Hunting Forum

Hi All,

My brother and I own 70 acres in NW Wisconsin & we're looking for ideas.

Always had good N/S deer movement until they clearcut the 40 north of us. Since then, the deer tend to stay in the woods north of the clearcut. We have several food plots, lots of soybeans, some clover & some alphalfa, sometimes turnips. We know that there's nice bucks traveling our property, but even if we stay away, almost all deer travel is at night. We use several stock tanks to provide water hoping to help hold the deer. I have a pond 1/2 dug which I think will help and several years ago we had some trees cut in order to open up and provide more under growth. I'm thinking that we need more cover to provide better bedding because we just don't see beds anymore.

Any thoughts out there? Should we plant some evergreen bushes? What else should we do in NW Wisconsin?

Thanks,
Don

 

I am sure the deer are hesitant to cross that opening during day light, unless the clear cut 40 was turned into farming land in my opinion nothing you can plant is going to grow up as fast as that clear cut. With in a year or so the deer will probably spend more time in that new growing thickets than anywhere else and it will be back to the bridge it once was to your food plots. If you are intent on doing something and have an area with non mast producing or junk trees you could try some hinge cutting for a quick way to provide some thick cover for those big bucks to take refuge in. Here is a little link to hinge cutting if you don't know what or how to do it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvYXo1FCCzI . hope this helps

Hinge cutting is a great idea. Years ago the inside corner where I have my favorite stand was so thick with storm dropped trees that nobody else wanted to hunt that corner. It became my favorite because I always saw lots of deer and deer beds there. I know that when the neighbors drive the clearcut, they almost never move a deer. Don't know if that's because it's too thick to get them up or if the deer don't like it either.

I'll have to give some thought to the best area & with trees I can sacrifice.

Thanks for the idea.

Don

Totally agree with hinge cutting. It works. I have had the best luck planting any type of native grass to act as bedding cover in proximity to the hinged cut trees. If allowed plant some food plots to hopefully attract and hold them. A federal program (a stupid handout) that is being utilized in Kansas actually pays the landowners to plant native grass along the edges of tree lines.

I would suggest you consider planting some mast producing trees that aren't available nearby. I'm sure you have heard of planting oak varieties. What about planting hazelnut or northern pecan? Appeal to their taste buds and they may respond. Maybe an apple or two. Some varieties drop late in the year.

About 40-50% of our trees are oaks, both red & white. Our land is heavily wooded & we'd have to cut an area to be able to plant more, or give up a food plot. Even then, if we can't get them to bed on our land, I think that we would continue to only get trail cam pictures of deer at night.

Have you ever thought of planting aplle tree's ? it sound's like you have oak's and I if food plot's are not the solution some apple tree's can help. Although they are not an instant fix they will produce in a few years and are reasonable to plant. I have three on 12 acres and when the aplle's begin to fall the deer are on them I also have a pear tree . And plan on planting at least four more apple tree's this year I have seen them for around $20

Just because you're only getting pictures at night, doesn't mean the deer aren't there during the day time. Figure out the travel patterns, and set your stands based on those. If the land is heavily wooded as you state, the odds are the deer are bedding in blow downs and thick areas near those travel routes.

lets see lots of food and water ...good hard mast open and thick timber...but night pics....find those travel lanes and set up between where you think they enter and the food and water....Do you set up in the very best thermals?...do you make sure your plots are surrounded by native browse and cover? And a good balance of spring through fall soft mast is very important....spring native grasses and clovers...cherries...mulberries...blue berries, brambles apples,pears ect......here we have elderberries both human edible and non....The deer love the non edible ones that blossom and fruit in the fall....also they are the first to sprout leafs in the spring and hold rather plump buds through the winter....well not here...for they will take an 8ft bush and browse it to 3-4ft by spring....If you don't have pines...I'd plant some...wht pines the best but need protection, concolor is the same(deer browse and or rub both heavily) ...Norway if you have room...just make sure they are set as to not end up shading every thing.