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What Kind of area do you feel like holds the most deer?

M

MObowhunter10

Member
If you could have your choice between let's go with 1,000 acres of land... One has timber blocks of at least 50+ acres with a total of 700 acres of timber, or 1,000 acres with only 300 of it being in timber, with the timber being brushy creek bottoms and draws, with multiple fields of switchgrass and blue stem which would you choose?


This has been a big debate between hunting buddies over which type of terrain the deer prefer. Just wanted to hear your alls opinion on it.
 
Need more info...:D

How thick is the timber? I would say that thick timber would hold 2-4 times the deer, maybe more, than open timber. What is the habitat like in the surrounding area?

All else equal, I like mixed timber and ag land myself, somewhere around a 50-50 split.
 
Not so simple of an answer. If a guy could improve the timber, doze some stuff out and put in some kill plots I would take #1 strictly for deer. If I could actually buy such a farm I would probably prefer #2 because the NWSG areas are darn good cover but would probably be paying CRP $$$. :) Neither sounds like bad hunting tho!


Perfect setup in my mind....freshly regenerating area of timber (via logging, TSI, hinge cutting, etc) directly adjacent to a multiple/variety of reliable year round food sources with moving water preferable via a creek or river.

This article kinda talks about it. http://ecosystems.psu.edu/research/...al&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer
 
I have always seemed to see the most deer, sign, sheds etc. around ground that is a good mix. And I don't been a big block of timber and then a big field. I'm mean draws/brushy ditches, overgrown fence lines, terraces, and timber mixed around randomly.

I am sure there are a lot of deer in the big timber blocks, just you don't seem them as much or there sign because they are in cover so well and just spread out in the timber, they are not bottled necked etc like they are in slightly more open areas.
 
Mostly open with small fingers is all. If I got permission to hunt it not knowing, I might not even go. Don't have a pic, but it doesn't look very good. Goes to show, if you are in a good genetic area you just need a couple trees to do well.
 
Crp fields and timbered fingers dumping into a timbered creek bottom. Love it. Cover, natural travel corridors, water, with pinch points where fingers meet the creek or by creek features (bank heights, bends, etc). I live there.
 
A mix with lots of structure that changes- 1st- I personally gotta have some "BIG TIMBER". Especially after tsi- it trumps anything for year round use, IMO. Next to it- I love the thick natives and Forbs that have 5-10' trees in them- Cedars, etc. then, draws of thick timber and varieties of crp would probably be 3rd on my list.
 
Jdubs said:
Crp fields and timbered fingers dumping into a timbered creek bottom. Love it. Cover, natural travel corridors, water, with pinch points where fingers meet the creek or by creek features (bank heights, bends, etc). I live there.
Click to expand...

That is pretty much what I have now. Half timber and timber draws and the other half tillable with some "nasty" CRP with brush and cedars.

Good mix, I like 50/50 cover to crop. One thing that is added benefit, pasture or crop all around the cover. Helps concentrate the deer and very few fence sitters.
 
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