Ways to attract deer in wooded areas

[TeddyBear]

Besides salt/mineral blocks, what are your thoughts on attracting deer to certain area in the woods? We don't have many open spots so a food plot is out of the question. I had thought about trying to find a few open patches around creeks, rake off, and fertilize so rainfall would drain down to those spots. Thoughts on what would be the right fertilizer given limited light.

If you are planting clover use 6-12-12 are a fertilizer with low nitrogen. I would recommend you put lime out now so it will help you fertilizer.

 

[REM7]

Heard this works...never tried it though.

 

[DoubleRidge]

Some years back I had an elderly successful hunter tell me to fertilize naturally occurring plants, such as honeysuckle and greenbrier. Go out as far as the longest limbs or vine runners and dig down 6-8 inches and use triple 13 or other fertilizers to make the plants grow and the minerals from the fertilizers will transfer to the deer. Well, I don't know if that's true but I do know that I have harvested many deer, in deep woods, using that technique.

Interesting....I've read about fertilizing select natural vegetation to increase growth of desired plants......I know in the grown up areas we bush hog strips through the deer love the briars, honeysuckle and natural grasses....they also love the edge created by bush hogging strips too.

Got off the original topic... sorry.

 

[BSK]

.....I know in the grown up areas we bush hog strips through the deer love the briars, honeysuckle and natural grasses....they also love the edge created by bush hogging strips too.

Bushogging strips through brushy regrowth is a great way to restart the growth process. And the young growth that comes back the next year will be less woody and easier for deer to digest.

But I would also suggest lightly running a disk over those strips just before green-up. Mowing and burning tend to promote grasses, which are great winter cover. But breaking the soil even a little tends to promote broadleaf weeds in summer, which are a key component of a deer's summer diet. Some weeds are nearly equal in nutrient content to a soybean plant.

 

[DoubleRidge]

Bushogging strips through brushy regrowth is a great way to restart the growth process. And the young growth that comes back the next year will be less woody and easier for deer to digest.

But I would also suggest lightly running a disk over those strips just before green-up. Mowing and burning tend to promote grasses, which are great winter cover. But breaking the soil even a little tends to promote broadleaf weeds in summer, which are a key component of a deer's summer diet. Some weeds are nearly equal in nutrient content to a soybean plant.

Interesting you mention disking....one year I bush hogged several larger strip areas tight to the ground....and ran disk over it with intentions of coming back to plant food plot......then work schedule changed and life happened and sowing plot seed never got done.....I was disappointed to say the least.......until I returned to the property many weeks later and discovered exactly what you described....leafy vegetation and natural grasses....got a couple of good rains and it looked great....and the deer really hit it hard.

Also worth noting....this method is an affordable way to create food plots... tractor fuel and time....can provide a nice return on investment.

 

[huvrman]

I had some plots bulldozed in the woods last Feb. All summer long, and before I tilled and planted, I got hundreds of pics of deer feeding in the new green growth that shot up once the canopy was opened.

 

[Safari Hunt]

Heard this works...never tried it though.
View attachment 65401

Just don't put out too much at one time unless you have a lot of deer. Being overweight can cause some health issues.

 

[Mike Belt]

I always take note of open areas in the canopy, especially after leaf drop. I plant these "patches" just before leaf drop which is why I look for these type areas. I've never done an area of any size because of this but my small "hidey hole" areas like this have produced a couple of nice bucks.

 

[tbadon]

We had a select timber cut about 13 years ago. They left all the oaks above maybe 15" diameter. It looks like a bunch of trash trees have grown back and are getting 2-4 inches now. The problem is that I'm not confident enough to know which trees to kill without any leaves on them.

Is there a good list of middle tn trees with no value and some pics of the younger trees without leaves?

You can contact your state forester that will come out and advise you on your property for free.

 

[BSK]

I don't hack-and-squirt or cut unless leaves are on so I know what I'm killing/cutting. Usually do both in late fall, just before leaves come off.