What deer hunter hasn’t
dreamed of owning a sprawling 10,000-acre plantation? Of land so far-reaching it
would take years to even scout its entirety? Of habitat so perfect the Master
deer hunter must have laid it out himself? His own land where Boone &
Crockett bucks are common?
Unfortunately,
only a handful of lucky hunters ever see such a dream come true. In real life,
statistics show that the average whitetail hunter hunts a piece of property
smaller than 500 acres and never sees a record book whitetail except in
pictures.
Most
hunters have given in to the premise that, saddled with limited hunting acreage
and funds, a mediocre hunting experience is something that you just have to live
with. Those same hunters are convinced that only a lot of land and lots of money
can change that.
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Don’t tell that to Ohio’s Rusty Anderson, who took a 10-point typical, that scored 181 1/8 Boone & Crockett points from his 40-acre hunting tract this past season. Don’t tell that to Wisconsin’s Steve Kravick, who last season took a 15-point buck that grossed 197 3/8 Boone & Crockett points and weighed 320 pounds. Kravick’s buck, which was taken by a bow, came from a 34-acre hunting tract.
Everyone
knows that a strategically planned and well-maintained private lake can produce
more trophy bass than a reservoir hundreds of times its size, but few realize
the same can hold true of intensely managed small hunting tracts. Small tracts
may have a problem competing with large tracts in quantity of deer, but quality
deer is a completely different matter.
Keep
in mind that, like truck drivers, whitetail deer seek out the best places to
eat. Also keep in mind that, like traveling businessmen, they seek out the most
comfortable and safest places to stay. By remembering those two examples, the
smart 500-acre landowner can legally suck away whitetail deer from 3,000-acre
farms that completely surround him.
Start by looking at
topographic maps and aerial photos of your property. What does your property
offer that is enticing to quality deer? What does it lack? Plusses are heavy
oaks in low lying areas, creeks or rivers, natural funnels such as gaps between
mountains and hills, small strips of land without timber, small openings in
timber and a good deer population on adjoining land. Negatives include large
tracts of standing pines, an abundance of huge pastures, woods overgrown with
briars and small trees, an unchecked coyote population and open land surrounding
your property.
Where
to start? One of the cheapest management tools is fire. Controlled burning done
properly is the first step in good wildlife management. A “cool” fire
destroys years of leaf accumulation without damaging the trees. The fire rids
the forest floor of briars, weeds, and finger-size trees that hamper a deer’s
movement and his desire to live on your property. Such a fire adds valuable
nutrients to the soil and opens the forest floor to new growth that will serve
as part of your deer herd’s food supply.
Burning
done improperly is dangerous, however, and can result in destruction of your
property and the property of others. Burn only after obtaining a permit from the
proper authorities. Your local forest service agent can give recommendations for
burning and instruct you as to the proper conditions when a slow, “cool”
fire is possible.
The
second step is enhancement of bedding areas. Keep in mind that trophy bucks
prefer thick cover and the thickest cover is usually found in wetter areas. If
you have swamps, wetlands, lowlands and creeks, you’re off to a good start.
Avoid any urges to clear these areas. Instead, plan ahead and cut narrow paths
into these areas in spring, keeping tree stand placement and routes to nearby
food plots in mind. By doing this in spring, deer will settle down and will be
using these paths when hunting season begins.
The
third step is locating natural food sources on the property. A good tree
identification book is valuable here. Locate mast-bearing trees like white oaks
and red oaks and fruit-producing trees such as muscadines, plums, etc. Several
products are on the market specifically designed to fertilize these food sources
and increase their output. Other whitetail favorites like honeysuckle can also
be fertilized cheaply.
The
forth step is planning locations for your supplemental food plots. These food
plots should range in size depending on their location. Large food plots are
best for they can withstand the brunt of the feeding activity during the spring,
summer and early fall months when whitetails are not pressured and will readily
walk into open fields. Trophy bucks will feed in these areas during the
off-season – probably at night – secure in the number of deer using the food
plot.
Smaller
green fields on the edges of woods, and in woods openings, are a must, too,
because bucks are more likely to feed in smaller confines when the season
arrives and hunting pressure begins.
Like
a retail business, the secret to good food plot placement is location, location,
location. No trophy buck is going to walk across 200 yards of open pasture to
reach a food plot. No trophy buck is going to leave his bedding area and walk
through a half mile of open woods to a food plot.
Design
and place food plots as to be in short distance of the safety of good cover.
The
final step is the most important. Rye, oats, wheats and other common food plot
choices are good for drawing bucks out of the woods to shoot them, but are
virtually worthless as crops capable of producing trophy deer. These crops are
winter crops, which do not provide high-protein levels during the critical
200-day antler-growing period.
Imperial
Whitetail Clover, which has been proved by experts to be capable of producing
high levels of protein year-round, is the best food plot choice for areas
accessible by tractors, tillers and other planting equipment and is the most
preferred food plot choice by deer. Imperial No-Plow is an excellent choice for
food plots in wood openings and other land not accessible by planting equipment,
or small landowners who lack planting machinery.
