Big woods properties knowledge

[BJE80]

My land situation is different than yours, but my neighboring hunting pressure sounds similar. They dont bow hunt and only hunt the first few days or rifle season. I only bow hunt my property i stay out during rifle season and let it serves as a sanctuary for the deer to escape the gun pressure. The past few years i have been able to fill my buck tag in archery season, making it easier to stay out during gun season....i have other places to hunt nearby though so when gun season rolls around I'm generally out looking to fill a doe tag or two and I have other places to hunt.

In your situation you might not be willing to give up gun season, but with that in mind i would work very hard to set up the place to produce in your archery season, and then if at all possible drastically reduce your gun season pressure....it could be a win win situation....you get great bow hunting and fill your tag/s and then the deer have a place to get away from the neighboring gun pressure.

Don't make me cry. I love gun season. :)

And it is the only time my wife will hunt as she won't bow hunt. It sounds like a good idea in theory but probably not practical for me.

 

[Greta&Gus]

BJ, if your property is that wet, I would be looking for the highest, driest spot you have. That is where I would hinge for bedding.

 

[BJE80]

BJ, if your property is that wet, I would be looking for the highest, driest spot you have. That is where I would hinge for bedding.

That is where I want to put food plots because that is where it is dry enough to grow something.

 

[BJE80]

G&G,

If you look at this map I made. The areas that are within the solid black lines are pretty decently drained. The areas in the dashed black lines I think I can get a plot to work but it would be iffy and probably only a fall plot. The rest of it is simular to the pictures above in terms of wetness. My avatar is my current big plot in the my better soils.

 

[bueller]

One would think so. I think I have said this before in other threads. I do not see or get pictures of bucks until the rut. I got does and fawns. But bucks don't show up till the rut. Then all hell breaks loose. We actually have a lot more success gun hunting than the neighbors because they are pushing them around and we sit tight.


My hope is that when we thicken up our woods more and provide more food we will be able to see bucks before the rut.

Up until a couple years ago our place was the same way with the bucks being nonexistent until the rut. That has now changed and I attribute that change to us adapting our food plotting by planting food plots that offer the deer something to eat nearly 365 days a year, not just in the summer and fall.

 

[Terrific_tom]

That is where I want to put food plots because that is where it is dry enough to grow something.

That should work. Looking at your pics with the buck going thru, you have nice dry humps that you can create bedding areas. Some hinging and maybe some spruce, hemlock or balsam plantings on those humps close to your foodplots should keep the deer close. I looked at google maps and I think the bucks are hanging out around those big ag fields about a mile to the west or mile to east in summer/early fall.

 

[BJE80]

Up until a couple years ago our place was the same way with the bucks being nonexistent until the rut. That has now changed and I attribute that change to us adapting our food plotting by planting food plots that offer the deer something to eat nearly 365 days a year, not just in the summer and fall.

I can't wait Bueller . Can't wait to see some bucks outside of the rut.

 

[bueller]

I can't wait Bueller . Can't wait to see some bucks outside of the rut.

My plots may not be the prettiest and most weed free but the deer, including bucks, know that whenever they swing through for a meal something will be there.

 

[Terrific_tom]

Up until a couple years ago our place was the same way with the bucks being nonexistent until the rut. That has now changed and I attribute that change to us adapting our food plotting by planting food plots that offer the deer something to eat nearly 365 days a year, not just in the summer and fall.

Same by me. I now have bachelor group that calls my 40 home. The only time they leave is when the snow gets deep.

 

[BJE80]

That should work. Looking at your pics with the buck going thru, you have nice dry humps that you can create bedding areas. Some hinging and maybe some spruce, hemlock or balsam plantings on those humps close to your foodplots should keep the deer close. I looked at google maps and I think the bucks are hanging out around those big ag fields about a mile to the west or mile to east in summer/early fall.

Agreed. I'm sure that is where they are. That is a problem is that all the deer stay by the Ag and don't have a need to go into the deep woods often.

 

[wiscwhip]

I take it the orange lines are your access trails? I would seem to me that if you have to walk through the very center of your property to reach the back half every time you hunt it, you are disturbing many more deer than you need to or even realize. The way that parcel runs, you should have no issues getting to the back with prevailing winds, but down the center is far less than ideal. After logging you might want to consider perimeter access trails just off both the north and south lines so you have access in many different winds, while leaving the center of your property completely undisturbed.

 

[BJE80]

Here is how my good drained soils look during the fall. Much different. This is between my two existing plots.

 

[BJE80]

I take it the orange lines are your access trails? I would seem to me that if you have to walk through the very center of your property to reach the back half every time you hunt it, you are disturbing many more deer than you need to or even realize. The way that parcel runs, you should have no issues getting to the back with prevailing winds, but down the center is far less than ideal. After logging you might want to consider perimeter access trails just off both the north and south lines so you have access in many different winds, while leaving the center of your property completely undisturbed.

Yes, the orange is the existing logging trails. Yeah, you may have forgotten but we already discussed that about the access. :)

I will be putting in walking trails on the north and south edges of our property for stand access as part of the logging. Or by hand if I need to after logging. North wind access on the south trail and south wind access on the north trail.

 

[wiscwhip]

You are in desperate need of logging:eek: You said they are doing it next year? Will it be done in winter of 2015? Or sometime in 2016?

 

[wiscwhip]

Yes, the orange is the existing logging trails. Yeah, you may have forgotten but we already discussed that about the access. :)

I will be putting in walking trails on the north and south edges of our property for stand access as part of the logging. Or by hand if I need to after logging. North wind access on the south trail and south wind access on the north trail.

Sorry BJE:oops: I'm sure we have. Questions fly around here like panties on prom night most days and it is sometimes hard to keep track of who has done what and what has been discussed.

 

[BJE80]

You are in desperate need of logging:eek: You said they are doing it next year? Will it be done in winter of 2015? Or sometime in 2016?

End of this year. Winter 2015. So like 9 months from now. They cannot log in my area outside of heavy freeezing conditions. It would turn into a mess. My good drained soils are pretty wide open hey? LOL


For the record this is the same view when the leaves are on the trees.

 

[BJE80]

Ya...not to pile on ya BJE...but that view with your bow in hand...I'm not sure I could sit there and look at that...I'd be pretty hopeless. Why would a deer walk within bow range?

Because I'm hunting an thicker edge to my back downwind of my food plot. I actually shot my buck about 20 min later after that picture. I caught him scent checking the plot downwind of it along the edge.

But I agree 100% I need to get this into a thick tangeled mess.

 

[wiscwhip]

I looks thicker there, but to a deer at ground level that is just about an alfalfa field as far as cover is concerned. They will pass through, much like your buck did, but would never "use" an area like that for anything more than passing through or browsing the occasional dropped acorn.

 

[wiscwhip]

End of this year. Winter 2015. So like 9 months from now. They cannot log in my area outside of heavy freeezing conditions. It would turn into a mess. My good drained soils are pretty wide open hey? LOL For the record this is the same view when the leaves are on the trees.

Git-'er-Dun! I understand the whole frozen soil thing in areas like that. Too rough on the equipment and the land to do it any other time.

 

[BJE80]

I looks thicker there, but to a deer at ground level that is just about an alfalfa field as far as cover is concerned. They will pass through, much like your buck did, but would never "use" an area like that for anything more than passing through or browsing the occasional dropped acorn.

I would not count on a buck using this area except to scent check. And only accessing it along the edge. Probably why I don't get any bucks outside of the rut. It has underbrush but not nearly enough. When the leaves are on you can see its thicker. Keep in mind. The only place that is like is on th NW corner on my property where the good soils are. The rest is thicker like the wet pictures above.