Anytime Clay! Hopefully you've noticed that the deer are starting to use the trails. Right after the season ends, if we don't have too much snow, you can really see how much the trails are beat down.
Thank you!! And that is a great idea! Applying ground clear would keep the trail clear of grasses / weeds and show the deer the way for an entire year. Great tip!
Great idea! Much easier to get those leaves off! Depending on the trail, I am sometimes able to ride my lawnmower back there to clear them as well. Thanks for the tip!
Sounds like a great opportunity to direct deer traffic! The thicker the mess, the easier it is to influence the movement, just don't want to make it too wide and risk making them feel exposed.
Good video- question for you foodplot related though: have you had success terminating your buckwheat cover crop with just an atv disc? Does that work without using herbicide?
So if you want a 100% kill guaranteed, use chemical. BUT I did exactly what you described in the past, without chemical, and it worked just fine. A few popped plants back up here and there but I terminated 95% of the buckwheat by rolling and then chopping it with the disc. Make sure to seed prior to rolling.
I watched the previous videos about making food plot trails, and I have two questions for you. Have you ever broadcast rye into a existing clover plot and have you had success with that? Second with a clover plot/trail how late into the year does that seem to be attractive once it’s established? We are on the south end the northern MI APR zone so we tend to see first frost early October and first measurable snow in early November
Thanks for watching Tim! To answer the first question, yes we do broadcast cereal rye into our clover trails each year and we have great success with that. Adds diversity and adds attraction as the clover goes dormant. The answer to the second question honestly depends on the year. Some years we have warmer falls and the clover stays attractive into early December in Southwest Michigan. I bet your trail would stay attractive as a food source with clover and rye through November.
From my experience, mature bucks typically do not. I've had them walk through their existing trails in the thickest garbage in the area and avoid open trails like this. There is a reason they reach maturity. 😁
Great question Lloyd. All of the videos of deer in this video (not many I know) are ones of them using the trails we made. The 3 year old 10 point at 2:47 is using one of our trails, one very close to the new one we made. Now I am not going to say that the old bucks are using our trails 100% of the time, like Poe mentioned, they aren't. But they do use them enough that as long as we hunt the right stand at the right time, we have a much higher probability of getting a shot opportunity.
Great video. I have been cutting trails on my new property for the past few months basically doing the same techniques. Thanks for making this video.
Anytime Clay! Hopefully you've noticed that the deer are starting to use the trails. Right after the season ends, if we don't have too much snow, you can really see how much the trails are beat down.
Spreading some feed on new trail helps them feel comfortable with it too.
I can see how that would work! positive reinforcement. Here in Michigan baiting is illegal though.
Great video as always. Might I suggest applying ground clear herbicide to the trail later in the spring and late summer.
Thank you!! And that is a great idea! Applying ground clear would keep the trail clear of grasses / weeds and show the deer the way for an entire year. Great tip!
Really good video,I've been doing this since I was a kid and it's Amazing how quick they pick up on a new trail they love it,thanks for sharing
It's crazy how well it works. Cut a path and as long as they're relaxed, there's a good chance they'll take your trail. Thanks for watching Scott!
I use a backpack leaf blower! Works great! Thanks for the video!
Great idea! Much easier to get those leaves off! Depending on the trail, I am sometimes able to ride my lawnmower back there to clear them as well. Thanks for the tip!
You would love cutting paths in Alabama. We have trails you can't even stand up and walk through. I will just turn my back to it and fall through.
Sounds like a great opportunity to direct deer traffic! The thicker the mess, the easier it is to influence the movement, just don't want to make it too wide and risk making them feel exposed.
Good video- question for you foodplot related though: have you had success terminating your buckwheat cover crop with just an atv disc? Does that work without using herbicide?
So if you want a 100% kill guaranteed, use chemical. BUT I did exactly what you described in the past, without chemical, and it worked just fine. A few popped plants back up here and there but I terminated 95% of the buckwheat by rolling and then chopping it with the disc. Make sure to seed prior to rolling.
I watched the previous videos about making food plot trails, and I have two questions for you. Have you ever broadcast rye into a existing clover plot and have you had success with that? Second with a clover plot/trail how late into the year does that seem to be attractive once it’s established? We are on the south end the northern MI APR zone so we tend to see first frost early October and first measurable snow in early November
Thanks for watching Tim! To answer the first question, yes we do broadcast cereal rye into our clover trails each year and we have great success with that. Adds diversity and adds attraction as the clover goes dormant. The answer to the second question honestly depends on the year. Some years we have warmer falls and the clover stays attractive into early December in Southwest Michigan. I bet your trail would stay attractive as a food source with clover and rye through November.
Will bucks & does both use these types of trails?
From my experience, mature bucks typically do not. I've had them walk through their existing trails in the thickest garbage in the area and avoid open trails like this. There is a reason they reach maturity. 😁
Great question Lloyd. All of the videos of deer in this video (not many I know) are ones of them using the trails we made. The 3 year old 10 point at 2:47 is using one of our trails, one very close to the new one we made. Now I am not going to say that the old bucks are using our trails 100% of the time, like Poe mentioned, they aren't. But they do use them enough that as long as we hunt the right stand at the right time, we have a much higher probability of getting a shot opportunity.