Small Property Thoughts

**dennishoddy** · 08-15-2012, 12:42 PM

Yeah, the deer didn't do well on my turnips either. I don't think it got cold enough to make them sweet.
Like you I grew some monsters.
You do realize those will keep forever in the fridge, and a large bore pistol, or .17 hmr will make for some fun shooting, and its biodegradable.
How much better can that be??
Be a shooter and enviromentally friendly at the same time.

**mr ed** · 08-15-2012, 07:52 PM

Originally Posted by Garand

If the deer are already on the land and using it why not just setup your stand near their trails and save yourself the time/expense of buying feeders?

Alternately you could make a few cheap PVC feeders to try to lure them near your stand placement.

I didn't have to much luck with turnips and radishes.. I grew about a half acre of them last year and never saw sign of a deer even in the field. But I did manage to grow some monsters!

His land may be like mine. The deer pass thru at 1am and you need the feeders to keep them there til sunrise.

**Parks 788** · 08-15-2012, 10:57 PM

Here's a thought. If I were the OP I would go into the woods just at your property line and rake out about a 500 square foot area of leaves (or is it leafs; brain fart here) so you have bare dirt. Till up the dirt with a steel rake and plant a small food plot. Since you are close to the house I would run enough garden hose from the house and throw a sprinkler on it several a week to help it along. Would be a little patch of heaven for the deer and keep them common back. We did this on our lease without the hose and sprinkler and it worked great. Just a small patch of food plot in the middle of the woods.

**AllOut** · 08-15-2012, 11:26 PM

No one has mentioned Rice Bran yet, Geeeze what's wrong with you peope. Lol

**Okie4570** · 08-15-2012, 11:33 PM

Originally Posted by AllOut

No one has mentioned Rice Bran yet, Geeeze what's wrong with you peope. Lol

Hard to find on this side of the state, is it easily found over there? Arkansas product I assume?

**AllOut** · 08-16-2012, 12:51 AM

Originally Posted by Okie4570

Hard to find on this side of the state, is it easily found over there? Arkansas product I assume?

Ya, most co-ops carry it around here. A lot of guys wouldn't buy it cause it was a lot more than corn. Now corn cost more LOL. If you put it out next to corn they will destroy all the RB before touching the corn.
I can bring you some next time we are out that way if you want any.

**Okie4570** · 08-16-2012, 01:19 PM

Originally Posted by AllOut

Ya, most co-ops carry it around here. A lot of guys wouldn't buy it cause it was a lot more than corn. Now corn cost more LOL. If you put it out next to corn they will destroy all the RB before touching the corn.
I can bring you some next time we are out that way if you want any.

I probably already know the answer to this question, but do the racoons destroy the RB like they do corn and wheat cleanings? I'd try a couple of bags if you think to bring some this way, I've got a couple of sources for wheat cleanings and corn that I pay next to nothing for so it would be hard to justifiy me switching over to RB, how much is a bag?

**AllOut** · 08-16-2012, 03:57 PM

That's one of the great parts about RB, coons and squirrels don't really mess with it. You can pour it on the ground and not worry about it.
IIRC it was about $6 for 40lb last year.
I'll give you a shout before we head out and I'll bring some for you to try.

**Okie4570** · 08-16-2012, 05:19 PM

Originally Posted by AllOut

That's one of the great parts about RB, coons and squirrels don't really mess with it. You can pour it on the ground and not worry about it.
IIRC it was about $6 for 40lb last year.
I'll give you a shout before we head out and I'll bring some for you to try.

Sounds good, let me know on the price, I may have you bring several if you have room, especially if it's coon proof.

**AllOut** · 08-16-2012, 08:02 PM

I'll be bring a trailer with my ranger on it so we'll have plenty room.
Ill give the co-op a call tomorrow and make sure he has some in, I gotta go get some stuff anyway.

**WacosSon** · 08-17-2012, 09:25 AM

Thanks for the good advice so far guys. Sorry I've been away a few days. I'm thinking that most of the activity, if there is any, is happening at night. I've seen a bit of sign in the woods, but between the horrendous ticks in late spring and our hot summer, I haven't gotten out as much as I should. Shooting for this weekend.

The goal would be to bring them onto my acreage. Not really concerned with keeping them there long term, more of honey-hole for them. I think for this season I'm going to try to corn/RB option and see what we got. If I can find any kind of activity, I'll think about the mid-woods food plot idea. Would take a bit more clearing than just leaves, but would definitely be do-able. I'm not wanting to invest alot until I know that there's actually something out here worth bringing down. That property wasn't purchased to hunt on, it was bought for the house, so anything out there is just gonna be a plus for me. Thanks for the suggestion about staying away from the big names. I've had the best luck on cheap corn in the past anyway. Just wanted to make sure I put out something good and potent since I'm not thinking the property is currently a deer superhighway.

**WacosSon** · 08-17-2012, 09:31 AM

When you guys mention rice bran, are you talking like horse feed rice bran? Or can you just buy straight bags of it?

**AllOut** · 08-17-2012, 12:09 PM

The horse feeds are the same thing they just cost more.
The stuff I buy actually has a deer on it.

**bobed** · 08-18-2012, 11:27 PM

I have a similar situation and have been trying to figure out other alternatives to corn. I have been researching online and ran across info on a homemade mineral site? They mix salt, minerals for cows, and sodium phosphate? Has anyone done this and does it work?

**tjones96761** · 08-19-2012, 10:03 PM

I do home-made mineral. way cheaper than anything store bought. I can't say it does anything earth shattering about huge racks or anything. They hit it hard in the spring, lay off it in the fall.
The cheapest "attractant" I use is molasses. all feed co-ops have it to make sweet feed. I think I paid 75 bucks for a 55 gal drum last year and still using it this year. ZERO feed value, but I can smell it a mile away, I have no idea how far deer can smell it. Good for pictures.
Find a stump or log that's decomped to the point of being spongy. apply liberally. dump some salt on top to get a salty/sweet, or do just molasses. They'll chew a stump down to nothing.
neighbors on all 4 sides do corn feeders, alfalfa, wheat, rye, or some biologic-type something, so I have to get creative.