Top 5 Whitetail Habitat Improvements (non-food plot)
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 13 ก.ย. 2024
- While a food plot is most likely the most powerful whitetail habitat improvement on the planet, these 5 favorite improvements of mine aren't too shabby either. Whitetail waterholes, deer bedding areas, bowhunting travel corridors, mock scrape setups and wildlife switchgrass plantings, can each be an incredible fit for your favorite whitetail habitat paradise.
I live in Iowa, and 20 years ago my grandpa and I transplanted 5 gallon buckets of pampas grass to a hole bunch of areas around his farm. That pampas grass will continue to spread slowly every year. Now those same patches are as big as 50 yards across. This stuff is tough as nails and we have never done any maintenance to it. It stands better through the snow and cold weather then the switch grass does. Every year we now have several doe have their fawn in those pampas grass patches! It's some of the best habitat we have ever planted.
Thank you Mr. Jeff sounds great the town is called Bascom florida
I will work on next year thank you so much for your time. And there is hardly if any hunting pressure there mostly farmers and normal dirt road traffic the deer are use to normal activity. Will work on scraps and food plots.. Can't send pictures here. But the natural coridores look like Interstate with the deer tracks
That all sounds great John! I bet a very cool area that sounds good about right now, lol. Supposed to be -31 in the morning...actual temps. Close to -60 wind chills...crazy eh?
Thanks for the comments John!
Some friends of mine inherited a farm about 15 years ago. It's a little over 400 acres, around 100 acres are tillable. The property had not been farmed for a little over 20 years, it was really grown up. There is a large bottom with 12 fields with the largest being 11 acres. The fields are all broken up with nice strips of timber separating them. There was a large amount of deer that spent most of their time on the property. After 3 or 4 years we decided to clean up all the fields, it took 2 years and a lot of hard work. It was farmed for 5 season by a local farmer planted in corn and soy beans. The neighboring farm acrossed a large creek was also really grown up. The deer seemed to start spending more time on that property after we cleaned up my buddies property. Even with having corn and beans planted. We have really learned a good lesson on the importance of good bedding and browse within the bedding areas. Three years without farming and letting it grow back up it's starting to make a difference. I think hunting pressure was also a factor.
Good points! I had s client who cleaned up some old fields that equaled a huge amount if bedding, and planted soybeans via a farmer. After the first year they reverted back to making the fields true security cover with a switchgrass and browse combo and the deer herd has never been better. It's all about finding the right balance in the right location and I hope the video helps!
very informative and not a lot of hoopla, thank you sir for sharing with us.
Well placed ‘mock’ scrapes along deer trails-often will be reactivated, year after year.
check which ones deer prefer. Yes, I pee on them too.
When the 🍂 leaves fall, if you clear them off, they really stand out.
Good points! Since the early 2000s I've been clearing them in July and leaving them...I don't want to typically get too close to them after that. Amazing how many dee we get using them in June, July AND August, let alone the hunting season. Lots of fun!
Me and my cousin both started scrapes small woods around our houses ..by peeing in it. At first he was laughing we were busting chops ... I said bro it works ... and it honestly did!!!! resulting in him having a nice buck on cam ... I’m add the vine now next year
Excellent tips. Season opens tomorrow here in ky. Can i start mock scrapes And water holes now in areas that i dont intend to hunt until early november. I hunt 176 acres and i try stay off the farm for about 3 weeks prior to opening day. If i go in making mock scrapes and water holes, am i gonna decrease my odds for success.
I have an 85 acre parcel of land and 33 of that is pastored for horses and the back portion of the parcel is left alone for me to be able to hunt. The portion that I hunt has very little woods maybe 10% of it is wooded but there is a lot of woods directly behind my property. Should I plant some hard woods, like white oak or maples then set up a small food plot or should I just go with a massive food plot and set up a tree stand in the woods that over looks that.
Great video!
I’m trying to understand what you mean by cover for switchgrass? In comparison to bedding? And how would you incorporate switch grass into a property? Edges of food plot? Filling in and empty field? Edges of property or travel corridor?
I had to sub after watching so much. I do have questions but im waiting to ask. Because i still have not walked 100% of my property. KY rain has been killer these past two years.
Man Billy you guys have had so much! I was down there for a client in February...flew into Nashville. Rained almost the whole time then! Well when those vids come up that relate...ask away! I also really appreciate you subbing...
Its something else when you see a buck thats 200 plus . I had to double take and almost ran off the road.
@@devouring2772 ha, that's awesome Billy!! Hope you see him again real close. During hunting season 😉 With a bow
@@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751 is there anything that will grow for a winter food source on rock ground. Ill remove what i can by hand. But its just rocky and has red cedar tree 360 degrees around it.
Interesting video thanks.. 2 questions... 1) what species are best to hinge cut ? And 2) what is the best time of year to cut them (similar to apple tree pruning)? ... btw.. I live in Ontario
Thanks Jeff!!!
Here in FL the grass doesn't lay down unless we run cattle through it. Should I just not clip and let the natives get real tall?
Hey Jeff I have been working hard since we met in the middle of January to implement 4 out these 5 improvements to my property. I can't wait until the fall and see how it all comes together. One question on switch grass, does it need full sun light to grow effectively?
My property is mainly pasture land and cattail sloughs with limited timber, surrounded by ag fields. Probably about 80-85 acres of hunting land. There are two different groves of timber maybe about an acre each. We’ve planted two food plots around these timber spots and have marginal success, should I still knock some of that timber down when they are able to bed in the cattail sloughs? Or would that be foolish with such limited timber to begin with?
Awesome video. Good advice. One question i have. Is there such a thing as too thick of cover/bedding area for deer? I own 24 acres that have a mix of popular and variety of pines. Some parts are so thick i can't even walk through it without putting my arms across my face and bull rushing through. I have a ton of does that are on the property but i only see mature bucks around the rut time.
Jared Beyer Thank you Jared! You sure can have habitat that is too thick for deer. I've seen habitat that was hinge cut so thick that only does and small bucks could slip thru...the landowner even watched as mature bucks slipped around the pocket instead of traveling thru like the rest of the deer.
Opening up pockets of clearcut and removing the woody debris us a great way to create more bowse, while creating a quality maze, browse and pocket effect that deer prefer to bed in.
Good luck!
Jeff I live in North West Florida. 15 miles from Dothan Al. And 20 miles from Donaldsonville Ga. It is mostly agriculture land Peanut and Cotton fields each rotated ever other year. So I took your advice by not planting food plots. With this past Hurricane Michael. The wind created natural walking coridores I try to hunt them. Am I doing the wrong thing just wanted to know your opinion
John I love food plots...in fact they are critical for small landowners. They just can't be overly pressured.
Those natural travel corridors sound perfect! In like that a lot...probably a lot of natural regeneration too?
Now you could match that with an unpressured food plot, off to the side...that connects with those corridors, that would be perfect!
Did you say you urinate in the mock scrape to start it? I've always tried to avoid urinating in my hunting area because I thought it would spook the deer with human urine.
Scott Burson yes I sure do Scott...I have for many, many years. I also just per off of my treestand. I have some articles going back a long ways...I think one I wrote in 2006 maybe? A revised version is under the title, "To Pee Or Not To Pee". I think you can find it on Google. It all turns to the same chemical after 20 minutes or so at the most.but yes, I per in my scrapes often....and also right off of my stand when needed.
Thanks, all those years of suffering!
Scott Burson ha...yes, you are welcome! It all turns into ammonia. I'm not so sure that I actually have to pee in the movk scrapes, but I do. During the season I typically don't because the scrapes are already established.
I have peed down from a tree stand that i planned on moving permanently that evening. 45 mins later 2 doe came through and spent 20 minutes directly on that area. I was amazed. That was in Adams county illinois, just a stones throw from pike county border. I tagged out my either sex and antlerless tag that year. Neither from that spot however; i had already tagged a doe so I held out for a mature buck and got a 134 inch the next morning. The bastard was bedded 50 feet in front of me and didnt budge until 0830 am, when it stood straight up in front of me. I was in a chairblind. Nearly fell out of it when i shot.
I been peeing from my stands and in scrapes for years. They will tear up a scrape from you peeing in it.
How do you maintain your switchgrass ? Do you burn off in the spry? Do you leave it alone? Thanks
With a good chemical start, you should only have to use simazine prior to spring green up the 2nd year...and then let it go. I've seen great switchgrass fields last 10 years or more...but they were started weed free. Otherwise, burning at 5-7 years is perfect.
If you have to mow the first 3 years...a landowner didn't use enough chemicals and the stand will suffer.
I leave mine alone..mother than the simazine before spring green up in the 2nd year.
do you put anything in the water hole to help the water from getting stagnate or any unwanted growth in the non moving water?
Hey Jeff, I live and hunt on a farm in Southeastern North Carolina. Most of my property is fairly open , there are timber patches (mostly pine) that border the property and a corn field that we rotate in the middle, Would you recommend planting this switch grass and Egyptian wheat grass to create a wall blocking the deer's view of my house and any other distractions ? And help me get in and out without spooking them & help with how nocturnal they have become?
Thanks man , I love the channel and look forward to the next video !!
Thanks Matt...can't wait to bring you more, I have roughly 4 more to come over the next week...and then we are creating more this week for the following week.
I really like using grass for screening because it can be highly effective and can last for decades. Living in NC, there are other grasses you can use because you don't need the grass to stand up to deep snows. I have to admit I have not worked in NC, but whether it is a variety of blue grass, Indian grass or switch...there has got to be something that you can plant that will not only work, but grow very well in the long growing season that you have, even in the first year. The bottom line tho, a grass can be highly effective at reducing the stress level in your food sources, nearby bedding areas and any other area that you want the deer to keep from seeing you...or even each other.
Whitetail Habitat Solutions Okay awesome I'm going to do some research on some different grasses that'll thrive here! I know I can speak for all your subscribers when saying we really appreciate you taking the time to respond to us personally! Have a good weekend !
Matt Johnson that's great Matt...good luck! Although the grass variety may be different...at least the strategy is the same.
And thanks a lot too...I have really been enjoying the TH-cam experience and although I do run into times I can't respond...I do try and you guys have always seemed appreciative! Makes me want to to work as hard as I can at it...have a great weekend
I know it's a old video so hopefully you answer but how do you not get millions of pictures on those mock scrapes from the vine moving?
Once planted does the switchgrass regrow each year or will reseeding be needed yearly? Im sure I can google that answer huh? :-)
Worth putting in a waterhole if there are multiple creeks running through the heart of the property (160ish acres)?
How do u keep that small water hole from becoming stagnant or a mosquito larvae infested pool? please let me know your thoughts
Great video Jeff. I am in western VA. in the mountains. Will switchgrass work in my area?
I do believe your climate range is OK, but I am not familiar with planting switch in your area. The great thing is that switch is very tolerant of a variety of soil types, fertility levels and moisture levels.
We have our hunting land leased from a Timber Company and we’re not allowed to cut any trees so I can’t cut trees to make bedding areas. We have 323 acres total, 160 acres is in Pines and Hardwoods, 163 acres was clear cut about 13 years ago but wasn’t replanted it has grown back naturally and it’s really thick, we have 4 food plots on that half of the property and there’s a creek on both sides of the property. I would like to add some water holes closer to the bedding areas, how do you keep the water fairly clean so it’s not all nasty with algae and stuff?
Sounds like a nice chunk of land! I rake out waterhole out once a year...and then it is ok for it to get scummy...deer seem to prefer it. More natural anyways.
Whitetail Habitat Solutions Ok thanks for the information, is it too late in the year for me to start a mock scrape? Our Bucks don’t go in Rut till late January or early February, they have extended our season through February 10th for that reason. Thanks.
@@copedipper7654 you are very welcome! I think you still have plenty of time...check out my mock scrape playlist, LOT of info in that list and I hope that it helps!
Here it is: th-cam.com/play/PLmV8Ilexgmhee-6E06udW874E3ZoYWRfz.html
Whitetail Habitat Solutions Ok I’ll check it out now, Thanks for the help and Good Luck out there!
Jeff, where do you purchase your switchgrass seed?
John Komp northwoods whitetail. Good stuff.
Will switch grass grow in SC? We sometimes go through long draughts in summer
jason hughes Jason, there are some really good articles online for growing switchgrass in SC. Although I am not sure of the variety, you can grow it for certain! It is also indigenous to the State as well...
Good luck!
Do you get busted getting to your stands because of the bedding/travel corridors?
Actually get busted a lot less because the corridors hide and define movement where the fit best to avoid hunter access ..hope that makes sense?
@@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751 thank you for the fast reply! It does make sense. I Was thinking if deer are using the path your using getting in or out. Either way, definitely more cover is better. Likely better to chance getting busted that way, then a big open area and get busted
Does switch grass grow in sandy loam in Texas?
Dan, I really do not know...I have worked in 23 states, but not TX yet. Sandy soil typically means lower growth levels, but sandy loam would be a little better than sand. I really wonder about the heat tho...but I am not totally sure. I apologize for that, wish I could help you more!
Do you worry about spreading disease with those watering holes?
Hi Mark, not at all in any way! In fact they are better than a puddle in the woods because by planting clover and rye grass around the hole...or letting natural vegetation take over, there isn't the mud layer to allow the midge of EHD to live in. If these waterholes were bad, you would have to go around and fill in every natural mud hole or puddle in the woods. Extremely safe...
How do you keep your travel corridors from over growing with brush from all the sun exposure?
Eli Burkholder good question! It really doesn't on the soil/habitat and how much or what, would actually grow. In a portion of habitats the deer will keep it open by both moving thru and eating the new growth. In other areas a ground clear herbicide works very well and then a DR brush trimmer is a great tool to open up once a Summer. The number of overall deer per acre has a lot to do with it too. Generally the Upper Midwest will have much less growth than the lower Midwest.
I view the bedding areas the same. This is another reason to not use canopies too, other than food and cover at deer level! Canopies cave in, fail, rot and just create a whole lot more future maintenance. They aren't as effective...and then require a lot more work to create and maintain.
Eli Burkholder Colorado
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What's the band and name of switch grass
Jeff, I noticed you have a line of switchgrass running along the gully in the fallow field. Is this having any effect on deer movement? What is the method to the madness here?
Chilcote Forestry Stephen, I have some lines, some pockets, blocks and points planted in that valley...basically all of the semi flat areas that are too small for food plots or not in the right spot for food plots. Their is no cover in the field, so the switch creates bedding opportunity, screening for hunter access and holding cover for small game, all Fall and Winter. It also reduces the over all stress level of deer entering the entire valley, with many locations for them to hide behind and within. Hope that makes sense! No other grasses would stand up all winter around here, so switchgrass is the only option outside of planting conifers.
I C. Still trying to figure out grass bedding. I have come to the conclusion that, at least around here, you need a pretty large area and not too thick. I planted too thick and although its great screening, they don't bed down in there. I just looked at some grass on a NY property I work on that stood up well to some heavy weather lately and deer aren't using it at all.
One of the biggest misconceptions about grass for bedding...is that deer bed within the grass. Deer rarely bed in grass (except for fawning) unless forced to do so. Deer bed alongside grass, or the grass can be used to screen bedding within shrubs, timber or broadleaf, briar or woody growth (browse). Switchgrass is the only grass that stands up to Winter weather, and therefore the only true wildlife grass, at least when wildlife needs it the most. I have a couple other videos on my channel that talk about this, and a couple more coming over the next 2-3 weeks. Using grass for bedding is the easiest form of whitetail cover structure that a person can plant, providing cover within 2 Summers of growth. Think of the grass hiding the good stuff within, in the form of daily browse. Deer don't bed within the grass unless forced to because of the lack of daily browse. Same with conifers. However, creating 40-60% of the bedding area in non-grass growth, while using the grass to surround that growth, creates a bedding area. I hope that makes sense, but using switchgrass allows you to provide structure within a field that allows deer to be hidden while they bed, within 2 Summers.
Yes that makes sense. I noticed when ding TSI for the State where I had to get all the trees on the ground in beech and birch thickets, I noticed deer beds along the edge where I had quit for the day. They seem to like being able to see while having a place to run to when danger approaches. I have seen deer bounding out of switchgrass fields though. You never really know for sure what they will do. I would like to find a landowner who will let me create an oak savanna with switchgrass, fruiting shrubs and forage with a very thin oak canopy. I think this will hold deer but havent had the opportunity to create it yet
Chilcote Forestry One of the best combos is 40-60% switch, with pockets of broadleaf diversity mixed within at a rate of 40-60%. The reason deer do not prefer to bed within switchgrass, any grass or conifers is that there is no browse. Deer feed 5 times in a 24 hour period as rhythmic pattern feeders, which means twice during their daytime bedding areas. Woody regen, briars, shrub tips are perfect for daytime browse. Unless deer are forced into pure switch or conifers due to the lack of cover...they don't choose to bed there in any way. By creating broadleaf and woody browse pockets within the switch (the inconsistency of oaks makes them a poor choice), you can create both high quality browse and high quality Fall/Winter bedding within 2 Summers. A pretty cool combo which meets the needs of cover and daytime browse in the entire North 1/2 of the whitetail range. Straight switch or conifers (which is in the same bedding habitat class), just isn't enough.
How do u keep the water from freezing?
I don't...amazing how they will still come to it for at least a week. When you combine warm ups and a black tank, it seems to stay more thawed than frozen for the majority of the season.
Hello Jeff. Which specific switch grass do you use?
Curtis Mulder Cave in Rock...
The specific switch grass I've researched that best suits my purposes is "Switch Grass Shelter" which grows 4'-6' tall, rather than "Native Switch Grass" which only grows 3'-4' tall. You can find it online at: www. AmericanMeadows.com
Will small water holes, such as the ones I see in your videos, contribute to CWD in any way?
Cody Ulrich no I do not believe so at all, in any way. However, even the top scientists don't really definitely understand how CWD is actually transfered. I believe more thru the soil or bone, but tough to say about anything really. I've always wondered about deer foraging in acorns, or other ground forages...mast/fruit crops, but even then, no one knows at all. One thing I have been amazed at I'd how little it has actually spread from infected locations 10-15 years ago. At first the "sky was falling" and it would end the whitetail herd as we know it. Now, it has spread very little and been locally contained.
Also, the small tanks are very low risk for EHD, with a lack of drying mud that cakes and cracks around the tank for the midge to propagate in, compared to ponds and more natural waterholes...
Again tho with the CWD really tough, because of the lack of definitive conclusions to grasp on to.
Whitetail Habitat Solutions I actually meant to say EHD, not sure why I put CWD. Thanks for the responce and answer to both though. I think we are going to add one or two like those by our food plots in addition to the a pond and creek.
Cody Ulrich good luck! Couple things...make sure they are on the way to food and not in the food, and then also within bowshot.
Whitetail Habitat Solutions We're going to put them in a staging area before the plots between them and the bedding to hopefully offer up a good 20 yrd shot on their way out in the evening. Thanks again for all the helpful info.
Probably put a mock scrape there also.
Where did you film the video?
That was in SW WI on one of the lands that I hunt...
Where do you purchase your switch grass seed? We have some property not too far from yours!
Thanks in advance
Mitchell McArdle Hi Mitchell! For years I have purchased nearly all of my seed thru John Komp at Northwoods Whitetails. This year is the first year he will be carrying Cave In Rock switchgrass and it creates a great combo of both food plot and cover options!!
You are wearing one loud jacket. You can hear very movement.
For sure...Mike in wrong spot 😉 Only made that mistake once out of 260 videos 😎
Holy full of himself
Just listen and learn 😉 it's called experience. Most likely more than anyone else in the country...
Whitetail Habitat Solutions I watched it again. It has good bedding area ideas. Just heavy on the intro. 😉
@@loamy ha, I understand...thanks for the follow up, really appreciate it!
Get a better mic/mic position please... it sounds like you're talking through a wall of cardboard.
Ha, you caught the 1 video with a bad mic placement...we are good before and since, hope you enjoy!