Should I abandon foodplot at my house?

[Buckly]

This is a case where you have to set goals. What are your goals for the property? Is it timber value, hunting value or both? Trees really don’t grow that much in 3-5 years. So what is the value right now? That is what you need to know. What is the value in 5-10 years? Who knows. The value probably won’t change much if any in the next couple years. In 10 it could be 30% less, you really don’t know. If the current value meets your needs financial and you get better deer habitat it’s a win Cut it and get it over with in the next couple years. If just the money is the object , well you just never know on that what it will be worth.

 

[Tree Spud]

You need cover plain and simple, followed by browse and edges/diversity. Abandon the plots and start plating conifers, and switchgrass in those areas to thicken your property up. A bunch of these habitat donkeys just cant understand that the deer can live, survive, and eat just fine without plots. Food is NOT the most needed ingredient in a lot of properties. Give me the bedroom over the buffet 10 out of 10 times. Food plots are good for does, fawns, social pressure and creating nocturnal bucks in the absence of cover. If a mature buck could talk do you think he would say food or cover is more important???

During the rut ... food is as important as anything to a mature buck as they are looking for hot does who will gather in food sources whether it be a food plot, oak wood with acorns, or a good browse area. Water source is also critical as their seeking & chasing increases activity level.

 

[g squared 23]

Let the sun shine


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[cavey]

Always remember that with smaller acreage (not a slam - I dont own a section of land either) the "deer herd" doesnt exist captive to your property nor will you have truly resident deer. They need - a place they feel secure, water, cover and food... some places can have all that and still not be solely frequented. But with 120 ac. your deer likely spend more time off your property then on it and likely always will - just a fact no matter what you do. Its just to small of an area not to realize your deer are really neighborhood deer and will spend a lot of time off property. Logging the property will help immensely - the added browse and cover will be a magnet and will help hold deer an hour, day, week longer on your property - anything you can do just to keep the neighborhood deer on your side of the fence a minute longer.

24/7/365 food (I believe properties with awesome food sources especially baiting can drive deer especially bucks to be nocturnal) with just a little pressure they can easily get their nutritional needs in a shorter period of time and at night which is safer for them. They just do not have to roam around in search of food. By adding that logging cover/browse that will add to a sense of security and provide excellent bedding cover.... With great food sources and some pressure/presence on the land ... I would rather have nocturnal bucks on a property than no bucks - come rut they will make mistakes. But I do believe the right food and enough of it at the right time is key.

Anyways I digress... I think you may be missing fall/winter late season food for the deer .. go simple - corn and soybeans with lower deer numbers maybe the fields wont get pounded before gun season. keep some smaller bow kill "green" open plots if you want. The corn can wrap around these areas and provide a concealed kill pocket. Corn and soybeans can be overseeded with winter wheat or rye turnips and or more to have greens even pushing into gun season. In spring the WW or WR will be the first to green up giving you more days of that 24/7/365 concept of food for your deer.
I have the same issues on my 120 right now as you are talking about. I have been waiting 3 years to get it logged and did not plant any corn or soybeans in the landing areas or what fields I dont have in crp over that time period. When I have cameras out during bow season I have deer but come late fall they drift off or cruise through at night. The deer appear to be gone as you mention. Prior to that with corn and soybeans I would see late season deer constantly but my land was like a city park way too open.

I also worked hard at getting old springs opened so I had winter water for the deer which is also a huge plus.

Another gold mine beyond water is fruit trees - plant crabs and apples lots of late hanging fruit trees... Overall I would say water - fruit trees and corn/soybeans followed up by clover or alfalfa if you can grow it. Feather your field edges with browse worthy shrubs ... then in a perfect world never go on your property again till the hour you want to hunt ( kidding - well kind of).

I just saw what you wrote and I immediately thought "what are they eating come gun deer hunting" - whats holding them or drawing them to be out on your property come late fall? What do you have to offer them to stay at that time.... ??? Just an opinion or a thought

 

[BuckSutherland]

During the rut ... food is as important as anything to a mature buck as they are looking for hot does who will gather in food sources whether it be a food plot, oak wood with acorns, or a good browse area. Water source is also critical as their seeking & chasing increases activity level.

Lets say you have two options and your survival depends on it.

Option 1 has the best, most succulent food on the planet (crab legs, lobster tails, prime rib, wagu steaks, top shelf booze, etc.) Its all free, as much as you want, anytime you want it. The food is served to you by a bunch of horny big breasted women that are DTF. All you have to do to enjoy option 1 is to walk through 5 miles of south Chicago streets/projects on a summer evening wearing a new pair of air Jordans, a Trump shirt and carrying a Nazi flag and then walk back when your done.

Option 2. You can sit in the comfort of your own home where you feel safe and get a pizza delivered from Dominos, grab old Milwaukee's out of the fridge, and polish your own cane while you surf porn hub on your smart phone.


At some point security trumps all that other crap. Of course there are daring/dumb bucks that will try option 1, but mostly in the cover of darkness. The vast majority are gonna take option 2 even though the food and the sex arent near as good. The OP has described his property as wide open hardwoods and I would assume that means it seriously lacks browse and you can see long distances from most spots. He doesnt wanna screw up a potential timber harvest on the property and I get that. He is lacking cover for the deer to feel comfortable moving around the property during daylight. At some point he needs to plug the lowest hole in the leaking barrel. The best food in the world is worthless if they dont have security moving to and from it unless they are starving. I would rather have a deer come to my land cause they feel secure than have them come to my land cause they are hungry.

 

[TreeDaddy]

Brilliant

Did you find that on the QDMA web site?

bill

 

[Tree Spud]

Lets say you have two options and your survival depends on it.

Option 1 has the best, most succulent food on the planet (crab legs, lobster tails, prime rib, wagu steaks, top shelf booze, etc.) Its all free, as much as you want, anytime you want it. The food is served to you by a bunch of horny big breasted women that are DTF. All you have to do to enjoy option 1 is to walk through 5 miles of south Chicago streets/projects on a summer evening wearing a new pair of air Jordans, a Trump shirt and carrying a Nazi flag and then walk back when your done.

Option 2. You can sit in the comfort of your own home where you feel safe and get a pizza delivered from Dominos, grab old Milwaukee's out of the fridge, and polish your own cane while you surf porn hub on your smart phone.


At some point security trumps all that other crap. Of course there are daring/dumb bucks that will try option 1, but mostly in the cover of darkness. The vast majority are gonna take option 2 even though the food and the sex arent near as good. The OP has described his property as wide open hardwoods and I would assume that means it seriously lacks browse and you can see long distances from most spots. He doesnt wanna screw up a potential timber harvest on the property and I get that. He is lacking cover for the deer to feel comfortable moving around the property during daylight. At some point he needs to plug the lowest hole in the leaking barrel. The best food in the world is worthless if they dont have security moving to and from it unless they are starving. I would rather have a deer come to my land cause they feel secure than have them come to my land cause they are hungry.

I am not sure what having sex with yourself with really bad beer has to do this thread?

 

[Peplin Creek]

Lets say you have two options and your survival depends on it.

Option 1 has the best, most succulent food on the planet (crab legs, lobster tails, prime rib, wagu steaks, top shelf booze, etc.) Its all free, as much as you want, anytime you want it. The food is served to you by a bunch of horny big breasted women that are DTF. All you have to do to enjoy option 1 is to walk through 5 miles of south Chicago streets/projects on a summer evening wearing a new pair of air Jordans, a Trump shirt and carrying a Nazi flag and then walk back when your done.

Option 2. You can sit in the comfort of your own home where you feel safe and get a pizza delivered from Dominos, grab old Milwaukee's out of the fridge, and polish your own cane while you surf porn hub on your smart phone.


At some point security trumps all that other crap. Of course there are daring/dumb bucks that will try option 1, but mostly in the cover of darkness. The vast majority are gonna take option 2 even though the food and the sex arent near as good. The OP has described his property as wide open hardwoods and I would assume that means it seriously lacks browse and you can see long distances from most spots. He doesnt wanna screw up a potential timber harvest on the property and I get that. He is lacking cover for the deer to feel comfortable moving around the property during daylight. At some point he needs to plug the lowest hole in the leaking barrel. The best food in the world is worthless if they dont have security moving to and from it unless they are starving. I would rather have a deer come to my land cause they feel secure than have them come to my land cause they are hungry.

We all know, every guy would try option 1. Atleast one time.... especially after getting bored with option 2.

 

[IkemanTx]

I would go at least another year with it.

The only actually trend you have shown so far is improved hunting, as the first 2 years aligned with each other in that aspect. This pst season appears to be an outlier. A heavy acorn crop could DEFINITELY be to blame.

We have had very heavy acorn crops 3 of the last 5 years here in Texas thanks to some much needed wet years. The guys hunting corn feeders have been absolutely killed by it. They have just spent most of season on the acorns instead. It doesn’t effect me, because I don’t have a feeder, and only sat my father’s food plot once. I hunt very close to bedding and have seen better hunting at the same time everyone else is lamenting nocturnal bucks.

EDIT:
I would also shy away from hinge cutting. You can do a lot better work with hack and squirt, and your loggers won’t hate you for it.


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[Native Hunter]

Just do it:

 

[TreeDaddy]

Just do it:


What are the top 2 saws in photo?

Poulan? Craftsman?

bill

 

[Native Hunter]

Yellow is an old McCulloch that I never use. That blue saw is an old Homelite XL-12 that will flat out get it.