ENRICHMENT – YEAR 2

by Jerry Hinz

We were so pleased with the results from

putting in a food plot we decided to

enhance the land at our hunting property

even more.

We couldn’t believe how putting in a food plot not only brought deer into our 80 acres but also held them there. We were eager to see what else we could do for the resident deer to enhance the habitat and our hunting opportunities.

The first thing we decided to do was to increase the size of the food plot we’d put in the year before. The Clover Plus by BioLogic we’d used for the plot didn’t need to be reseeded since once established, it would last for 3 to 5 years. There was a tote road the loggers had made when we’d had the area logged 18 months earlier. The private forester we’d worked with had seeded the road but not with the quality seed we wanted. By planting this tote road leading to the food plot we’d hoped to draw deer out of the denser brush earlier in the afternoon to feed.

We went through the same process of testing the soil. Once again we used Roundup® herbicide to kill all the weeds along the road and then had the lime and fertilizer worked in. We decided to go with BioLogic’s Maximum because it contained an after frost brassicas the deer would eat. It was a high protein blend we felt would provide the deer with food in November and December, to help the bucks regain weight lost during the rut and of course hold them in the area until the following season.

Our next project was to provide an additional water source for the deer because food and water are equally critical for wildlife. There was a river that bordered the northern tip of our 80 acres but we wanted to create some additional water holes the bucks could use during the rut. Bucks will seek water but not necessarily food during the breeding season. We dug several water holes near frequently used travel routes near low areas where we felt the water table was higher and then cut trails to them. Within a week after providing a new source of water we saw evidence that deer were using the holes.

The regrowth of the Aspen was amazing in the areas we had select cut. There was so much for the deer to browse that they just seemed to wander through the land and were not establishing obvious trails. We rented a brush cutter for the day and began cutting trails some of which we channeled near trees we’d later put treestands in.

We left five acres untouched with the cutter. The idea was to provide a sanctuary for the resident deer where they would feel secure. The dense brush served as an ideal bedding area for any large resident buck, we hoped. Even when scouting we never entered this part of our property and we also asked the hunters who use our property during the gun season to also respect this area. Disturbing this area would defeat the whole idea of setting up a sanctuary and we considered posting it.

The Full Potential Mineral Supplement “licks” we established the previous year were freshened and we started two more. It seemed does quit using these sites once they quit nursing and the bucks when they lost their velvet. Oddly fawns would occasionally try to paw up some of the nutrients that had leached into the soil will into October.

The last improvement we had time for that year was to plant apple trees. An experts from one of the local nurseries recommended several fast growing varieties that would thrive in our climate zone. We selected two spots that received adequate sun and then watered them when the forecast indicated a dry spell. It was necessary to put a substantial fence around them in order to assure their survival from browsing. As the trees grew and branches twined through the wire fence the ends were nipped off by passing deer.

Once again, we were pleased with the improvements we’d done during the spring and summer. We took on projects we could easily complete over a weekend. Those efforts brought the reward of another quality buck that year.

We are looking forward to moving into the next stage of development to expand and enrich the quality of the deer habitat. BioMaxx, BioLogic’s newest blend of Roundup Ready® soybeans and corn in one of the products we are currently considering.