There is an old hog pasture that has grown up since it hasn't been used in about 20 years. It is now a mix of small trees, knee high weeds, and briars. While it would look like an ideal place for a bedding area, we rarely see deer in here other than them cruising through once in awhile. All together, the area is about 1 1/3 acres. The deer will bed on the west slope of this where the trees are larger, and it wouldn't be touched. My way of thinking was to mow a path to the back half of this area. Plant clover in the path, then go with a screen of Egyptian Wheat. On the back 2/3 I was going to leave some of the cover to give a little security in there, and then shred probably 80% of it and divide it into a brassica and cereal grain plot. Do you think removing that cover would be worst for the cause, despite deer not really bedding on the top of the ridge?
I don't know, but I would love to see pics of it or maybe a google map overhead shot of it. I think a bedding area and a small food plot sounds great!
What's the overall property outlook? I love this overgrown forgotten pastures. Some initial thoughts not knowing rest of property and surrounding area is to start planting some white pines. They grow fast, thermal and sight cover to encourage bedding in colder weather in years to come. Also all the small trees could be hinged high and over to provide some head cover here and there which a lot of deer love to bed under and the trees will continue to grow and send shoots out of their stumps. If any of them are locusts/maples or actually young oaks (I know some would call this terrible) but cutting these clean off at about 1 foot tall can create small bushes if the deer don't destroy the fresh growth shoots in just a year or two. If you have food else where and I would transform this into a bedding area...now you could along an edge plant a micro plot (10-20yards wide) that you could hunt that butts up to it....but don't hunt the edge where they can see you get in, get inside a tree line 10 yards or so and climb up the back side, cut lanes to through the trees to the plot and bam you can hunt it, monitor it and be as minimally intrusive as possible.
Overall property is 365 acres. Split 50/50 in ag fields and timber. A good section of the timber has been clear cut 5 years ago leaving it a thick jumbled mess of tree tops and briars. Food is readily available with corn and soybeans while the crops are in, but once they are gone the fields are left barren. Deer of course still come to feed on leftovers, but hardly do they fill up and pictures go waaaay down. I have offered to pay to have the farmer leave some standing, but it was a lost cause. I will post a map tonight when I get home, and if I am in this area this week hunting I'll try to take some pictures.
What's the situation with the farmer? I'd clean the field off of intrusive and non-usable junk and plant it in fruit trees. I like winesap apples, they don't turn good until a freeze hits them then they are a fabulous apple. I'd mix them in with some johnathans and granny smiths and incorporate this fruit tree idea with your bedding area thoughts. Back to the farmer....I'm interested in finding out the story behind this guy and the arrangments with him.
You can't make deer bed where they don't feel safe. It may have something to do with the way the wind currents blow through that area. If they don't bed there now do what you want. It sounds like they have plenty of better bedding option on the clearcut areas.
Family farm with 4 owners. He happens to be one, my mom is another. For whatever reason, he was not a fan of hearing about leaving it up so didn't push it anymore. Put a small plot in this spring and he was helpful with leaving me access around the edge of a bean field. I like the fruit tree idea, may incorporate that in once I get some things priced out.
Whatever you do, don't push the luck with the farmer regardless of your relationship. There are other ways of going about getting food source year around for your deer.
I would recommend adding some apple trees as well. Mowing a trail is a good idea for easy access to the area for hunting. I would use something like power plant by Whitetail Institute close to where deer are bedding to add extra cover for them during spring and summer. Planting brassicus is a good idea to attract deer during fall to winter. Make sure to plant the Brassicus close to where you would be hunting. In my understanding, you said there are timber where they are bedding. Is there elevation to the bedding area or flat?
Ahh, that says a lot about the situation then. See if he might be interrested in planting or letting you plant some winter cover crop in there after his harvest. It's great for soil health and might as well have a good/useful crop in there vs winter annual weeds come spring. This is a win win win situation if he doesn't do wheat...there's no point in land sitting idle over winter. Most guys now are into roundup ready and no-till crops so all he has to do is go in and spray the cover crop down with roundup and no-till through it...works great.
Our farm is probably 60/40 ag / cover, Yet I plot every square inch i can. Why? because what you pointed out. when the ag fields are harvested, there is not alot of food for a deer herd. I find that my brassicas get pounded once all the crop land is harvested. It makes for fabulous late season hunting, healthy deer, and less young bucks getting shot on neighboring properties. If they have good cover, give them a high quality food source.
