Building Buck Beds and Food Plots

Post topo’s and Aerial photos for free advice. Food plotting, land manipulation, water holes, ect.
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Chris Conroy
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Building Buck Beds and Food Plots

Unread postby Chris Conroy » Fri Jan 25, 2013 9:16 am

How would someone go about making a buck bedding area on a piece of property? I have access to a small piece of land that has a lot of bucks showing up on cam passing through, but I doubt they are staying on the land. This piece of land is marshy with a small pond in the middle. There are some hardwoods and pines here and there, with dogwoods and small saplings everywhere. I plan on putting a small food plot somewhere in here and then leaving it alone throughout the Summer. I will only hunt it a few times next fall during archery season. This is a small piece of land, only 15 acres, but it hasn't been hunted in 5 years and it is in a subdivision. I can do whatever I want to the land, except build on it. Houses along the front and farm fields along the back. There is a total of 48 acres including the 15. I am not sure if anyone hunts the rest but no one except me will be on the 15. Any ideas for food and bedding? I know I am not going to hold a ton of deer, but with water, food, bedding, and little pressure I should be able to hold a few.


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Re: Building Buck Beds and Food Plots

Unread postby dan » Fri Jan 25, 2013 9:49 am

Aerial?
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Re: Building Buck Beds and Food Plots

Unread postby gjs4 » Fri Jan 25, 2013 12:22 pm

simply put- and where almost everyone misses the boat- you need to add what your property lacks.... youre not going to stockpile bucks unless youre groudn can stockpile deer ;)
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Re: Building Buck Beds and Food Plots

Unread postby Chris Conroy » Fri Jan 25, 2013 12:48 pm

This picture is drawn approximate. I am horrible with the mouse.

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Last edited by dan on Sat Jan 26, 2013 10:20 am, edited 4 times in total.
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Re: Building Buck Beds and Food Plots

Unread postby PK_ » Fri Jan 25, 2013 12:57 pm

If you have farm fields nearby I wouldn't waste space putting plots and would focus on encouraging bedding.
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Re: Building Buck Beds and Food Plots

Unread postby Singing Bridge » Fri Jan 25, 2013 1:47 pm

Chris Conroy wrote:How would someone go about making a buck bedding area on a piece of property? I have access to a small piece of land that has a lot of bucks showing up on cam passing through, but I doubt they are staying on the land. This piece of land is marshy with a small pond in the middle. There are some hardwoods and pines here and there, with dogwoods and small saplings everywhere. I plan on putting a small food plot somewhere in here and then leaving it alone throughout the Summer. I will only hunt it a few times next fall during archery season. This is a small piece of land, only 15 acres, but it hasn't been hunted in 5 years and it is in a subdivision. I can do whatever I want to the land, except build on it. Houses along the front and farm fields along the back. There is a total of 48 acres including the 15. I am not sure if anyone hunts the rest but no one except me will be on the 15. Any ideas for food and bedding? I know I am not going to hold a ton of deer, but with water, food, bedding, and little pressure I should be able to hold a few.


A few thoughts... right up front when you mentioned "dogwoods and small saplings everywhere" and that the property is "marshy" I began thinking that bedding already exists. Those are excellent ingredients for bedding, small parcel or not. When I look at the aerial you provided and see all the transition areas, water and nearby fields... I would really, really be surprised if bedding areas are not already present. It's only 15 acres and I would walk every square inch of it, notepad in had and marking beds, rubs, scrapes, runways, doe areas and anything else of importance. Until you know this property inside and out you are guessing.

The placement of a small food plot AFTER ALL MAJOR scouting makes a lot of sense- a food source consisting of something not available to area deer with an excellent access route for you that will not blow your hunt.

Where are the beds? Scout those transition lines... if the pines you are mentioning are scattered here and there in the dogwood and small saplings, look for beds under them. Late spring when the bucks shed their hair like crazy will be another trip you want to make to those potential bedding areas to find the beds themselves.
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Re: Building Buck Beds and Food Plots

Unread postby Chris Conroy » Fri Jan 25, 2013 2:18 pm

Singing Bridge-Thanks for the advice. I will definitely scout the land when I am able to. I just purchased the house and land, but don't close until March 21st. I was trying to get a head start and some ideas of what I can do in the future. I will definitely follow what you wrote above.

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Re: Building Buck Beds and Food Plots

Unread postby Singing Bridge » Fri Jan 25, 2013 2:34 pm

congrats on the purchase, I'm sure you are fired up to get in there to give it a go. 8-)
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Re: Building Buck Beds and Food Plots

Unread postby Chris Conroy » Fri Jan 25, 2013 2:40 pm

Yes, I'm pretty excited! I'm going to set the property up and just hunt it a few times. I have two kids that hunt and they already walked the land and came back bragging about the rubs and trails they found. The previous owner had a cam out over some corn and had hundreds of pics of bucks from 4 points to a really nice 10. He didn't hunt, just liked watching the deer.

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Re: Building Buck Beds and Food Plots

Unread postby DEERSLAYER » Fri Jan 25, 2013 5:00 pm

I think Singing Bridge summed it up pretty well. It looks like you picked a good little slice of heaven Chris.
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Re: Building Buck Beds and Food Plots

Unread postby Stanley » Sat Jan 26, 2013 4:15 am

Looks like a good piece of property to me.
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Re: Building Buck Beds and Food Plots

Unread postby Bucky » Sat Jan 26, 2013 4:33 am

The problem I see is access... according to map you bought on West end of property correct?

You have water with the pond (check), it looks like decent cover (check), access and food sources are the issues....
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Re: Building Buck Beds and Food Plots

Unread postby Chris Conroy » Sat Jan 26, 2013 5:22 am

You are correct Bucky. The house is on the SW corner of the map. Whatever I set up will have to take the access into account. I haven't been able to really walk the property yet. My son walked about 100 ft in and found a clump of rubs on somes saplings, trails, and a bunch of tracks. I'll be over there tomorrow for the home inspection and will try to talk to the current owner about the land and neighbors. I might do a walk through while I'm there. It won't be a detailed scout but a feel for the land. Any and all advice is appreciated. I could not turn this down for the price and my family loved the house. Finally something we all agreed on, and I got some hobby land. The plus is I am close to a lot of the public I already hunt.

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Re: Building Buck Beds and Food Plots

Unread postby dan » Sat Jan 26, 2013 10:25 am

I can't see much with that pic and no coords. But, I would suggest really scouting it good before you decide on alterations.
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Re: Building Buck Beds and Food Plots

Unread postby Chris Conroy » Sun Feb 03, 2013 7:48 am

Today I got out on the land with the previous owner. I walked the perimeter to become familiar with the boundary lines. I'm really excited about this property, even though it's small. I could not scout it like I wanted because we had a bunch of snow last night. I did find numerous rubs and plenty of tracks. I am thinking that no matter what I find, I will plant a small plot of brassicas or radishes for late season. The field in the back that I thought was going to be corn is actually just a hayfield. I will get in there more once the snow melts.

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