Should I expand a food plot and reduce the amount of bedding cover?
Filed under: Hunting Tactics
First off I love the channel! I learn a TON of info on there. Now its bow season and I\’m going to get right to the point. I hunt on a 10 acre piece of land which located about 30 miles north of Columbia MO. The property itself is about 50% house yard, 30% open field and 20% a hardwood creek bottom surrounded by various resources a whitetail needs. The bottom is separated from the field by a very steep 20 ft. decline. There is a major corn field to the west across the road and a good sized bean field to the east. In between the two is a little over a hundred acres of very dense hardwoods(a lot of oaks), a creek running north to south at the east end of the property with several small ponds on neighboring properties.The creek bottom itself is mostly open….BUT, it does provide some good bedding at one end(I have bumped them before). This summer I did some clearing in the bottom, mowed some of the field and planted a food plot in an irregular strip leading from the field down the ditch leading to the bottom through the hardwoods. The plot itself is doing well, especially in the bottom closer to the creek. My question is…With all of the thick cover the 100+ acres on the other half of the creek provides, should I go ahead and finish clearing out the bottom after the season closes and focus on my food plot for next year and bringing the deer to me? I know on such a small parcel of land holding the deer is almost impossible. Getting into the creek bottom without spooking the deer is sometimes difficult so my thinking is get rid of what little bedding there is down there and let them bed UNDISTURBED on the other side of the creek and wait for them to come to the food plot. I know bottoms are difficult to hunt with the winds but other than the field its all that I got. I do not have the means/equipment to till and plant in the field otherwise I would do that and leave the bottom alone PERIOD. Any advice is welcome at this point. I do not want to ruin the hunting only make it better or leave it alone. Look forward to hearing from you guys! Thanks a lot and good luck to ALL.
Dillion,
I like hunting close to bedding because deer tend to spend most of their daylight hours near cover. Even with the detailed description you provided I don’t know enough (wind directions, hunting pressure on neighboring properties, etc.,) to give quality advice.
I suggest you hunt it this year and get a better feel for how deer use the property. Once the commercial crops and acorns are gone the food plot could be a great attraction!
While the crops are standing, having the bedding area may mean seeing deer during daylight hours.
I suggest letting your observations guide your actions.
Enjoy creation,
grant
