1 Not planting more fruit and cover trees in the beginning. Been better to ignore foodplots if given the choice.
2 Expecting prime fescue fields to convert to sucessional growth on their own . After 8+ years found it is an evil monoculture with root density promoting only itself. Since, I have sprayed/ mowed/ shallow tilled more aggressivesly and achieved more in couple years than all the years before combined.
3 Hinge cutting too low on the stump.
As a side discussion, I agree with Okie, in that my deer love cruising big timber during the rut. They simply dont want to fight endless thickets. But remember, I am 80% timber.
Disagree on hinge cutting but you have to understand its usage. I don't see heavy usage for bedding but I do see them skirt the edges that are created, and even bedding there. Keep in mind my hinges are the infamous Random Clusters that I've described in my thread and are relatively small lots, one leading to the other with open timber between. And I've found that cutting at least chest high makes more use by the deer if they can walk beneath the timber. I hate cutting that way, and consider not very safe but it works.. I watched as a buck worked toward one of my foodplots past weekend and as he neared the plot, he left the logging road and entered the hingecut/edge feathering I had done, walking under the fallen trees and into the plot.
And I would never consider logging my place and removing vast numbers of mature mast producing trees that are 50+ yo and in their prime. And some wonder why invasives like MFR take over these areas. Without natural fire, milder weather patterns, and the heavy browse, that kind of mature timber is hard to reproduce. A variety of growth in type and ages is much more productive wo the drama of invasives.