Attracting deer

I’m on a new lease this year. There are plenty of deer in the area, but the landowner was very honest with me that the property hasn’t historically held or attracted many deer. The price and location (to my house) were great, and the LO is a good guy, so I decided to give it a shot.

Layout: ~120 acres. Rectangular shape. The front 2/3 is mostly Johnson grass pasture with woods, then there’s a live creek that runs the width of the property. The back third behind the creek is brushy, with some timber and mesquite. The property is bordered on the east and west by decent sized properties, and to the south is a large farm/ranch.

Essentially, I’m starting from scratch. The LO is very accommodating and has offered to plant food plots and said he would work with me to get the property in good huntable shape.

Other than the obvious (putting up feeders), which I I’ve already done, what are some things that you have done or would do, to try and attract deer to a property? Certain crops? Should I be feeding something other than corn?

I’ve seen some sign, and there are deer on camera occasionally, but it seems to be the occasional pass through.

Corn and more corn every day ...run the feeder 20 seconds morning..10 seconds at 13:00 and 20 seconds at 16;00. Use two feeders 12 months a year. You will have deer if deer are in the area. If this don't work for ya call again.lol

I hand corn in a couple of different places every time I sit in my blind or ladder stand when bow hunting. We only have 125 acres and see lots of deer. My son doesn`t hand corn and will never see as many deer as I do. Deer are more relaxed away from a feeder when eating corn that is more spread out. I distribute mine pretty good where it takes them longer to find it. Don`t just pour it out in a straight line. I`ve killed 75% of my deer at hand thrown corn the last 20 years. It just works.

I’d take the land owner up on the food plot offer and plant as much as you can afford. Deer will walk past 947 corn feeders to come to fresh green groceries. I’d also hand corn a single location depending on where you plan to hunt and not even think about putting a feeder up. You’ll have every pig in the area on it and run what few deer your currently holding off.. Green groceries equals success, yellow corn equals pigs. Every swinging peckerwood with a rifle in the woods is slinging corn, most don’t go to the trouble of planting which is greatly beneficial to you..

About the best thing you can do is hunt your tail off

1 of the places I hunt, 99% of people would tell you there aren't many deer too.

But ole boy will come along searching once, maybe twice a year I can guarantee it

Gotta be there when he is

If there's loads of Johnsongrass, soil fertility should be good. I'd plant a cold-tolerant oats variety for a food plot. Deer need cover, so the ideal location is adjacent to (within 100 yards or so of) woods/brush. If planting this fall, you still have time.

It may not hurt to add a protein feeder. Drought and low winter time browse make for hungry deer.

I've never had much luck with food plots. I have corn out for them 24/7 and that's been pretty reliable, but they don't hit it every day. What I've found that works the very best, and what they go to first, is Deer Cane's Black Magic. You spread it around a low area that holds more water after it rains. In a few years, it will become a pond. My area is probably 2 feet deep in the middle from the deer eating it so much!!!

Atwoods has it for $7 right now. I've seen it as high as $14 Walmart says it's $8 in this link. One bag is supposed to be good for 3 months, but I'm putting it out every month right now just to make sure the deer are happy.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Evolved-...c-Attractant-Powder/6323942?athbdg=L1600

I know the property you are hunting. Grayson hunts way different. Low numbers but potential for a giant at any time. Forget the big bucks coming to a spin feeder. Feed them free choice and fence out hogs. Food plot would be good. Hunt the rut hard! Spend a lot of time in stand and play the wind

As already mentioned, corn in a good pen. Then put cottonseed in the same pen. They like the cottonseed as much as corn. Place the feeder pen near the brush so the deer will have cover going to it.

If your hunting in Grayson it depends where you are at. I grew up there and there are areas that flat don't have deer. We lived SE of Sherman and I don't remember ever seeing a deer in the area growing up.

Get protein going asap. Probably won't do a lot of good in the next couple of months but it will pay off in the long term. Just be prepared for the expense, once they find it and get patterned on it, they'll eat you out of house and home. Food plots would also be a good attractant as well. You don't have to get fancy with it, just some plain ol bob oats will grow about anywhere they have enough moisture.

As others have said, corn, and more corn, but if others are throwing it where the deer prefer to be, you'll have to offer some diversity to truly change their feeding patterns.

I learned a lot here, thanks y'all.

I've only been feeding corn for a few weeks, so I'll just keep that up. I've honestly never thought about just throwing out corn. There are some hard to get to spot where I'll definitely try that. I have hog panels around one feeder and the other is open.

The LO is grazing the johnson grass for a few weeks and then he's planting for the fall, not sure what he's planting though. Interested to find out.

I put out some 'no-till' seed mix in some spots already.

I order some of that black magic. Might help! I bet it bring in those pigs.

sounds similar to a place I used to hunt in northwest Williamson county ... 140 acres total with the eastern portion of about 90 acres was old terraced farm land that hadn't been worked in years, had a large stock tank on a wet weather creek with a few trees inside our south fence line and about ~25 acres that was wooded to the NW portion. There were active farms to the east and the south and the deer would funnel thru our wooded portion going to and from those planted fields. Most of our hunting was from daylight to about 8:00 am and from about 4:00 pm to dark, catching them going to or from those farms. But, during rutting activity, could be anytime of day. This was over 40 years ago before we had any type of feeders, just hand corn (maybe a coffee can full) along the areas that they traveled to slow them down for a bit before they crossed the 400-500 yard open space.

with that small of a place, the noisier the feeder, the better. Kinda like a dinner bell that they will get accustomed to over time to know they have groceries on the ground. This will likely draw in mostly does, fawns and younger bucks ... but when the does are coming in to heat, that will draw in the older bucks as well. Kind of a two box move, throw corn to bring in the does, the more does, the higher the likelihood of bringing in buck after the does

On small places I’ve always tried to do what others are not doing. Everyone feeds corn I would set my timer to go off a little earlier and feed a little longer. Plant food plots oats turnips radishes chickory just experiment and see what the deer like. I put out mineral blocks even put a water trough out. Get the does coming to the feeder and the bucks will be there during the rut.