moss50012

i see lots of tracks and droppings scattered throughout the 60 acre property.its mostly woods with the exception of 1 field. i would love to put food plots but i live to far away from the property to properly maintain it. maybe you guys could suggest an easy low maintence crop that would do well in ny that id be able to plant. i was thinking of making clearings throughout the property, i was also thinking of putting out attractants during the off season. thanx for the advice i appreciate it.

hossdaniels

Oats or wheat dont need any maintence. Clover doesn't take much, just mowing a couple times a year. How bout the cover?

DeerandbearhoG

Quote:

"

Quote:

ho to improve hunting land"

Cant hurt!

MO-KS_hunter

it might make the time in the stand go by faster anyway

moss50012

i no i caught that right after i posted, but a ho would definitly make the time go by

mossbergman11/OH

LMAO

Bubba123

from my countless nights after a day in the field watching the outdoor channel, i have come to learn that there are 3 basic categories for property in relation ro the deer : bedding, travel corridors, food
what im thinking is that the food and bedding are on both sides of your land, and your property is a travel coridor to go from food back to beddig after nightfall...so what u need to do is to (if u have grassy areas, choose about a 3-5 acre plot) mowe it over twice w a tractor, then with a lawnmower, and disc that puppy up-plant some clover and turnips (u can experiment, but these are really good), but plant the turnips in patches, and then keep it mowed down for the whole summer, and the clover should come up above the grass, dont touch it after about september 1and then leave it alone

what this will indoubtedly do, if ur crops have come in well, is make deer stop at ur place and they become comfortable and isolated, making their home range tighter and the deer use ur property as a daytime travel en route to your feed...also try more isolated half acre to acre "hunting" plots that are relatively small

im new at this but my dad and buddies worked alot on our farm this summer and weve got lots of deer on it...we can really see the results

TheMiz54

My suggestion would be to not plant food. If Bubba123 is right and the deer are travling through your property to go from bedding to feeding. I would take a couple spots in the wooded area where there is deer trails and where your hunting and set up a few mineral holes. The deer will come from miles around to get the minerals that they would not get from the food that they have around. This will also keep them there and keep them coming back if you keep replenishing it. They will dig a big hole and you must keep supplying the mineral. This would not be too time consuming and it would problably make the deer herd healthier and grow some bigger horns around there also. Just my idea.

mossbergman11/OH

what is a good mineral source i could use?

LeftyBuckmaster

Personally you should go for providing more cover and a safe area for deer. In one of the woods I hunt in a chain of 4 woods there is a corner that is thicker than all get out and the deer always travel in and out of there almost every day. It is their bedding area. Also during gun season these woods are not pushed out until the last day toward the end and that is only if necessary due to lack of deer movement. I see a lot of people putting out food plots sure it helps but I think the whole food plot idea is a big commercialized thing. In my set of woods there are bedding areas, food sources in the form of agricultural fields, and travel corridors. I am lucky to have a setup like this but by adding cover would create a safe place for deer to get away from hunting pressure and puts them right on your land.