Questions for beginner deer hunter

I think it really depends on your land. If there's a ton of stuff for the deer to eat year round, a food plot might not be all that great. But, in most places, once the acorns are gone, the food plots pick up.

But you say it's "really thick" which says to me briars and honeysuckle, both of which provide the deer with greenage in the winter.

12 acres. All of the land is surrounded by woods. Lots and lots of briar..

If your property is thicker than the surrounding land the deer might be using it for a bedding area. You need to spend some time on the off season to lean how the deer in the area use your land...

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If your property is thicker than the surrounding land the deer might be using it for a bedding area. You need to spend some time on the off season to lean how the deer in the area use your land...

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All the surrounding land is just as thick. The deer definatey move through my area. Just trying to find ways to keep em there and help them grow bigger and healthier racks.

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Especially if there are oaks scattered in the thick stuff.

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There are oaks scattered around. Should I fertilize them??

Nope, never heard of anyone doing that.

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There are oaks scattered around. Should I fertilize them??

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It wouldn't hurt anything, but you should do it before the leaves start sprouting. Your best bet is to only fertilize the oaks that you can hunt. Given a choice, deer will choose to eat acorns from a fertilized tree over those from one that hasn't been fertilized. I don't know that it would increase the nutritional value of the acorns though.

As far as the food plot goes, it really depends on the density of your deer heard whether 75x75 would be big enough.

I would put a mineral lick close to the spots where you plan to have stands. Not a trophy rock or salt block, but some kind of bagged mix (I've had luck with 30-06). Deer will use these sights throughout the summer and it seems to get them comfortable coming to the area. Quite a few times I've had early season scrapes near my mineral sites.

Go to a feed store and get some trace minerals. Put in middle of your property. Place some cameras out in different trails and see what you have on the property.

Fertilizing the oak trees is a good idea. (ignore the bama logo in respect to tree talk - i get my tree info from an auburn guy)

The Auburn Ag guy I talked to said that fertilizing the oaks helps them to produce sweeter acorns - that the deer prefer over the non fertilized trees.

here is some info I just found
LINK

The thing to remember is that all trees do not produce acorns each year, some produce one year and not another so you have to scout each year to find wich trees are producing.

I do think that fertilizing particular trees will increase the chances of them producing though.

And here is an article by a UT guy saying fertilizer has almost no impact. SO take all advice FWIW

LINK

If there is a spot for a food plot, I would recommend planting one. Oats/Wheat would probably be your best bet. They come up pretty easily.

I wouldn't worry about Spring/Summer planting on only 100 acres. You won't be able to manage a herd on that small of a tract, and will be at the mercy of whatever your neighbors management plan is. No point in beefing the deer up for your neighbors.

Since you won't be holding many deer, you need to make your place attractive to deer to come through. I'd keep it as thick as possible, and put up only a few stands with a couple of shooting lanes. Keep the ATV traffic light on the land and park as far away as you feel comfortable walking.

For food, I'd focus more on attracting than feeding protein/nutrient rich feed. Corn from feeders, rice bran, etc. For your food plots, oats and wheat would be the easiest, but if you have a good spot, peas are extremely likeable by deer (cow, purple hull, winter, iron clay).