How long does it take for you guys before you think you have a new area figured out for hunting whitetails?
For myself, I am speaking about farm land. I like to get 2 crop rotations under my belt before I think that I have a grasp on things. This means 4 seasons for me. Granted, things get easier as each season passes, but for me I like to start seeing a pattern.
Certain things can change from year to year but crops can and do affect a deers behavior and habbits. I have a stand in a fence row that tees into a steep ravine. Each side of the fence row is rotated with corn and beans. The fence row runs north and south. During the seasons when the corn is on the east side of the fence row there is better deer activity. That one I can't figure out.
After 4 seasons I start to know what to expect. I know where the does prefer to bed and where the bucks like to bed. You get to know what foods they prefer at different times of the year. Once you know these things it helps when planning your setups.
Other things I watch for are blowdowns and beaver dams. These will alter deer movement. I had a dynamite creek crossing go dead because of a beaver dam, The deer moved down stream to an easier place to cross. I've also sawed apart some blow downs in order to keep the deer movement going past my stand instead of around it.
What are some of your experiences??
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RE: How long before you have figured out a new area?
Gregh I am headed back to KY this year with a better grasp, but I still think I need another season or two before I get it locked down.
I myself have had good look scounting spots first time and putting people on deer. These were more wooded areas, so it was a little easier. Find the white oaks and setup.
I know from hunting are farm for 23 years one thing to be true.
When corn is in west fields(front) I see less deer movement. When corn is in the east (back) fields I see way more deer.
Looking at my notes here is the stat.
I have tagged out before 10-29 every year the corn has been in the back, I have never hunted in Nov or Dec. Now in front I have tagged out twice 1997 and 2005 in 23 years. I will say the corn was out early those years.
When we changed 3 fields to CRP things changed again. I will say this will be my third year not with the farm setup like it is now. So I am much more confident in my stand locations for 2008.
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RE: How long before you have figured out a new area?
Really good question. I have found that on a new property I have to have a season under my belt before I can really predict deer movement on a given property. Aerials and topos are great, even walking the property, but really I have to witness all the stages of the rut on a property before I know what is going on. The problem is things are never the same year to year, and I am not just refering to crop rotations. I know what corn, alfalfa, and beans mean for any of my hunting areas year after year, but then there is logging, presence of coyotes, and hunting pressure (or four wheelers, horseback riders, etc).
This past season saw one of my properties go dead. There was nothing there, no fresh tracks, zilch. Turns out the landowner had let some small game hunters loose on the land, and the tenant takes frequent walks all over the property. I have had these things happen often, so anymore I am never really sure what to expect.
RE: How long before you have figured out a new area?
It seems it take me a year or two to get a place figured out. Shed hunting has helped me with this alot. getting out there and not worrying about spooking game alows me to find the bedding areas, last seasons scrapes and rubs tie it in with the food scorce and go from there. I usually have to adjust stand locations a couple times unless it is a tight funnel area.
RE: How long before you have figured out a new area?
I would say 3-5 years on a good sized peice.
I have very little expereince hunting around crops, I end up in some big woods quite alot, with no real farming around.
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Other things I watch for are blowdowns and beaver dams.
I like both of these also.
Our lease which we had two seasons (don't even want to go into it) was the first time I was able to hunt around farm land. It was 220 acres of logging company land the connected into over 15,000 acres of State lands that weren't hunted that hard. On two sides there were fields with crops.The first year there were so many acorns with water around that the deer didn't have to move 100 yards in a day if they didn't want to. We also aquired it about 5 days before bow season.the first season my friend took a 138 inch 9 pt and I took an 8 that had been shot in the head that went about 110'. Some idiot had shot him through the snout.
The second year I did a ton of Turkey hunting on it and started to get a hold onarea I had a good feeling about,it broke down a steep ridge with a corn field at the top pond in the bottom with some knarly thick bedding near by,and alot of old rubs. Well to make a long story short evrything came togther and I blew it on a really nice ten point.
Given a couple mopre seasons I think I would have been able to really get a feeling for the what and when on that piece.
This season I got permission on 175 acres that has six fields but no crops, and once again we had a boomeracorn crop.
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RE: How long before you have figured out a new area?
Im with you Greg. 2-3 crop rotations and I've got a good idea of whats going on as far as how mature bucks are using the area. The hoss bucks around here always find a way to make me look stupid, just when I think I've got them figured out..
Germ, when you visiting the bluegrass state? I'll try to see you next time.
RE: How long before you have figured out a new area?
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ORIGINAL: Charlie P
This actually one of th e things I enjoy the most about hunting. Trying to figure a place out.
Right on Charlie! It usually takes me a while myself. Like some have said it really depends on the crops and what they are. I'd say 3 to 4 years it usually takes me to get a good idea of whats going on in a new piece of land. Sometimes more.
How long before you have figured out a new area?
