80 acres into prime deer habitat?

[Wind Gypsy]

It sounds like your neighbor that cut aspen 4 years ago probably has a lot of cover and browse that holds deer.

General concepts I would try to achieve if it works with your layout:
-Try to avoid any habitat improvements on your property line to the extent possible. Wide open with no desirable browse growing in it so its like a dead zone deer dont want to be in.
-Focus on making the biggest block of the best cover you can in the middle. Can be areas of brush, areas of conifer, some switchgrass, whatever but make it big. Minimize your time spent within this block. Always stay down wind of it anytime close to hunting season if you can
-Place your stand sites on the perimeter where you can get to them undetected and have your wind blowing into areas with as little deer traffic as possible - can attract deer to these locations with food and travel corridors of cover.
-Thermal cover and late season food - have more of it than your neighbors.
-Screen this stuff from neighbors, roads, and where you spend your time in the yard if possible.

@Brian662 posted recently about the idea is to have as much security cover and food as you can to keep the most doe family groups around and in turn maximize the time the boys spend on your ground during the rut vs somewhere else that they'll get whacked. Makes sense and seems to be working at my little 40.

 

[AugustJ]

It sounds like your neighbor that cut aspen 4 years ago probably has a lot of cover and browse that holds deer.

General concepts I would try to achieve if it works with your layout:
-Try to avoid any habitat improvements on your property line to the extent possible. Wide open with no desirable browse growing in it so its like a dead zone deer dont want to be in.
-Focus on making the biggest block of the best cover you can in the middle. Can be areas of brush, areas of conifer, some switchgrass, whatever but make it big. Minimize your time spent within this block. Always stay down wind of it anytime close to hunting season if you can
-Place your stand sites on the perimeter where you can get to them undetected and have your wind blowing into areas with as little deer traffic as possible - can attract deer to these locations with food and travel corridors of cover.
-Thermal cover and late season food - have more of it than your neighbors.
-Screen this stuff from neighbors, roads, and where you spend your time in the yard if possible.

@Brian662 posted recently about the idea is to have as much security cover and food as you can to keep the most doe family groups around and in turn maximize the time the boys spend on your ground during the rut vs somewhere else that they'll get whacked. Makes sense and seems to be working at my little 40.

That’s exactly what I wanted to hear. I can’t wait to get out there in the spring and start working on it. How wide would you make the dead zone around the edge? And I could do some rows of spruce to block from the neighbors and so I wouldnt spook them getting to my stand right? should also mention that our rifle season is only one week, and I plan on mostly bow and muzzleloader hunting so they could have a safe zone for that week if they wanted.

 

[Wind Gypsy]

also, if the big block of destination food is going to be that SE corner, I'd add some cover connecting it to your bigger block of cover/bedding. Make it in a manner to where there are winds that would allow you to sit on the connecting corridor without blowing your scent into the bedding area or destination food. For this to work, you might not be able to make the entire block destination food. If you want to keep deer there and actually spend time out there, IMO you're better off having dead zones where there is no reason for a deer to be for human travel and scent than having every inch covered in habitat.

 

[Wind Gypsy]

That’s exactly what I wanted to hear. I can’t wait to get out there in the spring and start working on it. How wide would you make the dead zone around the edge? And I could do some rows of spruce to block from the neighbors and so I wouldnt spook them getting to my stand right? should also mention that our rifle season is only one week, and I plan on mostly bow and muzzleloader hunting so they could have a safe zone for that week if they wanted.

I could see spruce screens being a double edged sword. They can hide things but they will also likely attract deer to bed and travel amongst them. I'd think they would generally be helpful BUT I dont think I'd want them right on the property line if you want to travel around your perimeter and discourage travel to your neighbors.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

Boy does the time go by slow when you are waiting for the sun to come up and then watch everything come to life. Things like that just make you glad to be alive.

Amen, brother!! Nothing like sitting in the dark listening to a couple barred owls talking back & forth. On still mornings you can hear a mouse rustle leaves at 75 yards. Every sound seems magnified ..... then that first hint of pink light, & your senses jack up to sniper-level - along with your anticipation!! Those feelings can't be duplicated anywhere else. Good luck hunting!

 

[jsasker007]

Still have 2 more days to rifle hunt here. If we could just get an inch or 2 of snow would be awesome.

 

[bwoods11]

If you have 80 acres up by Bemidji, I’d plant spruce and pine trees for sure. Food is a huge plus !

It takes time, but it’s also fun (most of the time)!

 

[Foggy47]

As far North as Bemidji.......you will want to know about using clover and winter rye (or also called cereal rye). The rye is the last thing to remain green in fall (deer love new rye).....and the first thing to turn green in Spring.....when your (often) winter starved deer need some nutrition. A few weeks after the rye in Spring.....clover can be a great benefit to the deer. Meanwhile the winter rye will grow to five feet high or more....thus providing fawning cover from predators. Later that rye can be rolled down and provides a nice mulch to keep your soil from drying up through the summer......as the underlying clover continues to feed deer. Simple, low cost, and effective on many of the sandy soils of Northern MN.

Lots of threads on this plan. Or, we can show you to some discussions.

You never said.....but do you have a tractor or other machines to help in your habitat plans?