Whitetail heaven

[Maverick]

Well... My buddy owns a farm and I convinced him to let build a little canyon into deer habitat. The property next door has big bucks but only come on to his farm at night. It's irrigated so water isn't a problem. What would you guys recommend I grow to get some deer staying on the place? Trees. Shrubs, anything. It's in south east Washington. There's mule deer and whitetail in the area.

[Jonathan_S]

I'd go with aspens and poplar trees to grow fast and pines that'll provide the best habitat in years to come.

Tough to change patterns though.

[Maverick]

Yeah but I'm thinkin I could get young deer to move in that havnt developed patterns yet.

[buckfvr]

How much land ?  Needs to be plenty of cover to go with the food and water.  Id start with mineral licks like the trophy rock.  Keep them going year round.  It would need to be alot of land with heavy cover for them to stay there......the deer here wander all over the place, even though they have all they need in a smaller area, they just wander.  There needs to be a reason for the does to be there........get that right and the rest will follow.............

[turkeyfeather]

I'd plant a food source more than a cover. 

[turkeyfeather]

Or plant apple trees and you get both food and cover.

[Jonathan_S]

  would be a great long term solution.