sanctuary options???
 

I have about 12-15 acres that is currently just grass and small (1'-3') cedar trees. It isn't real thick right now, but there are literally hundreds of cedars growing up and so it should become thick in a few years. I was wondering if I should plant anything to help make it a better sanctuary area in the long run, or if I should just let it go. Some specific plants I have been wondering about range from white pines to prairie grasses to cottonwoods and oaks. Any suggestions and ideas are appreciated.

RE: sanctuary options???
 

im from cape cod ma and around here when the wind gets blowing they head for the cedars. sounds like you have a good spot, you could beef it up more but it sounds like you dont need 2. I wouldnt put oaks in ther bc then the Big boy wouldnt have any reason to leave....:D

RE: sanctuary options???
 

That is a good point. I hadn't thought of that.

RE: sanctuary options???
 

if you wanted some fast groewing trees try some hybrid poplurs, but i would try and put some bushes with berries and trees with somekind of mast on them, to help keep them there

RE: sanctuary options???
 

I would plant mast trees in some of the open areas. It's OK to have a sanctuary but the deer have to come out of to eat. Unless you enjoy using buckshot at close range a cedar grove is only part of the equation. What type of shooting are you hoping to do? Rifle, bow ?

Dan O.

RE: sanctuary options???
 

I would try tobushhog out a couple of shooting lanes now before the cedars get too big and plant good food plots just outside the cedar thicket. The deer generally stage up in the thicket area before dark and you should be able to get some good shooting in your shooting lanes inside the thicket before dark.

RE: sanctuary options???
 

I only hunt with a bow if that helps any.

Originally I was notconcerned with hunting this area. It is a 12-15 acre chunk of a 170 acre farm, and it is right in the middle of the farm. My thought was if I could get the deer to bed, hang out in it, and feel safe in it I can hunt them on the edges of it and in other areas of the farm. This area butts up to 8 acres I have in alfalfa on the east and what will be a large corn field to the north and west. To the south is 35 acres of hardwoods.

Timbercruiser, you make a great point about shooting into it from the edges for those last minutes of light.

These are great ideas. Please, keep them coming.

RE: sanctuary options???
 

First off let me start by saying that i love to help people with these types of questions. This is what i am putting the next three years of my life towards(one down).

So here goes,
First, you have a great opportunity with this open space in the property. It sounds like you have plenty offood on the property, but what is between this security cover thatyou are building and the food? I get the feeling it is enclosed by woods(which is good) but i could be wrong.

To address your firstquestion i would say let the cedars do their work, along with making the edges of the surrouning woods (assuming there are) jagged. by doing this different grasses willnaturally grow in along the woods line, making this area very attractive to deer, thus creating a transition or staging area for the deer to use before going to feed.

Now that you have food, security, and transition areas its time to funnel the deer to the food. To do this iwould suggestcreating a cover pinch. This is simple but could take some time to develope. All you would need to doisplant trees such as the poplarsthat have already been mentioned orif perssimons grow in your part of the state those would also be good(they don't growwellin my part of the state[:o]). Plant these in a triangular pattern, with the point of the triangle pointing to the center of the thicket and the base aimed at the corn or alfalfa. Thedeer will naturally use this because theywill want to stay as close to the cover as possible for as long as possible.

Do not cut shooting lanes through this clearing. This should be a spot that islow impact hunted on the edges.You should avoid going in at all costs unless you are tracking a deer or something to that nature. Doing this should keep the deer very comfortable and in their regular rutines.

If there are not woodsaround this clearing let me knowbecause what i have just discussed will need some tweaking.

Hope this helpsand good luck!

RE: sanctuary options???
 

popeandyoungchaser, Those are some great ideas that I had not thought of at all. I really like creating the transition areas you mentioned as well as the funnel creation. You all are great. Thank you for all of the thoughts that I can now try to get to work. I wouldn't have thought of many of these and I think they will all make it much better.