Farmhunter's Deer Management and Property Improvements

[farmhunter]

We had a huge doe around last summer. She made it through another season and is in this field as long as the corn holds out -wont be much longer - she's something - a real fatty!!

here's a 1.5 year old 4 point to compare - maybe 110 lbs dressed had he been taken -

Had over 3300 pictures on this camera in 2 weeks - only 4 bucks on camera here and no older ones. Had tons of turkey pics - the camera kind of got tilted with the melting snow in the middle of the set.

 

[Matt Galati]

farm hunter i am in the catskills, I would like to know what you and the other guys feel about the food vs cover ratio on our properties.

my concern with adding more and more and more food and taking away potential areas that can be let go to promote early seccesional habitat is creating an evironment where deer come to our properties at night but hide out on the neighbors edges.

Then when the neighbors come and dump their corn piles in august the deer leave our mecca of food to hit the corn piles before they dissapear knowing that they can come back to our propery as a reserve

I know this is a different idea then most have but sometimes i wonder if all this food we are planting needs to be cut in half to promote cover

 

[Elkaddict]

Matt, I think that’s in interesting question. I’ve got significant cover....and food but deer still wander off to the neighbors all to often. I suspect part of it is this is where they were taught to bed as fawns. I’d be inclined to add more corn and brassicas at this point. Of course, every property is different.

 

[farmhunter]

Hi Matt - Yes - this is a topic I've thought a lot about actually.

Our property is basically a 180 acre square. IN 1999 when we got serious, we had a 15 acre field in the center on the south border and a 5 acre field in the center on the North border (old dairy farm fields). Also a 20 yard gas line that transects the property diagonally between the two fields. Originally the property had 4 more fields that were let go in 1961 - so they have been reverting to woods ever since - and two decent hard woods and a couple old pastures (also empty since 1961), nice apples here. So we have decent cover with the "new growth" woods over that time.

We decided our 15 acre field was TOO big to maintain, and bigger than we needed for the deer - so in the early 2000s we started strategically planting pine/larch - and spruce to break it up. We currently plant or mow about 10 acres of it currently - and I think its still to big.

In my experience - the cover is nice. and we have good cover right up against the 15 acre field. The property edges are to the east and west - are pretty open - but my cousin recently logged his to the west so it should thicken up.

I think we could definitely use more thick cover (not just open hardwoods) - I think we have about 10% open fields to woods/thickets. I also think the bucks do not bed tight to the fields until late winter - and tend to bed off our property as a result - we have lots of does bedding close to the plots..

 

[Matt Galati]

I think the big problem we all get into is as we began the land management process food plots created the biggest noticeable impact on our properties. Then you couple in the lack of ag in our areas and the food plots was the greatest centralization of deer sign weve ever seen in our NY deer hunting lives.

The problem in my opinion is when rut hits these does head to the nearest best possible cover to hide from the bucks. The bucks cruise these areas as we know but we as hunters continue to focus on that food plot deer sign. The bucks use the timber to cruise and connect key points, that's where the corn piles lie. I think the does start coming to these plots later and later to avoid the bucks. Our big beautiful fields that we use to bring in the heard suddenly go quiet. I start blaming things like pressure and what not but overall I think the deer just don't use the fields the way we anticipate at that time of year.

I wonder if we compartmentilzed our food plots, lets say if you had a 3 acre food plot, you dedicated 1 to food and three to surrounding brush if we could hold the does directly on these plots resulting in the does staying closer to home and the bucks having to come to these areas to find the does.

just some food for thought...

 

[farmhunter]

Sad that you have to deal with corn piles - you shouldn't have to in NY.

I don't think that cover next to the food plots is super beneficial to the mature bucks. They know there is a lot of commotion here and for me - they tend to bed back - sometimes off the property even though the food plots are centrally located. Even when the rut is on, Mature bucks in the plots isn't common in daylight hours for me - but does in those fields is.itleyt

definitely know what you are saying, and can follow along - but I think pressure on the plots is a hunter's worst enemy. The deer, especially the mature ones fiigure it out in a hurry. They also know its safe at night.

we can shoot does off the plots, almost any night - but staging areas about 100-200 yds off the plots has been out best bet to intercept bucks - even in the rut. We aren't always successful - but we do see them here more often in shooting hours -

 

[Matt Galati]

Sad that you have to deal with corn piles - you shouldn't have to in NY.

I don't think that cover next to the food plots is super beneficial to the mature bucks. They know there is a lot of commotion here and for me - they tend to bed back - sometimes off the property even though the food plots are centrally located. Even when the rut is on, Mature bucks in the plots isn't common in daylight hours for me - but does in those fields is.itleyt

definitely know what you are saying, and can follow along - but I think pressure on the plots is a hunter's worst enemy. The deer, especially the mature ones fiigure it out in a hurry. They also know its safe at night.

we can shoot does off the plots, almost any night - but staging areas about 100-200 yds off the plots has been out best bet to intercept bucks - even in the rut. We aren't always successful - but we do see them here more often in shooting hours -

Good input . What do you plant in your staging areas ??


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[farmhunter]

Well - my favorite staging areas are sections that are East of the food plots - (remember an old article about NE corners - truer words were never written! - East and SE corners are good too in the NE.).

These staging areas include, doe bedding, overgrown Apple trees (old pasture) and ample cover - with some woody browse. The deer stack up here on the east side of the plots waiting for dusk to head to the plots. Really its the Apple draw that gets them coming - its a great situation for year round scrapes too - Deer like to hang here and scent check the field before entering. Best bow set up is the open woods corridors heading there if you can ID the best one -- all the deer are pass through deer.

I have a similar set up on the west site of my field - but its not as consistent, and a lot harder to hunt. Sure the apples are good - but the deer are so skittish going to the field - they have to sight check it. sometimes they circle it to the south - all are hard to hunt.

 

[farmhunter]

I have not had much to post about here lately - but thinking about about Spring planting - and getting some more oaks in my field (we have no oaks).

Did want to share that my cousin and I have an opportunity to pick up a pretty big - older but well cared for Backhoe for a decent price. Already thinking about all the camp and field projects we can do. Any of you all have backhoes - would be curious to hear how use them around your property -

 

[T-Max]

That's gonna come in handy!

 

[farmhunter]

I was using post image for pics - but it seems the URL addresses change over time?? if so - that isn't going to work.
a few times here I think I've mentioned our off limits - piebald doe... Patches. She was 9.5 years old last fall -and she's a joy to keep track of. She's smart, she teaches us and we know our time with her is probably getting on to the other side.

Here she is last October - It was bow season here - and I'll guarantee she full well knew what was going on this day.. for her to be up and around in daylight - I suspect we bumped her - OR - she was nearing estrous - and was getting harassed, or she lost her fawn. No way was she just hanging out in a kill plot at 9.5 years old on our farm - even if she is protected.

we go months without seeing her. Its been since February now and we hope she made it through winter. we put a couple cameras out this week where she likes to show up - fingers crossed,

 

[weekender21]

That’s really cool!


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[Triple C]

Love the video of Patches. Pretty cool having a pie-bald with such history.

 

[dtabor]

Great video. Love piebald deer. Never seen one in person.

 

[farmhunter]

going to try another image hosting site-
Here's a nice 2.5 year old in last fall's rye planting, we were both crusiing through it at the same time, I was hoping to find a fawn - he was with a couple other deer and caught me. we plan to leave it standing all summer I think

 

[farmhunter]

trimmed out an old roadway a couple weeks ago - thought this finished pic was pretty cool, Cannot bring myself to hinge cut - my dad like to ride around on the property he grew up on and enjoy the view. The road is now one of his favorites

 

[Cedar Ridge]

trimmed out an old roadway a couple weeks ago - thought this finished pic was pretty cool, Cannot bring myself to hinge cut - my dad like to ride around on the property he grew up on and enjoy the view. The road is now one of his favorites

This is a beautiful pic. Love the video and history with Patches also. She would definitely be off limits at my place as well.

 

[pinetag]

trimmed out an old roadway a couple weeks ago - thought this finished pic was pretty cool, Cannot bring myself to hinge cut - my dad like to ride around on the property he grew up on and enjoy the view. The road is now one of his favorites

Very cool picture!

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[farmhunter]

Thanks all - starting to get some wildlife pictures as summer comes on - first is a young one in the Red clover early June

Then a young buck in one of the rye plots

And glad to see some young Turkeys -

some fish in the pond -

And finally starting to see some fawns -

 

[farmhunter]

This is a beautiful pic. Love the video and history with Patches also. She would definitely be off limits at my place as well.

Patches is still MIA - last seen in late February. We had a nice thaw in FEB after a brutal cold JAN - then MARCH was really rough. Thought she looked pretty good here for almost 10 years old - but maybe one late winter blast too many - hope not!