Lack of game
 

My 67 acres is abandoned strip land with a lot of trees. I have good cover, water and plenty of food for wildlife, but I am not seeing anything.

The trees are mostly wild cherry with red oak and hickory. There are grapevines and even a couple of wild apple trees. This place once had an orchard on it. Too much multiflora rose, but that does provide cover and some rose hips for food. Just can't figure out why no game. Any ideas? I would like to manage for small game, deer and turkeys.

Airedales hunt for feather or fur!

RE: Lack of game
 

Three things are needed to have quality game;
1) Food
2) Water
3) Cover
Lack of game is usually caused by one of three things;
1) Over hunting
2) Lack of nutrition
2) Too Much old growth.
You say you have food, water and cover. It sounds like a little bit of latter three. Have you tested your water for toxins? Start by fallowing some areas to plant some forage and other crops. Kill the area off and do some soil samples. Are you feeding any Vitamin/Mineral supplements? Do you live on the land? Do you know the history of the land? Any poachers?

Romans 10:9 Psalms 42

RE: Lack of game
 

Lunchbucket:
The water is spring fed and the abandoned mine pits are full of fish. I've been very careful about over hunting and have not caught any poachers. I think maybe your idea about old growth might be at least part of it. I also think the over abundance of multiflora rose is partially to blame. There are places you cannot walk through because of the multiflora rose.

Not sure about predators. There has been one big redtail hawk around and maybe a coyote on occassion. Had a lot of fox last year, also coon. Maybe I need to get out the foothold traps again. I started my outdoor writing career writing for Fur-Fish-Game, so I know how to string steel.

Airedales hunt for feather or fur!

Edited by - star1pup on 10/02/2002 15:11:11

RE: Lack of game
 

The animals may be nocturnal. Have you been looking for sign such as prints, or scrapes. A game camera might be a good investment. You may want to put a bag of corn or apples in an area with soft soil. Check for prints the next day.

Dan O.

Edited by - dan o. on 10/03/2002 09:23:49

RE: Lack of game
 

I think I'd follow Dan O.'s advise.... Put some attractant, corn, apples ect... and see what happens. If the deer eon't beat a path to the apples, you got a problem... start ridding the area of under growth in areas and start the aforementioned process.

Romans 10:9 Psalms 42

RE: Lack of game
 

I have one apple tree down near the pipeline that has dropped a bunch of apples and they are not being eaten. I do check for sign. Have a few deer tracks, but not as many as there used to be. Had a flock of 14 turkeys that I saw once in a while during the summer, but they seem to have moved on.

I am beginning to think that my main problem is the multiflora rose that has clogged many of the trails. Unfortunately, this will be a tough problem to solve. It's too big for the brush hog and cutting it by hand is asking for a blood transfusion. Chemicals that will contol it are also bad for some of the trees I want to keep.

Airedales hunt for feather or fur!

RE: Lack of game
 

It's a lot of work but a gas operated weed eater with a brush blade may be your final answer. There is a self propelled model but I think it's pricey.

Dan O.