Doe Factory Deer Habitat Risks and Solutions For Small Parcels
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 29 ส.ค. 2024
- Creating a doe factory is a very real and major risk for your small deer hunting parcel - and it is easy to do! Combine lots of attractive deer habitat bedding area improvements with great Summer food sources, and you can easily create a doe factory that has a great potential to ruin your herd and hunt. Doe family groups tend to stick around the entire year. A great line I like to use is, "Does that are here today are here to stay". When you create great fawning cover along with high quality Fall cover and Summer food sources, then your doe family group explosion can take up valuable resources of food and cover that extend into the hunting season and beyond. When you create an annual doe factory, you severely limit the amount of food and cover for bucks and in return, your potential to create a quality (QDM) herd and hunt. If your goal is a balanced herd, a quality herd and a great hunt all season long (not just the rut), then you need to check out the risks of creating the dreaded doe factory...
Jeff, big thanks for this video. I have land east of Leech Lake in Northern MN. We put in the food plots and did all the QDM stuff and it drove away all of our mature bucks and turned our land into a doe MECCA. Last year I abandon the plots and got the does to leave, and the mature bucks returned right away. Your video describes EXACTLY what happened to our land, and it wasnt good.
Great to hear you are finding that success again! I see that pattern so much. It's not that QDM is bad...just that there are a lot more ways to do it wrong than right. I love Fall food but in a lot of cases landowners can have better success with no food at all IF the Summer food is attracting too many does or Fall plots are attracting too much hunting pressure. Again tho...great to hear that you guys are on track!
Just when you think you’ve done everything right you find out the opposite may have occurred. The chess match with mature bucks is never ending but that’s what makes it so fun! I used to think I had to hunt every single minute I was able but eventually found out this did not help me kill a mature buck. Hunting at the best times was much more efficient. Similar thought process with food plots and habitat management. Being smart and efficient can save a lot of work and money. This information definitely will help me be smarter about food plots etc. As always great information!!!
That's great to hear David...the chess match is what is so enjoyable, isn't it? Just talking Summer plots...I would say over all they are responsible for not only populations that are too high, but then that negatively carries into the hunting season when it comes to consistently creating s quality herd or hunt.
Efficient and connected wuskoty habitat improvements are so critical. While planting trees and shrubs are fun at times...I see so many plantings that are not necessary in any way. "Overkill" and not relating to quality wildlife plantings. Not all of course.
Anyways I hope the info continues to help and I love hearing about how hunters hunt less but see more mature bucks!
I try to have a good food source for around the time I hunt most. For me it’s mid November to late December. The cold hearty oats did ok last year. We took 9 deer on 60 acres. More does than bucks. It’s an over populated area. The meat is more important than antlers imo. Good video I can see how summer food doesn’t help and can make hunting worse. For me, the best part is sitting out in snow and cold and taking a deer with the muzzleloader. Does or bucks whatever I have the tag for. Second best part is cooking. Also, I really enjoy it when my wife or guest gets a deer. Good hunting!
Jeff,
Great comments. That is exactly what I had created, summer food plots with lots and lots of does. As a former QDMA area director, I totally agree that the number 1 objective should be to manage for the carrying capacity of your property. It sure makes a lot of sense to simply let them eat what the local farmers in our area have planted, and target of having feed available during hunting season.
I will be cultipacking the worked up areas today, and hopefully seeding the switch tomorrow.
Thanks for all your help...anxiously awaiting the final plan.
Bob
Bob I can't wait to see you turn it all around...quickly! I love seeing you make the changes so fast too...I really appreciate being able to take part in eliminating the doe factory on your land ☺️ As well as creating a GREAT deer herd and hunt in the process.
That's perfect video about the property in North East Pennsylvania the owner doesn't cut the fields anymore and cameras shot all does can't figure it out. Thank you
I'm in Southern Michigan and my farm is surrounded by some pretty sweet managed properties and vast ag fields. Back in the day when I didn't own it, we adhered to conventional wisdom and shot a lot of does and tried to keep their numbers lower. Daytime mature buck sightings were hard to come by...too much commotion, spooking deer, constantly dragging deer out, etc. Eventually even some of the resident mature does would leave the farm. About 10 years ago when I purchased the property, I decided to experiment and shoot no does until late season, and create my own little doe factory as you call it...chuck conventional wisdom and see what happened. Like clockwork the first season we started seeing and shooting mature bucks. It seems that having a higher antlerless population, and leaving it unmolested until late season created a "bait" situation, whereby the mature deer on surrounding properties would eventually venture on my farm in late October in search of hot does, and as long as we didn't overhunt, they'd remain in the area through gun season in November. So I think that in some instances, especially in heavily hunted areas, and when your property is "the worst house in a nice neighborhood", a doe factory can be your best bet at attracting mature deer. Of course the goal is to make your property more attractive, but that all takes time and money. So as usual like everything in hunting...it just depends. Your videos are great and very informative...thanks.
High Johnny...great feedback! The trick is creating a highly attractive land during the hunting season...not the Summer. I should call it a Summer doe factory.
Summer does are very bad for many factors. BUT, leaving your land alone during the Summer for attraction and then allowing those deer to filter in during the bulk of the hunting season is the key. And then of course low pressure hunting.
20 years ago I pleaded with folks online NOT to shoot does all season. That kills parcels. Early and late and not in between unless a buck is already on the ground. Heck, my buddy and I shot 9 in one day during WI's 4 day mid December doe season. That's when you shoot does and not before.
However, does still take up space. They still displace buck bedding. So hammering the does late when needed is still so critical. But again, letting your neighbors take care if the does during the Summer and I to early September (fawning grounds) creates a vacuum for mature bucks on your land. A does factory during the hunting season is OK to a point, but during the Summer is when it can be extremely negative.
Hope that makes sense! Always keep in mind a great deer parcel can be hunted for mature bucks all season long. Not in your case but I see parcels that try to key on late November and December...and they lose a lot of mature bucks in October and November. In that way they can't influence a quality herd or really their potential of a quality hunt. Deer arriving AFTER fawning season is a very good thing ☺️
You should check out a lot of the comments on this video...there are several that have an incredible amount of Fall does...but no bucks because there is no space. It really can get to a point where there are so many does they take up all available space on a small parcel. Not enough depth for bucks. You guys probably do great because of the lack of Summer does, great hunting tactics and then taking enough does at the end of the season...exactly what I have done since the late 80s/early 90s 😎 just plain works!
Again, very eye and ear opening, goes contrary to what you would think but it does make sense. Thank you Jeff
You are very welcome and that is great to hear! This is a very familiar pattern I experience all across the country and I hope it helps a lot of folks out!
Yes I’m goin to do my best to use what I can of the suggestions you’ve gave us this time if I’m able to hunt that is. Great advice brother I enjoy your videos a lot. Great advice as I said. Thank you for sharing the great advice brother. Prayers for you and your family GOD BLESS Amen.
That's sounds good thanks for all of the feedback Randle and I hope you are finding a lot more peace now!
Whitetail Habitat Solutions thank you brother that means a lot to me GOD BLESS.
Great information! Of course the best way to fix a problem is to fully understand what’s actually happening! Thanks!!
For sure David...not enough out there on this topic, and it is such a huge risk for landowners. I really hope it makes sense!
A big thanks Jeff for all your help.there just isn’t this advanced level information anywhere out there. I believe your information has greatly reduced my learning curve and also saved me a bunch of money and heartache in the long run. Not to mention due to my property location the winter offseason usually lasts until late April so in the meantime I can look foreword to learning so much from your regular videos! Thanks again! Can’t wait to get started!
Rock solid knowledge. I consider everything you preach about lol. I’m sure you hear it all the time but your very knowledgeable on the white tail! The experience is under your belt for sure! Thanks a bunch for all the info, tips, tricks, etc.
good stuff, thank you
I am 49 years old.. I have deer hunted since 16... I have been stand hunting for the past 16 years. I have one trophy 8 pointer. I have been following you on youtube and realize I have been making a lot of mistake... food plots, stand locations, doe factory, etc. I would love to learn first hand... Would you trade some manual labor on one of your job for teaching session. If possible, I will take vacation time to work for and with you to get the chance to learn. I live and hunt in Florida but I think this could take my hunting to the next level. Thank you.
I disagree with this thinking... We have a bunch of doe and a ton of big buck. Buck mate with does.. I believe every area is different. I do however agree with the rest of your videos though, good stuff keep it up!
Great video as always Jeff. I’m in S/W Michigan and the AG is so abundant here it’s crazy. This will be my second year at putting in food plots. The thing here is depending on the weather food could be left up all fall and past winter. Like last year we had fields of beans up until late December. As we all know those deer will find those safe food sources and hunker down. Without a competing food source it makes for a tough hunting situation for sure. There’s just way to many doe and everyone shoots anything with antlers. Buck to doe ratio is way outta wack. So, it makes for a real tough predicament not creating that doe farm. It’s most definitely a love hate relationship. Lol. Keep up the great videos brother.
Thank you very much Donald...pretty cool experiences you have there! They first step to doe management/population management is getting rid of the Summer food. Beans are often the biggest culprit! Corn is good in this situation. Zero summer food can turn it around in just one season by more evenly distributing the does across the entire neighborhood. Then the great habitat improvements create a mature buck magnet on your land during the Fall, because it hasn't yet been overrun by does family groups during the Summer. Those Summer does and fawns just about always stay for Fall, and then you pull in does from the neighborhood too.
I hope that all makes sense!
Whitetail Habitat Solutions ty for the reply sir. Yup I may try corn this year. The only problem I have is I don’t have access to a drill planter. I may just broadcast and see if I can drag the seen in. What’s your opinion on this? Worth a shot?
Thanks for the vid Jeff. We filled all our doe tags last fall but i cant believe the deer the last couple weeks,we had 25 and 19 in 2 dif fields tonight i think weve got a deer factory lol!My kids r wound up like a 10 day clock. My farm is in the valley so we do have more bare spots
Dan you are so welcome and I really appreciate it! Ha, so hard to go by numbers right now...awesome to see these large numbers right now. Really October/November are really the only numbers to go by. I've seen some major catastrophes on deer parcels where February numbers were used for harvest goals, and then the folks just about wipe out a herd over several years.
I bet you guys are doing awesome! Fund to see for sure at this time of the year 🙂
I grew up on our 129 acre NY farm. Pressure was crazy around us and we decided to not shoot any does. We had ever buck in that block and then some on us and we were shooting 140 plus inch deer every year in an area that was tough to kill 120s
At some point the amount of does take up all of the space, even during the hunting season. It is still highly recommended to shoot does early and late...leaving the middle 7-8 weeks alone for not shooting does.
Especially when no summer food plots are involved...creating a high level of attraction during the hunting season is exactly what you want to do, with an apparent lack of hunting pressure leading the way. I pleaded with hunters online and in seminars nearly 20 years ago to NOT shoot does all season long. It kills the quality of herds and hunts. Now there are still problems with that practice, but hunters have come a long ways when it comes to shooting does. It used to be, "shoot every doe you see, whenever you see it"...that was a very ignorant and destructive practice.
Very cool to hear your experiences and I appreciate it Chad!
I've accidentally created a doe factory on my last two properties by creating the best habitat and food for miles around. It's nothing to see 30+ does on a two acre food plot every night. I probably have 100 does and fawns on 300 acres. The number of mature buck pictures dropped to almost zero. If you kill the amount of does needed, you place way too much hunting pressure on the property for the bucks to tolerate it. Striking the right balance can be tough.
D that is so common but it is pretty easy...ZERO Summer food. I haven't planted a summer plot for roughly 15 years. Once you teach carrying capacity you have to significantly reduce or get rid of all summer food. That places does all summer somewhere else (not all) and then those does are open for hunting on someone else's land...it more evenly distributes the amount of does across the neighborhood and creates a vacuum for mature bucks to be pulled into your land during the bulk of the hunting season.
Try it...it only takes one Summer. This is where corn is great...beans are bad. I've had clients double and triple there mature bucks daylight sightings in 1 season...meaning this coming hunting season.
I hope that helps...it's an easy Summer fix if Summer food plots are involved. There are other changes too, but if the changes are done...it happens. Quickly.
I recently purchased a larger tract (900 acres) and Im in the process of working on habitat improvements, etc. I am surrounded by timbered hills and the bottoms are large pastures with wooded creeks. I see a ton of deer during the winter periods in the pastures. I'm guessing we supply a majority of the winter food source for surrounding deer. Trying to get a grasp on how many doe I should take each year to get a good balance?
@@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751 Jeff what's your take on Paul Knox' strip method? I've done your late bean regiment and they were literally destroyed before the plants could get established. Since beans aren't browse tolerant, I've shifted entirely to 1st plantings around 8/1 and last planting as late as 9/15 in northern Wisconsin / Southern part of the UP. Strips are brasssicas and rye, John Komps fall forage with ground hog radish and clover, and a strip of perennial clover on the edge. As part of my program there is roughly an acre of total clover for 40 acres. If I wanted to kill off summer food, I'd kill my clover plots, but that would hurt me come fall.
For 2019, I'm rolling crimping all the rye in June and letting that form a mat of mulch. Then, I'm cutting with a no-till drill the my brassicas on 8/1, cereal grain on 9/1. This is 3/4 of the planted groceries for the fall.
Lastly, if you recall, all my plots are surrounded in switchgrass. There are roughly 20+ diversity pockets throughout and I've planted 25 apple trees to reinforce the line of movement around the main plot.
All said, I'm thoroughly convinced if my fields were fallow, I'd still have a doe factory simply b/c of the diversity. At the moment, I see does in the evening, one or two with fawns on fence rows. Switchgrass is only in year 1 so it's immaterial for cover. By 10/1 post bachelor break-up, I'm only see 3 - 5 decent bucks, not shooters, come to the property with any regularity.
PS. my most successful late fall food plot, was till, plant nothing, spray clethodim one month after tilling. Lots of volunteer clover and alfalfa emerged. Meanwhile, there was 3 acres of forage in the food plot.
@@kirtcurell4610 I suggest diving into some QDMA classes. Coming up with your carrying capacity is some work. Need to figure out how many animals your bringing into the herd each year and how many you are losing (fecundity rate). QDMA has some good classes (online) that can teach survey techniques. To get a real sense of this, you'll need to pick a time of year, Jeff likes fall, and measure that for a few years before you can get a reading.
@@fattroutlounge how's it going? I don't really have a late bean regime...not sure what you are talking about? This is the recommendation we had for you:
"June
--Plant switch grass
--Plant round-up ready soybeans (establish temporary fencing to measure browse pressure)
--spray diversity pockets with clethodome (kill grasses only)
--Put in water holes
--Hang tree stands
July
--Trail cams go out
--improve bedding areas
--clear access trails to stands (round-up)
--mow clover trails
--spray beans
--Bean decision (plow under and replant is the current plan)
--Till
--Prep seed bed if needed for fertilizer in Aug.
August
--1/2 food plot: Plant 100# of forage peas per acre & 50# soybeans per acre
--1/2 food plot: Brassicas
September
--Hand spread Winter Rye 150# to 200# an acre
October
--Survey"
The recommendation was around 8/1 to plant 100#s of peas, 50#s of beans and then follow up with 200#s of winter rye, broadcast on top around Labor Day. The beans and soybeans get hit hard anywhere, but the real plot is the combo that follows with the heavy rye. Also of course, the brassica plot recommended on the other 1/2 of all of your food plots, planted on 8/1. The reason for the candy of the 150#s of peas and beans on the other half is to keep the pressure off of your brassica 1/2 😉 Very important and then you follow up with the heavy rye over the peas and beans on Labor day weekend.
The initial June planted beans were just to take care of weeds and begin the plots in 2017.
I like the standing rye crop rotations in Spring that I taught John...been using that for buckwheat, soybeans, rye, brassicas...heck lawns seed plantings for roughly 15 years. It works. Great way to actually plant buckwheat or soybeans thru no till in the spring.
By not having the soybeans or clover in the Summer, you take out the key component of a doe a factory. More does will focus on the fields around your land on a daily basis, and you will more evenly distributes your neighborhood fawning. The doe family groups do not establish patterns of food plot use on your land because those plots are down to the dirt. Then when you planting your 8/1 brassica and heavy peas and beans, you don't have an army of does and fawns specifically within the food plot patterns of use already. With a doe factory during the Summer...I would cut the clover trail and just purely focus on layered rye beginning 8/1 with 50#s of oats per acre, followed up by 100#s of rye on 9/1 per acre, and another 100#s of at least 30% soil exposure close to the end of October.
Late fallow clover and alfalfa is a very poor plot for your area just because it can't produce enough volume in comparison to the heavy rye or brassica...it gets frosted out early and stops growing. There has got to be better options 😉 I would stay the course with the late Summer green plantings of peas, brassica, rye, beans..you can even add 50#s of oats per acre to the beans and peas on 8/1 for a nurse crop...
another great video that hits close to home here all most like you've been here observing this place. I got so much I could say and add to this But I won't it's definitely a problem though. AN not a easy fix.
Thank you Yogi!on a lot of parcels there are easy fixes...cut summer food, cut the hunting pressure by effectively linking improvements and creating parcel efficiency. BUT I know in your case s lot of alfalfa that can't be changed. You can still work on doe harvest at the right time and spooking fewer deer if possible. Most lands that don't have a surrounding Summer food problem can be corrected in one off season.
I def have this problem. 😔 I have No summer food plots , but the 20 doe that circle my 30 acers day and night just don’t leave . Haven’t seen more then a spike on my land during the 2 years I have owned it . Guess gunna need some bow hunting friends to come over and fill some meat tags .... #FigAndCloverRanch
Nick I would definitely take those does early and late in the season, but leave the bulk of the season alone. Making the land as thick as possible and making sure anybody your plots are near the ag so that you maximize your depth of usable bedding cover is key too.
Very Interesting. Maybe I should put a double electric fence around my clover and beans until Oct to keep the deer out but keep my Turkey's around?
I like that thinking! Let them establish their fawning grounds somewhere else...
thank you
You are very welcome Carmine...I hope that it helps you this year!
Very good topic as usual. The Biologist over the lease I'm on, in East Texas. Shows 20-21 survey being 1 : 1.35 buck to doe ratio. I'm wondering if offering soybean & clover in the spring would hurt that ratio.
Thanks all the great information.
Lol. I've been hunting cass city. Enjoy your videos.
You're from Sterling Heights area ?- Really appreciate you vids - I can't drive anywhere now without scoring the habitat around me that I drive past.
Ha, that's funny...I do the same thing ☺️ Waterford...very close!
I do the same thing! I love you're videos! Keep it up!! I've been managing my 150 acre Indiana lease for 3 years. I use you're advice on your videos on just about everything I do on it! Glad to see someone who is as passionate about deer and land management as me. It's all I ever want to think or talk about haha. One of these days I may just have to hire you to check out some of the land I lease or own to give me advice on how to create the best big buck honey hole possible! Love your vids! Keep it up! You give the best advice I have seen on TH-cam or anywhere else!
Wow Michigan state someone’s happy
Unfortunately MI fans...State who? 🤔
Got to get the books. What do you do with food plots in the summer? I would assume buckwheat to suppress weeds then plant into rye and brassica crimping the buckwheat.
This is the problem that I have. Unfortunately I have a neighbor that will not cooperate in any manner, and is anti everything. Ive seen buck very mature bucks but they are down a ways in other people's fields. On this property I've seen one decent buck a year ago with some buttons here and there. Very disappointing.
Good stuff Jeff, I just started last season not putting in summer food. I saw a better amount of bucks and doe in the fall than I ever have in 6 years. That’s the only thing I’ve changed, and I have been creating better habitat all along. Hoping it continues to get better. I’m surrounded by AG, why not let them feed the deer all summer?
I have a Doe factory, I see so many Does and Fawns on my trail cams. I shot I had 13 does and fawns in 1 trail cam picture. This was my 1st year owning this property and after watching this video and other videos of yours I am learning what to do and what not to do. I thik the does use my property as bedding because I have Hay fields that border on 3 sides of my property.
seen lots of young bucks in the summer but no mature bucks till the end of november.
I have not done much improvement yet other than put in 2 small food plots. about 1/2 acre combined. And fall plots as I learned from a previous video of yours.
any other tips for me?
I really appreciate your feedback! That is a tough situation with the hay on 3 sides. There are a few things:
1. Make sure your plots are next to ag, with good screening cover on all sides. The more you push the plots away from ag...the more you hinder your potential depth of cover and ultimately enough room for bucks.
2. More cover, cuttings, food plot screening and layers of cover on your land...the more deer your land can hold.
3. The hunting pressure has to be kept to a minimum with over 50% of your land as s core area that you do not walk into...blow your scent into or let the deer hear you within.
4. Shoot does early and late as best you can, while only shooting does in the middle several weeks of the season, if you already have a buck on the ground you need to retrieve, in the same sit... preferably at the same time you shoot the buck.
I hope those help a bit if you aren't already working on those areas 🙂
@@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751 I will definetly work on what you mentioned, thanks a lot jeff
@@MySliceOfHeavenoutdoors you are very welcome...I hope that it helps you out a lot this season ☺️
I’ll take a doe factory with my super low deer densities. It would take over a decade of doe factory to get enough social pressure to chase bucks away.
You definitely need some summer food to build that population. Worst case senerio it takes 5-6 years to reach maximum capacity of your property is managed correctly...best case just 1 season. But not 10 that's for sure, which is a good thing 🙂 Landowners do not realize just how fast they can explode their numbers...
Hey brother sorry just now getting the chance to watch videos. No turkey yet but it’s coming. I didn’t go today I don’t like doin anything on Sunday. It’s THE LORDS DAY AMEN. LORD willing I’m goin in the morn though Amen.
What If we have 220 acres. 50 of it is bottom ground that I have to plant and harvest. It attracts does obviously. It’s not an insane number but the numbers are high. If you were to do doe management on the property would you try to knock the numbers down earlier rather than later in the season? If you kill 8-10 does in the first couple weeks of season won’t the bucks react to that before the fall shift and stick to your land once they notice the declined amount of does taking all of the preferred bedding?
Hey Jeff this info is so great I’ve owned my property since 2004 I have 0 food plots to date with the exception of acorns I don’t even know what the deer have to browse on all I see are does fawns & young bucks the monster bucks I see are on the outdoor channel I mean we have spikes your occasional 6 pointer that’s about it there are coyotes but I have yet to come across them in the woods we see them on trail camera now & again we do have black bear don’t know if that’s a reason for no older bucks they generally take advantage of fawns I was told so what in your opinion do you think the problem may be
I have intensively managed my farm for the last 12 years, however I have about 1 mile of road frontage. So I have a acute road poaching problem that makes sure I will never have a doe factory.
Ha, that's one way! Or screen the road ☺️?
I live in West Virginia and in the process of buying 130 acres that is nothing but canopy cover. There is no one around me for miles that has food plots. The only thing that the deer has to eat in the summertime are native Forbes. I plan on putting in food plots using the No till method by terminating the native forbs and grasses then broadcast the fall seed. What would I use in the summertime as a cover crop that would not attract a lot of those and fonds in the summer
How do you eliminate it when you have crop land on 3 sides of your property year around? Wheat, Corn, Soybeans.
I have the lease that the bucks go to when they leave other farms.
Hi Jeff, when you say offer summer food, do you mean plots or are you talking about browse from hinge cuts, and regeneration, and maybe some browse improvements like dogwood plantings.
This sounds like exactly what we’ve done. Saw massive improvement in buck quality years 1-4, Now year 5, 3 of the 4 shooters we had left in September not to be seen. 2 acre food plot has 25 does and young bucks in it. Improved our fawn habitat and nutrition but mature bucks are almost nonexistent even at night on camera,. Only 500 acres not a big place in Oklahoma. Do i need to take does or just back off on the summer food sources?
I'm kind of confused to be honest. I have a 40 acre parcel with a 7 acre field and pipeline in Eau Claire county. This year for the first time we put up trail cams because the buck sign was better than it's been in 20 years, but we weren't seeing them. Low and behold they are nocturnal, there are 8 bucks and 4 of them are mature shooters. We do see a fair amount of does in the summer, but we don't have food plots. We did mow the field for the first time in about 15 years. I think we do have a doe factory and an outside in parcel as well. So what is the correction? I plan on planting two half acre food plots and putting in water this year. The timber was logged selectively twice in the last 20 years. Any suggestions? Should we stop mowing in the spring, for example?
I disagree with this I live in Alabama and I know a guy who has 35 acres. He’s created some great habitat by hinge cutting, putting in water holes, putting in mineral licks, etc. he has a 10 acre field in the middle which is all he hunts he has taken the time to create different entrances and stand locations to hunt that field according to the wind. He never shoots any does and never has any mature bucks on camera. But every year during January (that’s when the rut usually comes in down here.) he kills a mature buck that he’s never seen before. It’s insane
The southern deer are different than the northern ones. The rebel herds tend to range further and migrate from one area to another. Jeff is good but unfortunately his experience is northern centric.
Sooooo, if my goal with my 40 acers is to provide my family of 4 with the vast majority of red meat I need a year basically I want to do everything you're saying not to do in this video lol. Shooting booners is awesome, but I just like to see and shoot a lot of deer lol.
I hunt around 30 acres and all we have is a small 1 acre food plot but we also have an ag field that borders our land that is typical corn one year then beans the next. What would you recommend planting in the food plot to hold bucks in the fall. Also why is creating fall and winter cover bad? Wouldn’t that encourage bucks to stay during those months?
My first house, my first year hunting, I see 2 fawns and a doe regularly. I’ve seen 3 small bucks and one mature buck, once. I have 24 acres. Anyone have any suggestions? I live on flat land surrounded by ag fields on two sides and a swamp on the third (house is on the east, ag fields on the south and west, swamp on the north) any advice would be a tremendous help. Beans on the south, corn on the west
Being your from Michigan didn’t the bb team win the other day to advance March madness I don’t follow it so saw it on the news bout week ago
Do you consider perennial clover summer food? They don't seem to hit it as hard as they do in the fall; maybe only because there's other tasty things around in the summer.
I'm in northern Wisconsin, just north of spooner. I dont have alot of deer period. No good food, poor soil, alot of work to do.
Check out what I was able to accomplish in the middle of the UP of MI...terrible soil and a terrible deer herd:
www.whitetailhabitatsolutions.com/blog/qdm-on-poor-whitetail-habitat
Don't let anyone ever tell that it can't be done...and it can happen pretty quickly too 😉 I've seen it dozens of times over...
I actually get that alot. You cant get it to grow, or if I do, the deer will eat it before hunting season. Alot if negative feedback.
@@kcavery5936 just stick with it and be positive...it can work!
I absolutely will. Thanks for the encouragement!!!
By the way the work you did in the UP was tremendous. When you are new at this, there are so many food plot hunting guys to watch. You caught my eye because of your work in Eau Clair , we are 2 hrs north of there.
Jeff,
I don't get to manage the area that I hunt because I don't own it. I do however get to take does in numbers if I choose to. I guess that kind of is management. Decreasing doe numbers ranks where on the list of things you can do to to balance the area?
Thanks so much for these great informative videos.
Hi John you are welcome? It sure is too...BUT, you need to make sure that you are harvesting does during the least invasive times of the season ..typically early or late in the season. OR, when you already have a buck on the ground. I then turn my gun towards the first available doe.
I've seen a lot of parcels ruined just simply because they target does at high hunting pressure points of the season, they then spook bucks off the land that get shot by neighbors or at the very least become nocturnal deer on their land. All boiling back to good doe harvest objectives carried out at the wrong time.
I hope that helps!
@@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751 it sure does Jeff. Thanks for taking your Sunday and answering these for us.
@@owens35351 you are very welcome John! I will have a gap in answer time today...but certainly more later in the evening ☺️ thank you do much for watching!
What do you think of no food plot at all ? Let the neighbor plot and leave my 20 creek bottom / beaver swamp /thicket /hill top oak only add mock scraping?
We have all the signs you refer to. Other than no summer plots and trigger management....any other ideas on how to reverse the doe factory?
Question ? I thought it was called hunting ? Now days if a person goes out hunting and they dont fill their tag in a day or two they complain there are not enough deer. Where has the " hunting " experience risen too ? When I walk through my timber and see many invasive trees /brush... these are brought in by wildlife ! They carry the seeds in various ways....and also "deer" do major damage to the regrowth in the timbers......often destroying saplings ..... Take note......how many new regrowth trees do you see in timbers now days ? Almost none ! The deer population is way out of control !!!!! Who knows the proper population.....but .....I feel if there are more then one deer per mile.........it over populated ! This is no joke !! You never hear about those issues. Its all about the revenue....nothing more ! A sad situation !
No kidding! I got a small area cutting out a bunch of trees and while it has opened it to much more sunlight, nothing is growing. The sprouts coming from the stumps- deer ate them ALL. I wanted this area to grow into brush and grasses to provide some nice bedding areas and winter browses ( those honeysuckle trees and the damn multifloras seem to be the thing even though they are invasives, but they are all over the region). There are deer all over the woods all back in there. I use bait ( legal on private land here still) to bring deer in to where my big wooden blind is. I can't have a small # of stands and in better spots, people steal everything here. I wish I could hunt more but I have eye issues and driving 35 mins one way and having to deal with 1/2 driving in darkness is just too much for me anymore. If I lived there, I'd be out about every day of seasons and try bowhunting too! I also have to compete with a neighbor who also baits. But I am all about venison, so random does are fine. I did miss a chance on a 2.5 yr old 8 pt buck because I didn't feel like going out there to hunt that day. That was before the camera was stolen. And I guess his age from being a taxidermist and being very good at guessing ages by antlers.
More than 1 deer per mile is overpopulated? You sir, are crazy. You wouldn't even see deer with those numbers. Reminds me of my Grandmother's time when if you even saw a deer track, you would go to school and tell everyone.
@@Scofari As I had stated......who knows the proper population ? If you done the basic math in square miles....its a trick statement on my part. I felt most people would have not idea what it relates too. Seems maybe you didnt do the math ? Adds up to a lot of deer ! So where I live in the Grundy county that would equal about 600 deer. Estimated population to day is about 300 deer So.....are you suggesting then that we need "double "( or more ) the number of deer as we do today.. ? Leave the timbers go by the way side..... with invasion of invasive species ....... allowing the bucks to trash ... new growth saplings..... and then people complain about lumber cost ? I dont feel most people understand where lumber comes from now days. I do work at a lumber yard.....and see first hand the poor quality lumber thats being sold ! 40% is junk ! Now add another 40 years to that....and what quality lumber will there be ? Stop and think ~! It takes over 50 yrs to grow a tree....todays actions can be tomorrows failures !
I think normal carry capacity is a little less than 10 per full square mile. They have too many crops to eat and too many houses have been planted between the crops nowadays meaning reduced hunting areas, so its crazy like 60+ per square mile, not counting mature bucks.
@@canislatrans8285 Carry capacity for chickens in a cage might be 2 birds per square foot.......does that make it a good idea to have 400 deer per square mile ? Or.......one deer per square mile ? Long term its about the damage.....or health they create in their habitat.
Jeff,
Thanks for sharing your knowledge with us. One question I have is, about how many does should a 40 acre parcel hold?
Mark there are so, so many variables to that...really hard to break it down per 40. On average a few does and a free fawns ..but that average can vary significantly. I wish I could give you a better # Mark! It also depends on the time of the year...certainly you want a lot more during the heart of the season than at any other time...in particular the Summer months.
@@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751
Got it, thanks. We are in the process of increasing our deer herd. We traditionally have success during bow hunting, but the deer seem to disappear during gun season. Had 3 doe families living on our parcel last year. Trail camera videos show they didn't get along, which made me think they were competing for food, etc. Decided we could start taking some does again. Does that sound about right? Thanks, again Jeff.
@@marklevezow5929 I am glad you asked this question. I have 40 acres in SE Michigan and we have 2, possibly 3 doe families. I wish all the deer wore ear tags like cattle. Should would make it a lot easier to keep tabs on them. 😁
What is a good ratio per acre? I’m probably headed towards a Doe factory but we have been in a rebuild status for the last couple years. Hope to do a camera survey soon to make necessary adjustments
Bingo!...
Really hope that it helps!
Wish you could address in video or book form some of the special circumstances that Florida land offers. Forest floors are either thick with palmettos or wet and swampy, if not swampy then the soil is mostly sandy so growing food plots isn’t easy, we don’t have winter, feral pigs are everywhere eating the corn from our feeders or tearing up your plots. The habitat solutions I see you offering in your videos don’t seem to apply to Florida habitat. Thanks.
I’ve watched nearly all his videos and they are definitely northern centric. What works for yankee deer doesn’t always work for rebel deer. Almost a different animal in terms of traits and behavior and preferences.
Great video great info Jeff! ? Is it safe to assume that this also applies to southern states like South Georgia North Florida ?
I don’t know Georgia but these tips don’t seem to apply to Florida.
It sure don’t work in Mississippi. Jeff knows his stuff but most of it applies to up north. Rebel deer are different than the yankee ones.
I have more bucks than does. About 1to1 mature bucks to doe ratio What does that mean???
That's a great thing Drake...in my experience less than 10% of all small whitetail parcels hold the attention of daylight mature bucks. That means that you certainly are not promoting s doe factory 😉 What do you think based on the video, that you have done to make that happen?
I'm really curious as well. What have you done to make your habitat attractive to does and bucks, but only a certain number of does?
The summer feed in my area is some corn and hay. There isn't soybeans within 2-3 miles. I want to provide soybeans, but I fear a doe factory. But, I only have the first week of October to hunt (NW PA) and can't wait for the bucks to come in.
I'm in South Louisiana. All of my 167 acres of land was swamp.it was dredged 9 years ago and was tied into the West of the Mississippi River. There's no agriculture for at least 20 miles. I didn't even walk it until 2 years ago. Everyone close to me hunted hard. The only thing I did was put up stands and 2 small food plots. Last year I started bringing my 3 grandchildren. They all harvested nice 8 pointers. I took Jeffs advice and only hunted with the weather . but I got worried because during rut I saw mostly bucks.. All the fawns were buttons 9 spikes 5 mature 8 pointers and a really big 6. Very few does but I can't really tell 1 doe from the other. I'm new at this and I worry about everything. I don't know what I should or shouldn't do next. Please help????
@@DRAKED411 that actually sounds really good Drake! I would suspect with s lot of pressure and s lot of food plot or feed, your neighbors all have doe factories and then your land is what is left over for low pressure seeking mature bucks. By keeping the pressure low on your land...this bucks focus on your land during the daylight. Does it make sense that adding a lot of Summer food on your land would damage your herd and hunt? I say stay the course. Some Fall food plots may be important too, but it sounds like you have found at least a decent balance.
Got switchgrass overseeded into brome that was cut for hay last summer back in Feb sprayed it with atrazine about 2 weeks ago and I added roundup to it. Killed a little bit of brome that was greening up. Since then it's really started to green up more brome is really coming up now will the atrazine kill brome another roundup spray necessary? Leavenworth ks.
@Truth is the new hate speech yeah, I wouldn't drink it. Nor spray it on my food.
I get so much info from your videos and books. Trying to create the perfect deer habitat is a neverending process and worth every minute and dollar spent. I hash tagged #whitetailhabitatsolutions on Instagram with a chart of all my trail cam buck activity by month and the results are pretty astounding. Thank you for all of these great videos.
Thank you so much Miguel that is awesome!! I really appreciate it...I love hearing about outstanding results too! Never ending rewarding fun work 🙂
Scofari As I had stated......who knows the proper population ? If you done the basic math in square miles....its a trick statement on my part. I felt most people would have not idea what it relates too. Seems maybe you didnt do the math ? Adds up to a lot of deer ! So where I live in the Grundy county that would equal about 600 deer. Estimated population to day is about 300 deer So.....are you suggesting then that we need "double "( or more ) the number of deer as we do today.. ? Leave the timbers go by the way side..... with invasion of invasive species ....... allowing the buck to trash ... new growth saplings..... and then people complain about lumber cost ? I dont feel most people understand where lumber comes from now days. I do work at a lumber yard.....and see first hand the poor quality lumber thats being sold ! 40% is junk ! Now add another 40 years to that....and what quality lumber will there be ? Stop and think ~! It takes over 50 yrs to grow a tree....todays actions can be tomorrows failures !
If you are on messenger I’ll send you some pics of the bucks I’ve taken over the years here in TN. Most of them within the last 8-10 years maybe not that long. I’ll find out soon brother.
This is the problem with the hunting club I'm in. These old guys refuse to take doe off the property. They believe the more doe the better.
my neighbors shoot everything that moves so no doe factory here
Just stay off your land. Maybe doing all these "habitat improvements" are just you leaving your scent everywhere and spooking mature bucks.
I leave well enough alone on my place. GOD provides just fine. Every time man interferes.....well, we all know the rest of that story. Money spent is not the answer regardless of what corporate America say's.What I don't understand with most States. The hoops one must jump through to get doe permits. If this guy is telling facts about doe factories. Why do States make it so hard to pull a permit? Best case scenario is you pull one permit. Crop damage permits "doe only" don't really make a dent on loses. One damage permit per 100 acres. If you have 20-30 does feeding one field. what is one damage permit going to do? Leave well enough alone. It balances out.