GMMAT

I have 24 acres that I have exclusive rights to bowhunt on. That doesn't sound so impressive.....but it's backed up by 140 acres of park owned land on one side......MY land on the other. There's an area in the back of the property that is not available fro me to hunt....but I know it's hunted, pretty hard.

What I'm wanting to do is.....get the deer coming onto MY hunting land....instead of "those guys'" hunting land. I'm going to have a few mineral licks set up "Strategically" for them, next Spring. I'll cut the trails "I" want them to use......and set up the PVC-type feeders on trees along the way.

When they get to the creek bottom.......there'll be a nice little food plot, or two waiting for them .

The deer utilize this land, right now....as a travel corridor. They bed in the parks land.....and use this parcel to travel to many different feeding areas. I have a 13 yr old son......and I'd like for he and I to have a convenient place to hunt.....near home...for those evening early-season outings.

My question is.......If we start now......can we get the deers' patterns changed (cutting new trails ....by feeding, initially.....and with food plots in the late Summer) by next hunting season? We pretty much know the trails they're utilizing now.....and we're not going to alter them....MUCH...lol. We're just gonna......well...steer them in OUR direction.

Does this sound like a good plan?? Or....do I just need to use the trial-and-error method? Any helpful hints would be greatly appreciated.

Jeff

KickerPoint79

Sounds like a good plan to me. The deer won't hesitate to change their
patterns when it benefits them. Good luck.

Wolfpack

Sounds great. Once the food is there it will not take long at all for them to find it and change their pattern.Good luck

Wolfpack

Just curious, what is going to be your choice of food plots?

Scott/IL

Sounds like a great plan. Thereis an alfalfa field on some land that we can't hunt and they would often circle around and bed on us without giving us a shot.

So me and my dad went out and cut a path about 4 foot wide through some small trees and brushinto an area that we can hunt. Saw alot of deer this year in the evening going out to the field.

rack tracker

silly as it might seem, but deer like humans, will take the easyist
root possible. Your plan sounds good, but I would be lookin to
plant something to keep them in the late season. I hunt a farm
that has a 20 acre alfalfa field (horse feed). The deer are there
early in the season but, right now,it seems the heard is scatterd
onto other farms in the area. Best of luck to you and and your child!
Sean

GMMAT

Wolfpack...

I really don't know what we'll plant as the food plot forage. I've been told that there's a clover mix that's perennial. That would help a lot in the future. I intend to plant 2-3 plots....1/2 acre in size, each. I'd like to get 'em coming in from 2 directions....lol.

I saw some of the tube type feeders that you hang onto the trees on line that I think I'll start with. We'll likely have a plot.....couple of feeders.....mineral lick.....feeder....mineral lick....feeder....plot...plot. We already have 2 streams going through this property.....so there's another reason for them to visit (which they already do. This area already has deer coming through.....just not staying, long).
Almost the entire acreage is fenced for cattle, too. The landowner has agreed to let me take out a small fence section (between 2 posts) to mark the new "trail". I've witnessed areas, this year, where a tree or branch has fallen on the fence and bent it down a little. The deer WILL cross there (path of least resistance).

It's funny.....We didn't take a deer off this property, this season....though we saw MANY. We'll likely only take 2-3, next year. It's just fun to see a lot of deer when you're in the field.....and to be honest.....I can't help but think the extra food will benefit the herd.

Merry Christmas, guys.

Jeff

p.s. thanks for all of your comments.

Wolfpack

I was just wondering, cause I have tried most of the types on the market from Tecomate to Buck Forage Oats to Biologic to Whitetail Institute and anything in between over the last 6-7 yrs.I don't know what area or region you are in but from what I have found through trial and error is that just because deer like one type of food plot down the road does not always mean "your" deer will like it. Let me know if you would like to know my results in the eastern NC area that I hunt?

jimmy the foot

i plot and my plots are very successfully. they don't hit them everyday but are there at least 3 times a week. they are about a 1/4 acre each or smaller. righton the edge of woods and a ravine.but the one thing that i did that was money was i made a mock (fake) scrape. i did it in a line on a trail. 2 in the woods and 1 in the edge of a field. they loved that one. so did the bucks. started it in mid sept. and hit it 1 a week with doe/buck urine. also pissed on it here and there. come October i increased it to 2-3 applications a week. 1-2 weeks before the rut i use the active scrape stuff and piss on it as much as possible. tones of deer, tones. plots bring a few for food but the scrape was like a communication post for them. they hit it all the time, but very quick i noticed. did their job and moved on.