Virgin property

[ROFF]

I have access to fresh deer hunting property. The new owner is a close friend and according to the old owner it has had no legal deer hunting on it ever. It's an odd-shaped 80 acres. with pasture that has overgrown, and probably 50 acres of woods. I am wanting to put in a winter cover crop/browse. In the past, I have used turnips and Austrian winter peas with moderate success. This property is in Haywood County and is part of the CWD counties. It's about 3 miles south of the Hatchie refuge. I am checking with the group to see about recommendations on winter browse.

 

[Jcalder]

Peas are fine. Add some wheat, oats, rye….

 

[MickThompson]

I'd spend a season learning the property first

 

[cbhunter]

I like plots but not as much as I love overgrown fields! The thicker the better

 

[Remington700]

Clover would be a good choice in that area. Good luck with the property. You will find out quickly 80 acres is smaller than anticipated once you get pressure around you. I hunt 90 acres in Fayette.

 

[rem270]

I have had great success with the 7 clover plots I put in last year. I agree with cbhunter with the overgrown fields as well so maybe keep some part thick and another part a plot. Good luck. Sounds like a great place to hunt.

 

[Snake]

I like plots but not as much as I love overgrown fields! The thicker the better

Buck paradise !

 

[tellico4x4]

I'd bush hog a few narrow shooting lanes & enjoy it. One of best setups on our 3500 acres is exactly this

 

[DoubleRidge]

Echoing other recommendations.....hunt the property....learn the travel patterns and corridors, etc......grown up fields can be awesome....as mentioned bush hog some strips in late summer....the bush hog strips will green up creating attractive natural browse and improve visibility.

 

[JCDEERMAN]

Echoing other recommendations.....hunt the property....learn the travel patterns and corridors, etc......grown up fields can be awesome....as mentioned bush hog some strips in late summer....the bush hog strips will green up creating attractive natural browse and improve visibility.

I also echo what others have said. Just mow some long strips and they will flock to those areas. You could put a stand on the edge of one of those fields and mow straight out from the base of the tree in several different directions. If you are really itching to get something in the ground (and I don't know what equipment you have access to), I don't see a problem with throwing out a few pounds of brassicas in a particular pocket of a field or in one of those strips. Little to no cost, and with as much rain as we've been getting, you just never know what it could turn into. But I would try to learn how the deer are using the property first and foremost.

 

[DeerCamp]

I'd spend a season learning the property first

This!

There is nothing quite like a property with cover that hasn't been hunted. Food in that area is plentiful.

And you might discover that where you want to put the food plot changes once you see the deer behavior.

Just the act of going in and prepping food plots might be enough to run out a sneaky buck that uses that property as his core.

 

[4luey]

I'd spend a season learning the property first

This is the way!