eddiee

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 20:44:47

farm hunter

eddie - is your land in NY State? Those hunting dates sound
like NY dates.

I'd carefully chose a section or sections of the field to mow this year. The deer likey feel secure traveling throught the tall grasses and berry bushes to get to where they feed, I would not want to mow in what appear to be "high tavel" corridors, not without a good food plot on my property.

Mowing a fallow section, then fertilizing and/or liming is sometimes referred to as a "poor man's food plot". Deer will definitely search out new growth of wild forbs, and even some common weeds if the growth is young enough. In addition, if you toss out a hundred lbs of 15-15-15 fertilizer per acre, you will make the tender growth over the next month or two that much more attractive to deer.

They will not pass up a farmers alfalfa field to feed here, but it will definitely be better than an unmowed field. Still, make sure you leave a good section (and a huntable one) maybe in a low section, or dip, in the field, to offer some security to deer traveling through.

Next spring, I'd plan on a plot or two of your own. A plot of even one acre will do wonders for holding deer on your property. If you do not want to plant the entire field, strategically pick a good corner, to help you funnel some deer.

Good luck

lunchbucket

Ditto FH. You might want to start working an area for next year. Mow, fertilize and lime...

Romans 10:9 Psalms 42

Sven

Pick a spot near a stand location and mow an opening in it. The fresh shoots of grass and weeds will give the deer something to much on. Another trick is to mow 1 or 2 paths through the weeds. Don't just mow a straight line, but snake it around a little and go past one of your stand areas. Deer will use these mowed paths as trails.

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Knox County, IL