Plan on hanging some cameras this coming year in areas that I don't necessarily feel confident having cameras on. They are large acreages so the chances of finding cameras isn't great but you just never know. My question is, how do you attract deer to an area without use of mineral, blocks, etc.,? Mineral sites get pretty obvious after the deer find them and start hitting them routinely. I am talking earlier in the year, say May-August. What I am wondering/thinking is maybe starting a mock scrape. Would that leave me disappointed in deer I could be missing that time of the year? (not too informed on mock scrapes, yet) Trails this time of the year are pretty hit and miss for me. Camera would be 8-10' up in the tree so like I said I am not too worried and they wouldn't be expensive cams but any camera being stolen sucks. Any advice would be great!
Not sure what to tell ya about attracting deer without the use of minerals, feed, etc. Mock scrapes can be used year round, but they won't be used like they do during the rut. You would need to set up a mock scrape on a well used trail as well (cant really set one up in the middle of the woods and hope they come to it.) I would recommend finding an edge that has a decent trail and set the camera up there. You can always scout right when the snow is melted and be able to easily identify last years trails as well. If you can, get out there now and make note of where the trails in the snow are going. A lot of times this time of year the deer are on the bed to feed stage.... just like earlier in the year. Find any type of food source on the acreage and you should be able to easily find trails coming/going from there.
I've done all my shed hunting on the property so far this year so have pretty good idea of travel patterns granted they change over the course of the year. Sent from my SCH-I200 using Tapatalk
How about putting a mineral site in the middle of a thicket that's nasty enough to keep the two legged critters away?
here is a thought on a food plot on the down low. I am in the process of doing this so hear me out. find a grassy area, frost seed alot of clover into it in March/soon as the snow leaves the ground. When the grass starts growing/the first time you mow your lawn at home for the year, hit the area with some grass selective herbicide .fleet farm has some stuff called "grass beater" by Bonide, white 8oz bottle/purple cap. ideally shorter the grass before winter the better. My whole thought is this is creating a food plot and not turning the dirt or making things bluntly obvious. Only thing is with the grass selective herbicide is the grass does turn brown, but not at the rate of turning color as if you sprayed a plot with round up. OTHER thing is you really cant care for the clover by mowing it regularly as that is obvious. I frost seeded some clover on a spot in my lawn and had some clover there all year. I know it took as I never had clover in this spot for 6 years. At our other place, there is a spot that dont quite get alot of sunlight but grass grows there and my dad keeps it cut. Last spring I frost seeded a clover mix into it and forgot about it. Came back later in the summer and was thrilled with all the clover and told my dad to stop mowing it so low/ leave it be. This spring I am going to frost seed more clover into it and hit it with a grass selective herbcide. Dont see why it wont work, clover took in that grass when I frost seeded it the first time. another reason I know it will work, my son spilled a small bag of radish seeds on the side walk and I swept them into the lawn and had radishes growing in the grass. Also where I cleaned out my hand seeder, I had a few rape plants growing in the grass next to the sidewalk by the hose. so that is just me thinking outloud. Not saying this idea will always work, but just stating I like to experiment with different planting methods . A mineral block/spot in some nasty brush like stated before would work too.
