HELP Increase Deer Activity

[Glats109]

Have a hunting property in Gilboa area. Deer hunting is really on the decline in the region. Ive been trying to do my best to increase the deer movement in my area.

 

 

To help you get a better understanding my property is a 30 acre lot. the property goes as follows : 5 acre plot of open field

(nothing planted, cabin is located in this field), a thin tree line, followed by another back field. After the backfield is 20 acres of downhill woods. Mixture of oak and cedars. Every so often we get acorns, but not always.

 

I planted 4 crab apple trees in the back field. I am also in the process of planting a 1.5 acre clover field. 

 

I have a corn feeder set up in the woods and two mineral licks along the runs within the woods. 

 

I also have a camera set up along the thin tree line inbetween the front and back field and a feeder near the corn feeder. 

 

 

Any ideas on my set up? Suggestions?

[kubbie]

Aren't feeders and lick illegal in nys?

[apoallo]

Aren't feeders and lick illegal in nys?

i believe you can have them set up in the off season but he has to take them down and put away a few days before the opening of archery. if he is just trying to increase population and not hunting that property then he could probably get away with keeping them there all year as long as no one hunts it... but I can be wrong so dont quote me.

[burmjohn]

Feeding Deer and Mineral Licks are illegal 24/7, 365.  

http://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/7197.html

 

 

* Unless your in Sullivan County (that is still a grey area until the DEC amends the law due to a lawsuit). 

http://www.outdoornews.com/November-2012/Feeding-ban-appealed-struck-down-in-Sullivan/

 

 

Still blows my mind how many people don't know the laws. I suggest you get rid of the feeder and licks before you get yourself into trouble. Everything else your doing sounds good, clover is awesome. Planting tree's is great providing you can keep them alive till they get big enough to produce fruit. 

[Meat First]

Lol...Here we go again

[NYBuckHunter27]

bigger food plot, less feeders and mineral licks.....and a copy of the law book.

[WNYBuckHunter]

All we need now are trail cam pics from the feeders!

[Glats109]

I don't hunt over the feeder . I remove it in late August .

I didn't know that was still illegal , thanks for the heads up .

But now that everyone's done being so upset that I made a mistake , anyone have any tips or suggestions ?

[Five Seasons]

salt licks

[phade]

Create bedding/cover, food, and water.

 

If you can do this, chances are you'll have some deer call your ground home base or meander through. As far as deer numbers...the most prudent thing is trigger control.

 

You can create bedding and cover by doing some hinge cutting/timber stand improvement (TSI). Letting sunlight in often generates some tasty food and helps establish good bedding such as multiflora.

 

Look seriously at water...putting in a drinking pond can be as simple as burying a kiddie swimmer pool or one of those garden pools.

[phade]

You can also plant bedding along the field edges, too.

[Glats109]

We just had parts of the woods thinned out and made some new paths through the woods . Hopeing that helps control the movement also .

Maybe the pond is my next move

[Geno C]

feeders and mineral licks lol

 

 

[Doewhacker]

Try fencing them in, I heard that works well in conjunction with a feeder.

[G-Man]

bedding, cover example plant spruce,tall prarie grasses, hinge cutting. Make a sanctuary are that never gets walked thru,in or hunted. ex a 5 acre block of the thickest area you have or create. In my opinion this is the most overlooked part of management. if the deer have no place that they feel safe why stay there!!!! they might eat your food plots and move down the ridge a mile to safe cover. if the eat and stay on your own land you can manage them much better as well as the fact that activities will drive them to your safe area from surrounding properties. Another big thing STAY OUT OF THE WOODS!! walking your dog or driving your atv every weekend thru your place is fun but will scare game away. young dumb deer get use to your atv but older mature deer have been hunted from atvs and associate the sound with hunting. scouting should be done well before season , and stands hung/ repaired at least a month or more. I see lots of deer leave the surrounding properties and head to mine as the weekend warrriors come out and sight in guns the weekend before the season, as well as hearing hammering, and atvs ,slamming car door at camps that were vacant all year, let alone the smell of wood smoke everywhere as camps try to stay warm... deer arent dumb, i think you would leave as well if someone set up camp on your front lawn,and rode an atv thru your house!

[Five Seasons]

Look seriously at water...putting in a drinking pond can be as simple as burying a kiddie swimmer pool or one of those garden pools.

 

that's an interesting idea. I'm fortunate to have water around my spots. I can imagine you might have issues with stagnant water if you use a pool though. not to mention skeeters.

[phade]

By burying the pool under the ground level, you get rain runoff...keeps things from being too stagnant. You can also place them in areas where wind flows through to move water.

Edited May 17, 2013 by phade

[NFA-ADK]

Belo and Doewhacker that was funny!!!  Sounds like you have enough food...  I think G-Man hit the nail on the head!