All Things Habitat - Lets talk.....
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MNFISH Land Layout
- Thread starter MNFISH
- Start date
phil@thesidehill
5 year old buck +
how about an unmanipulated version of the aerial? topo? are the markings indicating current improvements or future/proposed? Is that a powerline ROW going N/S through the property east of center?
sandbur
5 year old buck +
Jeff-what is taht horizontal clearing to right of center-an odl ditch that has grown back?
I also see many deer trails leaving your property. I like a circular system of trails within the property and hunt from the exterior if you have access. But everythign is not always possible.
I also see many deer trails leaving your property. I like a circular system of trails within the property and hunt from the exterior if you have access. But everythign is not always possible.
wiscwhip
5 year old buck +
Your access is terrible on that piece Fish, your camp is directly upwind of 2 large bedding areas with the predominantly westerly winds we get(not much better with a north wind and those bedding areas to the south), just walking out the door will get you winded by the deer bedding in those areas. Outside of moving that "basecamp" to the east end of the property right across from the neighbors, I don't see how you overcome that though? I do like the setup in the area S/SW of your camp, it looks like it could hold some promise. Topo would be helpful if you have one.
sandbur
5 year old buck +
You have a deer trail along the east side of your property. Complete along the north edge that runs east-west. You will then have places to hunt the corners with different winds.
The question is how far to place the deer trail from the north access road. I would keep it out of sight of the road to keep neighbors from shooting off of the road. Conifers might allow it to be closer to the road, open woods would need planted screens and a further distance.
A deer trail is needed from east to west along the south side. You have a trail south of the U shaped pond. Extend it east, maybe need fill for a swamp crossing?
The question is how far to place the deer trail from the north access road. I would keep it out of sight of the road to keep neighbors from shooting off of the road. Conifers might allow it to be closer to the road, open woods would need planted screens and a further distance.
A deer trail is needed from east to west along the south side. You have a trail south of the U shaped pond. Extend it east, maybe need fill for a swamp crossing?
sandbur
5 year old buck +
I did not spend a lot of time thinking on this, just a very rough idea and terrain on the ground makes the difference.
Get some sort of circular trail created for the deer, then add some bedding pockets inside of the perimeter trail. Black lines are new trails to consider.
Get some sort of circular trail created for the deer, then add some bedding pockets inside of the perimeter trail. Black lines are new trails to consider.
wiscwhip
5 year old buck +
Because WI is 3 hours closer to home(and how many miles in fuel), the hunting is just as good in many areas and with MFL Closed your taxes will be around $11 per acre. Pay the high taxes for a year or 2 until you have your place set up the way you want it with food plots and such, then enroll in the program and harvest the timber in 25 years. On 100 acre piece you would save $900 per year in taxes, but you would burn that much extra fuel up in just 2 or 3 trips driving down there with a full sized SUV or pickup. Not to mention that we have way better beer than that Anheuser-Busch sewage. Oh, and better cheese too!;)
wiscwhip
5 year old buck +
I don't think you will have to worry about that MOBuck, even though there are guys like NoFo and many others that could post just as many pics of deer just as nice. No one in WI would even consider posting photos of that many nice deer on any public website, especially being an absentee landowner like yourself.:eek: If guys even thought they knew where your place was, there would be trucks lined up at the gate waiting for you to leave town. You are correct with that $2,000 per acre price though, you won't touch much of anything in WI for that price, yet, especially given that the cash rents on tillable in WI are typically the same or a bit higher than in MO. Minimal restrictions on selling MFL properties, mostly that you have to disclose that the property is enrolled in the program(which may deter some potential buyers) and with stumpage rates the same or higher than MO, that is also not an issue as far as return on investment. And while it is true that you can by good cheese and bad swill anywhere you want, it is always better when you have the option to buy great cheese and excellent brewage right from the source!:D You would most likely find that lease rates are a bit lower(but not by much) in the quality areas of MO than they are in comparable areas in WI.
sandbur
5 year old buck +
MnFish-so your cabin is in the wrong place.
Why not make an effort to leave a radio on in the cabin-all the time. Always leave the dirtiest underwear and socks hang on the line, so deer get used to your smell and noise.
sounds weird, but all summer get the deer used to noise and smells around the cabin.
when you hunt, still hunt the wind, but enjoy the location of the cabin and don't worry so much about the deer when by your pond or cabin.
Why not make an effort to leave a radio on in the cabin-all the time. Always leave the dirtiest underwear and socks hang on the line, so deer get used to your smell and noise.
sounds weird, but all summer get the deer used to noise and smells around the cabin.
when you hunt, still hunt the wind, but enjoy the location of the cabin and don't worry so much about the deer when by your pond or cabin.
Freeborn
5 year old buck +
Now thats a scary thought. How to you think MNFISH got the picture for his avatar? Yep, he went swimming with dirty underwear.:eek:
sandbur
5 year old buck +
Yeah, but they are really dirty after a long winter and it is too cold to swim.
bueller
Moderator
I agree with Stu. Turn that power line easement into a food plot, especially the south end. A well placed tower stand on the north end would be fairly easy to access and a good long range rifle could reach way out.
Can you access your place from the south at all?
Although not ideal I don't think your buildings are a total disaster. You still have lots of woods far enough away from the activity.
Can you access your place from the south at all?
Although not ideal I don't think your buildings are a total disaster. You still have lots of woods far enough away from the activity.
Bucks&Ducks
5 year old buck +
I like making the easement in to a food plot. At least where you can use effectively.
As for access can you make an access trail on the west line or just east of the pond to the south line for N or NW winds. Then you could access the S and SE parts. You are still going to struggle with a W wind. Or just use the pasture as I just saw you can access.
For the cabin. Even if you just moved it further NW, you could get it far enough away that the scent shouldn't get to bedding areas and possibly not the food plots.
As for access can you make an access trail on the west line or just east of the pond to the south line for N or NW winds. Then you could access the S and SE parts. You are still going to struggle with a W wind. Or just use the pasture as I just saw you can access.
For the cabin. Even if you just moved it further NW, you could get it far enough away that the scent shouldn't get to bedding areas and possibly not the food plots.
Bucks&Ducks
5 year old buck +
Now there is your access. That gives you tons of options for the south and east end.
B
bat man
Guest
Those plots by the cabin should produce deer sightings if you can screen them from sight and hunt them when the wind is from plot to cabin. Looks like you have it set up that way. South planting of the power line with pasture access completes the stand locations and access issues. You won't get too many stand locals on a 60 w/o chasing the deer out.
phil@thesidehill
5 year old buck +
couple of things....
I have spend a lot of time bowhunting in areas with houses and places where there is a decent to significant amount of human presence. Everything from the suburbs to my property that is "just outside of town"....a very small rural town....the closest house is about 300 yds away from my stand....its not too far removed from being a "backyard buck" type of scenario. Deer are very adept at distinguishing between non-threatening human presence and threatening human presence. They also tend to be able to ID areas where human contact/noise/scent is normal and non-threatening....it just becomes a part of their environment. the area around your cabin is no different as long as you don't over pressure that area while hunting (threatening human behavior). taking every scent control precaution and only hunting the right wind will help tremendously in keeping them settled in those areas. All that said I don't think the cabin location alone is the end of the world for your property.
However, given your prevailing wind direction, you will have less opportunities to hunt the right wind in the areas closest to your cabin, where you have your current plots and stands. If it were me i would probably seriously consider not planting the current plots you have and like others have said...move the food to the powerline ROW. From there i would then figure out where to place bedding areas along that ROW where you can set up solid entry/exit access routes.
Are the bedding areas naturally occurring bedding areas or are they areas that you have already improved to create the bedding? If they are naturally occurring...they are already bedding in areas downwind of your cabin...further evidence that your cabin and activity around it aren't bothering them that much.
I have spend a lot of time bowhunting in areas with houses and places where there is a decent to significant amount of human presence. Everything from the suburbs to my property that is "just outside of town"....a very small rural town....the closest house is about 300 yds away from my stand....its not too far removed from being a "backyard buck" type of scenario. Deer are very adept at distinguishing between non-threatening human presence and threatening human presence. They also tend to be able to ID areas where human contact/noise/scent is normal and non-threatening....it just becomes a part of their environment. the area around your cabin is no different as long as you don't over pressure that area while hunting (threatening human behavior). taking every scent control precaution and only hunting the right wind will help tremendously in keeping them settled in those areas. All that said I don't think the cabin location alone is the end of the world for your property.
However, given your prevailing wind direction, you will have less opportunities to hunt the right wind in the areas closest to your cabin, where you have your current plots and stands. If it were me i would probably seriously consider not planting the current plots you have and like others have said...move the food to the powerline ROW. From there i would then figure out where to place bedding areas along that ROW where you can set up solid entry/exit access routes.
Are the bedding areas naturally occurring bedding areas or are they areas that you have already improved to create the bedding? If they are naturally occurring...they are already bedding in areas downwind of your cabin...further evidence that your cabin and activity around it aren't bothering them that much.
