Circuit for those without destination food/ag nearby

I was referring to his almanacs. The filmed DVD’s were not good at all.

I would not have picked those locations out with the knowledge I had 30 years ago. Just observation.

To answer your question more directly, I put a long skinny food plot like a shooting lane and sat in a box blind watching the trails across that food plot. It was like a power line cut. Boring, but easy. It was a rifle thing though, bow hunting would have been very different.

I still think about the day that you mowed that gigantic oat crop. That was something else.

Did you see much deer use of the oats?

I may have seen that oat video on another forum....it seems familiar....and is nuts to watch.

I had plots cleared (off some existing openings that made some locational sense to use/expand)and the guy who did it was a RW seed dealer. He sold me on Higgins soil charge....planted that and it grew great. Didnt put up an exclusion cage or pay attention to browse. I decided to spray it in July and have a brassica blend for the ultimate attraction. Horrid timing with the drought that hit....and despite multiple attempts to establish rye thereafter my plots were weak dust bowls going into Thanksgiving. This year will be clover and chicory frost seeded next week....with a hearty helping of oats for some cover in a month. Mowing will be prior to rain if at all and i will add brassicas to open areas and WR to any remaining in Sept. Wont forget the exclusion cages either.

I had very accomplished hunter there tell me- the big guys are just as present in the big wood/hills as they are ag, theyre just far less visible and predictable. I still struggle with that idea for my place but the county and local area definitely put up some big deer.

One big take from the contributors here is the long trail. I was missing the point of my plots and "too thick" interior lack deer trails. Utility ROW and an old two track are there but not ideal for ideal for the deer or passage with topography or plots. Should be a pretty easy roi to add some more "too small for a truck but big enough for a buck" trails that make sense for their travel.

As for topography- there are some no-brainer places. Between constantly fickle winds and very high cost access....theyre cell cam locations and also a no brainer for a buck to use for total property intel and near impossibility to be ambushed prior. I hunted one once this past season. It worked well for the deer that were there and moving at that time.

As for rubs....they dont paint much of a picture. I have little ones all over and some giant in the food plots. Not much of a plausible pattern to the location or even support with trail cam pics.

For the records, I am pretty accomplished in multiple areas, public and private and joined the habitat/layout learning over 15 years ago. My weaknesses are i go blind with my own stuff (overthinking) and despite figuring most ag country scenarios out fast....feel like i know nothing in the big hills or country without ag. Ive also pondered posting some more pics but have that internet thief based apprehension


I also wonder if the deer"got it" with regard to food plots as theyre not the norm there. Corn piles and acorns are every where...with a good amount of native browse mixed in. This year will provide a bunch more intel....including whether this is a place to stay or sell.

I opened up some shooting lanes and some sidewalks that I have ignored for too long. I also found a string of big rubs running diagonally thru my woods. This is an area I haven’t been in for years. I know one decent buck made it through rifle season. Maybe that was him.

Good to get out!

I bet they will work. I mow or roundup my deer sidewalks in early august.