Was just trying to get some insight from some of you guys on some new land that my brother and I just picked up. Wanting to put in a food plot or two. Possibly some bedding areas? But looking to see what some of what you guys would do here. Everywhere I look online is about what is around the surrounding property. which is hard woods mixed with marsh/swamp and then surrounded on the outside of that is all agriculture. So where should I put in Plots? Should I try to hinge cut to make some bedding areas since the hardwoods are super open? I have not even been able to hunt this land yet but should I just not put any plots in or bedding? All new to me so I am open to anything and any criticism but I know all you guys are always really helpful. I added a photo of the land.
I like to hunt a property and gage the deer movement and overall activity on the property. From there I start to try and convince the deer to hang out more or hang out more in the places that I want them to.
I will try that and try to come up with a game plan next spring with what I see this fall and winter. Appreciate it.
Do you own it or just hunting rights? If you don't own it before you cut anything or put anything out get permission. Lot of potential. If you own it I recommend logging first as that will naturally thicken up the woods and may cause small pockets for small plots naturally and the open canopy will explode natural brows.
I agree with this. A lot will depend on the ownership. And a lot of us are quick to do a good plot. They are fun, and cool, but I have seen more sign in natural forage then I have ever seen in food plots. If you are looking for a place to plant to shoot the deer, I suggest doing a test plot of multiple seed types and blends and putting an exclusion cage on each one to see what they are hitting. On my lease in Ohio, we plant sugar beets, clover, and other varieties that are few and far between in the area. Gotta make it a place where they wanna hang out and/or a spot they keep coming back to. What's being planted around you? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Look into Craig Harper as well....listen to his Wired To Hunt podcast he did with Mark Kenyon. Well worth a listen and your mind will be blown by the forage tonnage and protein levels of things like goldenrod, blackberry and such....
Craig's a good dude. He's done seminars for our Branch. Knows his stuff Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Thanks Tyni and Tricky We do own it so no problem with doing anything to the land that we want. I have watched almost all those videos from the guys on wired to hunt already. I love the videos, information and how to from them! But around us here in Wi is mostly corn and beans. You get your occasional clover that is planted but its rare.
Just kind of confused of what you mean by logging? As in have a company come in to take out the trees and get paid for them along with opening the area for new trees and shrubs to grow or just select cut myself and leave them fallen?
Company come in and remove the trees while giving you a check. Select cut is high grading, one of the worse things you can do for a forest. At least here in NC Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Basically, one cannot choose to grow timber for future logging money and commit 100% to encouraging the best deer habitat. You want thick overgrown understory type woods not the open park huge mature big woods. Now pockets of this with oaks and food producing trees are fine, but a park like type woods will get bypassed by mature deer all the time except at dark or in extremely low pressured areas. So all I was stating on the logging was if logging is a thought, do that well before you start hinging over that canopy to get light and food down to the deer's level because if you log after you have hinged you will bust up a lot of your hinges. I am talking more so specific episodes of his podcasts, not all Mark puts out I think is just dripping with education for hunters but man some of his podcasts with Jake Ehlinger and Craig Harper and others are well worth the cost of admission (free lol). So you have a lot of corn and soybeans, that is great and not a negative...however to truly transform a place and make your nook prime diversity is the key. Deer by nature are drawn to diversity
Alright I didn't know you meant to log head of time before hinge cutting. Like you said the woods are wide open and nothing is thick what so ever so I will have to figure out if logging is an option right now or not. Appreciate the help.
