AP deer hunter

Here is the deal. My dad and I are on this lease in east texas. We want to see how many deer are there and decide whether or not to stay over the summer. We are gonna put a big food plot in if there is enough deer. Question. Should we put a mineral lick with water neaby or bait such as soybeans or a combo of both. Any suggestions to inexpensively attract the deer for observation purposes would begreat.

P.S.Wewill use a game camera

Thanks a lot!

louddrummer69

Corn, you'll see alot more deer with corn guaranteed

North Texan

You don't necessarily need to put the mineral or bait near the water. Deer will utilize each one at seperate times, and by not placing them all in one spot, you will encourage deer to utilize more of your land rather than concentrate all their activities at one location. When their activities become too concentrated, they will overutilize the forage in that area, while forage in other areas is underutilized.

To get a true estimate of the population, you really can't rely on data obtained at points of concentration.

AP deer hunter

Thanks guys, I wasn't gonna put them all in one area. We're not trying to get an exact number, just interested in the quality of the deer and general numbers. I don't want to do corn because it doesn't do anything except attract the deer. I want to draw them in while giving them something that is going to help them, not just fill their stomachs.

farm hunter

I disgree with bait - but think a lick is a great choice for observing deer with a Game cam.

deer (especially older, wary deer) tend to ignore bait - when they are on their way to a food plot - usually at night.

Locate a lick in cover - hopefully in staging area - justoff the food plot. DO not put the lick on the field - it will not get visited much.

FH

AP deer hunter

Maybe you didn''t understand. We want to pull deer in before we decide to plant a food plot. Wewant to decide whether or not there isenough deerto make planting a food plot worth it. Thanks guys.

jeg3455

JUST FROM WHAT I HAVE READ ABOUT THE AREA AND FROM HEARSAY EAST TEXAS DOESN'T QUITE HAVE THE DEER POPULATION THAT OTHER AREAS OF THE STATE HAVE. I HAVE SEVERAL STUDENTS WHO HUNT AROUND THOSE PARTS AND THE DEER ON AVERAGE JUST DON'T GET VERY BIG. DON'T GET ME WRONG I AM NOT KNOCKING THE AREA AT ALL BECAUSE THERE ARE SOME TREMENDOUS BUCKS (RACK AND WEIGHT WISE) TAKEN ON OCCASION IN THIS AREA PLUS SOME PARTS TEND TO HAVE HIGHER POPULATIONS THAN OTHERS.............I THINK THE MINERAL LICK WOULD BE OK BUT I DON'T THINK YOU WILL GET THE DESIRED RESULTS YOU ARE LOOKING FOR UNLESS YOU WERE TO PUT OUT A NUMBER OF THESE IN DIFFERENT AREAS (THAT WOULD PROBABLY BE OK), AS FAR AS SOYBEANS SOMETIMES DEER WILL NOT TAKE TO THEM RIGHT AWAY AND YOU HAVE TO MIX IT WITH SOMETHING ELSE LIKE CORN AND GRADUALLY INCREASE THE SOYBEAN AND REDUCE THE CORN. (I WOULD CHECK WITH OTHER HUNTERS IN YOUR AREA AND SEE WHAT TYPE OF SUPPLEMENTAL FEED THEY HAVE SUCCESS WITH) I KNOW WE HAD THIS PROBLEM WITH PROTIEN AND IT TOOK SOME TIME BEFORE THE DEERWOULD JUST EAT STRAIGHT PROTIEN............HOWEVER IF POSSIBLE, I THINK YOU WOULD SEE THE GREATEST RESULTS WITH PLANTING A FEW SMALL FOOD PLOTS AND DRAWING DEER IN THIS WAY. I KNOW YOU WANT TO DRAW THE DEER IN FIRST BEFORE PLANTING A LARGER FOOD PLOT BUT YOU MAY NOT HAVE ANY WAY AROUND IT IN ORDER TO PULL DEER INTO YOUR AREA, PLUS IN MY PERSONAL OPINION I THINK THAT YOU WOULD HAVE BETTER RESULTS BY PLANTING SEVERAL SMALL PLOTS (1-2 ACRES) THAN PLANTING ONE BIG PLOT. IT WOULD HELP IF WE KNEW HOW MANY ACRES YOU WERE HUNTING ON. REGARDLESS I WISH YOU THE BEST OF LUCK AND I HOPE THIS HELPS........

AP deer hunter

Thanks man. I know what you mean about deer population but as to size, I can't complain. Nothing like south tex and certainly nothing like up north in terms of body size. But definitely huge compared to the hill country where we also hunt. As to food plot size the first one will be probably about 1-2 acres anyway since this would be my first one. Our lease is 3800 acres and we get three spots each. The reasonI really didn't want to put a food plot in immediately is because there are 38 lease members who are each allowed 4 deer. Overhunted! Except, that most of the guys aren't serious hunters so they so not take their full limit. There really are only a handful of hard hunters. But we will be shopping around for a different lease that enforces antler restrictions ( our lease has them but some guys will just shoot a forkhorn in spite of the rules[:@]) and is more management focused. Also we aren't getting the lease for the rack size (although one every once in a while would be nice), the main reason is convenience. 30 minutes from our house to the front of the lease. We can hunt the area much more often. My goal is to attract but also to provide nutrition in my food plots since east texas has so much forage the deer can fill their bellies up but lack nutrients required for bigger racks and healthier deer. Our sole purpose is to help the deer and see more of them.

Hawgnman

A mineral link is a good place to get pix of deer from late spring through velvet stage. I had really good activity at my lick this past year in September. I didn't have the camera there earlier in the year.

Pix at http://www.racksnspurs.com/click on photo gallery.

North Texan

Have you thought about doing some spotlight surveys. We've done a couple, and a helicopter survey, but you probably don't want to pay for that, yet.