I just read the August issue of Bowhunting Magazine and read an interesting article on Hidey Holes. Thats what they called them. Small 25'x25' or something simillar food plots in the middle of the woods. I had thought about doing a couple of these instead of the big food plot I am planning on doing. It seems this may be more productive. I may go ahead this weekend and plant some seeds and see what happens over the next month and plant more in a few other spots later. The only thing I would do differently than the article says to do is hunt the trails going in and out, not dirrectly over the plot. Anyone on here do anything like this and how much success have you had if you do?
Or what they call treestand plots, yes can be very producive especially if your hunting tracts are big timbered areas.
My 2 favorite plots are a remote ridge top opening. The plots are about .5-.75 of an acre. The deer feel secure out and about up there during shooting hours. I added in a mock scrape and a mineral site and I am going to add a water hole in a couple weeks . My last 2 bow bucks have come from these 2 spots (one on Sept 17 and one on Oct 21) and I wouldn't be surprised if my next 2 do also
One of my spots is in a small valley next to a creek branch. It stayes pretty moist and I know there has been some deer activity there but, not sure how much. The second is on top of a hill right outside of a cow pasture. There are deer traveling all over all of this area. The third is a spot that I was busted by three does opening day last season. There is a bedding area close to this area up stream of the same branch. I plan on doing a a mineral station near this one with Monster Raxx. I think I will try this for the upcoming season due to limitted of access to the equipment to do a larger plot.
To me, this defeats the biggest advantage to the Hidey Hole. They're small so you can shoot from one side to the other, aren't they
Yes, this is the normal purpose but, I figured I would try to say out of the direct area of the Hidey Hole so that if I were busted the deer would still likely come in to it. If I were hunting a trail it seams to me as though they would just come in from a different trail or make a new one to get to it. Maybe I should just do as instructed in the article to begin with and modify my strategy if needed.
Seen two hidey holes before and they are both productive even though they are really only about 40 yards by 40 yards. Put a trail camera out there and get an idea of when the deer are coming and going and you'll be less likely to get busted by them. I took a doe out of one, followed her back about 30 yards into the woods, cleaned her and then started dragging her out towards the clearing. I found an eight-point who had been nibbling at the edge of the winter wheat, staring at me, just as surprised to see me as I was to see him. From what I heard, that spot stayed productive, regardless of the pressure it got.
I am going to plant what I already have a bag of as some of the things listed in it was listed in the article. It is Evolved Harvest Shot Plot. It has Brassicas (if I spelled that right), turnips, forage rape and something else I think. I have planted it before and it grows like wild fire. I will be planting them in the next few weeks.
I tried making 3 last season. I ran into 2 major issues. 1. Seed - I flat didn't buy the right seed. I'm sorry but the hide a plot from wal mart didn't work. It had too many oats. In moist soil they pull out extremely easy and will not take root. 2. Sunlight - I didn't have enough. In the middle of a woods this is a big challenge. I planted 3 spots. 2 tiny, 10 x 20, and one larger 30 x 40 Ish. The larger had pretty good sun even. They were growing great, were about 6 inches tall. One day I went to check on them and they were gone. Not a print to be found. Like an alien came down and took everything. The bare soil was all that was left. Not really any clue what happened. If anyone knows, by all means please share. So my advice. Do your homework!
I have two areas right now that I know for fact will grow. One of which I threw out corn in the middle of the season and had corn growing with in three weeks. I didn't rake the leaves out or anything. The other is a place where I cut down a huge poplar to open up the ceiling. This area gets sun for about 8 hours of sun a day this time of year and stays soft and moist. Soil preparation is key also. I never just rake the leaves out of the way for planting anything, even throw and grow. I will bring in the tiller. Yes this is a little more work than most would do for something like this but, hey I know it will have loose soil for the roots to properly grow. It will also hold moisture better. Indynotch50, here is what could have happened IMO, Deer walk softly. Even if it is dirt I have witnessed one walk wight through somewhere watching his feet step right on an area and go to the same spot I just watch him walk and there was not a sign anywhere. If the soil was pretty stiff and they were just grazing, they could have cleared the whole thing and not left a trace at all or if it rained shortly after, it could have washed those tracks away after they mowed it up.
Bingo. And people wonder why they don't kill mature bucks over bait. I never did understand why you would hunt directly over bait or a food ( kill... eerrrrr... Hidey Hole ) plot. In order to keep the deer feeling secure about a spot so they are traveling to it during daylight hours... stay out of it. Seems like common sense to me for the average hunter. Hunt the trails leading to it. Tim
I have killed quit a few good bucks right on my kill plots.Why limit yourself to one trail coming to the plot when you can hunt the whole thing ? ? I have seen numerous shooters there during daylight hours. As long as you can get in and out and have a trick up your sleeve to get deer out of the plot so you can get down. I say HUNT IT ! But then again my spot is really special too.
For the average hunter in my area... they tend to blunder around and whine the deer don't show up until after dark. They hunt the same spots morning and evening. They tend to over hunt the same stand/spots year after year here. They tend to hunt in pairs in the same immediate area so doubling the scent they leave. They hunt the wrong winds for the spot. They aren't careful on entries/ exits. There are 9 guys that bowhunt in my area beside me. Only 2 are very good at killing a buck right at a pile or plot. The one guy isn't your average hunter though. He doesn't do what I listed in the paragragh above. He is now hunting with his son. His son is killing bigger bucks then the other 7 guys. The other 7 are not young hunters and have 20 or more years under their belts. The kid has 3 years. I have a feeling you aren't the average bowhunter. Tim
I didn't take it as a rant. It is just an interesting subject since I see what the bowhunters do in my area. I am always curious although I don't hunt over a pile or plot. Since all the bowhunters in my area do... it affects how the bigger bucks move through the area if I am targeting a buck in that same area. I have to factor them and the pile/plot in. You are just saying what works good for you. For the guy who is careful and knows what he/her is doing... you are spot on. Again it just is an interesting subject. Tim
Tim, I am 32 years old but, I am a young bowhunter. Meaning this is my second season but, I am the average Joe blow in the woods?, I like to think not. I like to think outside of the box from the normal guy who harvest one or two deer a year. Last year I had no idea what the h*** I was doing. I read and research all season and haven't stopped educating myself when it comes to hunting, tracking, movement, behavior and anything in between. By the end of the season I was feeling pretty good. I harvested 2 last year which from other guys around here thought was pretty good for a first season with no help from anyone at all. I didn't grow up hunting and only a couple people in my family hunt. None of which I am close to. When it comes to being quiet this year I am taking it to a whole new level. Not only am I cutting entry trails to and from stands, I am raking all of my trails of leaves, sticks and anything else in my way. I am going to inspect every piece of equipment I own and figure out every way to make it silent. I am also taking scent control to a whole new level this year also. I won't go into the details on that but, it will be intense. My brother hunts on my land also and he will abide by all of the same rules I have set for myself or he is out. No questions asked. I am not having this season ruined. As far as the Hidey Holes go, I will stet them up in the next couple weeks and monitor movement from the outside. With binoculars and other means of viewing only invading the areas if I must. I will just go ahead and set up on the Hidey Holes and go from there. If I see a better opportunity as far as a trail to hunt goes, I will set up on that trail. I am stoked about this season coming up and can't wait to see how much all the prep work I have put in pays off. I am serious about my Bowhunting as a bow is all I will be using from opening day till sunset on closing day this season. I no longer own another weapon as a bow is my weapon of choice. Anyways, sorry about the info on my hunting plan but, I want everyone to know I may be a young hunter as far as experience goes but, I want to strive to be the best hunter I can be and pass on my knowledge to my sons.
