For almost 60 years, I hunted public land. This changed when a relative gave me access to his 76 acres of what was once a farm, but has been idle for many years, with only his house at one end now. It has your high stem count with red osier and also gray dogwoods, a lot of hardwood regeneration, autumn olive thickets, briars, patches of goldenrod, and a mixed stand of oaks, beech, hickory, maple, and aspen; mostly smaller stuff. There are only brushhogged trails down each edge and one down the center, but no food plots as the neighbor has large ones on his land. There is, however, lots of browse and bedding. And a lot of deer, as the 10 point he took this year shows. It's nice to have a place like that to hunt in my old age.
In over 30 years the biggest buck taken on my dads land is a 5 pointer and very few deer taken over that time. After watching you're videos ive been inspired to turn the property upside down and change that. Some of the things i implemented last year made a huge difference! Multiple 10s a 9 and a few good 8s hung out on most of the deer season. Passed up the 8 waiting for the 10 but couldn't get it done but thats ok already a huge improvement and im just getting started
Thank-you Jeff for generously sharing ur abundance of whitetail knowledge! I've learned a ton from you. Gotta say this video hits the record for use of the word "critical" around the 4 minute mark! Looking forward to purchasing seed again for the fall.
Deer and turkeys dig through the snow every year on our land for acorns. There’s leaves turned up everywhere right now in the snow. We have a lot of oaks
I'm always nervous taking out trees. Hard to undo if done wrong. Really going to have to figure this out on my new property, my woods very open/ clean.
Closing on new house today- 3 metro acres with half being cattails and a big red dossier patch. Previous owner had a shed antler for the dogs that had a main beam bigger than my wrist.😳
There is a 10acre field on a hilltop that has grown up over the years with smaller trees reclaiming the field with scrapes scattered throughout the original field edge where deer are in mild cover from where the trees are growing sparsely then a smaller one acre field around 150 yards from the other being reclaimed by trees as well with 3 scrapes in tight succession. With that many scrapes on the same field I would think they would have to visit some of them during the day around 15 scrapes in total. Public land (not heavily hunted)
Hi Jeff, 2 years ago I did a 1 acre aspen cut. Shoots are already 10-15 high. Very dense cover on the interior. Would you suggest cutting these shoots again or maybe 50% of them. Seem to high for deer browse but great for cover. Any help is appreciated.
Question Jeff. I have a 96 acre spot and am starting to cut holes in the hardwoods as you suggest. What size hole in the canopy would you recommend. Thanks and love the videos.
I can’t help but think all the old loggers that live in my area pass my property full of hinge cut trees and figure I never learned how to notch a tree.
