Northern guys/big woods guys...

[JohnFunn]

Just wondering. ...(for those of us without corn and soybeans) how often have you seen deer out feeding on popal cuts during the summer or early fall? If at all? I know late season they are the "up north" version of a food plot....

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[mainebowhunter]

Just wondering. ...(for those of us without corn and soybeans) how often have you seen deer out feeding on popal cuts during the summer or early fall? If at all? I know late season they are the "up north" version of a food plot....

[ Post made via Android ]

I don't see bucks often anywhere observing during the summer. August is the best month and I will be lucky to get eyeballs on a couple bucks in one of my better areas.

[mainebowhunter]

When you can drive by an apple orchard and they don't cage any of their young trees, you know the deer densities are low.

[JohnFunn]

When you can drive by an apple orchard and they don't cage any of their young trees, you know the deer densities are low.

Yikes! Thats rough no doubt! I feel for you...we've had a few rough years up here too... (or down here to you!) but the tide is definitely turning

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[headgear]

You aren't going to have much luck glassing them in a recent cutting, not saying it can't happen but after dozens of attempts I've never spotted one. The thing about bigwoods deer is they are use to cover 100% of the time so if they don't have to they will not step out into the open until after dark. Also it only takes a couple of years for that new grows to reach 6-8 feet so often they might be out there but it's nearly impossible to see them.

[mainebowhunter]

You aren't going to have much luck glassing them in a recent cutting, not saying it can't happen but after dozens of attempts I've never spotted one. The thing about bigwoods deer is they are use to cover 100% of the time so if they don't have to they will not step out into the open until after dark. Also it only takes a couple of years for that new grows to reach 6-8 feet so often they might be out there but it's nearly impossible to see them.

Pretty much is why I never see them until August when the apples start dropping. There is no reason for them to come out of the cover.

[JohnFunn]

You aren't going to have much luck glassing them in a recent cutting, not saying it can't happen but after dozens of attempts I've never spotted one. The thing about bigwoods deer is they are use to cover 100% of the time so if they don't have to they will not step out into the open until after dark. Also it only takes a couple of years for that new grows to reach 6-8 feet so often they might be out there but it's nearly impossible to see them.

Roger that, good info! Still curious though if the'll be out there feeding on the leaves as a food source...or maybe its way down on thier list?...will have to rule in or rule out either way....

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[headgear]

Pretty much is why I never see them until August when the apples start dropping. There is no reason for them to come out of the cover.

We don't seem to have much for apples in Northern MN save for a few back yard trees and rare orchard but most of those seem much further south anyway so I see almost no daytime activity out in the open. The bucks are certainly moving during the day but just stay in cover at all times.

[mainebowhunter]

Pretty much is why I never see them until August when the apples start dropping. There is no reason for them to come out of the cover.

We don't seem to have much for apples in Northern MN save for a few back yard trees and rare orchard but most of those seem much further south anyway so I see almost no daytime activity out in the open. The bucks are certainly moving during the day but just stay in cover at all times.

Without the apples, pretty much would do the same thing here. You do see a few here and there on hayfields. But not many.

[Singing Bridge]

Just wondering. ...(for those of us without corn and soybeans) how often have you seen deer out feeding on popal cuts during the summer or early fall? If at all? I know late season they are the "up north" version of a food plot....

[ Post made via Android ]

They will eat the leaves and small stems right now and well into August in the cuts- it is just one of many in-woods food sources they take advantage of. If the cut is not disturbed and they do not detect any predator scent, mature bucks will sometimes show and feed during the daylight. They don't like being in the open and our trailcam pics show them in cuts that have 6 feet or more of growth. The biggest we have a pic of in daylight is a 150+ ten point from a few years back, he was in velvet when the trailcam took the shot. Glassing these bucks would be difficult as the cover is so thick.

[JohnFunn]

Just wondering. ...(for those of us without corn and soybeans) how often have you seen deer out feeding on popal cuts during the summer or early fall? If at all? I know late season they are the "up north" version of a food plot....

[ Post made via Android ]

They will eat the leaves and small stems right now and well into August in the cuts- it is just one of many in-woods food sources they take advantage of. If the cut is not disturbed and they do not detect any predator scent, mature bucks will sometimes show and feed during the daylight. They don't like being in the open and our trailcam pics show them in cuts that have 6 feet or more of growth. The biggest we have a pic of in daylight is a 150+ ten point from a few years back, he was in velvet when the trailcam took the shot. Glassing these bucks would be difficult as the cover is so thick.

Excellent! So they are probably there...day or night.. just hard to get a Visual on them....i was more curious if they are using them vs setting up right in the cut

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[Singing Bridge]

Excellent! So they are probably there...day or night.. just hard to get a Visual on them....i was more curious if they are using them vs setting up right in the cut

Sometimes...
If the cut isn't disturbed and bedding is nearby or in the cut itself, or on the transition of the cut, we see daytime movement.

One of the best ways to get onto a good buck near a cut, if you have no prior intel, is to scout the transition line of the cut and the main woods the first ten days of September- preferrably when it is raining. This is early and the bucks are just starting to shed velvet. It isn't uncommon to find a good rub then (Michigan) along the transition and I have found it to be a good buck (3 or older) most of the time. Bucks typically do not move a bunch at this time of the year and when I find one of these rubs the buck is often bedded nearby.

Disturbing the buck with human scent can be costly- being as low impact as possible is important.

[JohnFunn]

Excellent! So they are probably there...day or night.. just hard to get a Visual on them....i was more curious if they are using them vs setting up right in the cut

Sometimes...
If the cut isn't disturbed and bedding is nearby or in the cut itself, or on the transition of the cut, we see daytime movement.

One of the best ways to get onto a good buck near a cut, if you have no prior intel, is to scout the transition line of the cut and the main woods the first ten days of September- preferrably when it is raining. This is early and the bucks are just starting to shed velvet. It isn't uncommon to find a good rub then (Michigan) along the transition and I have found it to be a good buck (3 or older) most of the time. Bucks typically do not move a bunch at this time of the year and when I find one of these rubs the buck is often bedded nearby.

Disturbing the buck with human scent can be costly- being as low impact as possible is important.

Thank you Singing Bridge! Great info on scouting a new(er) cut first part of sept...makes perfect sense but i wouldnt have thought of it. Secondly, i have leared to love rain days after seeing first hand how a mature buck reacts to my bootprints (sure wish i knew how to add emogies here!)

[ Post made via Android ]

[Singing Bridge]

Excellent! So they are probably there...day or night.. just hard to get a Visual on them....i was more curious if they are using them vs setting up right in the cut

Sometimes...
If the cut isn't disturbed and bedding is nearby or in the cut itself, or on the transition of the cut, we see daytime movement.

One of the best ways to get onto a good buck near a cut, if you have no prior intel, is to scout the transition line of the cut and the main woods the first ten days of September- preferrably when it is raining. This is early and the bucks are just starting to shed velvet. It isn't uncommon to find a good rub then (Michigan) along the transition and I have found it to be a good buck (3 or older) most of the time. Bucks typically do not move a bunch at this time of the year and when I find one of these rubs the buck is often bedded nearby.

Disturbing the buck with human scent can be costly- being as low impact as possible is important.

Thank you Singing Bridge! Great info on scouting a new(er) cut first part of sept...makes perfect sense but i wouldnt have thought of it. Secondly, i have leared to love rain days after seeing first hand how a mature buck reacts to my bootprints (sure wish i knew how to add emogies here!)

[ Post made via Android ]

I should add that oversized buck tracks and / or oversized droppings will have the same impact on me as finding one of the rubs I mentioned. I try to never get completely caught up in interpreting a single type of buck sign.

[JohnFunn]

Excellent! So they are probably there...day or night.. just hard to get a Visual on them....i was more curious if they are using them vs setting up right in the cut

Sometimes...
If the cut isn't disturbed and bedding is nearby or in the cut itself, or on the transition of the cut, we see daytime movement.

One of the best ways to get onto a good buck near a cut, if you have no prior intel, is to scout the transition line of the cut and the main woods the first ten days of September- preferrably when it is raining. This is early and the bucks are just starting to shed velvet. It isn't uncommon to find a good rub then (Michigan) along the transition and I have found it to be a good buck (3 or older) most of the time. Bucks typically do not move a bunch at this time of the year and when I find one of these rubs the buck is often bedded nearby.

Disturbing the buck with human scent can be costly- being as low impact as possible is important.

Thank you Singing Bridge! Great info on scouting a new(er) cut first part of sept...makes perfect sense but i wouldnt have thought of it. Secondly, i have leared to love rain days after seeing first hand how a mature buck reacts to my bootprints (sure wish i knew how to add emogies here!)

[ Post made via Android ]

I should add that oversized buck tracks and / or oversized droppings will have the same impact on me as finding one of the rubs I mentioned. I try to never get completely caught up in interpreting a single type of buck sign.

Roger that! Thank you S.B.!!!!

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