I have attached a map of my property and the neighbors property showing where the crop fields, bedding areas, and my property which is my main hunting area of focus this season. Later my hunting area will expand on to the family property as I lean it and scout it. Small steps is my game plan for successfully learning this area to hunt. I planted one food plot this spring and other than tracks going through it right after I planted it, there were no signs of being used. My question is, with all of these soy bean crops around, should I even plant Hidey Holes/Kill plots? Any thoughts? Here are the colors and what they represent Red: my property. Green: Soy beans yellow: known doe bedding areas Dark blue: Known buck bedding area Light blue: Large creek http://i1180.photobucket.com/albums/x404/sticknstringarchery/Topo Map/TopoCroplayout.png
I would plant them ! Find places that the bucks can use as staging areas before they head out to the bigger fields and you will be in business.
Thats what I was thinking but, I didn't want to plant and nothing happen but, then again, If I don't, I could miss a big buck. I will be hunting does mostly but, I do have one buk I am gunning for hard at the beginning of the season.
http://i1180.photobucket.com/albums/x404/sticknstringarchery/Topo Map/TopoCroplayout.png Yup Deerfest was fun We were out in a tent kinda like being in a sauna
If you have the capabilities, I think you should plant them. Google Earth pictures are so much better when they are taken after the leaves have fallen off. Remember, after the beans have turned brown, the deer will quit hitting them that hard and will turn to another food source, usually acorns. Or hopefully, they will start hitting your plots more at that point. You seem to know your property very well. In looking at the map, I bet the deer in the southern part of the map (buck bedding area) travel NE in the greener part of the trees toward the bean field in the evenings. Am I correct? I'm trying to learn to use the satellites more effectively and I'm just curious on my assessment.
I feel as though I do. You should see my scouting map now. lol You are correct about their travel as well. Actually their trail runs right up the property line. on the east. On my side of the barbed wire fence. My mineral station and my favorite stand location is south west of the tip of the north east bean field. in the mornings the bucks come back in the same dirrection but, branch off about half way back south to the west/south west, towards the southern most doe bedding area. There is a nicely hidden water hole down in the valley of my property. They then circle in from the west side to the east up the hill back into the buck bedding area for the day. These topo/satelite photos have been the key to me finding some of these travel trails, bedding areas and water holes I have found. Once you know your area over head I have found it makes it much easier to know where you are when you are in there. It has me anyways. When scouting I take one of these maps (zoomed in a lot closer) with me and mark trails on them I find and look for things I may find while studying them on my computer. Virginiashadow has helped me out a lot too. He seams to know his topo stuff pretty well.
I'm was just assuming that those dark green areas are cedars or some other evergreen trees. I have found that deer seem to like traveling these runways as much as they can because they feel more secure. When you can find satellite images that are taken after the leaves have fallen, it is very easy to see these areas and pinpoint them. When you get a picture with all the leaves, it is harder to find them from the picture alone. It looks like you have a great property there. I would think that you could do some great things with the skinny field that runs down the SW side of the property as well. If you could put something in there to attract the deer after the beans and/or corn (I'm assuming they rotate years) have been harvested, I'm sure that it would bring in tons of deer.
Unfortunately that section it leased to a cow breader. I was on stand one morning hunting the edge of it last season and 17 doe's crossed out of range of course in about a 30 minute time frame. Then 4 more getting out of the stand. I did think about cutting down some of the bedding area that is to the north of that and planting some Evolved Harvest Buck-N-Oats. Then again, I don't have a good tree to set up in there with out breaking out the chainsaw for a few hours. Oh and yes those are small cedar trees and pines. There are several heavily traveled trails that come together about half way between the buck bedding area and the bean field to the north east.
Glad to know that I've learned a thing or two about reading the satellites over the years lol. Good luck with the hidey holes!
Where do you enter and exit the property? If those are indeed the bedding areas, it looks like it could be difficult to enter and exit undetected.
They are and it is a challenge. There is a gevel roads that is used very often (daily or multiple times a day). I have access trails cut from the pasture and off of the main ATV trail that runs through the middle of the wooded area from one end of the property to the other from the northern part of the gravel drive way. Durring hunting season I walk to my stands to keep from spooking them with the ATV. I use a red head lamp but, have been able to go in without using a light at all when the moon is right. I have only bumped deer on my way out so far.
