working a food plot, or cutting trees, the deer will come out shortly after I am done in the woods. My brother cuts firewood all winter long, even during hunting season. He will hunt the morning, go out at mid day and cut wood, hunt the spot in the afternoon, and see lots of deer checking out the new cut area. He has shot a few decent sized bucks doing that.

 

[chickenlittle]

Sounds like a possible late season strategy. Cut some firewood or hinge or TSI and leave a guy behind to hunt until dark. Might work once or twice until they get wise to that danger.

 

[j-bird]

I had to mow a path thru some standing soybeans Friday morning (see my property tour for why) - and by Saturday I noticed deer tracks where I had just mowed. What kills me is how we do these improvements to make their world better in the long run and yet they are interested in the here and now! I leave apple tree branches I prune off on the ground and I can come back in a few days and they are all chewed up or even drug off. You plant a tree and leave it unprotected and they will eat it to a stick, while the one you didn't plant not 3 feet away is untouched! Or you plant a plot for them and yet the ragweeds in your plot seem to see more browsing that the plot itself! Mow a trial for the deer to follow so you can hunt it and they tend to not want to cooperate, but clear a small path to your stand so you can enter quietly and within a few days you will find deer tracks following it. Sometimes it's about as frustrating as trying to herd cats!

 

[Fall guy]

Herding cats, Its not supposed to be frustrating

 

[rocksnstumps]

I wonder sometimes if checking on stuff puts it on their radar to go see what's going on. First time you go look at something you haven't been by in months, everything is doing good and when you check back a second time it's pillaged. Tree tubes seem to be visual cues to go check for yummies inside. I learned years back to use 5 ft tubes over 4 ft. Guess I need to take the time to make new holes and fasten them at the very top instead of the factory set of holes 12-13 inches below. Makes a great hinge point where the tube crumples if down lower even with a taller tube.

Like the cat herding but the most unlikely part is crossing the water.....lol. Grew up next to a lake and our family cat would go nuts if you tried to carry it out to a sandbar just off shore.....for verification purposes of cats/water relationship of course. As a kid ya gotta learn these things for yourself ;)