Off-Season Hunting Land Practices: Late Winter/Early Spring
In most parts of the county, there are a couple months between deer and turkey season in the first half of the year. For some hunters, this may be considered the “off-season” but for hunting land owners, this can be the most important season.
This time of year can be the perfect time to work on your land and do some things that will pay dividends during hunting season!
Prescribed Burning
Early spring conditions make for the perfect time to use prescribed fire on brushy areas or fields of your property. Think of fire as a way of giving your forest floor a restart. It encourages the growth of forage, like grasses and other nutritious plants. These new plants attract deer, turkey, and other wildlife. Fire also clears out dense undergrowth and thick vegetation, making it easier for both you and wildlife to access more areas of the property.
Frost Seeding Food Plots
This time of year is an excellent time for planting food plots by using a technique called frost seeding. Using the weather to your advantage, you can throw out seeds during this time of year. As the ground freezes and thaws it will pull the seed into the ground and start to grow. This process of planting requires very little tilling and is as easy as throwing the seed on the soil. Plots grown from this process act as a great food source for turkeys and other wildlife.
Trapping
While your typical game may be out of season during this time of year, this time of year is often trapping season for lots of areas. This includes raccoons, opossums, coyotes, and other animals that have an overall negative impact on other game on your property. Raccoons and Opposum will destroy and eat turkey nests and the eggs inside. By destroying these eggs, your overall turkey population will suffer. Coyotes and other predators will feast on young turkeys, fawns, and other vulnerable game.
Owning land and managing property is a year-round effort and this time of year is no exception. By putting in the work during the off-season, you and your family can reap the benefits for years to come! If you’ve got more questions about off-season hunting land management, get in touch with me at Aland@NationalLand.com or reach out to your local Land Professional!