How to Improve Deer habitat

[SD_Prairie_Goat]

Good buddy of mine farms in NE SD and has a small piece of unfarmable land were thinking of improving for Whitetail hunting. I'd like the groups input.

Its not a large piece of ground, maybe 5-6 acres depending on water level:





The main issues I see with making it successful:

• The main exit points would be to the south or west, which is someone else land
• The Slough will limit travel on the huntable piece to just the north mainly

I'm thinking the best solution is to make a sanctuary space for the deer, which is in short supply in that part of the state. But even if we do this, I'm not sure how to try and direct deer travel to the north rather than West or South?


Additionally, what do we think would be good tree choices? Mixture of hardwoods with spruces?

 

[Dougfirtree]

I think turning it into bedding cover, with trees, is the right idea. Seems like you could hunt the north end of the bedding cover with a south wind, especially late in the season when you're less worried about the sanctuary.

Is there no way for a deer to walk around that slough and stay on your land? If there is, I'd see if there's any way to improve it and make it more attractive.

It's not the perfect setup, because you're kind of "sharing" those deer, but I'm sure it would help the hunting in your area.

And yes, if I was planting, I'd plant a mix of conifers in there, as well as some fast growing deciduous trees.

 

[SD_Prairie_Goat]

I think turning it into bedding cover, with trees, is the right idea. Seems like you could hunt the north end of the bedding cover with a south wind, especially late in the season when you're less worried about the sanctuary.

Is there no way for a deer to walk around that slough and stay on your land? If there is, I'd see if there's any way to improve it and make it more attractive.

It's not the perfect setup, because you're kind of "sharing" those deer, but I'm sure it would help the hunting in your area.

And yes, if I was planting, I'd plant a mix of conifers in there, as well as some fast growing deciduous trees.

My poorly drawn black line is the quarter line, so the long skinny part of the slough is the neighbors.


Only problem with south wind is we rarely get them around hunting time! haha, but we could build a blind across the slough for rifle season.

 

[Dougfirtree]

Ah, I thought maybe the ground was fairly solid at that narrow point of the slough. If not, you really aren't going to keep them from using the neighbor's fields alot. A blind shooting across the slough is probably your best bet. You just need to balance you hunting with the fact that they won't use it if you're shooting in there alot. Maybe keep a shooting lane, or two open into whatever bedding cover you're creating there and know that you're only going to shoot one, or two deer a season in there, with a week or two in between. Either way, creating a great piece of cover for them, on the land you control, is only going to help you.

 

[Mallardsx2]

Walk in from the east to your canoe. Paddle across the slough and hunt it on a north wind, or west wind. Thats what I would do first.

 

[seeth07]

Walk in from the east to your canoe. Paddle across the slough and hunt it on a north wind, or west wind. Thats what I would do first.

Agreed and this is on the assumption that deer bedded in there would likely travel south to that field over the one to the west.

Any deer traveling the west field and you are kind of SOL.

You can have a stand on the north end and the south end hoping for deer movement with the wind on that day and to the field north or south. Unfortunately that's about all you can hope for bowhunting this property.

Gun and you can do whatever gives you the best vantage point to cover the whole piece. Getting permission to be able to shoot your bow out onto that west field would partially help your options as well.

Finally, you are dead on that the best improvement will be help the bedding cover. Conifers are king for that.

 

[Mallardsx2]

Do you own this land or lease it? IF he owns it I could tell you 100% what I would do and it would.

 

[SD_Prairie_Goat]

Do you own this land or lease it? IF he owns it I could tell you 100% what I would do and it would.

He (his family) own the land, not lease

 

[Redman]

Whitetail country...plant a section in pine trees. It will take a few years but it will be worth the wait.

 

[recon6036]

I’m not sure if that section is wooded or not, but if not, I’d plant mostly conifers then a mix of hardwoods. I’d also plant a switchgrass perimeter around it, with pockets of switchgrass on the interior mixed with the trees.
Then I’d plant a small food plot, if possible on the northeast side of the slough and possibly plant more switchgrass to the north. Yellow = switchgrass. Green = trees. Maybe leave an open section to the south for a spot to hunt that section. Canoe or wade across the slough

 

[SD_Prairie_Goat]

I’m not sure if that section is wooded or not, but if not, I’d plant mostly conifers then a mix of hardwoods. I’d also plant a switchgrass perimeter around it, with pockets of switchgrass on the interior mixed with the trees.
Then I’d plant a small food plot, if possible on the northeast side of the slough and possibly plant more switchgrass to the north. Yellow = switchgrass. Green = trees. Maybe leave an open section to the south for a spot to hunt that section. Canoe or wade across the slough

No trees, that's just prairie grass and slough grass in the photo.

I like the idea, don't think we can pull off the food plot tho. They are primarily farmers, so we can't take any ground out of production. And corn and soybeans combine too late to plant a cover crop once they're out.

 

[blackbeard]

If you plant trees make sure the whitetails don't kill em off right away.

 

[SD_Prairie_Goat]

If you plant trees make sure the whitetails don't kill em off right away.

Tips or tricks you recommend?

 

[blackbeard]

Fence around each tree. Something they can't get their head through

 

[Corn king 60]

Get a bunch of women knee high nylons and irish spring bar soap.
cut bars into quarters and put a quarter into a nylon and tie one to each tree. Rain will keep smell strong and deer seem not to like it.
its not 100% but seems to keep them at bay.
pro tip have wife or gf pick up nylons

 

[Nick87]

Looks like a good place to duck hunt imho.

 

[SD_Prairie_Goat]

Looks like a good place to duck hunt imho.

This whole area of the state is nothing but ponds and puddles, trick is finding the puddles the ducks want to be in for some unknown reason

 

[Mallardsx2]

IF it was me and this was my spot to hunt I would plant the blue (as tight to the edge of that swamp depending on how wet it is) in turnips and sugar beets 50 feet wide and then I would plant a screen of Egyptian Wheat (Grows 12' high...) in the area penned in black ~ 15 feet wide minimum and I would place ground blinds in the areas where I have circles drawn.

Spot the farmer a grand cash to cover his losses from the crops and shoot a big buck every year. If the guy really going to miss 65 feet of field every year? I doubt it. Especially if you compensate him for it.

This would allow you to hunt this place on a North wind, south wind, west wind. Leave the red 100% off limits for a sanctuary except for a north wind when you could cross the canal in a boat to get to those ground blinds but only if it was worth it..

Thats what I would do.

 

[recon6036]

Hybrid poplar (screen and shade) trees grow fast, but some say they don’t live that long. I planted about 40 a year ago on my property, along with about 50 spruce trees. Next year I’m planting 250 more Spruce and Pine, as well as 50 Maple and Oak trees, thanks to a USDA wildlife grant I received. Switchgrass perimeter will go in the following year. I agree though, you’d need to put individual fencing around the Poplar and hardwood trees.

 

[Mallardsx2]

Also, I would never plant a tree on a property unless it was going to bear fruit in less than 4 years. And I would NEVER invest a ton of money something long term that wasn't personally mine. Thats just me though.

You can do what I said for $1250/year with the crop buyout and walk away when things go south or dont pan out.