Wandering at the hang out

4wanderingeyes

5 year old buck +
I figured I would start my land tour. I will add to it as I have time. I have a little under 25 acres in NW Wisconsin now. I started off with just 5.5, but I bought the land next to it a year and a half a go. With just the 5.5, there just wasnt enough land to do anything as in food plots, or modifications to draw in deer. Luckily my land is somewhat of a travel route between a huge swampy bog the deer usually use as a bedding area, and the areas only ag field within miles. Last spring I cut down a couple 3/4 acre areas, and cleaned the stumps out. One of the areas I planted 10 apple trees, and planted brassicas in, the other still needs some work opening the plot up more to get more sunlight into it, but winter rye, winter wheat, and oats grow pretty good in there, so I have put that on the back burner. I have one more plot that is an old campsite area on the original land, and it is planted in clover and winter rye this year, and I hope to keep it clover for a few years. I just have small equipment, an ATV, hand spreaders, a home made disc, a drag, and a back pack sprayer, and a weed whip to keep things trimmed. I have a small creek to the north of me that doesnt actually enter my land, but does border it slightly. My land is in the middle of the big forest area, with minimal ag around me.

My land is about 200 miles from home, so I dont get to have unlimited time to work here, but I try to get there about every other weekend during the non frozen months. My goals with the land are to try to draw deer onto the land with food plots, and thicken up my land to make them feel more comfortable to want to hang out there a little bit. I need to try to figure out better ways to hunt my land, because the deer are in the back half, and the only way back there is to cut through my land. Unfortunately for the deer, they do need to share the land with me, and my family at times. We do go there to unwind, and relax as a family. But almost ever time I go there, I sneak in some plotting, or cutting, or some sort of land improvements. I will add some pictures to try to add some visuals.
 
Looking forward to see your land.
 
Well I am still new at adding pictures, and comments on here, so I will work on that. But for now, I will just make the comments about the pictures on a separate post.

The fist 2 pictures are the areal pictures to show what the surrounding area is like. The next picture is of my apple tree plot, there is 10 assorted apple trees planted in here since last spring. They seem to be doing fairly well, but I havent gotten any apples off of them yet. Which is probably a good thing, because I have a lot of bear in the area, no apples, less bear damage! The next one is of one of the trees, I know, they are in need of a good trimming, but I never remember to do it when I am there.

The next couple of pictures are from my old campsite plot, showing how well the clover has came in. This should be a nice plot for a few years, I hope!

The next picture is showing a blockade in between the apple tree plot, and the old campsite plot, I wanted them to use a trail, rather then walking back and forth where they wanted to. It has worked pretty good. The last picture is of my enemy on this land, bracken ferns. They grow over 6 feet tall, and block out almost everything on the ground, and wont allow any growth in areas, causing the forest floor to be thin. My goal is to knock them back in the thick areas, and try to get some valuable stuff growing in there. I will add more photos as I get time.
 
I figured I would start my land tour. I will add to it as I have time. I have a little under 25 acres in NW Wisconsin now. I started off with just 5.5, but I bought the land next to it a year and a half a go. With just the 5.5, there just wasnt enough land to do anything as in food plots, or modifications to draw in deer. Luckily my land is somewhat of a travel route between a huge swampy bog the deer usually use as a bedding area, and the areas only ag field within miles. Last spring I cut down a couple 3/4 acre areas, and cleaned the stumps out. One of the areas I planted 10 apple trees, and planted brassicas in, the other still needs some work opening the plot up more to get more sunlight into it, but winter rye, winter wheat, and oats grow pretty good in there, so I have put that on the back burner. I have one more plot that is an old campsite area on the original land, and it is planted in clover and winter rye this year, and I hope to keep it clover for a few years. I just have small equipment, an ATV, hand spreaders, a home made disc, a drag, and a back pack sprayer, and a weed whip to keep things trimmed. I have a small creek to the north of me that doesnt actually enter my land, but does border it slightly. My land is in the middle of the big forest area, with minimal ag around me.

My land is about 200 miles from home, so I dont get to have unlimited time to work here, but I try to get there about every other weekend during the non frozen months. My goals with the land are to try to draw deer onto the land with food plots, and thicken up my land to make them feel more comfortable to want to hang out there a little bit. I need to try to figure out better ways to hunt my land, because the deer are in the back half, and the only way back there is to cut through my land. Unfortunately for the deer, they do need to share the land with me, and my family at times. We do go there to unwind, and relax as a family. But almost ever time I go there, I sneak in some plotting, or cutting, or some sort of land improvements. I will add some pictures to try to add some visuals.

Your situation is much like mine. Small acreage, 200 miles from home, small equipment, family, etc...

I highlighted a line in your quote. Don't forget what you posted. Unfortunately that quality time with the family is not unlimited and it trumps deer hunting. With that being said you can find time to do both, and do both well. We use our land year round for all sorts of activities. I do a couple things to try and help the deer hunting. After Labor Day, No ATV's, and no walking around even on our trails. 90% of our trails are part of a perimeter trail system and the center of our property serves as a sanctuary of sorts.
 
I started building a stand last fall, I made the platform, but I wasn't able to finish it, so I bought a insulated pop up blind and strapped that on there. The floor is 6x6. It worked out pretty decent. This stand is set back about 30 yards from the apple tree plot.

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Here is the view to my apple tree plot from this stand. It is set back a decent distance to not spook the deer in the plot.
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Here is a shot of my sons plot that is in the back. It extends to the right of this picture into a logging road, and is about 3/4 acre in total. It has been planted into winter rye, oats, and winter wheat the past couple years. Since this picture was take , the canopy was opened up a bit more, but it still needs to be opened up a lot more before a different crop will be planted in it next spring. Right now it has 4 foot tall winter rye in it. And below is his deer stand. This was my deer stand, but he took it over once he was old enough to hunt on his own. It is the best spot in the woods. I prefer he shoot the deer, it means more to me then shooting them myself. This stand will be redone next summer to make it smaller, and enclosed.
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Looking forward to seeing your land journey. I like seeing all properties but I like the smaller ones as I can relate!
 
Looking at the aerial. Is that a lot of swamp around you, especially to the north and east? What is normally planted in that field to your west?
 
Yes, there is a lot of swamp to the north, east, and on the very west of my land is low bog with tamarack trees. The fields usually have corn in them. Sometimes he has planted beans, but usually it is corn.
 
I'm guessing here, but the 3 areas I have marked seem like a transition in the foliage/plant types which create an edge. I think these areas could be good travel corridors to look into. Maybe even make some good stand locations for specific winds. Any stands along those areas now?

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This is my hang out spot, and hunting Shack. I have about an acre yard, and I have planted white Dutch clover in the yard. It didn't really come in very strong, but it sure draws in deer. I always have pictures of deer walking right through the camp site. And early mornings, I see them eating the clover.
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Last summer we dug a fire pit, we got a little carried away. It is about 6 feet around. But we spend a lot of time staring into it, so why not go big!

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This guy and his buddies have been harassing my grill, and garbage cans all spring. One of his buddies ate one of my Coverts last summer. They need to find a better hobby then harassing me. They have been rather brave the past couple years. Walking up tonthe camp site with a fire going. So far they have just been a slight pain, but when they start messing with my apple trees, I will declare war!

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I'm guessing here, but the 3 areas I have marked seem like a transition in the foliage/plant types which create an edge. I think these areas could be good travel corridors to look into. Maybe even make some good stand locations for specific winds. Any stands along those areas now?

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There is a stand on the SW corner, and on the NE corner. There is a really good trail coming in on that NE corner, but it splits, and follows a a small ravine, and goes south on the east side of that apple tree plot, and straight into the old campsite plot. I actually use that north section of land as a sanctuary. It is kinda wet on the bottom part of it, and my stand is set up just on the NE side of that apple tree plot. Which is the plot you can see best in that areal. The other plot in the back has a canopy over it, and doesnt show up very well in the summer.

On the South West side, the main trail comes out of the tamarack bog, and follows the edge of that bog to the south. Those are the 2 most pronounced travel routes on my land. And yes, you pretty much nailed their trails!
 
I'd expect food plots to a major draw on your property. Do you have any ridges with oaks, even if they are only slightly higher than the surrounding ground? If you can get a perimeter trail in place you will be able to access points a distance away from the "homestead" much quieter and stealthier, especially under the cover of darkness.
 
can you mark the plots and campsite on the map. I am not clear on the camp location?
 
The green are food plots. The green one on the left is my sons plot. The second one in the middle, the round one is my apple tree plot. The long skinny one on the bottom right is the old camp site plot, with part of the driveway. The one on the right of the picture is the current camp site, my yard. The X's are stand sites. Although there one to the left of my apple tree plot isn't used anymore. There is a logging road that goes from the new camp site to my apple tree plot, back to my sons stand, and plot, then it goes north next to the tamarack bog. The yellow lines are approximate deer trails. The stuff inside the white is my sanctuary. The north sanctuary is pretty wet year round. Over the boot water in places.

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Do your neighbors hunt? How close to your borders are their stands? It looks like you could make access trails on your north line, or skirt the edge of the sanctuary if you screen the trail and only use it when the conditions are right. I hear you on the ferns, opening the canopy to let in sun can help with reducing them. Looking forward to following your progress.
 
The neighbor to the north doesnt hunt. The neighbor to the west does, but he hunts the edge of the field, on the west side of his property line. The neighbor to the south, does hunt, and he only owns 5 acres, and he hunts my line. I have 2 neighbors to the east, the neighbor on the north east hunts, but he hunts alone, and has 80 acres. He will just take 1 buck a year, very little pressure. The neighbor to the south east, will drop anything that moves, and will actually sit on a bucket in the middle of the road and blast deer as they try to cross the road. They have 120 acres, with about 6 hunters. Very little comes from their land to mine alive. Yes, they get the wardens called on them often. Beyond the land owners on the east, 1/4 mile in, is all state land, 1 mile more to the east, a mile to the south, and 7 miles to the north. But the state land behind my neighbors is mostly swamp for aways back.
 
The green are food plots. The green one on the left is my sons plot. The second one in the middle, the round one is my apple tree plot. The long skinny one on the bottom right is the old camp site plot, with part of the driveway. The one on the right of the picture is the current camp site, my yard. The X's are stand sites. Although there one to the left of my apple tree plot isn't used anymore. There is a logging road that goes from the new camp site to my apple tree plot, back to my sons stand, and plot, then it goes north next to the tamarack bog. The yellow lines are approximate deer trails. The stuff inside the white is my sanctuary. The north sanctuary is pretty wet year round. Over the boot water in places.

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OK that makes sense, I was thinking the large circle in the center was your camp, that would have been bad, but I have seen a few properties like this, so I had to ask. That said, I will reiterate the suggestion of an access lane right on the property line, but I will go a bit further, cut it all the way around. North, west, and south line for access in any wind from the camp. No need to cut the lanes all the way to the road on the east line either, keep the trees standing for screen. Way easier to hunt the edges without getting busted.
 
The north property line is pretty wet most of the time. A foot or more deep in most areas. It is just a bunch of humps, and with the creek bordering it, the low spots of them humps fill in with water. You wouldn't be stealthy at all walking through it, it is all you can do to stay on your feet in the day, during the summer. Would it be possible? If I had too, but it would be a work out, and I would be wet to my knees.
 
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The north property line is pretty wet most of the time. A foot or more deep in most areas. It is just a bunch of humps, and with the creek bordering it, the low spots of them humps fill in with water. You wouldn't be stealthy at all walking through it, it is all you can do to stay on your feet in the day, during the summer. Would it be possible? If I had too, but it would be a work out, and I would be wet to my knees.
Give me a N or NW wind in late October early November and I would be in a stand right on the edge of where this standing water transitions to drier land.
 
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