Creating Habitat
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Hunter from OK asks:Bill, We have several areas that were affected by a flood many years ago. As a byproduct,we have many stands of immature cottonwood trees (along the river). These stands are anywhere from 8ft to 20ft tall and the trees are very densely confined - close to one another; sometimes several stacked in within a foot or two of one another. I'd like these trees to mature quickly so that I can hang stands in them etc. I assume it would help a lot if I thinned down the numbers. Any advice on the ideal spacing for maximum growth? Thanks for all you do. I just ordered your book for a friend of mine as a Christmas gift! Best, HunterWinke Responds:Hunter, I would give yourself at least ten feet between trees. As they get bigger, they will likely grow better with even more space, but that will get you to the size you want fairly quickly. They should put on nearly 1/2 inch to 1 inch in diameter each year. Literally, in five years you could be hunting in some of the taller ones if you will release them now. Good luck. Merry Christmas. (12-15-11)
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Justin from MO asks:I am looking to create some thickets on my property and i am looking for suggestions on the best browse/cover options to plant. The property has been logged within 5 years by the prior owner which has created a good start to implementing a TSI program but there is still al ot of work to be done. I am looking at doing some further Hinge cutting and browse/cover planting on roughly 2-3 acres. The surronding area is 600+ acres of hardwoods and i am looking to create the thickest cover around along with a 1-2 acre food plot for food and edge presence. Do you have a personal preference on what to plant? What are the best times to hinge-Cut and plant? Love the website, thank you for your input!Winke Responds:Justin, I think nature will take care of itself when it comes to undergrowth in those areas that were opened up by logging. It is going to be really hard for you to compete with what is already there anyway unless you kill it. I would let nature takes its course. Ideally, some nice young oaks will be released to grow faster too, along with some undergrowth that will jump up. Best time to hinge is during the winter. The trees are pretty much dormant then. Be sure to focus on trees of little econmic value or browse value. Adding the food plot is a great idea. Something 1/2 to 1 acre is perfect. You can rotate that between brassicas like Frigid Forage Big N Beasty and clover blends. Every other year I would switch it to brassica or I would plant half to clover and 1/2 to the Big N Beasty and then after two years, rotate them. Good luck. Sounds like a good project. Merry Christmas. (12-15-11)
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Nick from ND asks:I have a 1,700 acre farm that has a small river that runs through it, the property has small rolling hills. There are hardly any trees on the property there is about 1100 ac. of corn and the rest is a mix of really good cover and poor cover on the hill tops and hill sides. I have about 8 acres of corn that we leave standing for food plots. What do you think we can do better to keep deer on the property so the bucks can get mature & the neighbors don't shoot them? We have been planting a lot of trees, and have tried to keep a spot for the deer so they don't get pressured(15Ac). We haven't shot a buck in 3 falls and it doesn't seem like we are getting any older class deer to stay around. Any suggestions? Most of the bucks seem to be 120 - 140 range and no older than 3.5yrs. We have seen some bigger bucks but the never stay on the property they are just passing through during the rut.Winke Responds:Nick, It takes time to get things like this working. I would say on the surface you might need more food. I would focus on having about five to eight acres of clover scattered around in small plots (if you can find little corners to grow it) and then leave a bit more grain in the fall/winter. I would also have a few small plots of brassicas like Big N Beasty from Frigid Forage to give the deer some diversity and give you a few more places to hunt them. Next, you have to go to work on the marginal acres - the spots that aren't good habitat but also aren't producing food for the deer or income for the farm. Planting acorns is one option, a few patches of switchgrass can also imporove the habitat. You just need to maximize every acre as best you can. Then it is just a matter of talking the neighbors and little by little trying to get them to let the young bucks walk. Some of your neighbors will go along with it and others won't, but anything you can do will eventually produce the kinds of bucks you are looking for. It takes time. Good luck and Merry Christmas. (12-12-11)
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Jim from IL asks:HI BILL I JUST READ HERE THAT YOU USE CAVE-IN-ROCK SWITCHGRASS FOR YOUR CRP. I PLAN ON REPLANTING MY 10AC CRP FIELD. DO YOU A MIX OTHER SEEDS ALONG WITH CAVE-IN-ROCK SWITCHGRASS SEED OR JUST THE CAVE IN ROCK SEED. THANKS JIMWinke Responds:Jim, I have about 25 acres of it, roughly, on this farm. I once planted 250 acres on another farm I was part owner of. It works fine as a solid stand. Find a local seed grower and try to work with him directly as they know better than anyone how to get a good stand. The dealers may or may not be able to help, but the actual seed grower can tell you exactly what to do in your area. The dealers will know who the local growers are. Good luck. (12-4-11)
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Tim from IL asks:Not a question but an answer to previous question on planting acorns. The tool you describe building sounds like a hand corn planter. If you google "hand corn planter" you can find all kinds of antique or new ones. I think these would work well for acorns. I use them in my job for "hand jabbing" corn and you can do alot in one day. I love the show, TimWinke Responds:
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Jarred from OH asks:Is there a minimum amount of acreage required for successful TSI/ direct nut seeding or can one take an approach similar to micro plots? For instance, if you have a 5 acre open woodlot, would 1-2 acres of direct nut seeding mixed oaks pay dividends in terms of security cover? Congratulations on the year your having and thank you for providing such a valuable resource to the viewers.Winke Responds:Jarred, No size limit. In fact, in my mind, you have to be even more focused on the smaller properties to make the absolute most out of every acre. Within six years, that patch will be contributing permanent cover. That is a good reason to get started right away. Thanks for the support. (12-5-11)
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Brandon from WI asks:Bill just want to say love the show keep up the great work. I don't have a question this is in regards to the question about planting acorns. I had read somewhere about a contraption that you can make using a PVC pipe and cutting an angle in one end and then attaching a two litter bottle to the other end to drop the seeds into. This was used for corn and beans I believe but may also work for acorns I don't know.Winke Responds:Brandon, Thanks. I will pass that along.
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Alex from MN asks:What is the best food to plant on a 150 acre farm in MN to get deer to come and eat in? Would you recommend planting pine trees to get more cover for them?Winke Responds:Alex, I like a combination of clover and a brassica blend such as Frigid Forage's Big N Beasty. Even if the plots are small both of these will produce enough forage to attract deer for the fall. Follow the bag instructions on planting. I would not plant pine trees for cover, at least not white pine. Deer love to browse on white pine. Look for other choices that are in your area that deer don't browse. They will eat the white pine, I am afraid. I am not a fan of the way pine trees grow, with the bottom limbs dying out as they get taller. I would look for something like a combination of oaks and switchgrass, for example. Consult with a local forester or the soil conservation office in your county seat to see what specific options they have seen work well. Good luck. (11-20-11)
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Matt from MI asks:Can a piece of land that is essentially flat be made into a great deer hunting property? I am looking at about 200 acres rectangular shape of woods surrounded by agriculture fields. Access will be from west side only. I am concerned that it will be difficult to access my stands without disrupting deer and that without varying topography it will be difficult to make the property hunt "big." Should I hold out for a parcel with more character?Winke Responds:Matt, Yes it can. But I am not sure I would buy a piece I could only access from one direction (especially from the west where you are most likely to get a westerly wind in the fall making it really hard to hunt this ground. Seriously, I would keep looking. That is a much bigger negative than the flat nature of the ground. You can make flat ground hunt big if the access is bulletproof, which it isnn't in this case. Good luck. (11-20-11)
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Curt from OH asks:Bill, Great Buck! Congrats questions on the direct nut seeding. How do you go about collecting all those acorns? Hands & Knees type of job? And do you just simply let it grow into what ever for the rest of time. (don't they get choked out by weeds?)Winke Responds:Curt, If you are planting just a small area you can pick the acorns up that way. Likely, you will get sick of it very quickly. There is an acorn roller (like a wire basket in the shape of a football) that picks them up quite well. It works best in mowed areas like lawns, golf courses, parks, etc. That is the route I would go if I were you. You need about five bushels per acre, so that is a lot of acorns. Find the right trees and you will get them fast, though. I have used Oust XP every late winter to keep the grass competition down. You have to till the soil first and plant the acorns about 1 to three inches down in the dirt (we just use the disk and lightly roll the dirt over). Use the Oust for two years starting the second year after planting. You can go for a third year too if you like. That will get the trees far enough ahead that you can just let them go on their own until the time comes to thin them (about year 10 to 15). Good luck. (11-8-11)
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Ryan from IL asks:Hey Bill, I have a question for you. On our property we have corn this year all the properties around us are taking the corn down and our property is usually last because our farmer keeps his combine here and I was wondering is it better for us to have the only standing corn around or if our farmer takes it down earlier would be better? Keep up the excellent work!Winke Responds:Ryan, I think having the only standing corn is a positive. It is especially good if you get some cold or snowy weather before he gets to it - which is unlikely. You cah hunt around the edges of it quite easily because the deer feel very secure behind the screen of corn. But when he picks it, be ready to hunt it right away because deer really seem to love to feed in freshly picked cornfields. Good luck. (11-6-11)
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Brandon from MO asks:Bill, I hunt in Northwest Missouri. The few farms I have access to do not have much timber, just small wooded draws and deep creekbottom ditches. One farm has 50 acres of CRP in the center of the property and is surrounded by 90 acres of crop land, with a wooded running creekbottom on the West, North, East borders. Road to the South but CRP is not visible from the road due to terrain and hills. Will planting small patches of warm native grasses (switch,big blue, little blue) change the way this type of farm hunts? My thought is to make the center of property the best bedding cover in the surrounding farm area, as the neighbors all have the same open crop land with wooded draws. How would you bow hunt this type of property? I am looking to put a variety of food plots on the perimeter edge of the CRP such as clover, oats, soybeans and milo. Last, would putting out a buck decoy in the cut corn field be a good bow hunting strategy to possibly pull a buck across the field from theWinke Responds:Brandon, The warm season grasses can improve the habitat for sure. It is also compatible with most CRP programs. I would be thinking of possibly using some shooting houses in conjunction with stands in the narrow cover. I would place some food plots near the wooded cover so you can use tree stands to hunt them. A decoy is often a very useful tool in these open settings because during the rut the bucks hunt with their eyes as much as they do with their noses and they will be drawn to any other deer even if it is a buck. Good luck. (11-6-11)
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Sean from MI asks:I have a buck forage oats food plot, inside the the timber its about a 1/2 acre in size. I hunted it for the first time this past weekend, with little success. I only saw 2 fawns that did come and feed in the plot. The plot was covered in thick leaves, I raked some of the leaves out of the plot. The land that its on seems to be a transition area for deer. They use it to get from one place to another. I have never seen any deer beds on the property. I have never seen a ton of deer or deer sign on the property. The property is 27 acres with a pond on the center. On three sides its has Christmas trees and the other side is a big CRP field. My plot is next to the CRP field in some tall thick pines on the edge of the oak wood line. Need help as to how to get the deer to use the property more frequently?Winke Responds:Sean, I think you are doing the right thing. It takes time for the deer to get used to a new food source and start using it regularly. I would just keep doing what you are doing. You might try a few different things in the plot to see if one thing is more attractive than another. Consider a brassica blend next year, something like Frigid Forage Big N Beasty. Then try to rotate some clover into the plot in the future too. Eventually, the deer will start using it regularly. Hunt it carefully to keep from bumping them off the plot. Thick cover will also make a property more attractive for bedding so you might consider thinning some trees (with advice from the forester) to open up the canopy so the undergrowth can come on stronger. Good luck. (11-5-11)
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Jay from IL asks:Hey Bill, my question deals with deer habitat. I have access to a 75 acre patch of hunting ground. 1/2 Timber, 1/2 open pastureland. In the past, it has produced record book bucks. Five years ago, it was made into a large pasture with 15 or so horses on it 9 months out of the year (They are moved during Jan, Feb, and March). Horses have decimated most of the tall grass deer used to bed in. They browse on all types of plants, and are therefore in competition with the deer for food. So my question is, what is the best way to make this large pasture more attractive to deer? Is there some type of food plot or plant that horses will leave alone, but deer will like? Also, any ideas for creating a bedding area/sanctuary that deer will use, but horses will avoid? Thanks.Winke Responds:Jay, I doubt it. The only real way to make it better is to fence out an area and plant the food plot in there, so the deer can't get to it. If the deer will eat it, the horses will too (or trample it). Again, short of planting invasives that will soon wipe out the place, the only way to create true ground level habitat there is to fence the horses out of that area. Good luck. Tough situation. (11-1-11)
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Ashley from MO asks:Hi Bill, I was wanting to get your opinion on land management. I own a small piece of land that has about 12 acres of timber on it and is surrounded by crop fields. Right now majority of the timber is covered in these invasive trees that have taken over the place. They may be the russian olive tree but i am not for certain, but it is super thick, i can barely get on my hands and knees and crawl through the stuff. Anyways, i have food and water on my land and would like to make the timber more of a haven for the deer. Should i try to clear out the really thick parts of those trees and try to plant something a little bit more accessible like honeysuckle or some sort of grass that may be easier for them to travel through or should i leave it like it is and try to keep making trails through the stuff? Thanks for you help and good luck this year!Winke Responds:Ashley, I think I would make some kind of access routes through there. I would not plant honeysuckle though. You are trading one invasive for another. When you bush hog the Russian Olive, go back and spray the stumps with a tree killer like Tordon. Olive and honeysuckle are very hard to control and you should avoid planting them if at all possible. You might be able to start switchgrass in these lanes, but my guess is that they will be too narrow for that. I would be tempted to plant them to clover or brassicas so you get some narrow plots throughout the hunting area that serve as both travel routes and food sources for the deer. I would start there and if that doesn't work, you can always come back and try something else. Good luck. (10-26-11 - why am in I not in the woods!)
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Brett from IA asks:Bill, thanks for being a resource, although I will say I'm jealous of all the hunting you are able to do. My question to you is: I have an old pasture ( no cattle for the last ten years) of bromegrass with finger draws of timber, I was thinking of planting clover between two of the fingers and then making a pass with planter with corn at the end of the fingers to "enclose" the area with cover. Have you tried anything like this? The corn would run parallel to the gravel road about 100yards away. I think this would make the deer more secure and allow easier asses to hunt.Winke Responds:Brett, I appreciate your support. I bet I don't hunt as much as you think. I have hunted thousands of days over the years, but family activities take priority now. I haven't even been hunting yet this year. I will get going soon, though. I would not plant the corn as the deer will wipe it out in the summer. A much better planting is Plot Screen from Frigid Forage. It has a variety of tall annuals that will definitely shield the plot. I would possibly even plant it near your stnad along the plot so you can shoot over it but when you climb down you can sneak out without any deer in the plot seeing you. Again, good idea, just wrong seed. Good luck.
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kyle from MN asks:I have a good hunting spot of about 30 acres that has 10 acres of oaks,10 of mixed immature hardwoods and 10 of CRP grasses.A creek runs through the center and it is surrounded by open ag fields. The deer don't seem to want to winter there, any suggestions how to make it more attractive to them in late season/winter? Are hazelnuts good food for deer, both for browse and the nuts?Winke Responds:Kyle, I don't think hazelnuts rank high on the deer food list. I would definitely plant food plots. Without food, it is really, really hard to have good late season hunting. If there is something you can do to add a couple of acres, that will really help. Other than that, maybe planting a few cedar trees in the CRP (with permission from the NRCS office, of course) might add to the wintering cover quality. Food is the main thing. Good luck.
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Chad from KS asks:I hunt in southeast kansas and really have a great farm to hunt on but I know it could be better. I have quite a few good bucks every year but it is hard to concentrate them in the areas I hunt. There isn't really a perminent food source close by so I put out corn and use timed feeders and cameras to try help me be in the right place at the right time. But it is hard to do and there is quite a bit of pressure from other hunters in the area and the cows usually dont help my corn situation. Please give me some insight on how to make my farm a better place to harvest mature bucks?Winke Responds:Chad, We start with the basics. To have big mature bucks on your KS farm, you need four things: food, cover, water and age. Genetics are not a problem in KS. You need to break the farm down and maximize each one of these things. There is no shortcut. The better you do in each of these four areas, the better the bucks will be on the farm. Food: you will need to fence a part of the property away from cattle so you can plant a food plot to hold the deer throughout the year. Clover is a good food source for spring summer and fall. Winter food is ideally corn or sorghum (milo). If you don't have a pond or creek, the deer will leave for water. Thick cover helps to hold more mature bucks. You might be able to change that if you have control of the land (TSI, planting switchgrass, planting trees and shrubs). Age is the only thing that is beyond your control if you have a lot of hunting pressure around you. Do your best on the other three and less deer will leave giving you a better chance at number 4. Manage the farm so that you have all the elements listed for every 80 acres. You can micromanage it down to 40 acres if you like, but it just takes more work - however, it will have a slightly better result. Good luck.
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Colby from MO asks:Bill, Love the show and website. I have been saving pennies for quite a while and am getting to the point where I could consider buying some land. My question revolves around what method to try. Should I go after 50/50 land (crops and woods) and then lease out the crop land to help pay on the note? How do others afford to do it? Thoughts? Thanks,Winke Responds:Colby, I could write a book about it. I have bought several pieces of land over the years and sold a few too. There are tons of variables in this, including your budget and goals. Tillable land is a good investment now if you can get it bought right. Cash rent is at all time highs. A 50-50 mix would be good. I like 80-20 (80% cover) for strictly deer hunting purposes, but the 50-50 will do a better job as a cash flowing investment. You have a couple of options on the farming side, but the cash-rent is definitely the easiest, least risky and probably all-around best choice. I am working on a website that is devoted to buying, selling and improving deer hunting land. It is nearly done. You can see it at www.midwestwhitetailproperties.com. I hope that helps. Have a great day.
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John from TN asks:Bill, great show! I have about 20 acres in fescue fields that I want to use to make into sanctuaries for holding deer and that I probably won't hunt. I was reading a lot of information online about switchgrass. I live in an area in central TN where cover grows quick once the fescue or other bad weeds are killed. I've check and can rent a NWSG drill from my county extension office. Do you think something like switchgrass or just letting the fields grow into a jungle would be better? The only concern I have with letting it grow on it's own would be maintaining it. It seems it would be good cover for several years but after that I would have better luck maintaining the SG through burning than a huge cutover which might be more likely to get out of control. Thoughts?Winke Responds:John, I am all about edge and variety of habitat. I would do both, but I wouldn't let the natural areas just grow wild, I would control what grows there by direct seeding. In other words, map it all out, some switchgrass in irregular shapes, some non-invasive shrubs in irregularly shaped pockets and some oak trees (from acorns) in irregularly shaped pockets. Create maximum edge. There is obviously a lot more to this than what I can cover in a quick Q & A format, but you can do a lot of research on your own. Stay away from invasive shrubs and learn all you can about direct seeding of acorns for oak stands. I have had good success doing that here. Good luck.
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Larry from MI asks:Hi Bill, I finally got my brassica food plot in and is doing great, thanks for the help. The next project I have is to get some type of water source. I don't have a well or any ponds or streams on my property. I am not sure where the deer are getting their water. Any ideas. ThanksWinke Responds:Larry, They can get a lot of water from browse, but when things dry up they will defnitely look for water sources. Many people make ponds by digging out a hole and burying something like a children's swimming pool in the ground to hold the water. The best place to put it is where there is a bit of natural runoff during rains (close to the top of the ridge though so it is easier to hunt near) so that the water is not stagnant all spring and summer.
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Ryan from IN asks:Bill, I have recently found a piece of property for sale that I might be interested in. It is one tract of land about 320 acres in size and is listed for $420,000. The property was completely wooded, but it was clearcut in 2009. It is bordered to the south by a paved road, and it has several dirt roads throughout the property and one gravel road through the center. The east side is bordered by a large creek which always holds water and would allow for access by a boat. The North and West sides are bordered by large tracks of privately owned timber. The terrain has many deep valleys and ridges. What kind of things can be done for whitetail management to a young clearcut like this? Is it a good buy? Also, I know there are mature deer in the nearby area already. I think the viewers could benefit from a discussion on management techniques for clearcut properties. Thanks, RyanWinke Responds:Ryan, I personally like clearcuts from the standpoint of hunting land. They look like crap, but they will definitely offer a lot of browse. If you have the time to focus on making sure the right things grow up - including food plots here and there - you can end up with a really good hunting farm in about five to six years. In the meantime it can still be good, but the habitat takes a few years to get started. This is a massive discussion that is well beyond the scope of the Ask Winke. If I was looking to buy it, I wouldn't be as worried about potential as I would about the other aspects (controling trespassers, the neighbors, access (sounds like you can get to most of it farily easily). Price is a relative thing. You have to compare it to local comparable sales to determine if it is a good deal. On the surface it seems reasonable, but price is such a local thing. You hate to pay too much even if you really want it and expect to keep it because your circumstances may change and you may be forced to sell it some day. When that time comes you want to know you bought at a fair price you can recoup the investment or even make some money. Again, it is a huge subject. I would do alot of research. When I buy something I talk to everyone, game warden, neighbors, etc. I want to smoke out any problems before I spend the money. The rock you least want to turn over and look under is the one you need to address first, before you fall in love with the land. Don't take a sense of emotional ownership in the place until you have done all the research. Good luck.
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Ryan from IL asks:In your most recent episode you discuss TSI. I have several ridges dominated by hickory trees and would like to promote red and white oak species but am concerned about promoting an already excessive population of bush honeysuckle. I am already facing an uphill battle with controlling the honeysuckle, in this scenario would you still recommend TSI?Winke Responds:Ryan, No, probably not. You will not get oak. As you state, you will get honeysuckle. The first step is to eradicate the honeysuckle in that area by using proven methods such as cutting and spraying the stumps. You will still have seeds to worry about from prior years so even after you wipe them out in that area, you will still have some regrowth. I would consider waiting at least two years after cleaning out the honeysuckle before you do any clearing of the canopy. It is a tough spot. I have a few bad patches of honeysuckle too that I have to work around. It is a very bad plant here in the Midwest. You have to do the steps required to control it or you will never get any kind of useful regeneration of trees. Good luck.
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Jason from WV asks:Hey Bill, I'm really enjoyed the offseason shows. Its always nice to have something year round to keep your "outdoors appetite" satisfied. Deer where I live have barely started to grow their antlers. When do you usually put out your mineral licks and trail cameras. I have a new spot that is about an hour away this year and I just didn't want to bother with minerals yet if they won't use them yet. Gas is $4.00 a gallon here now!! Don't need to do anymore driving than necessary. lol Thanks for the offseason shows!!!Winke Responds:Jason, I hear ya on the gas. It is a killer! Thanks for your support. For sure you can put out the minerals now. As soon as they start to grow new antlers they will hit the licks and will basically stop in mid-September, in my experience.
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Josh from WI asks:Have you guys ever hunted in Buffalo County,WI? If you have, where do you go to shoot the big bucks. I hunt in Buffalo County and have seen some big bucks, but most of the time their on the outfitters right next to us. How do I keep them on my land?Winke Responds:Josh, It always comes down to food. If you have the food and don't hunt them so hard that they only come through at night - you will have the deer. Food plots are the key to keeping the deer (or luring the deer) on your property. Good luck.
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Josh from OK asks:Bill I have walked around my land and found a spot that I think has a lot of promise. It is a very small area probably only an acre. It is really a circle with trees around it an a very small field. It has three trails running into the field. What should I do to make this spot a really good hunting spot?Winke Responds:Josh, I would turn that open spot into a small clover field and give the deer a reason to hang out there. That will add to the attractiveness of that location for sure. Beyond that, just hunt it carefully to keep over hunting such a small area. Good luck.
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Dylan from WI asks:Bill, I have read a lot of your articles and blogs about management and you have concvinced me to make a sanctuary on our farm. Since the acreage is limited and i don't want to have to stay out of some of my best tree stands, do you think using a swamp/marsh for a sanctuary is a good idea? It's about 30-35 acres. In the fall it is usually pretty dry and usually holds deer but not so sure about summer and winter. We have hunted it during past rifle seasons with okay success. It would be nice to establish a sanctuary without giving up some of the best spots on the farm. Thanks for the feedback and the great show!Winke Responds:Dylan, The goal of a sanctuary is to let the deer feel like they are safe on your farm. If you are hunting all the places they want to be and giving them places they don't want to be (where they normally aren't) then the sanctuary serves no purpose. In your case, I think it is too tough for me to really call based on the info you supplied. I am not sure if you are making them feel more secure on the property or not. My gut tells me that you might have to give up a bit more too. I would try to make sure they have at least one good bedding area that you don't hunt. You can always adjust your strategy later. However, I would suggest having enough good areas that the deer feel safe there. Good luck.
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Bill from WI asks:Bill, first off, really enjoying the offseason shows and am learning alot, I am considering putting in a small pond on my property, there is a shallow creek on the farm but no still water source, how big of a part does water play in the whitetail habitat equation, and do you think putting in the pond is a good idea?Winke Responds:Bill, I do think it is a good idea in most situations. Deer go to water every day when it is hot and when they are rutting. If there is not water on your property, they will leave it at some point to get water. But having the shallow stream definitely fulfills that requirement. From a management stand point, it is ideal to have everything a deer needs on every 80 acre block: food, water and security cover. I guess if your water source is really isolated to one end of the property, it makes the most sense to add a pond or two on the other. Otherwise, in your situation, you probably don't need the pond unless you want to put it up on a ridge where the winds are stable where you can hunt over it. Good luck.
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Ross from AL asks:On this weeks show I heard you talking about timber stand cutting to improve undergrowth. In a mature area of woods with very little or no undergrowth what percentage of the mature trees would you suggest cutting down and then would you leave them lay or cut them up and remove them? Thanks, RossWinke Responds:Ross, You want to get a local forester involved in this because the stakes are too high to make mistakes. You will be cutting down very old tress, impossible to replace in your lifetime. I would suggest after consulting that you start small. Pick one test area, where you do this and then watch what happens over the course of a couple of years before getting more aggressive. I am very aggressive, but this is year eight for me. I have been doing this for eight years. I personally leave the trees lay. They provide screening cover for the young trees that get released when you open the canopy and it keeps the deer from browsing them as easily. The tops also add to the visual barriers that I am looking for. There is an entire science to this - more than I can cover in this forum. For example, you really need to open up real holes. You have to get sunlight to the ground, not scattered sunlight. The openings need to be fairly good sized, at least 30 yards, to get this affect. Some of my openings are way bigger than that. Also, some people like to hinge the trees so they are still growing but laying on their sides. I have never done that, but it does create a good visual barrier in the woods. As I said, consult with a local forester on your goals and how to achieve them. Good luck.
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Jarred from OH asks:Mr. Winke, My question is similar to a previous one about creating thicker cover. I am currently looking for something to plant such as autumn olive to achieve this. Do you have any experience with autumn olive or know of a more appropriate species to introduce? Great job on the show and I look forward to more episodes.Winke Responds:Jarred, I would not plant Autumn Olive unless you really know what you are doing. It is too invasive and can get away from you populating a large area with seed and plants. In other words, it spreads too aggressively and will end up in places and in quantities you never intended. If you have open sunlight, I would instead plant some oak subspecies. Shingle oak will grow fast and produce good habitat with its tenacious hold on it leaves. It is not invasive and is one choice - you can grow them from acorns quite easily. If you need tall cover fairly quickly consider the hybrid willows called Austrees or Super Trees. I have grown these and they will grow a legitimate five to six feet per year (yep, I said feet!). They grow from cuttings. They don't have a long life expectancy, but I am sure it is long enough (something like 30 to 40 years). I know some deer people love switchgrass. I have literally planted hundreds of acres of it on farms I have owned or managed and while it looks pretty cool, I never felt that the deer used it much. Other cover species to consider include crab apple and wild plum.
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Rich from WI asks:Hi Bill I've been a fan of yours for years and have learned alot. My dad and I own some land in west-central IL. The timber is fairly mature and open. We want to take down some trees to allow more light into the woods to promote underbrush. Most of our terrain has a slightly to moderately north facing angle to it. Will we be able to acheive our goal of thicker cover?Winke Responds:Rich, You acn achieve your goal, but you will need some professinal help to be sure you are removing only junk trees. In some timbers you have a very large number of small oak trees, for example. In order to cut something down you have to cut down oak. Knowing which ones to cut, from a forestry standpoint, is important so you leave the best ones to grow. the USDA has programs for forest thinning through the NRCS office in your county seat. Start with them. The programs are called WHIP or sometimes REAP or even EQUIP. These are land use programs that have habitat improvement incentives. The county office will be able to recommend someone who really specializes in this kind of thing that you can work with to achieve your goals. That is where I would start. Bonus: they offer cost share to offset much of the cost of the practice!
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Joe from MD asks:Hi Bill,im from southern Maryland, and i live on my fathers farm where there are about 20 to 30 acres of woods. Right now im logging about half of it and would like to plant 6 acres or so with loblolly pine for deer cover and hopefully a return for the future. also im planting 2 or 3 acres of food plots each year. does this sound ok or do u hav a better suggestion? i can also hunt the neighboring property wich is about 40 acres or so of fairly open hardwoods. any advice would be appreciated. thanx! Joe ZimmermanWinke Responds:Joe, I think you have a good plan. The pines will provide bedding cover within a short time and you can hunt the food plots as your nearest feeding area. I would be sure that loblolly are not deer candy, however. I know that some in the white pine family are actually a preferred food source for deer. I don't know anything about loblolly (which family and its resistance to deer). That might enter into your plans too. Spend some time researching that first. Good luck.
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Jarred from OH asks:Mr. Winke, I'm looking into adding more cover to the property I hunt. Two of the current front runners are autumn olive and honeysuckle. Do you have any experience with either of these, or is there another plant I should be considering?Winke Responds:Jarred, Those would not be my choices. They are too invasive. Once they get a foothold they take over. I would be thinking about oak subspecies. Some of them grow fast enough to be of use in five years. Consider any oak before the invasives. I have a portion of our farm covered in honeysuckle. I am actually paying money to have it treated and removed. Good luck.
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garry from AL asks:Bill, what is the minimum amount of cover you recommend to put on a property boundary to keep deer on one's property? I have some fields bordering neighbor land with food plots and am trying to determine how much bedding area I need to keep deer coming to my food plots. I know the answer is "as much as possible" but is there a numerical value/number of acres you can give me for how many min. acres might be necessary to hold deer on my property rather than drawing them from adjacent properties where they might get shot on the way over to my farm?Winke Responds:Garry, The number is much bigger than you want to hear - it is thousands of acres to truly encompass the ranges of several bucks. However, you can keep deer mostly on your property with just about any number of acres is the cover is thick, the food plots good and the hunting pressure light. They will bed there and may leave occassionally. I would say to have enough ground to create a decent sanctuary of at least 40 acres and still have enough options for decent hunting, you need at least 80 to 120 acres. My standard answer is 120 acres minimum. Most of it should be cover, the thicker the better both for security for the deer and to keep them from seeing you as you approach and depart your tree stands. Thick cover will make the farm hunt twice as big. Good luck.
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Garry from GA asks:Bill, I have 200 acres and have planted 12 acres of corn this year and am seeing tons of deer that I have never seen before. I have another 13 are field that is grown up in old fescue. I was going to plant it in cover (pines and shrubs) and place a food plot in the middle of it. However, after seeing how wonderful of an attractant corn is, I'm thinking of planting the 13 A field in corn as well. This particular field abuts my neighbors property on two sides and they hunt these sides. If I put the corn up to the edge of the fence, with the exception of planting some pines on the edge for screening purposes, is it your experience that the corn will act as a feeding plot that deer from my neighbors property will hop the fence to use and possibly risk getting shot by neighbors, or will having a field this large allow the deer to bed in it and alternatively give my neighbors the "slip"? By the way, I saw 40 deer tonight in my 12 acre corn field. I couldn't believe it, alongWinke Responds:Garry, I would not expect them to use it as much as they would use traditional cover. Thus, I would plant a thick line of screening cover to keep others from shooting across the fence. I think you are more likely to pull their deer to your side of the fence than to lose your deer to them. I like food plots to be in the center of property, but that is not always possible. I would definitely plant a screen however. Good luck.
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Eric from AL asks:Bill, I Planted 30 acres of corn to hunt over this year. It's legal where I am to bait for deer with corn, but I decided to plant food plots of corn instead. I was wondering if you recommend leaving the corn standing or knocking it down so the deer are able to get to it more easy. The standing corn I do have doesn't seem to be being eaten almost like the deer don't know how to eat it off the stalk yet.Winke Responds:Eric, Knock it down in the areas around your stand. This concentrates the deer activity in the field somewhat. They will still feed everywhere, but they tend to prefer to feed in areas where the conr is on the ground. Good luck.
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josh from IN asks:i bow hunt a 100 acre patch of public land that nobody but my dad and brothers hunts. and i was wondering if there was anything we could do to attract more deer and help make that more of their home range. about half the property is a brushfield and the other half is hardwoods timber while half the hardwoods timber has been selectively harvested probly 20 years ago. any type of input would be great. thanksWinke Responds:Josh, I would take a garden rake in there and rake away small openings in the brush field and throw out some clover and brassicas (turnips, dwarf Essex rape). It doesn't have to be much, but having several small food sources that aren't invasive (won't take over the area) is a good way to sweeten the area a bit. Otherwise, simply hunting it carefully is about the only thing you can do to keep it productive. Small, micro plots would be the key. Talk to an area game warden to see if there is any problem with spraying a little Roundup and raking away the debris to plant small plots.
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mike from IL asks:i have around a 60 acer farm im currently working on putting in food plot and planting trees the last few years. i have a sactuary prolly around 10-15 arcers centerd in the middle of my property. this sactuary is a shallow hollar with thick red cedar on the hillsides to the west and to the east. i think by looking down through the sactuary that it needs to be opend up to encourgae new growth. do you thik clearing some of those cedars copletly out would work better than hinge cutting themWinke Responds:Mike, Yes, in the case of cedars I do think that. I would probably hinge a few where you want visual barriers immediately and then remove the rest. That would permit the sunlight to get to the ground better. Even a dead cedar (let alone a hinged one) will block sunlight effectively, something that doesn't happen with most other tree species. Good luck.
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mike from IL asks:bill i was watching a couple segments on your land managent you have posted. i seen you were useing some cat empliments to help clear brush. how much would i be looking at to rent one on a dayily rateWinke Responds:Mike, Go to the Cat website and then go to the link for Cat Rental Stores and look to see which one is closest to you and check their website or call them. It is not cheap, but it is less than hiring someone to come in and do it for you. I got my stuff from Altorfer Cat. I don't know if they are in your area or not. Here is the link: http://www.cat.com/rental Good luck.
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Eric from IA asks:I saw your information on direct nut seeding and was curious what sources of funding were available? Is there a program similar to the CPR program except for seedlings? I also looked up a "nut harvester roller picker upper roller" for $450. Is there a particular acorn collector or website you could refer me to? ............. On a different note. We managed to collect 76 sheds in the past week, and three sets that were nice. Looking forward to your shed show.Winke Responds:Eric, In Iowa, I have planted acorns with cost share from the WHIP program through your county's NRCS office. That stands for Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program. I have also tapped into that for timber stand improvement to increase the quality of timber habitat. I believe there was a Trees in CRP program about three years ago but not sure it still exists. I don't think they cost shared the establishment, but they did permit you to plant trees in CRP - a break from their regular practices. That sounds like an expensive acorn roller, so I went and looked at it. It is a pretty cool system and no doubt will work well. Here is a link for others interested: http://cgi.ebay.ca/Nut-harvester-picker-upper-roller-Small-Acorn-24-/200296728886 I was thinking more along the lines of the Nut Wizard, but I'm cheap You can get a basket style like this from NutWizard.com (probably others) for under $50. Congrats on the sheds. That is a pile of bone! I'll probably do a blog on planting acorns at some point soon.
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Steve from MO asks:Bill, is it possible to have too thick of bedding cover? I have a large grove of osage orange (hedge) trees in northern Missouri where deer hang out a lot, particularly in winter. I just found several big sheds there. It is very hard to hunt, however, as there is almost no underbrush due to the trees shading out much growth and consequently the deer can see you coming from quite a ways off. I was thinking of going in with a chainsaw and cutting down many of these trees, leaving a real jungle. I have noticed, however, that a lot of mature bucks seem to like to bed where they can keep an eye on things along with using their noses. Do you think the big boys will be willing to bed in this jungle where they will have very limited visibility as well as escape routes due to all of the fallen trees? Thanks, SteveWinke Responds:Steve, I think you need a combination of open timber and very thick areas. I like the thick cover in most of my hunting area because the deer can't see me coming and going and my area hunts bigger. I would suggest clearing a few 1/2 acre areas and then keeping an eye on them to see how they grow back - what grows in there. Once you have a better idea how things will look, you can get more aggressive with the saw. I believe the bucks will still use your property even if it is super thick. They will find places that still provide them with a comfortable balance of security even in that thick cover.
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jason from WI asks:just wondering what your thoughts were on how to provide better bedding spots to hold more deer and bigger bucks i like pine trees the best. what is a good pine for the deer? what can i do to hold more deer on my farm during the winter months food is not the problem i believe it is the bedding situation? i have 300 total acres 50 crops 10 pasture and 15 pine plantation 125 acres of oak side hills and 100 acres of river bottoms that run along the black river just looking for some advice and opionsWinke Responds:Jason, I have done a significant amount of timber stand improvement on my land (roughly 850 acres of timber now void of all junk trees). That has created great thickets. Deer need ground cover. Watch the latest episode of Grant Woods's webshow (GrowingDeer.tv). He goes over this in some detail. I am not nearly as big a fan of switchgrass as Grant is, but he has been many places and seen many things, so when he talks you simply have to listen. I am no expert on pine trees. I know our deer eat the crap out of them so we can't plant them. Cedars (red cedar) do well here and provide pretty good cover when they are still small. I am going to pass on trying to answer the question about the pines. Sorry, I just don't know enough about them.
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Tim from MN asks:Mr winke tim here again with another question about my 20 acres the property was selective cut what seems like was a while back the main species left on the land are white oak with a few stranglers in between with alot of dead fall and wood piles from the project still there. the property bordering my north side (which is not hunted) was clear cut what i beleive was not to long ago and is very thick there are trails on the property which were used for machinery and also a small pond. would it be a good idea to concentrate more on food and water on my property and take advantage of the cover on the non hunted neighboring property? i would like to plant a central food plot of clover or beans and plant the trails with something too. im hoping the acorns and plots and pond with offer plenty for the deer. any thoughts?Winke Responds:Tim, Sounds like the pond should handle the water issue for you, so in light of your additional information, I would indeed focus on food.
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Eric from NC asks:Mr. Winke, there seems to be a lot of hype over Cave in Rock switchgrass; do you all plant it and what has been your experience with it (good or bad). I have the opportunity to plant it versus corn under a power line easement. I feel corn will give bedding and food whereas SG might give just cover. Any recommendations and how has your all's experience been over snow.Winke Responds:Eric, I have planted hundreds of acres of it over the years. It stands pretty well even in the snow. I would stay it is probably better than corn when it comes to a secluded planting. The problem with corn is that it is very expensive to plant and you incur the expense every year. If it is your primary food plot that is one thing, then go for it. But if you are planting the corn as a cover source primarily with a secondary benefit of food, you will likely run out of money! Plus in secluded, small plot settings (where the crop is vulnerable to heavy use by deer) the corn won't stand up to a summer of depredation and still produce food. It will be just an expensive desert crop for the deer (they eat it during the summer because it has some natural sugars that they like). If it is a one time thing, the corn is fine. If it is going to be something you do long-term I would only plant the corn if you need additional food plot acres. Otherwise, I would plant the switchgrass. The trick on the switch is to make sure you get expert advice from guys who have planted it successfully in your area. There are many ways you can mess up switch (planting too deep, not paying attention to fertility - it like nitrogen, not maintaining correctly, etc.) Good luck.
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jason from AL asks:Bill, Love the site! I look forward to each time I visit. I have a small piece of property in Nebraska. With regards to holding deer on the property, what are your thoughts on 12 foot sorgum? (12 ft cane)I have heard that deer really like to hang in that stuff? I am trying to build my tree population, the rest is native grass, and wetland. Keep up the great work!Winke Responds:Jason, We call it forage sorghum because farmers chop it for silage. I planted several hundred acres of that stuff one year on a big farm I was hunting. It works great. It is easy to walk behind when heading to and from stands (I often walked right down through it and sometimes passed within mere feet of deer that were actively feeding on the stuff). After it gets cold and especially after a snow, the stalks bend down and the deer can get to the heads. The seed production isn't as good as grain sorghum but the deer definitely will eat it. I think it is a good option for both cover and food.
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Ron H. Jr. from WI asks:Really sorry about that big 8 first of all! Bummer! I have a buddy in the same situation on 2 different bucks this year alone! Really sucks! BUT ANYWAY... On this one chunk of land that I am allowed to hunt, mostly hardwood on a big ridge with a few pine and suemak, we see probably 8 to 10 bucks or more (some real big ones too!) per one doe. Pre rut is usually awesome but the rut slows way down. I know the bucks go out seeking the does, but is there any advise you can give me to maybe help keep some of these bucks around? We rarely take any does off this property, and we put mineral licks and small food plots out, but it doesn't seem to help. I'm puzzled!!Winke Responds:Ron, They are going to naturally roam at that time. If they know of areas with more does, they will go there to look, or at least visit those places. I am not sure the exact answer to your question. It is quite possible that you simply can't keep them there. Some bucks are just born roamers while others are homebodies. Food plots and thick cover help to hold them, but some will roam no matter what you do.
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John from IA asks:No ?, just a note to put in a plug for direct seeding. I have been working with this technique since 1993. In that period we have established over 4,000 acres to trees, primarily on CRP acres. I am quite passionate about this planting option as it comes as close to creating a "forest" as any tree planting method I have utilized. Maybe even more exciting, from a deer enthusiast standpoint, is the remarkable habitat that is created. We often say to the landowner/client as we leave, "you now have an instant forest". This is not far from the truth. I believe that high density plantings allow you to grow a higher quality hardwood tree (for us here in NE Iowa oak, walnut, cherry,etc.) and we also are creating habitat for many species of wildlife wihtin 2 or 3 years. Most of our seedings contain 7,000 to 20,0000 stems per acre. In a well managed forest with regeneration as a goal these would be the numbers you would hope for. Thanks for the site!Winke Responds:John, I have only done 25 acres on our farm, but it seems to be doing very well. I planted the first 22 acres in October of 2007 and those oaks are about 2 feet tall now (the better ones) and then I did three more acres this year. It is a lot of work, but I feel there is no better way to create traditional deer habitat on open ground. Thanks for your comments.
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Josh from MO asks:Bill, love the show, would consider myself highly addicted! I am currently seeking counseling, but I think things will get better when I have 11 shows to watch each week! My question is what is the best way to create bedding? Do you think big bucks prefer thick grasses or thick woods?Winke Responds:Josh, I like your attitude. I need about 150,000 more just like you! They will use both, but the thick brush/timber cover is more permanent and is available year round. Switchgrass is pretty much flat in the late winter and spring. On our farm, I have a bit of switchgrass but I have done much to enhance the thickness of the existing timber and have planted open, unproductive areas to trees by way of direct nut seeding. I planted the acorns into a nice, well tilled seedbed. It has worked great so far. The entire body of Iowa private land biologists visited one of the seeding areas on a recent field day in this area and they commented on how effective this strategy appears to be. You can do a search on the web under "direct nut seeding" and you will find some good tips. I followed the guidelines set out by the Iowa State Forestry Extention Office to the T when doing it here. That was in October 2007. The trees are about two feet tall now and doing well. I plan to do another five acres this fall. You can also plant cedars and various bushy shrubs from seed too.
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Jerry from MN asks:Hello Bill, Love the site!! I have read about people that will build deer beds, Not just a beding area. From what I have researched about them, They are several hinge cut trees that together form a bed for the deer to lay under and behind. Have you heard of them and do you make them? I also have another question about habitat. Do you manipulate the habitat to influance the way a deer will travel into a certain setup and if so, How? Thanks again Jerry from MinnesotaWinke Responds:Jerry, I don't go to those extremes. I have taken steps to make our farm very thick, so I am creating a lot of bedding areas, but I let the deer choose where they bed. The idea is an interesting one though. I can see how it would work. This kind of enters the area of philosophy rather than strategy. What you are suggesting will work well. In fact, I just wrote my Bowhunting Column for American Hunter on this subject of influencing deer movement. However, it just isn't my cup of tea. Maybe someday I'll change my mind, but I enjoy hunting the deer more on their terms. It has nothing to do wiht what will bring greater success (manipulating will bring greater success) it comes down to what will great greater satisfaction. I just like hunting them this way. There are many things you can do to influence deer movement. You can check out the Sept. Bow column in American Hunter (NRA's magazine) or at some point I may post the same information here on the site. Good luck.
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Jim Johnson from AL asks:Bill, I have read your articles for years and enjoyed them thoroughly. You mentioned in one of your articles that Al Collins created super-thick cover quickly to create bedding areas for bucks by planting fast-growing shrubs. I have lots of open ground I am wanting to convert to thick deer habitat, and I was wondering what variety of shrubs Mr. Collins uses and what varieties you suggest. Thanks for the great information.Winke Responds:Jim, I appreciate the support. I believe one of Al's favorites is Autumn Olive. It is highly invasive so before you plant it, you had better understand that it will take over areas of your property. It grows to 20 feet high, but if you mow it during the first couple of years, it will actually grow thicker and lower with more branches. Mowing won't kill it. I would discuss this with your local forester so you understand the methods of getting rid of it once they get established in areas you don't want. It is similar to honeysuckle brush in many ways. Personally, I like choke cherry, crab apple and wild plum because they make great cover and aren't as invasive. They are harder to establish, however. You will have to protect them with tubes for the first several years. They are very low growing, shrubby trees and make great deer cover. I have also had good luck with simply planting acorns. Though it takes a few years longer to establish, within six to seven years, you actually have deer habitat, permanent non-invasive deer habitat.
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Brian from IN asks:Bill - I have also have had little luck with planting trees. Good success with moving 7yr white pines however. I recently clearcut 20 acres of bottom ground and need to do one of two things; Fertilize (19-19-19) or Plant Trees(Wildlife assorted trees)... This ground is surrounded by hardwoods any suggestions on direction. Thanks BrianWinke Responds:Brian, I have become a huge fan of direct nut seeding. The results have been impressive, but you really need to get good fresh acorns if you plant white oak (a fall germinator). Reds and other oaks will germinate the next spring so it not such a big deal, but to get a good crop of white oak seedlings, you need very fresh seed. I planted them at a rate of about one acorn per two square feet (roughly 20,000 seeds per acre), but a touch heavier would also be good. If you have any more specific questions please ask away. I am not the world's expert on this, but I did research it heavily and did 22 acres of our farm last October. Good luck. Bill
