New Hunter

[dawgfandeerhunter]

Good Evening Everyone,
My name is Chance Tipton. I'm 20 years old and new to the page. I'm looking forward to learning some information from y'all that have been successful and unsuccessful hunting and with food plots. This is my second year hunting on my own so I've definitely got much to learn and just want to soak up as much knowledge as I can. I live in South Georgia but hunt at family property in middle Georgia. Me and one other guy are the only people that hunt it and he usually just sticks to one field. The property is about 150 acres or so with a little bit of everything on it, hardwoods, pines, a little bit of swamp, and 2 fields that are probably 1-1.5 acres a piece. There has been grass planted in both fields in the past although I'm not sure what kind and the deer do seem feed on that fairly regular. Also there's a decent amount of acorn producing trees.

So basically at this point before the season (7/16) I've done a little scouting trying to find bedding and things like that. I put out a salt lick and a couple cameras to take inventory of what all I've got in the area and so far I've gotten some good bucks on camera coming through but not all regularly show face. I also plan on sticking a couple feeders out in the coming in the coming weeks.

My question is, what can I do to maximize my chances of getting a good buck this fall even though we are getting close to the season? Like can I still plant a food plot or should I just put out a couple corn feeders or both? Do I really need to narrow down where these deer are bedding and hunt in between them and the food sources or just hunt the food sources?

Thank y'all in advance.

 

[Native Hunter]

I would hunt between bedding and feeding and do it in such a way that the deer don't feel pressured and know that they are being hunted. That means hunting the wind properly, hunting smart and not spooking deer when you are going into or coming out of the stand. You can seldom accomplish that by hunting right at the food source or right at the bedding area.

It's not too late for you to put out plots. If you have good rains, you will get germination quickly, and young, tender food is the best draw. If nothing else, you could do straight wheat, which is pretty easy and very attractive to them.

I can't stress enough about the pressure when hunting mature bucks. That even includes parking your vehicle at a place where you won't be spooking them with your headlights or a door slamming. Even your nearby neighbors hunting wrong can affect your hunting as much as it does theirs, so keep that in mind too.

PS - I doubt the deer are eating the grass to any significant degree. They are finding desirable forbs (broadleaf weeds) down in the grass that they like.

Good Luck.

 

[yoderjac]

Good Evening Everyone,
My name is Chance Tipton. I'm 20 years old and new to the page. I'm looking forward to learning some information from y'all that have been successful and unsuccessful hunting and with food plots. This is my second year hunting on my own so I've definitely got much to learn and just want to soak up as much knowledge as I can. I live in South Georgia but hunt at family property in middle Georgia. Me and one other guy are the only people that hunt it and he usually just sticks to one field. The property is about 150 acres or so with a little bit of everything on it, hardwoods, pines, a little bit of swamp, and 2 fields that are probably 1-1.5 acres a piece. There has been grass planted in both fields in the past although I'm not sure what kind and the deer do seem feed on that fairly regular. Also there's a decent amount of acorn producing trees.

So basically at this point before the season (7/16) I've done a little scouting trying to find bedding and things like that. I put out a salt lick and a couple cameras to take inventory of what all I've got in the area and so far I've gotten some good bucks on camera coming through but not all regularly show face. I also plan on sticking a couple feeders out in the coming in the coming weeks.

My question is, what can I do to maximize my chances of getting a good buck this fall even though we are getting close to the season? Like can I still plant a food plot or should I just put out a couple corn feeders or both? Do I really need to narrow down where these deer are bedding and hunt in between them and the food sources or just hunt the food sources?

Thank y'all in advance.

I would avoid salt/mineral licks and feeders. They don't benefit deer and there are better ways to attract them. There are disease related issues with these as well.

Attractive food is very overrated when it comes to mature bucks. Except for the rut they error on the side of security. Heavy cover and very low human activity are keys to mature buck use, especially when hunting pressure mounts in the area.

There are differences in how we manage for quality deer and how we improve hunting for mature bucks.

There is plenty of good reading regarding habitat management and hunting.

For most folks, our objectives change over time. Have fun and enjoy the outdoors!

 

[9x56MS]

The one very important thing I see missing from your efforts so far is taking prevailing wind direction into you efforts and plans. The #1 thing that will get you busted is if the deer smell you. Big bucks are very cautious and they do use the wind to scent check feeding and doe bedding areas. I would check that swamp area for single beds as big bucks like to bed where they will not be bothered. During bow season in GA they will move from the swamp to the acorns to feed. From what I know of central GA it it pretty flat. If you have any raised ridges that could be a favored buck bedding area. Keep your eyes out for old scrapes and rubs as they can help you a certain buck travel trails. Good luck and post some pics of what you see as they may help with further tips. I have hunted deer and hogs in northeast GA near Sparta and also northwest GA in the Calhoun area.

 

[Drycreek]

I mostly agree with what’s been said, and strongly agree that disturbing deer, does or bucks, will keep you hunting but not killing. Under the right conditions, you can hunt on a food plot, especially firearm hunting, without disturbing deer. Everything has to be in your favor though. You must get to your stand with the wind in your favor and be pretty sure that very few deer are gonna get behind you. That’s hard to accomplish in many places and the deeper you are in the woods, the harder it is. For an example, on one place I hunt, my rifle stand is on the S side of my food plot, about forty yards from the closest end of it. A major highway is about 200 yards to my back and a house is on my side of the highway. The traffic is almost nonstop in the mornings when I go to my stand and I’m able to park my truck 150 yards or so from my stand. Due to the traffic, the deer never hear me drive in and I drive in without lights when I’m able to. I can walk right up to the back of my blind and get in with deer in the plot. Several times as it got light enough to see I’ve had deer feeding. If the highway wasn’t that close I probably couldn’t do that, but that highway was there when those deer were born and they are used to it. I never hunt except with a N or NW wind. Any other wind I’ll hunt another blind.

At home I have much the same setup except that my house is about 350 yards from my blind. It also requires a N or NW wind and I won’t hunt it with any other wind. I have to be a little more cautious there because deer sometimes do get behind me, but not very often. It sits almost at the crest of a hill, and in the mornings when warm air is rising, my scent will go over their heads for a good distance. In the afternoons, if I have a good wind I’ll hunt until dark. If the wind stops blowing as it starts to lose light, I will get out of the blind because I know as it cools off my scent is gonna drift down into that food plot. I access that blind with a golf cart, and it doesn’t disturb them because they can’t hear it. I’m able to walk right up to that blind and get in it unnoticed also. Both blinds are in cover.

This was pretty long winded but by way of demonstrating how important it is to me that I don’t let deer know I’m there. The doe you scare may have a buck following her that’s out of sight, and you just scared him too !

Native Hunter gave excellent advise on what to plant for a first fall plot, and these guys can answer just about any question that you have on habitat managing, food plots, and the like. Good luck !

 

[buckdeer1]

Between this site and www.habitat-talk.com you will find most of your answers