My house is in the lower corner and that would be WSW on the map. Unfortunately the prevailing wind is west, especially during the early season. I posted some information on the site under the other forum and had a number of people post some ideas and congratulations. Dan and I talked a few times about it, and at the Oconomowoc Sports Show we were able to decide on a time to get together to scout the land have him give me some input as to what I should and should not do to improve the land. My son and I had walked the land quite a few times in the week prior to Dan coming and we found a few beds that I figured were buck beds, and more doe beds than I could count. There were hair and droppings everywhere, along with packed down trails crisscrossing the property. We found a small matched set of sheds as well. I had a few ideas of what I wanted to do on the land, but wasn’t sure if they were correct. Most of the land is wet and covered with buckthorn and red willows. There are not many hardwood trees in the “woods”, in fact I can count the oaks on one hand because there is only one. The back of the property has a small pond on it that the beavers have dammed up and flooded the whole back side of my land. My initial thought was to trap the beavers out and then drain the land around the pond, but Dan and Carol talked me out of that, and I will explain that in a bit.
Dan and Carol arrived at my house in the afternoon on Monday around 330 or 4, and we talked for a little bit about the land and what I was hoping for. Dan suggested that we start with a walk around the border of the property to see what we had to work with, and then we would get into the middle start scouting. To get through most of the property you have to bend over and walk, because the stuff is so thick, and the only trails are ones made by the deer. When we got to the back near the pond I showed Dan where the neighbor’s gun stands were and he recommended a couple of posted signs to keep them from shooting onto my land. The normally dry land was flooded and because of the thin ice, we weren’t able to walk through the flooded area, but did walk around it. Once we got to the west of that, I pointed out where in the distance I knew 2 beds were located under a couple of tall cedars. Dan immediately picked out an area for a stand and a plot that would draw the bucks in from the bedding area. Below is the area that I will clear out for the plot. I need to dig the small runoff creek deeper to keep it from running onto the area I plan to plant.
I will build a box blind in the brush, a few feet off the ground and I can hunt that during a west wind. The flooded area and the beavers will be left alone because that will be my access point to get into the stand. I will walk along the south border of the property (once I open the trails up a little to make it quieter to get in) and circle the pond. I can walk through the flooded area and right into the blind. The deer won’t be able to circle behind to wind me because of the water.
We went from that area to the cedars so I could show them the beds that I had found previously. On the way there Dan found another bed under a small tree, which I had never even seen. Once he showed us, it was pretty obvious.
Walking to the cedars Dan pointed out a few older rubs and trails that he figured the bucks were using to get to and from the beds. Here is the first bed under one of the cedars
Here is the other bed.
Once Dan saw the beds under the cedars, he knew right away which way they were facing and what wind they were using them. He was able to determine that one of the bucks was pretty large as far as body size. There aren’t any trees in the area that I could really hunt from to get near these beds, so the plot and blind is the best way to hunt this one. The area is so thick also, that it would be impossible to sneak up on these beds without alerting the deer. I am sure that there will be does around that would spook the bucks even if he didn’t know I was there. There is a pretty high population of deer in this area as evidenced by the hair, droppings, and tracks throughout the property. We next walked up to a few rubs that I had seen, and by the height and marks Dan was able to tell that it was a good buck.
Here are the 2 rubs. The dog is in the picture for a size and height reference.
Finally heading back to the front of the land, back towards the house, Dan suggested another small plot and blind to hunt in an off wind. There was a lot of sign here, plus every single willow was nipped by the deer. Many trails lead from the thick stuff to this small open area, and it would be easy and quiet to access from the house. In this picture you can see where my son has already started clearing the brush out while on Spring Break.
Once I pull soil samples this week and get the results back, I will contact Lance (DEERSLAYER) for his recommendations of what and when to plant. Dan has already suggested Crimson Trail for at least half of each plot.
I had already attended Dan’s scouting seminar last year and will be taking my son this year because every time I talk to him I learn something new. It was a fun and interesting experience to be in the woods with Dan and Carol alone and to be able to pick their brains and see how they dissect a piece of land they have never set foot on. It was funny and kind of humbling to have him find a bed that I did not see or something else I walked right by. Not only did I come away with a better understanding of my own property, but I found a few more tips that I can use on the public land that I will do a majority of my hunting on. If you get a chance to get into the woods with these two, don’t pass up the opportunity!
Thanks again to Dan and Carol for coming by and spending your evening by us. Now I have a lot of work to do!
