what should i do?
 

I am going up to my 70 acre property in NY with my grandpa Tuesday.....I plan on building a tower blind and doing some weed wacking in areas. What else should I do beside just plain old scouting to prepare for hunting season? Help would be apreciated.

RE: what should i do?
 

where in NY is the property? Whenever I'm scouting I'm always on the lookout for sign and possible stand locations. You might also want to look for areas where you could plant a fall food plot, or search for ways to improve natural browse. Maybe if there are some apple trees you could prune them and give them a shot of fertilizer so they produce plenty of apples...always a whitetail favorite. If you have some stand sites picked out you might want to think about clearing a trail to help you approach them quieter.

RE: what should i do?
 

Set-up a trailcam?
Shine for deer at night in nearby fields?

RE: what should i do?
 

Plant a food plot, put in a feeder, set-up a couple ground blinds...

RE: what should i do?
 

Some very good ideads there guys. Thanks! For pruning apple trees... You meen trim them up and take off dead branchs etc. right? I have plenty of very old apple trees on the property, some of them produce some apples and other produce none to very few. Unfortuneatly I do not have the money, equipment or time to plant a food plot [:@].What do you meen by improve natural browse? I already have to trail cams set up as well.

RE: what should i do?
 

If legal put out a couple salt/mineral blocks only cost about $6 apiece at a farm store,again if legal.
Redclub

RE: what should i do?
 

I saw Larry Weishuhn at a show one time and he was saying the same thing about fertilizing the natural food trees. Keep the oaks and apples healthy, they're already there and the deer know it. Planting a food plot is good if it's done right and the weather cooperates, and feeders take constant filling, but those trees are already established and they'll be there year after year. Just get the cheapest 10-10-10 fertilizer, it's cheaper than buying bags of corn for a feeder and just think how many more acorns the white and red oaks will produce.

RE: what should i do?
 

Feeders and minerals are illegal in NY.

RE: what should i do?
 

Even outside of season they are? Darn

RE: what should i do?
 

Feeders and minerals are illegal in NY.
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Even outside of season they are? Darn
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Reason being, I believe BWB, because once season starts and blocks/feeders are removed, the deer are continually drawn to the spot for residuals. Besides, up where your at in Herkimer, you can do well without them.

This is what I would do if I were you. Find the thickest, knarley, but more importantly, most inaccessible place there is on your property, keeping in mind it may not BE the thickest or knarlyest.
In that area,[ foothills of the 'dacks } even tho the prevailing wind tends to come out of NW, I would concentrate on the area downwind of an East-northeast wind, that offers a fair amount of field of view for eyes that would be maybe 3ft off the ground. Reason I say this is that is the wind that predicates much of the nasty weather up there-nor'easters and the like-and big buck,mature buck will move out ahead on this wind for shelter. This area should be your go to spot when storms are coming. This is the spot I would look to put up something permanent, built for comfort, 'cuz you'll need it up there come bad weather.

Personally, I wouldn't be in too big of a hurry for the big permanent box stand. YET. Doesn't sound like you've quite got it down pat as far as deer movement and tendencies on that property. I know you said you guys just bought that property not to long ago, so ask around and try to find how much pressure around the property exists. Find the trails,rubs-particularly generational rubs[ year after year, same clump of trees or, for that matter, same tree.] Even look for last years scrapes, yes, you can find them now despite their age. Until I found trails,rubs,scrapes,chit,tracks,etc., basically, ample good sign, I personally would hesitate to PLACE a permanent stand.

I'll pm you with a couple of additional thoughts I just had.

RE: what should i do?
 

So crokit,you're pretty much saying, find a really thick area on the property, so when big winter storms come this is where many big bucks will bed? If thats the case, I know some pretty well areas. Last year I found somegreat rubs and scrapes on the back edge of the property... This is a pretty thick area right before a small field.I also found a pile of bear chit there too.:) Where I shot my doe last year, it is a really thick area, trails beat down to the mud consisting of mostly apple trees, about half of them still producing. I fell asleep in my stand during bow, and i wake up to a crack of my branch to my left. I look over and there was a big 8 standing there. I could never get a shot at him though.There is a 2 acre meadow on my property, about midway threw....That is where I was going to put the tower stand. To the right of the stand is a thick area where there are a few rubs. Its very hard to hunt that area though because it is so thick.. There are less noticable trails...Which meens that they are most likely "buck trails" right? Once again, thanks for the help

RE: what should i do?
 

crokit, keep the odeas coming. I do a lot but never thought about buoilding for the storm or ahead of the storm stand?? I like that ... I am in new ground in Ohio this year and looking at a nice thick bottom some small swamp, trees not real mature. I am going out in the next wekk or so to trim trails etc.

RE: what should i do?
 

Use it rarely. Watch your scent. Keeping in mind first time in stand quite often is the best.

RE: what should i do?
 

Just mho, but spot doesn't necessarily HAVE to be thick, knarly. Could be as simple as just a fairly inaccessible spot on the lee side of the wind.

Sounds like your spot has some great potential!

RE: what should i do?
 

Yah it definetly has some serious potential.. I just wish I had the money, time and equipment to make some foodplots. :( There are PLENTY of inaccessible spots on our land. There are 3 or 4 very deep ravines with pretty darn steep hills, some you cant even walk down. Would these be good spots to hunt. I think the deer actually might like these cause there are seasonal streams and protects them from the wind.?

RE: what should i do?
 

Your description has MONSTER written all over it.