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Food sources in the timber

A

Aschaul

New Member
Everyone says that this time of year you've gotta find the food sources an you'll find the deer but all I've got to hunt is straight up timber. How do I find what there eating here?
 
Locust pods can be a good source this time of year. Spend a day or two scouting, following the trail systems in the snow. You'll figure it out.
 
You don't need to be right in the food source. They have to be bedding in the timber somewhere. Position yourself between their bedding area and their food source.
 
River1 said:
Locust pods can be a good source this time of year. Spend a day or two scouting, following the trail systems in the snow. You'll figure it out.
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Thought about this with the excess snow that we have and the possibility of 2 - 4 more inches coming.

What are the chances of bumping them and ruining a chance at a nice deer?
 
They'll eat young growth, you'll see them eating varieties of things- look at all the little shrubs, tiny trees, etc- they'll nibble around. If you can find Osage Orange- Hedge Apples: those are great. Locust pods like above. Not sure if late season they'll be hitting the grasses in timber BUT in November I had a lot of deer eating the natural grass that was in the sun-shine openings in timber. Possibility they'll look around for this fall's acorns too. If you have a day you do bump some deer and can find a good concentration of tracks, possibly some bedding & areas they are feeding/browsing- give it a few days to cool off from you goofing it up and hunt those areas & obviously hunt as least-invasive as possible.
 
Sligh,

Just wondering. Have you actually ever seen deer eating hedge balls? I can only think of one time I have ever seen a deer actually eat them. I guess I have seen lots of squirrels, rabbits eat them in late winter and the deer will browse through them, but never really seen them focus on them. Just wondering.
 
My other advice, is check the stomach contents of any deer you shoot. I typically field dress a deer at home in my garage. After im done field dressing and skinning the deer, I take the stomach contents and pour into a bucket of hot water stir around then dump out on the ground and see what they have been eating.
 
Liv4Rut said:
Sligh,

Just wondering. Have you actually ever seen deer eating hedge balls? I can only think of one time I have ever seen a deer actually eat them. I guess I have seen lots of squirrels, rabbits eat them in late winter and the deer will browse through them, but never really seen them focus on them. Just wondering.
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I had a trail camera on a scrape on video mode. There were hedge apples, at least 20, on the ground. Got numerous video's of bucks and does eating the hedge apples. Have also sat on stand and watch them paw them out of the frozen snow last winter. One old doe was able to fit an entire frozen hedge apple in her mouth and she spent 5 minutes rolling it around in her mouth.....pretty cool.
 
GregBickal said:
My other advice, is check the stomach contents of any deer you shoot. I typically field dress a deer at home in my garage. After im done field dressing and skinning the deer, I take the stomach contents and pour into a bucket of hot water stir around then dump out on the ground and see what they have been eating.
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Greg,
You are killing me man.

I have been at this a long time but have never field dressed a deer at home in my garage. While checking the stomach contents is a good idea.

Field dressing it in the garage is carrying it a little to far IMO.

Like someone else said leave that stuff in the field.

Good luck to you.
 
Sligh1 said:
They'll eat young growth, you'll see them eating varieties of things- look at all the little shrubs, tiny trees, etc- they'll nibble around. If you can find Osage Orange- Hedge Apples: those are great. Locust pods like above. Not sure if late season they'll be hitting the grasses in timber BUT in November I had a lot of deer eating the natural grass that was in the sun-shine openings in timber. Possibility they'll look around for this fall's acorns too. If you have a day you do bump some deer and can find a good concentration of tracks, possibly some bedding & areas they are feeding/browsing- give it a few days to cool off from you goofing it up and hunt those areas & obviously hunt as least-invasive as possible.
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Sligh,
In the timber we have 12" plus of snow. We also have 4 - 6 more coming.

There is nothing green showing anywhere. Even with the 6 food plots I have in the timber the snow cover is keeping them from even touching that food source. I tried blowing them off last year but they drift in shortly later.

After shotgun I will do some walking. I really do not want to bump any deer to the orange army.

I know they eat a lot of browse but they have to eat something nutritious in order to survive.
 
I've seen deer eat Hedge apples many times. Like said earlier, they smash em with their hooves and yes- they gobble em up- they are quite popular at one farm I hunt - may depend on what else is available.

Risto- yeah, that's a tough condition. Even if there is something green or edible, it seems like they should be pawing around to get it. Probably the real answer will be something we don't want to do - go investigate. Any way to time it so you don't push to gunners and can give it 3-4 days rest? Nice part of the snow, you'll be able to walk around and see exactly where the trails go and then see exactly where they are feeding and pawing through stuff. Not sure if that's do-able for you or not.
 
Sligh1 said:
Risto- yeah, that's a tough condition. Even if there is something green or edible, it seems like they should be pawing around to get it. Probably the real answer will be something we don't want to do - go investigate. Any way to time it so you don't push to gunners and can give it 3-4 days rest? Nice part of the snow, you'll be able to walk around and see exactly where the trails go and then see exactly where they are feeding and pawing through stuff. Not sure if that's do-able for you or not.
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Sligh,
I will wait until after this weekend and do some searching for late muzzy.
The hillsides are a bit@# to walk but noone said it was going to be easy.
They might not be feeding on my property but I know they are bedding on the South side of the hill.
Just may not be feeding there.
Only thing that really irks me is that they usually will not paw through 24" of snow to get to the foodplots. :confused:
 
risto2351 said:
Greg,
You are killing me man.

I have been at this a long time but have never field dressed a deer at home in my garage. While checking the stomach contents is a good idea.

Field dressing it in the garage is carrying it a little to far IMO.

Like someone else said leave that stuff in the field.

Good luck to you.
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I dont know maybe i'm spoiled but Id rather field dress a deer in my t-shirt in my garage with plenty of lights and a bucket of hot water handy than -10F below wind chill in the middle of a field at dark.:drink2:

Of course, getting them from the field to my house is probably a little easier for me, since I only have to drag them a couple of blocks :drink1:
 
What are your thoughts on when to sit during the late muzzy season?

I see some only sit at night and not in the morning?

I would think depending on the temperature that they would be looking for food all day with 24" of snow?

Thanks.
 
I have seen tons of deer eat hedgeballs. I would look more for where they are coming and going off of locust pods oak flats and hunt in the middle any trees that have anything edible on them or if you have a cornfield that butts up next to it look for where they are going out to the fields.
 
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