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Post by Catscratch on Nov 24, 2021 19:51:10 GMT -6
Pretty small amount of acreage affected. I they dont bed on the east side of the yellow what's the goal? Create more edge, possibly increase acorn production, create a habitat unique to the area (we don't have open hardwoods), provide material for a screen.
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Post by nhmountains on Nov 25, 2021 1:43:09 GMT -6
Pretty small amount of acreage affected. I they dont bed on the east side of the yellow what's the goal? Create more edge, possibly increase acorn production, create a habitat unique to the area (we don't have open hardwoods), provide material for a screen. What’s the wind pattern at that stand location? If it were here in NH the wind would be coming from the west or northwest and would carry scent right over the marked travel path.
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Post by nhmountains on Nov 25, 2021 1:51:52 GMT -6
I like to hunt bottlenecks in thick cover. How much deer use open woods might depend on hunting pressure. To look at it another way, Deer are creatures of the edge. The more edges you have the better the spot. Perhaps you X pattern of open and thick creates mores edge. I agree with you Art. I think traveling deer are going to follow edges and use them for protection. They may bed in thick stuff for protection but, I think they realize they make noise as well traveling through really thick stuff verses the edges that are a little more open. Of course during the rut they may be apt to bed anywhere. The big bucks here near my land have an impregnable mountain top area to bed in 11.5 months a year and venture out during daylight for a couple weeks when they get stupid.
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Post by Catscratch on Nov 25, 2021 6:34:15 GMT -6
Create more edge, possibly increase acorn production, create a habitat unique to the area (we don't have open hardwoods), provide material for a screen. What’s the wind pattern at that stand location? If it were here in NH the wind would be coming from the west or northwest and would carry scent right over the marked travel path. I have to have an east to southeast wind, which is rare'ish. I think I've hunted that stand 3 times in the last 5yrs.
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Post by Bwoods11 on Nov 25, 2021 8:07:11 GMT -6
big open hardwoods is where we see bucks cruising in Iowa. They maybe end up by the thick doe bedding areas, but they like to search open wooded area.
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Post by Sandbur on Nov 25, 2021 9:25:44 GMT -6
big open hardwoods is where we see bucks cruising in Iowa. They maybe end up by the thick doe bedding areas, but they like to search open wooded area. . I don’t see many bucks in big open hardwoods. After I thought about it, I don’t have any areas of big open hardwoods, that might be why I don’t see them there.
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Post by smsmith on Nov 25, 2021 9:29:11 GMT -6
I had a bunch of open hardwoods when I bought this place. Saw very few deer, much less mature bucks. I've got a feeling that bucks who like to roam open hardwoods during the rut here get removed from the gene pool pretty quickly.
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Post by Catscratch on Nov 25, 2021 9:57:43 GMT -6
A little perspective may make a difference. I have a strip of woods that is about 50 acres. Draftlogic shows that 5000+ acres adjacent is grass. Two things I wonder from this; one is that I don't know timber and lack experience, another thought is... is open hardwoods considered cover compared to shin high grass?
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Post by Bwoods11 on Nov 25, 2021 13:03:32 GMT -6
A little perspective may make a difference. I have a strip of woods that is about 50 acres. Draftlogic shows that 5000+ acres adjacent is grass. Two things I wonder from this; one is that I don't know timber and lack experience, another thought is... is open hardwoods considered cover compared to shin high grass? Where do you get more trail cam pics (the woods or the grass)?
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Post by Catscratch on Nov 25, 2021 13:10:33 GMT -6
A little perspective may make a difference. I have a strip of woods that is about 50 acres. Draftlogic shows that 5000+ acres adjacent is grass. Two things I wonder from this; one is that I don't know timber and lack experience, another thought is... is open hardwoods considered cover compared to shin high grass? Where do you get more trail cam pics (the woods or the grass)? Good question. Trail cams are set on edges looking over scrapes. I don't put them in the woods, or in the open pasture. Deer use the grass but aren't predictable enough to interest me into a cam placement. Plus I don't put cams where I hunt, and I stay out of the thick cover except during shed season.
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Post by Bwoods11 on Nov 25, 2021 17:55:53 GMT -6
I had a bunch of open hardwoods when I bought this place. Saw very few deer, much less mature bucks. I've got a feeling that bucks who like to roam open hardwoods during the rut here get removed from the gene pool pretty quickly. Just depends on location. There’s miles of continuous hardwoods in Iowa & Missouri and they are full of big bucks. Are there pockets of TSI, cedars in these locations yes… but pretty open timber. I prefer a mix. 60/40 thick …would be my preference personally.
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Post by smsmith on Nov 25, 2021 18:03:19 GMT -6
I had a bunch of open hardwoods when I bought this place. Saw very few deer, much less mature bucks. I've got a feeling that bucks who like to roam open hardwoods during the rut here get removed from the gene pool pretty quickly. Just depends on location. There’s miles of continuous hardwoods in Iowa & Missouri and they are full of big bucks. Are there pockets of TSI, cedars in these locations yes… but pretty open timber. I prefer a mix. 60/40 thick …would be my preference personally. I don't doubt for a minute that open hardwoods can be attractive to trolling bucks in states where the hunting pressure is much lighter than here.
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Post by Catscratch on Nov 28, 2021 9:18:14 GMT -6
I think I've finalized my plan; Cut all small trees flush to the ground. Push all brush to make a screen from the road and a barrier to keep deer from getting behind my stand. Brushhog the small stuff. Broadcast clover (or whatever you guys recommend for a forest plot). Use zero chemical and let everything stump sprout. Clean it up every few yrs to keep it in some sort of early successional stage.
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Post by Bwoods11 on Nov 29, 2021 9:38:47 GMT -6
I think I've finalized my plan; Cut all small trees flush to the ground. Push all brush to make a screen from the road and a barrier to keep deer from getting behind my stand. Brushhog the small stuff. Broadcast clover (or whatever you guys recommend for a forest plot). Use zero chemical and let everything stump sprout. Clean it up every few yrs to keep it in some sort of early successional stage. I like it. We have 3 or 4 projects that would be similar to this for next year. We will hinge cut nearby and make sure stand access is clean and hidden.
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Post by Catscratch on Dec 4, 2021 18:01:14 GMT -6
Spent the day in Wichita shopping for a bathtub. Had some pent up energy when I got home this afternoon so I've started my project. Don't honestly think it will amount to enough to make a difference to hunting, but maybe if I can make a screen and get some clover to grow? Saved out some of the straighter trunks for firewood.
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