What is my best option?

[Taylormike]

I have a question on what is my best option for drawing deer.  I'm having 1 acre cleared of stumps soon.  When vegetation begins to grow in the spring I'm wondering what would be best to attract deer during archery season.  I won't have time to invest in food plot here just yet.  The food plot I'm putting in is near my tree stand at the back of the property. 

 

Do you think I should let the grass grow tall and not cut it at all?  Should I keep it cut with bush hog, about 4" or so?  Should I half a$$ it and just disc it and throw some seed?  I know without having soil test, lime, fertilizer I'm probably wasting some money. 

 

Please let me know what you guys think or would do.

 

 

[Pygmy]

I'd keep it cut with the brush hog...Deer will eat a lot of the natural stuff that comes up..

It will be in better shape to plant if and when you might decide to till, fertilize and plant .

[bushnell]

If it was mine, I would just let it grow and maybe mow it once. Just my 2 cents

[G-Man]

Not enough info, do you have enough bedding already, is food lacking in your area? What is surrounding it? Are you looking just for deer or other wildlife ? Doing some thing is better than nothing, you just need to figure out what your property needs and it's not always what you want..

As for attracting deer right now they are in the thickets getting it on protecting their doe... do you have thickets? Early bow , food is number 1, but you can have the best food plot but if it's not conducive to allow them to feed I daylight it's a waste of time and money for a hunting plot, it may work as a destination feed field and be used all night but that's doesn't help you get one although it will help the herd ..

.

Edited November 18, 2015 by G-Man

[growalot]

G-Man nailed it...also golden rod...man all the food they can eat and best sign I've seen is in a small patch of golden rod...don't want a traditional food plot? ....then mow but plant Apple's..and chestnuts...allow Good bramble and or elderberry patch to grow.....any pine cover? They love bedding in pine...

[Taylormike]

Ok, too many questions and circumstance to get into a defined plan. We never have a problem seeing deer but it's used as means to cut through. I need them to want to stay around a little. I will cut it and let the green grass come up.

Edited November 18, 2015 by Taylormike

[G-Man]

Well you just answered an important one what are they cutting thru to and from.. obviously your missing what's on either end of their travel route.. that's what you need to put in.. something that will keep them there as a destination. .instead of just passing through. ..

[Bow Addict]

This season I have found that the deer love grazing on my mowed trails.

[Taylormike]

I'm thinking for the time and money, the green grass is my best option.

[JGS]

What kind of stumps? Deer will eat the shoots that pop up out of cut stumps. How are stumps being removed? Dozer or skid loader tracks will do more harm as far as grasses and Forbes popping up. I would leave the stumps, let the trees shoot and the sunlight will grow grasses and vines and briars, and like a few have already said, deer love that stuff.

[Taylormike]

JGS,

 

They are spruce trees, an old farm.  There are literally thousands of stumps.  It was actually clear cut about 5 years ago.  The tops and branches are tangled and laying on top and between the stumps.  This is about a 3 acre parcel.  We did see slight deer improvement but to be honest the deer really don't hang in it.  Can you believe all the times we've pulled up to camp and put the lights on the field we only saw deer standing in it once.  I know anything at this point will be an improvement.

 

Btw, it's not walkable.  We had to cut a 4 foot path through it with chainsaws and then brush hog it just to walk through this portion.  It's 600 feet wide so we are at a point where it has to be graded.  A 650 dozer is coming in, around 20,000 lbs.

Edited November 19, 2015 by Taylormike

[Zag]

Mike here's what my plot looked like in early October. Were part way thru clearing it out to put a traditional plot in but until then its a great food/bedding area.​

 

[G-Man]

If it's extremely acidity from spruce ,plant some chestnuts they love acid!!! No soil test or fert needed, though you will need to fence them from deer rubbing and eating them , 5 years they will produce nuts, for the rest of the ground the dozer will leave it ready for a bed of buckwheat. Year after a pasture mix will do nicely, not much cash needed ir time..

[Taylormike]

Wow, all informative and great info. Can't wait to get started this I feel is going to be a very productive fun year!!!