What should I do to improve the 114 acres where I hunt in central New York?

By Grant Woods,

  Filed under:

← Grant's Answers — Habitat Management
Question
I currently live and hunt in central newyork and one of my properties is approximately 114 acres. This area has a high concentration of Aggriculture and this particular property has 3 fields averaging 25 acres a piece. There is a north to south ridge that runs between the fields consisting of approximately 35 – 40 acres of dense timber and brush with a swamp that borders the west end.
There is good deer movement on the property, with plenty of buck sign. The issue I am having is deciding what to do next to promote buck movement and deer growth while developing habitat that will keep them coming back.
In your professional opinion what action(s) should I take to manage this portion of the property?

Thanks for all of your time and effort
Andrew

Andrew,

It sounds like you have permission to hunt  a nice property!  Deer use food, cover, and water daily. They will use the best of these resources within their home range that they don’t associate with danger.  

I assume there’s plenty of water where you hunt.  You also described an area that deer could use as cover. I’d be cautious to not alert deer in the cover.  You might develop, if you haven’t already, ways to access the cover without alerting deer in that area. Further, you might develop hidey hole plots between the cover and larger ag fields where deer will stage before entering the larger fields to field after dark.

Security is a huge factor in encouraging deer to spend a majority of time within a relatively small area.

Enjoy creation,

grant

January 1, 2016