Author Topic: improving 80 acres? (Read 707 times)

buckslayer · « **on:** December 02, 2004, 07:48:08 AM »

i've got 80 aceres of mainly thick brush to hunt and i want to get more deer going through it. it in between two fields(every other year is corn or soybeans) but it looks like the deer use some but not all the time. there are no other hunters nearby so i won't be ''taking deer'' from other hunters. i'm thinking about a hanging feeder w/ corn and deer pellet mix, some salt blocks, and mybe some Stump Likker, and a small(1/4 acre) food plot(probley clover). will the deer find this? will they use it? this will be for the spring/summer and fall of next year. i will also have a trail cam to see when the deer are moving. will this work?

?
THANKS for any info!!!!!!
:twisted:

dukkillr · « **Reply #1 on:** December 02, 2004, 11:08:40 AM »

i've used corn feeders to draw deer onto property they otherwise wouldn't frequent. I've had great results with On Time Feeders, and have found their "Life Time Feeder" to be very tough. They build them tough and repair them if they fail. They also have actual humans (americans no less!) who answer their customer service calls.

I've used salt with marginal results. I don't think it draws deer like corn.

Lawdog · « **Reply #2 on:** December 02, 2004, 12:36:26 PM »

buckslayer,

Just be sure to check your game laws on the use of feeders and plot planting. Lawdog

trophyhunter · « **Reply #3 on:** December 02, 2004, 12:38:40 PM »

Like he said salt will not draw them like food plots but i think if your going to put out some salt get mineral salt so it can help in antler development. also for a good crop theres a product called buckwheat and it works great my friend put it out for his bees and they cant hardly get it to grow for the deer eating it. they plant it at different times so the bees always have something flowering. During blackpowder season he counted 47 deer in it at one time. if you can get it i think its a good start to drawing the deer in.

freddogs · « **Reply #4 on:** December 07, 2004, 11:04:08 AM »

Around here the deer like alfalfa or clover better than other crops some of the time. A long shooting lane seeded with clover would be good. Deer like thick stuff to hide in but it's tuff to see them in there.

safetysheriff · « **Reply #5 on:** December 12, 2004, 02:56:23 AM »

I'd go with the clover and the alfalfa for drawing in deer. The salt block will not help late in the year with keeping them there from what I've seen. Soybeans and acorns will keep deer on your property if they feel safe.

SS'

James B · « **Reply #6 on:** December 12, 2004, 10:39:22 AM »

Feeders are not legal where I hunt. However planting alfalfa is. I have 80 acres that I had a nieghbor plant alfalfa for me. He gets the hay and I get the deer. So far this year we have taken six deer from it and could have taken more. I don't know what kind of lang you have there buut we broke up about half of my 80 and planted alfalfa. I have three deep river break draws that come up through my land.

rockbilly · « **Reply #7 on:** December 13, 2004, 04:29:56 PM »

BUckslayer, Adding feed -plots or feeders to any plot of land will normally increase the number of deer you see, but this is not always true. If there is plent of natural feed, they may not hit your spots.

We feed year round, sometimes they come to the buffet, sometimes they avoid it for months. Its awful dry here most of the time, when we have lots of rain like we did this past summer and fall it makes a good acorn crop. When the acorns start hitting the ground, they don't come to the corn. I even mix a Purina Game feed with the corn, it doesn't help much. I've had good luck with mineral blocks and Paymaster Feed Blocks. I have seen them wipe a feed block out over night, normally they last a week or so. The mineral block is mostly salt, but also has all the good stuff to help produce big anthlers. I always keep several of them out.......