Food plot hunting strategies.

[soavejas]

One of my favorite strategies to use has been to set up a larger destination type plot (say 2-5 acres or larger) and then set up smaller satellite staging type plots (1/8-1/2 acres) that lead into the larger plot. With the hope that deer will hit the staging plot for just a few minutes on the way to the larger plot. If you set up the staging plots with good access and far enough from the larger plot, you can get in and out with a much higher probability of not spooking deer, and the decreased size means a much better chance of offering a shot with a bow (along with a cooler experience of being up close and personal).

I still do hunt the larger plot mostly for enjoyment but also to see how deer are using it. I feel much more confident of a shot and a flawless entrance/exit on the smaller plots.

 

[chummer]

That's because your neighbors have them afraid of their shadow. But it's a good point. Hunting food plots for highly pressured deer might be a waste of time.

Why because 20 guys hunt 9 straight weeks shooting at everything that moves? Seems like these deer are a bunch of pansies.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

We have too many stand sites to document here. What I will say is that I've found hunting to be better back in some brush or dark, shadowy pines, spruce, or hemlocks. Once the first couple days of archery are in the books, the deer have US patterned and daylight shots in the plots are rare. It's better to be back in cover or downwind of the staging areas where deer scent-check or sight-check the plots. Watching a trail that leads from bedding cover to the plots is probably the best strategy.

 

[Bill]

Here's a set up in the J-Bird style that those who like the timber will get. It was just put in this summer and only hunted once but I'm confident in this one. In the first picture notice the long cleared path in the timber. Over the winter the owner bulldozed the property line and put up a 5 wire fence and moved cows in. Our land is just west of this line. When that bulldozer was done he left me a beauty of a spot.

Two other things to notice. There is a block of cedars west of the fence on us shown by the dark green tree tops. It's about an acre of cedars and thicket and always loaded with single beds. The creek bed running N to S has some banks with a 20 foot drop. Sure deer can navigate it but it's easier to follow it N and cross in the low bottom.


Where the creek runs closest to the fence it only about 40 from the fence to a sheer drop off. Any deer heading N from bedding to the crop fields or to search those fingers for does passes this natural funnel. Like j-bird we hunt an anything west wind and let our stink go into the neighbors pasture. We're just picking at the edge of our ground but hunting deeper in the timber.

Red dot is the stand, yellow circle is where the banks are shallow and the deer cross.

Hasn't been hunted hard but like I said, I'm confident in this one.

 

[bueller]

Looks like a killer spot Bill. I really like hunting the funnels created by roads, creeks, livestock fences, homesteads, etc... A lot of that comes from hunting smaller parcels. Deer movements get steered big time by all the man made features of the land.

 

[MN Slick]

Here's a set up in the J-Bird style that those who like the timber will get. It was just put in this summer and only hunted once but I'm confident in this one. In the first picture notice the long cleared path in the timber. Over the winter the owner bulldozed the property line and put up a 5 wire fence and moved cows in. Our land is just west of this line. When that bulldozer was done he left me a beauty of a spot.

Two other things to notice. There is a block of cedars west of the fence on us shown by the dark green tree tops. It's about an acre of cedars and thicket and always loaded with single beds. The creek bed running N to S has some banks with a 20 foot drop. Sure deer can navigate it but it's easier to follow it N and cross in the low bottom.
View attachment 12297

Where the creek runs closest to the fence it only about 40 from the fence to a sheer drop off. Any deer heading N from bedding to the crop fields or to search those fingers for does passes this natural funnel. Like j-bird we hunt an anything west wind and let our stink go into the neighbors pasture. We're just picking at the edge of our ground but hunting deeper in the timber.

Red dot is the stand, yellow circle is where the banks are shallow and the deer cross.

Hasn't been hunted hard but like I said, I'm confident in this one.

View attachment 12298

Looks killer Bill. The lack of West winds in North MO will keep you from overhunting it for sure. I can only recall one in the last 2 years during the rut.

 

[Someday isle]

Winds are so interesting. In my part of Missouri the predominant winds are Southwest and west but this year it seemed I hunted a lot of east winds - which is highly unusual. I guess that's why multiple stand sights are still the best.

 

[Bowsnbucks]

It looks like nature and your neighbor set up the chess board. You picked the right move, it seems. Ag areas seem to have more funnels - either natural or man-made. Your spot looks like a perfect place for a west wind situation.

 

[Mortenson]

Here's one of my best plot set-ups. It's a nice situation being surrounded by woods around the whole perimeter. My box blind is the red circle. It's backed off the plot just far enough that I can still cover most the plot for early morning and late afternoon. Then on my 12 hour sits, for the middle part of the day I black out those windows and face into the creek bottom to hopefully take advantage of some rutting activity. The yellow arrows are creek crossings. The blue star is where I dropped a 160s class buck this past Nov as he stepped into the clover with his doe at 7 am. My whole deal is that I want good action for 12 hour sits during IL's 3 day gun season in Nov. I can watch the plot and also the creek bottom timber. My big dilemma now is do I add fruit trees to this plot for an added draw, or do I stick to the ultra low intrusion that it is now? Edit to mention the odd-shaped plot is roughly 1.5 ac

 

[S.T.Fanatic]

Winds are so interesting. In my part of Missouri the predominant winds are Southwest and west but this year it seemed I hunted a lot of east winds - which is highly unusual. I guess that's why multiple stand sights are still the best.

We also had a lot more E. wind here in South East Minnesota this past season than we usually do.

 

[Bill]

We had quite a few winds from the south west this November. Actually lots of southern winds the past two seasons.

Mortenson,
I'd never hunt that spot often with a bow but for you're using it for it looks like a good deal. 3 days, gun season in a closed box. I hate all day sits but it looks like a good place for one.