Help Keeping Deer Around For Late Season

[JeffK-MN]

Hi All
I'm trying to keep the deer in my woods tell muzzle loading season.
I live in Minnesota and the ML season is after the gun season is over. So I don't let any one hunt in our 40 acres but us for ml. But the deer are there tell we start hunting. Then after the first day or two they move out and don't come back.
I have 40 acres with 26 woods and swamp the swamp is cannary grass and red willow the woods is mixed white oaks. popeals burch and a lot of under bruch the woods is about 25 years old it was loged off but the oaks a a lot older.
The rest is hay fields with clover alafia and a lot of grasss.
What do you think I should try to keep the deer around
FYI only 2 of us hunt this land and most of the time it is weekends at that.Thanks Jeff

 

[GM54-120]

Mineral or salt licks and crab apple trees. We have had very good luck with crab apple trees and they are fairly hardy. Deer seem to love them. Small patches of sweet clover are nice too.

Small groves of cedars in the larger open fields seem to work also BUT cedars can have issues with certain fruit trees. They can be carriers for RUST and damage apple trees.

We also devoted a section around a large pond as a "no kill or shooting zone". Deer are there every morning/evening throughout the year now unless its froze over.

Scott

 

[cayuga]

You could try food plots of something that deer really like, mineral blocks, but it is hard to keep deer. I have the same problem. I do not allow hunters, yet the deer get nervous and move. Try hunting the willow marshes a little harder. Also watch for any acorn crop. That time of year, they are looking for anything to eat. Although I am guessing they have the mast cleaned up pretty good.

 

[HawgHunter]

Try planting a brassica plot. I'm above the 46th parallel and nothing draws them in better in the late season.

 

[HawgHunter]

Try planting a brassica plot. I'm above the 46th parallel and nothing draws them in better in the late season.

 

[HawgHunter]

Try planting a brassica plot. I'm above the 46th parallel and nothing draws them in better in the late season.

 

[Widude]

40 acres isn't a whole lot if the neighboring property is heavily used. I hunt with a buddy at times on his leases IL property, 380+ acres. He has a "sanctuary" of thick cover near the center that he seldom ventures into, especially during the Fall. We usually hunt the edges of the property early in the season. The deer figure it out pretty well.

If you don't have much around I'm partial to thick evergreen cover to hold critters, norway spruce,white pine,scotch pine etc. Other thick cover will work too. The baiting/ 'salt lick' is taboo in some areas. I am a big crab apple fan. My favorite is the 'Dolgo' crab apple. The fruit is about 1" round, the tree is very hardy & fruit disease resistant. If you have an area when it can get some sun it may work. Of course you have to protect the young tree well.

 

[DarkKnight]

Here in Iowa we plant our food plots later, they went in last week. Also we have a sanctuaries about 15-20 acres on an 80 acre piece that we don't touch unless we have to track a deer into it.

We have a safe haven on a 20 acre piece as well and it sure seems to help. We just do not go into it no matter what.