I was thinking of brush hogging one of my fields About 7 acres. IT is surrounded by woods. The field has not been cut in 3 or 4 years. This is a picture of my property http://terraserver.homeadvisor.msn.c...=5843&z=17&w=0.. All the fields and you first see are all over grown. The top one (northern most)is the one I might cut this weekend. If you zoom out you will see the neighbors property. Should I cut it? The deer seem to walk thought my field early to get to the neighbors field to the south, next to the road. Which is kept cut. Do you think it will be better to cut it now or wait till spring. I was hopping that if I cut is soon enough I will get some new growth for gun season or muzzleloader. Or will the deer be afraid to enter the clearing? Archery starts 10/15. Gun 11/17
Thanks
eddie

Edited by - eddiee on 09/12/2002 20:49:51

Instead of brush-hogging it I'd till it in the spring and put a food plot on it.

I've had deer come out and start eating while i was still bushhogging.i will be bushhogging during the first of oct and may do some in nov. i have found that the deer can find the food better with the low grass. they feed on the stuff that is close to the ground anyway. it works for me in arkansas.

SOUTH ARKANSAS REBEL

I was out bushhogging yesterday (in VA). Got 3 fields done, still have 6 to go. The deer will start browsing in the fields that are cut. Undergrowth such as clover really starts coming back if you cut early enough. 2 fields I don't cut b/c I let them to grow thick so the deer can bed down. The other ones, I either cultivate for hay or cut for deer/geese. Like soarkrebel said, it prob. wouldn't hurt to cut in a few weeks too.

What about just cutting strips? I use to hunt a beagle club would cut paths about 15' wide. Then about 3 years later they would cut new paths and let the old ones grow. The idea is that deer and small game would feed in the cut paths and had little heavier cover close by.

eddie I would bush hog a path through your field now and set a stand near the neighbors field, deer will follow the path of least resistance and by bush hogging a path to thier food you will know exactly what path they are taking, yours! Next spring or after the season is over then I would bush hog almost the whole field leaving a few islands of thicket stuff for them to bed in.

The Tazman aka Martin Price
Founder and President of
Virginia Disabled Outdoorsmen Club

<Yoda voice>To Tazman you listen, mmmm</Yoda voice>



-Mike

MJL what is this Yoda stuff???? LOL

The Tazman aka Martin Price
Founder and President of
Virginia Disabled Outdoorsmen Club

taz,
The area stays pretty wet until early summer. The field is a bedding area for a few deer. At least until the snow falls. Which covers the golden rod and other small bushes except the briars. What about cutting the whole field except a 10 or 20 yard path connecting the two sides. This would leave me 2 150x250' fields. What do you think??

Eddie

If you cut it.....
they will come!
Bush hog it now!