Hey, I am Drew and I am new to this forum and to bow hunting. I am wondering if anyone could help me with my challenging situation. I have lived in this house for about 10 years now and I used to bow hunt the deer a few years ago but became frustrated with only seeing does and young bucks and having nighttime mature buck activity. I would like some help figuring out how to hunt mature deer realistically. I know I won't grow 4.5-6.5 year old monsters but, I just want a chance at a decent 8 point. I would like to add some habitat improvements to help encourage deer movement. The Timber: -The woods is mostly maples, elms, and cottonwoods -There are a few oaks and cottonwoods -There is not much undergrowth in the woods -There are a few areas that they travel along: The field edges and the edge of a small ridge by a low spot -U shaped low spot north of the house (sometimes flooded by drainage tiling and snow) Food and water: -No real source of sustainable food or water located on the property Surrounding Ag fields mainly soybeans and Corn. (some alfalfa) -Acorns can be scarce on the property and eaten in a day or two. -There is a windrow that comes out of the South East corner that has many oak trees. (Oaks dropping acorns in standing corn) -There is sometimes a few standing inches of water in the low spots but not during hunting season Bedding and cover: There is no real designated bedding area -However, deer commonly bed on ridges and other spots. -No thermal or winter cover I think that I would like to plant a food plot of clover or brassicas. I also thought about clear-cutting or hinge cutting the field edge and then maybe plant conifers and some switchgrass along the field edges. I would also like to hinge cut some designated bedding. This property is located in SW metro of the Twin Cities in Minnesota. Pretty heavily pressured around us. Any ideas on how to improve this spot? Thanks for all your thoughts and ideas.
I for one know a bow hunter that has taken multiple 160-180 inch deer off 5 acres. Im interested in knowing how this pans out because his 5 acres is connected to some public ground. Where rher is more cover and bedding and the deer seem to move through his property durring the rut looking for love. Im thinking since you have limited timber around you might have to wait u till the rut or maybe see if your neighbors will grant you acess to hunt their parcels. Pls update Sent from my SM-N920P using Bowhunting.com Forums mobile app
I'd say anything 5 acres and up I'm going to attempt to make the most conducive hunting spot I can...shoot one of my best stands actually sits on a parcel next to my parents that'd I would still hunt should the parents sell and move and it is on 3.5 acres of woods behind a barn/house.
Fellow Minnesotan here as well - Welcome to the forum! I'm not an expert on land improvement practices but I think I would focus on creating good bedding. Pine trees and hinge cutting like you mentioned are good places to start, as of where to place the bedding I'm not really sure on.
Your situation sounds very similar to mine. 14 acres and I've lived there over 10 years. I only have a few acres of Hardwoods, the rest is brush and overgrown weeds. Bedding area to the east of my property, corn/bean fields to the west. So it was basically just a thruway for the deer. I did harvest a few does, usually in early season, but it was pretty sporadic. Mature bucks would go through on camera but almost always nocturnal. We put in a food plot last summer for the first time. Clover, chicory, and some turnip like plants I can't remember the name of. Does and young bucks started hitting the plot regularly in September and October, but mature bucks were still nocturnal. Around the first week of November we stated to see daytime pics of nice bucks coming through in random daytime hours just cruising for does. November 11 I killed the biggest buck of my life, the deer in my avatar. 218 pounds on the hoof 12 point. This plot is only about half an acre if that. Looking forward to what this year brings.
