When spring hits many of us are thinking turkey hunting and shed hunting, but this is also the time to begin thinking about how to improve your chances of success for fall deer hunting. There are numerous things we do in the spring that help improve our hunting odds come fall. Some take more time than others, and maybe you can’t do it all this year, but it never hurts to have goals. Once the temps start getting nice and you’re looking for things to do outside, let this be a great reminder of fun things that will help you later on.
1. Mineral Licks. Always check your local regulations on the use of mineral licks, but if legal it’s a great way to get your deer the vitamins and minerals they need. It’s not just for the bucks either; this is super helpful for does as they are getting ready to have their fawns. This is also a good way to get an inventory on your deer and understand the age structure on your property as they will frequent these locations giving you pictures all through the spring and summer as they grow their racks.
2. Plant Trees. Spring is a great time to get out there and plant as many trees as you can make time for and afford. But because many of the trees can’t be simply planted (the deer will eat and destroy them right away), caging all the trees will take a lot of additional time and resources, so plan accordingly. Also, on dry years you may need to go out and water them by hand, so planting too many can create more work than you may have time for. The upside to this is once the trees have an established root system, there chance of survival is greatly increased and the amount of maintenance required greatly diminishes.
3. Creating New Food Plot Areas. Spring is a great time to get out there and clear some areas where you’ve always wanted to add a food plot. This may require clearing timber, burning or prepping an area with food plot equipment. Most of our food plots are planted in the fall, however the spring is a great time to create more or get your corn or beans planted.
4. Fill Feeders. If feeding deer is legal in your area this is another great way to get an inventory on the bucks that made it through the winter, watch their growth, and keep the does in peak condition for the arrival of their fawns. We like to use gravity feeders, specifically Boss Buck feeders as its a free choice system and allows the deer to eat as much as they want. It may take a week or so for the deer to get used to them, but the learn quickly!
5. Cameras. Many people think of placing trail cameras out as hunting season approaches, but it’s a really fun thing to watch the bucks’ growth throughout the year and also to see the does, fawns and other critters frequent your area.
6. Rope Scrapes. Over the past couple of years we have had excellent luck with rope scrapes. The deer primarily will use these during October to December, but I’ve seen bucks and does come check them outside of the that time frame as well. Wildlife Research Center created the Golden Rope that I was able to use all last fall that works incredible. Many of the other ropes we purchased online took months before the deer would begin using them because of the harsh chemicals and smells on the ropes. Wildlife created a proprietary natural fiber rope that has high absorption and no chemicals. This worked within days of us putting it out. It’s offered as a kit that comes with three 30” scent ropes, a bottle of Golden Rope scent concentrate, three cable ties and a resealable container for mixing and dipping. It seems hard to believe a simple rope being hunt can draw in deer, but the proof is in the pictures. Not only does it draw deer in, but it keeps them busy in front of your stand, allowing you more time to get the shot.
