I've started doing my fall bush hogging. I have about 7 acres of field between my house and my pond. The rest is woods. I don't see as much wildlife (especially deer) as I would like to see out in the middle of the field. The thought occurred to me to leave a wide strip of wild growth down the middle of the field. Do you think something like that would promote wildlife activity through the field?

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Posted by tigerbait703

Chackbay, La

Member since Sep 2007

655 posts

Posted on 8/25/16 at 9:57 am to arktiger28

Animals especially deer feel safe in thick cover. I had a lease with almost all mature pines with hardly any underbrush, deer were few and far between. When they came and clear-cut half of it the population immediately went up.

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Posted by Cowboyfan89

Member since Sep 2015

12706 posts

Posted on 8/25/16 at 10:26 am to arktiger28

Depends what the "wild growth" is, and the shape of the field. A long, linear field with little space between the wild growth and field edge...sure. A square field with a lot of space between the field edge and the wild growth...probably not.

Deer are edge species when it comes to fields. They don't like to get way out in the middle unless there is something they really want there. If it is just cover, it may not entice them. Now, put a food plot, promote high value native forages, or plant some wildlife-friendly shrubs out there, and that is a different story.

This is why most of you recommendations for food plots are small acreages and often rectangular, because it increases the edge in the field and the likelihood that deer will use it. Obviously a large field of soybeans negates that, since they will tear those up (high nutrition content).

Long story short, if you are dealing with native veg, give them a good reason to go out there. If they have sufficient cover, and that is all it will provide, they probably aren't going out there.

What is the typical (non-bush hogged) vegetative state of the field?

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