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Post by sd51555 on Sept 13, 2021 12:06:40 GMT -6
Staying true to my stay out plan, i went elsewhere to do some scouting for my brother yesterday. I went way deep into the forest, the kind of deep where I should have brought a chainsaw to get trails opened up. I had to silky my way through numerous limbs that were upwards of 5" so I could get the wheeler through. No surprise, the deeper I went, the more active deer sign I found. I even scared up a fat boy when I shut the motor off to do some walking around. I was all the way back in places you couldn't even hunt without an extraordinary walk, and an even worse retrieve if you got something. And that's where that buck was.
I got a quick understanding of where those deer were, where the action was last fall, and how to hunt it this fall. I'm normally not very jazzed about hunting the commons, but I might even give these stands a sit with the bow. It'd be nearly a mile walk to get there, and that's why I don't think anyone ever hunts it. I've gotta get a couple more ladders up for my brother (which is frustrating because I told him to leave those pieces of crap out there last fall, cause now he doesn't have time to put them up) this coming weekend.
I got to thinking, "Way the hell back here, what do they eat all summer?" The habitat was either mature timber ready for logging, or regen that had surpassed any browse quality, and was starting to drop stem count.
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Post by Reagan on Sept 13, 2021 12:10:42 GMT -6
My old place would have millions of maple sprouts every year. They would grow under the canopy and the deer would browse them. I’m sure there were other plants but that was before I had an app and I could only identify maple.
My guess is those deep woods deer will travel a long way to find edge and browse and a long way back for security if needed.
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Post by benmnwi on Sept 13, 2021 12:18:53 GMT -6
I've found that in summer they like to bed in mature woods, but that doesn't necessarily mean they eat there. I'm guessing there is some younger habitat within 1/2 mile or so and that may be the buffet line and the mature woods is the bedroom.
Although even in mature woods they can probably find plenty of weeds and sunlight starved seedlings to munch on.
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Post by Sandbur on Sept 13, 2021 18:28:50 GMT -6
Staying true to my stay out plan, i went elsewhere to do some scouting for my brother yesterday. I went way deep into the forest, the kind of deep where I should have brought a chainsaw to get trails opened up. I had to silky my way through numerous limbs that were upwards of 5" so I could get the wheeler through. No surprise, the deeper I went, the more active deer sign I found. I even scared up a fat boy when I shut the motor off to do some walking around. I was all the way back in places you couldn't even hunt without an extraordinary walk, and an even worse retrieve if you got something. And that's where that buck was. I got a quick understanding of where those deer were, where the action was last fall, and how to hunt it this fall. I'm normally not very jazzed about hunting the commons, but I might even give these stands a sit with the bow. It'd be nearly a mile walk to get there, and that's why I don't think anyone ever hunts it. I've gotta get a couple more ladders up for my brother (which is frustrating because I told him to leave those pieces of crap out there last fall, cause now he doesn't have time to put them up) this coming weekend. I got to thinking, "Way the hell back here, what do they eat all summer?" The habitat was either mature timber ready for logging, or regen that had surpassed any browse quality, and was starting to drop stem count. Are you concerned someone would follow your 4 wheeler trail back there? That could change bedding and deer flow. |
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Post by sd51555 on Sept 13, 2021 20:23:31 GMT -6
Staying true to my stay out plan, i went elsewhere to do some scouting for my brother yesterday. I went way deep into the forest, the kind of deep where I should have brought a chainsaw to get trails opened up. I had to silky my way through numerous limbs that were upwards of 5" so I could get the wheeler through. No surprise, the deeper I went, the more active deer sign I found. I even scared up a fat boy when I shut the motor off to do some walking around. I was all the way back in places you couldn't even hunt without an extraordinary walk, and an even worse retrieve if you got something. And that's where that buck was. I got a quick understanding of where those deer were, where the action was last fall, and how to hunt it this fall. I'm normally not very jazzed about hunting the commons, but I might even give these stands a sit with the bow. It'd be nearly a mile walk to get there, and that's why I don't think anyone ever hunts it. I've gotta get a couple more ladders up for my brother (which is frustrating because I told him to leave those pieces of crap out there last fall, cause now he doesn't have time to put them up) this coming weekend. I got to thinking, "Way the hell back here, what do they eat all summer?" The habitat was either mature timber ready for logging, or regen that had surpassed any browse quality, and was starting to drop stem count. Are you concerned someone would follow your 4 wheeler trail back there? That could change bedding and deer flow. Not really. It's not a fun ride, it doesn't go through, and it's so big and thick back there, you'd have to be willing to hunt a long time to get a face to face with whatever lives back there. |
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Post by nhmountains on Sept 13, 2021 22:21:37 GMT -6
Deer are browsers. Leaves , young twigs,, ferns,blackberries, raspberries, acorns, moss and old mans beard are some things they eat. Look up at the top of the forest canopy. Where you see daylight in the distance is where there’d be food for them. Dark woods provide little food except acorns and maple leaves in the fall. Like Ben said, they’ll travel a few miles each night if they need to for food although the older bucks here in the northeast will be on their bellies 22 hours a day laying low except during November.
I think that swamp area behind you holds the larger bucks and eventually you’ll find their travel and rub/scrape lines. When I hunt the big woods I walk and walk. When I start to feel tired I walk further. Most still hunters will walk until they get tired. I want to be far beyond where they’ll be. You get that far back in there away from other hunters I’d be bringing a rattling bag with me during the rut. The last two deer I’ve killed were due to rattling. Rattle, listen and look.
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