# Setting up new land for deer



## InlandKid (Aug 29, 2006)

So I bought a new house and moving in at the end of july. The house sets on 8acres of land. It is in the shape of a rectangle with the house at the east, a 1.25 acre pond west of the house, then the woods west of the pond and then a set of rail road tracks on the west side of the woods. To the north edge of the woods is a open cow field. To the south a narrow amount of woods and a house. My question is where to place food plots and my stands. Im new to owning woods and unsure of the best way to set it up. Food plots in the middle with a stand on each of the four outter corners to catch them coming in and out?


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## nis1 (Mar 12, 2014)

Are you in a rural or urban setting? Is it possible to post a map of the property so I can kind of see the layout? I'm having a hard time picturing the way it's set up.


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## DLarrick (May 31, 2011)

Map would definitely help. Knowing what kind of woods/field that is on surrounding property would also be a factor on where I put stands


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## Flathead76 (May 2, 2010)

Your basically working with 6 acres to hunt on. Take a 10 minutes walk and see where the deer walk. Set a stand up for a sw wind and call it done. If the wind is not right don't hunt it. Small areas can offer great hunting if it's in the right area.


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## Doboy (Oct 13, 2008)

I'm an advocate of placing any/ all food plots into the center of a property. Have as many 'stands', shooting lanes with different wind directions & safety factors as possible.
If I just acquired property, the first step would be clearing for plots & lanes. Wipe-out unwanted grasses/ weeds & maybe plant a winter wheat cover crop,,, (it might be too late to start clovers & deer feeds.?)
*Get those fruit tree/ apple, pear, white oak, chestnut orchards started!*
If the property had some 'old hard woods'/ over-mature trees that aren't even good for 'Blockage', cut 'em down in late winter or spring for fire wood,,, leave about 3'-4' of stump. That stump should re-grow with many branches, and supply the deer with lots of cover & brows. 2-3 years Later,,,, trim off multiple branches to 2 or 3 trunks,,,, prime logging for the future.
If you can, Make sure that you keep some acreage for high grass 'hideaways',,,, that will make some deer & game animal security, bedding, birthing areas,,,,, and you'll always have the chased deer coming to your house!
*NEVER disturb a bedding area!*

My sportsman club has about 1,000 acres, & most of our 40-50 acres of food plots are near the perimeter,,,, big mistake. Also, we have no clearing program,,, returning unwanted scrub locust trees, multi-flora rose, honeysuckle etc, BACK to prime bedding & birthing acreage.
And our largest deer & turkey problem, is small game/ pheasant season!
We'll stock 250+ pheasants & have hundreds of our members with dogs searching them out,,,, covering every square foot 100 times,,,,,, like say 'GOOD-BY DEER'!
Well, I hope I gave you some ideas,,,,, and if you live close to me, I'll come & help,,, for archery opportunities!!!
lol,,,, Keep us posted!


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## InlandKid (Aug 29, 2006)

Sorry for the delayed reply guys its been the hardest week for me dealing with the passing of my grandfather. Here are two photos. The red line is boundaries. Gray dotted line is railroad track. If anything for this year I was thinking oats and then clover or anything else next year. Thanks guys, InlandKid


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## InlandKid (Aug 29, 2006)

Doboy where are you located at? Fire wood harvest is a big plus as the house has a wood stove for first floor heat. Sound like your ideas are what I was thinking about


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## longhaulpointer (Mar 12, 2009)

I own a native tree nursery in sw ohio, if you were closer I'd tell you to stop by. I'm obviously biased, but I'd plant some trees. Look into some cold hard persimmon, don't buy the grafted asian varieties they can die back with a cold winter. Buy some cold hardy american persimmon, just plant 5 or more to make sure you get a female plant and they cross polinate. Plant some apples, get early and late varieties. Same with pears, I graft kiefer and Bartlett onto common pear root stock. With that you get a 40 ft plus tree that drops pears that the deer will flock to. Don't forget to plant some white oaks either, burr, white, and swamp white are great. On the red oak side I would stick with saw tooth, consistent, reliable producer at an early age. Lastly don't forget the chestnuts, I grow both Chinese and blight free american (dunstans). Deer don't know the difference and don't pay attention to marketing. 

What I'm getting at is that if you spend the same time and effort to set up a seasonal foot plot, you could set up a food plot orchard that will last a lifetime.


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## bdawg (Apr 14, 2009)

You don't have many choices with this small lot and a big pond. Beautiful pond though! I would set up food plots on the north side of the property near the field and then sneak in along the south lot line and them them as they are heading back to bedding areas on the other side of the rr tracks in the morning. You could also set up a food plot on the back side of the pond and wait for them to come to you in the evening. I would plant some fruit trees just out from the edge of the woods too. For the deer and for myself. Congrats on the nice property! 

I have 4 acres of land that's half wooded in a city where you can't hunt. I can walk up within 20 yards of them all the time with my dog!


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## InlandKid (Aug 29, 2006)

Thanks for the ideas guys ill be implementing them. Already saw a eight pointer roaming the woods a few time and a few doe. Brush hogged some areas and planted a few shot plots last week. Now to just stay out of the woods for few weeks and hit it late October for some meat.


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