Top Tips to Prep Your Hunting Land for Open Season
The weather is cooling down, and open season is just around the corner. Your hunting land has been growing all summer– but it’s probably not naturally evolving into a cultivated hunting landscape. So it’s time to get your grounds prepped for an excellent shoot this year!
We’ve compiled top tips to help you have inviting paths, plenty of food and water, and increasing visibility without losing animal-friendly coverage. Let’s get started!
Clear your trails– for animals and people!
First, you need your trails to be ready for smooth traveling, whether with four legs or two. So clear out brush and trim back overgrowth, as well as clear the path of snapping twigs.
Clear trails to direct deer and other game to desired locations while making it easier for hunters to approach and leave stands quietly.
Clear out “low-value” greenery.
Hunting land requires balancing the need for greenery and preserving nutrients, sun, and water for the most important plants. You need deer-approved trees and shrubs for food and safety, but you don’t want inedible plants taking up those limited resources.
You also want clear lines of sight for hunters. So it’s a great idea to thin out the low-value greenery before hunting season!
Analyze the soil pH.
The soil quality will largely determine how much work you need to put into growing enough clover and alfalfa to attract deer. Now is an excellent time to collect samples from your hunting land and check nutrients and pH levels.
You can collect the soil samples yourself and send them out for analysis. Your results will tell you where you need to use extra lime, fertilizer, or if you need to switch brands.
“Fade” forest land to meadowed plots.
Most hunting land uses alfalfa and clover cultivated meadows to bring deer to an open place to feed. These meadows make it easier for hunters to predict where deer will travel and give healthy animals. But forests that open abruptly into fields are unlikely to feel safe to bucks.
So take some time to add fallen trees (from your trimmings in point 3), plant some chest-level shrubs, and use those to create a safe place for deer to wait. They’ll be more likely to venture out into the open meadow if they can get closer before committing!
Create a hunter-free sanctuary.
One of the tricks to great hunting land is building with the future in mind. Even though your purpose is to hunt animals, these animals have to feel safe and like your grounds are home.
One way to do this is to create a hunter-free zone in the middle of your land with plenty of coverage. Then animals are more likely to put down roots and continue to return to your hunting zones.
Looking to Buy Land?
At AltaTerra Realty and Auction LLC, we serve Texas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas in expanding their business through quality land purchases. It’s critical to work with a team that understands your vision and values– and that’s what we’re here to bring to life. Contact us today to begin your search!
Additional references:
https://www.whitetailproperties.com/knowledge-center/establishing-deer-sanctuaries