Blacktail food plot

[lokidog]

From what I've read the persimmon take years to become fruit bearing.
7-10 years. And it alternately produces fruit and blooms every other year.

Hmmm, they have to bloom to produce fruit....

Apples are not a get deer rich quick scheme either.

[Mallardmasher]

When you can not control the menu, you create nocturnal deer. Now if your food source coincides with the rut, and you can draw in the ladies, the Bucks will follow, Problem is you need more then a few trees, or they will eat you out fast.

[fishnfur]

When you can not control the menu, you create nocturnal deer. Now if your food source coincides with the rut, and you can draw in the ladies, the Bucks will follow, Problem is you need more then a few trees, or they will eat you out fast.

I tend to think the reverse is true.  When you control the timing of the (daily) feeding, you can train them to come out in daylight, otherwise they stick to their natural diurnal patterns or worse, nocturnal.  Whatever you're doing though Mallardmasher seems to work awfully well.

Apple trees have to rank up near blackberries as a BT's favorite food.  They're on mine from bud break until late in the season when the last leaves fall.  Browse lines are evident at the beginning of June.  Only does and young bucks seem to partake up until the rut.  Once fruit starts falling, the action increases but the big bucks don't come in till the does get hot, and stop coming at all around the 12th of November. (suburban setting)

Last note on Persimmons:  found this article on the QDMA website, which is only mildly interesting.  There are some links at the bottom of the article regarding other plantings for attracting deer, which may be worth a read.  https://www.qdma.com/sex-among-persimmons/

[Mallardmasher]

Fishnfur, I think I did not state my position very well, it is same as yours basically. Any planted source, they eat when they choose, does frequent it more then big bucks, as rut approaches, big bucks show more during daylight hours. Looking for the concentrated ladies. When supplementing, I can get them to come in first hour of morning light and last hour of light pretty easy. Only natural planting I partake of is fertilizing the natural browse. To increase it’s value.

All stands we have been supplementing since Oct, the bucks have dropped their horns and started new growth, the two new properties we just started at Christmas, all bucks still have their horns, but body weight is increasing. Every day/year is a learning process. To much fun. 

[lokidog]

Fishnfur, I think I did not state my position very well, it is same as yours basically. Any planted source, they eat when they choose, does frequent it more then big bucks, as rut approaches, big bucks show more during daylight hours. Looking for the concentrated ladies. When supplementing, I can get them to come in first hour of morning light and last hour of light pretty easy. Only natural planting I partake of is fertilizing the natural browse. To increase it’s value.

All stands we have been supplementing since Oct, the bucks have dropped their horns and started new growth, the two new properties we just started at Christmas, all bucks still have their horns, but body weight is increasing. Every day/year is a learning process. To much fun.

What do you use for fertilizing and how?

When I am putting apples out, I try to only put them out in the morning and afternoon to try to get them looking in daylight.  I've started hanging a few apples up out of reach so there is a scent attractant there all the time.

[Mallardmasher]

We do a soil PH test, and 90% of time we use a mixture that roses and rhodendruns like, walk with broadcast spreaders. But we also use Apples, only in morning, and a mixture of supp, season specific, but starting in Oct timer deserved 11/2 bucket in morning at first light and 1/2 bucket 1hr before dark, broadcast spinner, with a shroud and drop tube. Like a dinner bell.

[lokidog]

   I'm not buying any feeders though.    

I definitely prefer archery season when they are still green and more predictable.

[Thehowler]

Great thread, given me some ideas for this year!

[The scout]

There was a company called blacktail specialties here in Washington. They made bags of seeds that grew here and attracted blacktail, I think he moved to Montana. There stuff worked well might be worth trying to track them down. The only company that made that sort of thing for blacktail that I know of

[lokidog]

http://diybowhunter.com/users/blacktail-specialties

But nothing very recent pops up, unfortunately.

[JimmyHoffa]

I think hazelnuts are good for food plots and the herd.  I think they drop around the right part of the season too.  The big pluses to hazels are they can be somewhat fast growing and produce nuts in maybe five years (apples and pears are around five years, walnuts can be 7-10, black walnuts maybe 25, red oaks 15 and white oaks can be 25-30).  They usually have a consistent annual crop.  They are more protein than apples or pears.

[fishnfur]

Good thought on the Hazelnuts.  The leaves are heavily browsed as well.  Deer love 'em.  Round here, the squirrels seem to pick them all up every year and plant two or three in every flower bed around my house.  I've never seen deer feeding around them, but I'd bet they love 'em. 

Mallardmasher - sounds like a good setup you've got going.  Perhaps I should stop by and inspect it more closely! 

[Mallardmasher]

FishnFur.... Not to far from the cabin, actually

[fishnfur]

Whaaaat??  I thought you had something going up near McCormic Woods.  I've heard some rumors...     So, which cabin are we talking about.  Yours, or mine farther south?

I was just thinking some more about fertilization of woodlands.  It makes good sense on the Peninsula, where the soils are composed primarily of glacial tills (gravel) and have a relatively small organic component to them.  Down here on the Columbia, the deep soils have so much nitrogen in them, adding fertilizer would certainly have a less obvious effect.  The amount of sunlight reaching the forest floor is the limiting factor in what can grow.   

Interesting ideas for sure though.  Thanks for sharing your thoughts and practices.

[Mallardmasher]

Rumors are correct, but the pics are closer to HC cabin