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Whitetail Habitat Solutions for the south

CooterBrown

CooterBrown

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Is there anybody kinda like Jeff Sturgis but in the south. Love his stuff but a lot doesn't apply to south Alabama.
 
I wondered the same thing a couple years back. Never have found what you’re looking for.

You are correct that a lot of his content doesn’t apply in the south, where browse is plentiful and food has less influence on deer movement. Nonetheless he still has some good information that applies anywhere there are white tails.


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SETX hunter said:
I wondered the same thing a couple years back. Never have found what you’re looking for.

You are correct that a lot of his content doesn’t apply in the south, where browse is plentiful and food has less influence on deer movement. Nonetheless he still has some good information that applies anywhere there are white tails.


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Looking at his property design stuff but what part of it would work in the south.
 
CooterBrown said:
Looking at his property design stuff but what part of it would work in the south.
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Lots. Stand access strategies, minimizing human pressure on the heart of your property, focusing on areas of natural terrain edges. Depending on your property and what’s around you, maybe creating extra extra thick areas by hinge cutting before spring (not usually a problem in the south). Creating mock scrapes not necessarily to hunt, but to inventory your herd if you use trail cams.


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I’m with @SETX hunter and will add the having room for bucks to be several hundred yards off the food source or doe populations managed to the point that are managed to the point where the bucks have room. I don’t need to create super thick cover. Some of what we have is so thick deer avoid it.
If you own the property you can create funnels through timber harvest or fence openings.
 
I feel like you can take his general concepts and apply some/most of them. His specific examples may not hold true but the general principles should
 
EricS said:
I’m with @SETX hunter and will add the having room for bucks to be several hundred yards off the food source or doe populations managed to the point that are managed to the point where the bucks have room. I don’t need to create super thick cover. Some of what we have is so thick deer avoid it.
If you own the property you can create funnels through timber harvest or fence openings.
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I own the land but its only 13.52 acres so I'm trying to decide the best way to get the most out of it. I have a logger coming in to select cut everything but the oaks. And they cant cut the gullies.
 
CooterBrown said:
I own the land but its only 13.52 acres so I'm trying to decide the best way to get the most out of it. I have a logger coming in to select cut everything but the oaks. And they cant cut the gullies.
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I would also take in a healthy dose of Grant Woods at growingdeer.tv and the Land & Legacy folks. One of Dr. Woods’ big things is zooming out and asking, “What is my neighborhood missing?” If it’s food, go heavy on food. If it’s cover, go heavy on cover. I’m from south Alabama and have family land down there. The missing piece on a lot of that land is sufficient edge, clearings, and diversity, which is really just 3 different ways of describing the same problem.
 
CooterBrown said:
I own the land but its only 13.52 acres so I'm trying to decide the best way to get the most out of it. I have a logger coming in to select cut everything but the oaks. And they cant cut the gullies.
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With such a small plot, its key to play off what's going on at the neighboring properties.
 
Look for DIY shooting houses, I think everyone knows how to pour out corn. Now the night hunting tips may be hard to find but plenty of folks can to teach that local. Don't watch the Conservation Warden shows because they don't apply here in Alabama. Maybe find a few Brown Is Down videos and focus on KILL THEM ALL. I have watched a lot of the videos above mentioned and they are very good info. the only problem I have found is if you can pull in the deer you also pull in the poachers and hunters will surround your property and try to kill all of them. Good Luck I hope you can find something that works for you, in the real world i Haven't.
 
Ive asked the same questions, one question that i dont see anyone ask is what impact do hogs have on the deer population and how to increase deer without drawing in the pigs? Or is it a crap shoot?

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For hunting or habitat advise? Dr. Craig Harper at the University of TN is probably the most respected southern habitat guy. Anything you can find from him is excellent. His early successional habitat and food plot book is great.

As someone else pointed out, the MSU deer lab has a lot of great information. They have a podcast and website. They’ve recently partnered up with Natural Resources University (NRU) podcast. Lots of good stuff on there.

Dr. Grant Woods has done a ton in the Ozarks if that’s similar to your habitat.

Another plug for Land and Legacy.

With 13 acres you’re going to have to be very deliberate with your habitat work. Generally speaking and knowing very little about your specific parcel, I’d lean towards good cover on your entire piece. But, if there’s cover on all of your neighbors right up to your border then food could be the ticket if that’s the lower hole in the bucket for your neighborhood.

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I really like WHS. I’m in north central AL and started using a lot of his ideas. Jeff has traveled to Ms and AL for habitat improvement. He has talked about it in a few videos.
I don’t think switch grass would be his option of screen in the south. Lots of cheaper options that grow here and we don’t have to worry about snow smashing it down. His foodplot plantings would be different also. But the main goals he teaches still apply. He just will use different species of plants to do it.
I put out mock scrapes after the rut this year and all of my deer have been using it and still are. It’s very cool to see. The muscadine vine is the key! They don’t care about the ground that much at this time but they love that licking branch.
 
therooster240g said:
Ive asked the same questions, one question that i dont see anyone ask is what impact do hogs have on the deer population and how to increase deer without drawing in the pigs? Or is it a crap shoot?

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Hogs eat anything that can't get out of their way
 
SNIPERBBB said:
No. I don't really care for feeders unless I'm getting paid to catch the coons off em.
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Good. Now encourage your neighbors to feed. All the hogs will go there. Lol
Isn’t much you can do except trap them. If you do that, you got to feed so you are just attracting more.
Some how I quoted you but was meant for [mention]therooster240g [/mention]
Anyway, from what I’ve seen and what friends that has had hunting leases for decades before hogs, now see less deer since the hogs have moved in.
 
I have some feeders but want to put in food plots and build up the property and deer population without wasting money. Money in slim and that stuff aint cheap. Ive wonder how much the pig population effects the deer population. I dont really want to trap and take away off season practice targets. It sounds like its a fine line to follow.

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