Off Season land prep

[Hunter716]

Just curious on what everyone does during the off season in preparation for the up coming deer season... Trimming lanes/trails, hanging new treestand, up keep on existing treestands, food plots... Think im heading down next week to get some trees chopped down for fire wood/making new lanes for new treestands. And im just getting that "itch" to get down there and start working on the land. Not to mention the cabin up keep and maintenance... We plan on building a new deer hanger,(old one was just an old oak tree we had a few pulleys bolted to) pour new piers for and extention to the cabin. And what ever else pops in my head while I'm working. I'm always thinking of something new.

[kpkot]

Way too much to list... In short goals this year are to rework existing food plot, plant trees I ordered from state, and some much needed tlc on the cabin to maintain its future use.

[Hunter716]

I hear ya... I never did a food plot or planted trees.Always wanted to but we have a good size corn field bordering us and a good amount of apple and acorn trees on our land. So I just never seen the need. I'm sure it would be nice tho. I'm going to look into it more this year. We have a good spot for it, literally in the dead center part of our property. Seems like it would be a good spot to do one.

[G-Man]

Road and.trail maintenance, then tree planting, equipment fixing, slip some fishing in , already got 35 of 37 stands down in febuary.. so 2 more to get. Then plowing for plots late spring

[Hunter716]

Dam. 37 stands!?! You must have alot of acreage. I only have 3 tree stands and 2 blinds on a 60 acre plot.

[growalot]

Build at least one tower blind...cut tree's,plant the plots and garden...plant tree's,finish fencing I was doing when I tore the ALC..hunt chucks....fish from the Kayak....go to gym.

[G-Man]

I have 273 acres I own plus another 250 I have rights to hunt. Start hanging in. July done by August stay out of woods all Sept ,till Oct 1.

[genesee_mohican]

On state and private land I have a lot of stand site prep work to do, and am scouting some new land I now have access too. Time spent working on stands locations and scouting right now is time well spent. Walking around the last few days on state land I'm amazed at how last falls buck sign pops out at you with all vegetation gone. Scrapes, rub lines, trails and the big picture of last falls rutting activity is never more eye opening that right now, and finding a shed or two is another reward and piece to the puzzle. This is one of my favorite times of the year to be in the 'deer woods' so I try to get out there as much as possible. A time where one can explore bedding areas or clear out shooting lanes without worrying about disturbing deer like you would in the fall. I'm always pushing myself to find better stand locations and I want to have a few spots that I can really look forward to spending some at come October.

[growalot]

I know this sounds odd...but pulled a cam yesterday...it was a regular buck parade again...a few of the big boys made it..very thin..but have started pinicle swell already. I am not happy! After l as t year I fear I'll have the same problem yet again....Now I know corn will be the crop next to us..not sure what farms bordering our backside will do...one's had corn 3 years in a row already...the other has rotating oats/corn/hay...I won't do soybeans..looking at alfalfa/clover.

[thphm]

Can't do squat by me either tyhe ground was frozen, then it got to be brown now it is white again. The mud season started and left quick..

[Hunter716]

I pulled my camera at the beginning of Feb.. Saw few spikes but nothing great... But we always get random bucks show up come Sept- Oct. So I usually don't get concerned about not seeing much now.. Yea I'm heading down next Sunday. Hoping to not be too swampy. I'm bringing my swamp boot regardless, so it is what it is. Think I'm going to start cutting a few problem trees on the property for fire wood this coming year. Kill 2 birds with one stone... And I also have to replace straps on a few treestands. Might even move one a few trees over to get my angles right...

[Bowshotmuzzleloader]

I bought Ten acres last year with a smal cabin on it , in bottom of valley with corn fields boarding , all cedar and pines deer love it..

My friend owns a tree nursery and I am going to plant 15 apples trees and 5 pear trees that are already bearing fruit and are 8 to 10 feet tall.

My cabin has power going to insulate and make so me and the wife can go and spend the night .. Need to build a outhouse and anout a million other things but it's nice to know I have a spot of my own..

Nothing but time to make it better

[dbHunterNY]

now that the snow is melting a little and the deer can start feeding again in spots, i'll go shed hunting briefly.  also i'll try to get in where I can to small hunt plots and spray if there's anything close to green or if not then I use the cultivators.  i'll go back and plant depending the weather and what we're getting for frost.  some plots i'll frost seed in the spring early that are deeper in and others close enough I can water to start germination i'll do last in the spring.  all my stands are pulled before winter really sets in.  winter yarding can be different than fall ranges for properties I hunt and limited quality bucks might only be in certain areas of the properties but i'll look for new stand locations too.  other than that it's normal farm stuff for spring; equipment maintenance, plowing, clean up barn yard and barns to fill back up with hay, etc.  before it gets too greasy I help cut fire wood too for my parents or brother.

[ants]

The #1 thing on my list is to get rid of a big a$$ dead tree that fell across one of the trails. During deer season, we tried pulling it out with ATV's, but its just too big. It has to be cut up. 

[GreeneHunter]

I do a lot of trail maintenance and tighten up my ladder stand !