Owning a piece of your very own hunting property is no doubt one of the best possessions there is when it comes to hunting. I have been hunting public land my who life and I am definitely ready for a change. I grew up hunting a variety of game. My love of the outdoors led me to obtain a Fisheries and Wildlife degree from the University of Minnesota. After working for a few different organizations I am now a real estate agent who specializes in hunting properties. Over the years I have learned what it takes and what can be done to your hunting land in order to increase the quality of the hunting. As I go through these 4 tips, keep in mind that every property, population, and area is different. Some of these tips may work for you while some may not.
- The highly regarded FOOD PLOT
Food plots are the new rage when it comes to attracting wildlife to your property. Not only will food plots assist in attracting wildlife to your property but they will give you a place to observe and even stalk/wait for your game. This is a highly effective strategy and one that I encourage provided certain conditions are met and the owner takes time to learn the proper technique in building food plots.
- WILDLIFE OPENINGS
Like food plots, wildlife openings provide food and sometimes even cover for a variety of wildlife species. A wildlife opening is basically a cleared area on a property that allows for undergrowth and young saplings to grow. These young plants and trees can provide a very high amount of forage for animals. These open areas allow forage such as grasses, clovers, Jewelweed, and berries such as raspberries to grow. Wildlife openings are much easier to work with because they don’t need much if any future attention, unlike food plots. They are great if you do not have the time, money, or equipment to manage a full blown food plot. My next tip will show you some cheap and one-time additions you can add to the opening.
- Mast producing trees
Mast producing trees are basically trees that produces forage from their canopy. One of the highly regarded trees of wildlife in Minnesota are the Apple trees. Apple trees are great for wildlife and hunting properties because once they are established they can produce a huge abundance of forage for wildlife during the fall season for years to come. Apple trees can be a great addition to a wildlife opening.
- Trails
Although trails are naturally occurring in the wilderness it can be very beneficial to add or maintain them on your property. Most wildlife prefer the path of least resistance, which is why you will find trails throughout the woods. Maintaining the current trails or even creating trails will allow you to monitor the local wildlife population. Trails provide a great place for game cameras which allow you to see and track you game even when you are not around.
I hope you enjoyed these tips and keep in mind that not all properties may be right for these techniques. If you are new to property ownership, I suggest you pick up a few books or check out some other articles to learn more about the subject of managing your property for wildlife.
Source by Andrew Laursen
