New to hunting/prepping huting area

[swamp donkey]

Okay, So I'm new to hunting ( been out 2 seasons, seen some deer but never had a good shot). I tried hunting land that I own last year with no luck. It's not much, 40 acres in S.E. OK, about 40 miles south of Wilburton. I know there are deer up there all over the place. I'm just trying to figure out how to get them to my area. There are plenty of people hunting on the land surrounding me, they get the low plains and streams. my problem is, my spring ran dry and it's rough terrain made up of a lot of shale and clay and big f***ng rocks. lots of pines and i think oak (with no lower branches due to rancher around me doing brush fires every few years). and there are ferns lower down the side of the mountain. no access to a tractor and damned hard to get a tiller down to the area with the ferns. (but possible)

So my questions are. Do small food plots work? (like 20x20)
should I use the area where the ferns are? (seems moist down there)
what should I use in areas that generally see a lot of shade?
I need something that is for the most part no maint. as its a 3 hour drive and about 130.00 in gas per trip.
Do salt blocks work? should I use just feed and seed ones or the expensive ones?
what else can I do to make in more of a good habitat for the deer?

yeah, a lot of questions, and Im sure I'll have more.

 

[dennishoddy]

Okay, So I'm new to hunting ( been out 2 seasons, seen some deer but never had a good shot). I tried hunting land that I own last year with no luck. It's not much, 40 acres in S.E. OK, about 40 miles south of Wilburton. I know there are deer up there all over the place. I'm just trying to figure out how to get them to my area. There are plenty of people hunting on the land surrounding me, they get the low plains and streams. my problem is, my spring ran dry and it's rough terrain made up of a lot of shale and clay and big f***ng rocks. lots of pines and i think oak (with no lower branches due to rancher around me doing brush fires every few years). and there are ferns lower down the side of the mountain. no access to a tractor and damned hard to get a tiller down to the area with the ferns. (but possible)

So my questions are. Do small food plots work? (like 20x20)
should I use the area where the ferns are? (seems moist down there)
what should I use in areas that generally see a lot of shade?
I need something that is for the most part no maint. as its a 3 hour drive and about 130.00 in gas per trip.
Do salt blocks work? should I use just feed and seed ones or the expensive ones?
what else can I do to make in more of a good habitat for the deer?

yeah, a lot of questions, and Im sure I'll have more.

first of all let me welcome you to the forum!:

I've only been in the SE part of Okla once, and that was this spring on a trip to Broken Bow, so I know the land your talking about. It looks like pretty rough hunting.
For me, the first thing I would do is some scouting and look for deer trails, old rubs on trees, and even fresh droppings to see if and where the deer are crossing your property.
In my area, salt blocks do not work. Deer cocain and that type of stuff doesn't work, but they might in your area. Depends on what mineral the deer are short on and need. Most of the time salt blocks are used by the deer in the spring for antler development, not in the fall.
Small food plots do work. If you can get any ground worked up at all even with a hoe and rake, plant some wheat. Even under trees it will sprout, and grow. Not as fast as in the sunlight, but its something. You might think of thinning out some trees in an area to let more sunlight get to the ground so that the natural forbs and browse that deer love can grow.
If you have seen tracks, then set up a corn feeder near one of the trails. Build or buy one of the 55 gallon models, as they don't require reloading but every couple of weeks or so depending on how much you set it to throw. The deer will find it if they are in the area. To start out right now, I'd just take buckets of corn and put piles out where the trails are, and see if you spot tracks. If you have trail camera's, hang a camera on one of the piles and see what comes.
Any more questions, fire away. Lots of knowledgeable people on the forum.

 

[Hondafire]

I would say just try a feeder. I use 55 gallon drums and filled up thye throw corn for about 2-3 months with the motor set just bellow the medium setting. Its plenty to keep them coming in with out a lot of wasted corn. I would do that and see what happens. I think you will be pleased with the outcome. We hunt in Clayton every year so I know what you mean on the rocky soil. It'd be really hard to get a crop of any kind to grow. So with that being said, I would just throw corn.

 

[kdlong]

swamp what town is near your land. i was raised by talihina so i now what kind terrain you are working with.we plant a little wheat but mostly use feeders. between blackjacks and some of the hardest rocks you will ever find it is hard to have food plots. we just use a drag behind our atv's to scape the top layer of soil to loosen it up enough to plant the wheat. we also mix in a little peas and turnips. use a spreader to sow the seeds then cut a small tree to drag and cover the seed.

 

[walker]

Rice Bran mixed with corn in an automatic feeder.

 

[swamp donkey]

swamp what town is near your land. i was raised by talihina so i now what kind terrain you are working with.we plant a little wheat but mostly use feeders. between blackjacks and some of the hardest rocks you will ever find it is hard to have food plots. we just use a drag behind our atv's to scape the top layer of soil to loosen it up enough to plant the wheat. we also mix in a little peas and turnips. use a spreader to sow the seeds then cut a small tree to drag and cover the seed.

in between Hartshorne and Higgins. bout 4 miles S. of hwy 1

 

[kdlong]

thats a good area to hunt. we hunt east of sardis lake. you might try to hang some feeders and also use some rice bran. like walker said .we use both but we don't mix it. we use old molasis tubs for the rice bran.we made our feeders out of sewer pipe.we had real good success last year on them. the pic on my avatar is one of the bucks we had coming in last year.no one got him either he is very nocturnal.but the areas you and i are hunting is hard to disc or till for food plots.we also used some throw and grow last year it did fair.just need to plant it where there is alot of sun light.that was our problem with it not enough sun in the canyons we hunt.glad to see someone that hunts down my way.just be glad when i can retire and move backto home.

 

[swamp donkey]

If I do feeders, Ive got to make them cheap. Im on a bubble gum budget. 3 kids and a low paying job have that effect.

Do deer like ferns? I found a patch of them growing and wasn't sure if that was a good sign or not

 

[kdlong]

go to lowes or your nearest lumber yard and get a 10 foot piece of 4inch sewer pipe ,2 y's that fit and two caps.cut the joint of pipe in half put a y on each one i used some screws to hold the y's on that way if the pipe gets broke you can change it easy, also you will need some kind of screen or wire mesh to put on the bottom of the y so the corn does not fall out. i used screws to hold the wire on the bottom as well. then tie the feeder to a tree fill with corn and be sure and put the cap on it. i will spread a little corn on the ground to help attrack them to it . i wish i had one of my feeders here i would take a picture of it for you.

 

[kdlong]

i forgot the main thing you can build two feeder for less than 25.00 that way .and don't have to have batteries. i painted mine with some brown primer so people could not find them easy.