stand site preparation

[danesdad]

I know that a lot of guys  have already trimmed up their spots and opened shooting lanes figuring that by doing it early, the deer will get used to it.  Here's one thing I did today.  I took a bottle of "Roundup" and sprayed all the poison ivy growing near trees I have stands in or plan to use this year.  Hopefully most of you dont have the poison ivy around your spots like I do (if poison ivy was a religion, the land around my house would be Mecca).  But, if you do, now is a good time to do something about it.
 
Anyone do anything to their stand sites in preparation, other than trimming?

[DeerCamp]

i usally cut most of the branchs down right after teh season ends... i try not to cut to much either. however i havent done much yet, i will be putting my stands out soon.. im just scared cuz i heard that this was the worst time to hang a stand cuz bucks are changing travel routs and dont want to scare any off.

[hunter480]

We climb into our ladder stands each summer, the guy who hunts from the stand then directs the other where limbs and brush need trimmed or cleared. We try also, to keep the trimming to a minimum, but we do try to open it up enough to have decent shooting windows.
 
One thing my buddy did last season was, he put heavy-duty cutting blades on his weed trimmer, and cut a path thru some dense brush into an area we wanted to use to enter the woods from the north edge. It was cool, as the deer began to use this new "run" quite heavily.

[bckklr]

i sometimes use my dr trimmer to cut paths thru thickets & cutovers & sometimes i rake a 50/100 yard path to my stand for concealment & of course trim lanes

[msbadger]

All prep work is done.....stands up...perm. stands checked and re-enforced....just one more plot to do another new one and a ladderstand to put up...I love my DR mower with the chain saw blade!...Anyhow now what I'll do is pray that most of the leaves fall early and then I'll mow my trails and rake the smaller ones to stand.....I like traveling in at 4:30-5:00am in quiet...besides not spooking deer I know whether I'm being stalked or not.....Ya had yotes stalk and circle me while going to stand one morning....DEC said later when I called...that I was their intended breakfast...scared me so bad...for a moment or two... forgot I had my gun in my hand...I never use a flash light to get to my stands....unless foggy or raining..........This year will be tough N.Y. bowhunters have lost 1 week of hunting and things I do the first week I may have to change.... the pressure will surely be on.... most ppl that gun hunt here also bow hunt and bear is due to open for the first time here...so the game will be on!

[SyracuseBowhunter]

I just moved 2 stands and trimmed shooting lanes for both.  One is to a new hunting food plot that I am making. The other is moved to a thicket corridor deer use from this new food plot to another of my food plots about 200 yards away.  I also took my weed wacker with a brush blade to make several mock scrapes in the food plot under overhanging branches.  It really chews up the ground under the branches very well.  I just started doctoring my mock scrapes with Wallhanger from James Valley Scents.  Have done this for years starting in July and during bow season I have bucks and does coming in to check these scrapes (during the day!).

[burnnurse1]

when do you find is the best time to start planting you food plots? In north Louisiana it can still be very hot and dry well into sept. and even oct. for that matter so finding a forage plant that is heat and drought tolerant is important. I'm scared to plant to early for fear that my plots won't grow b/c of these conditions yet don't won't to be in the woods too late spooking the deer. any suggestions on a hardy plant that is good for these hot/dry conditions? 

[passin through]

Burnnurse---   where are you hunting?  I'm in north Union Parish with lots of redclay and sand. If you are in the Red River delta you should be good with several more things than we can use. We generally plant towards the end of September and pray.  This year weather conditions being what they are and with the price of seed, fertilizer, & diesel we may put out more corn and and less plots.  Simply because of the lack of rain factor.  To answer your question for what works for me on in NELA  I generally plant Whitetail Institute Annuals (Imperial No plow has a excellent turn around time) in my biggest plots.....will suck them in but only after the first frost....  and do a mix of wheat and oats on most of my shooting lanes/mini plots.  I keep meaning to try Biologic but haven't really done so yet.  My perenial attempts have been dismal failures because I did not maintain them with herbicide as I needed to. Plant types: here I really like Stuff with Chicory or Brassicas in it...Drought tolerant and have deep root systems that can't be pulled right out of the sand.  My biggest planting tip for here is if you are doing more than an acre in your plot  go through all your steps with checking ph and liming and roundup-ing and then if you know of a poultry farm nearby get a couple loads of chicken litter and disk it in before you plant.  About 1-2 housekeeper style spreader loads to the acre.  It will grow grass on rock!  

[burnnurse1]

     Passin, I live in Shreveport but I hunt in Lincoln parish, Dubach to be exact. Sounds like your just right down the road!! This weather has been brutal huh? Been trying to get my brushhogging and trimming done but there's only so much you can do in this heat!! We used a mixture of clover, peas, wheat and tried some rape last season. Everything did Ok except the rape. From what I gather, it as to be pretty cold for rape to flourish and heaven knows we didn't get much of that. Ive tried the Biologic products before but never with much success. I don't know if it is heat sensitive or what but it just never really took off. I've noticed on some of the hunting shows that there biologic patches are in fields that hold alot of water. Maybe someone who knows more about it than I could elaborate on that. I, like you, am really considering relying more on corn feeders and planting less due to the cost of everything going up so much. Ive even heard corn has gone up again this year!! i don't know We'll see. Anyways thanks for the help!

[passin through]

Burn-- yep we're practically nieghbors![:D]  (I was beginning to think I was the only one on here from LA!  [:D])  I hunt and was born and raised 21 miles north of Farmerville.  Weather has been brutal but we may get some rain this weekend.  I actually snuck off and 'hogged a spot this morning & I hope I'll get a chance to spray it this weekend.  Looking at the place this morning I am definitly going with no plow on one plot as late as I can and broadcast wheat and oats everywhere else.Do ya'll have any camera's out?