Off season prep plans?


Swamphunter

Recommended Posts

What is everyones off season prep plans for this coming season?

Here are mine...

I am going to improve the access road into my hunting land by widening it just a bit and bringing some gravel in so I don't sink in the mud and have access all season.

Im putting my trail cam out earlier this year and going to run it through right up until the season starts.

I am also going to improve a couple of trails I have and hang a couple of cheap lock-ons so I can have a few to bounc around in and if one should get stolen, even though I will be mad, it wouldn't be the end of the world like losing a Summit.

I am also purchasing new hunting clothes as I have lost enough weight that I need smaller stuff.

I am going to re-wrap and re-fletch my GT's with a new color like I do every year so I can tell them apart in photos. I like to switch it up.

That is a pretty good list for February as it seems to grow as summer wears on!

What are your plans??

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'll be clearing some small sections for little 20 yard by 20 yard food plots on my property. I'm going to put atleast 2 out and see how that works. I'll hopefully be getting a couple more stands this year so I'll have to find some new spots for them. Otherwise I guess once summer hits get the trail camera out on the property again and start seeing what I have to look forward to this season.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Off season, no definitive plans really.

We will plant a few spring/summer plots, and maintain our perennial plots. Bust as many yotes as possible before the does drop fawns and around fawn dropping times. Planning on leaving cams out longer periods(2-3 weeks) between checking them and not getting into areas I know deer should be. Have a few sites I plan for new stands for next season, have to get my stand prep done earlier on this year.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

There's a lot on my plate during the off season.

This coming weekend I'll try to finish loosening or pulling the rest of my stands. I need to do some trimming with a chain saw on one of them while I can still see what I need to see. I won't be able to do that after spring green up.

I also have some more post season scouting to do before spring green up along with continuing to run my trail cameras for a few more weeks before antler shedding really kicks in down here.

I also have to clear downed trees out of some more back roads on our place before turkey season begins on March 15th. Recent storms sure messed up our back roads. I spent this past Saturday working on some of them.

In April we'll make some time to freshen up all of our mineral licks around our turkey hunts.

In May I'll spend some time spraying roundup on my access trails, etc. in the areas that were select timbered during the past 5 to 7 years so briars, etc. won't cut me off to my preferred stand sites overlooking those good funnels. We'll also plant about 20 food plots in summer forage.

I'll take the end of May and the 1st 3 weeks of June off except for scouting honey locust trees to see which ones that traditionally drop during early bow season produce a mast crop this coming year. :D

Toward the end of June I'll start running trail cameras again and begin preparing some stands for next bow season. Around mid to late July I'll start glassing oak trees too. We'll also need to do some spraying on our summer food plots for weed control.

Basically, I'll need to have most of my bow stands ready to hunt before the end of the 3rd week of August. That's when the majority of the rest of my time will be spent doing camp projects to get our club ready for next deer season. Those projects include clearing all our roads so we can bushhog them. We may have to do some grading on some of our roads this year too. Bushhog our other 26 food plots, prepare them for fall planting and plant them. We also have 35 camp stands that we'll need to get tightened back up on trees and check shooting lanes (the bow stands) so they will be ready too.

That's it in a nutshell but I''m sure I'll add more to that list when I have more time to think about it. :D

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've got a list way to long to put on here. But, most of my time will be spent on scouting. You can't do enough of it. Our season ended a month and a half ago and their hasn't been a week since that I haven't been in the woods at least once.

I'll do most of my work during winter/spring and then/than I am going to stay out the best I can during the summer. Of course, there will be new hotspots that pop up over the summer that I can't prepare for now, but I'm taking care of the areas that are good every year right now.

I'll have most of my trees picked out by spring, and once the leaves come on I'll do any pruning/cutting. I'm going to construct a few ground blinds in areas I have wanted to hunt but couldn't with a tree stand. And I have a few paths to clear also. Nothing major, just the usual year to year chores.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Keep on feeding protein and keep the cams out.

Hopefully find some sheds. My shed hunting is turkey season, but we do have a few antler traps out.

Buy some new arrows.

Get the bow ready.

Am getting in a camp so i'll have to scout it out.

Putting in a few summer plots on main farm.

Will start working on fall plots around first of August.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

have started exsdending my food plot, so i will have a L that 84yrds long on one leg and 75 yrds long the other, going to by another stand, a buddy one so i can make a inclosed hunting spot, and a new camra, and thought i like hunting with my mathews, i going to buy a crossbow, its only 8 months before were back at it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

There is a lot I want to do but I dont know how much will get done(I have all these ideas but usually I am the only one who wants to do them so I usually get outvoted by everyone else)

1). Section off a corner of our big field with trees and plant a food plot there.

2). Plant a small hunting plot in the woods

3). Rework my existing plot because it didnt get touched last year.

4). Cut some trees to try and provide betterr bedding areas

5). Hang extra stands for filming

6). Shoot my bow a lot more

7). Practice long-range shoot with my rifle

Link to comment
Share on other sites

What off season?

-Now until early June spring bear.

-MAy 10-begining of september, Fishing.

-September - late october Bow season deer/waterfowl.

-Early November-mid november blackpowder deer.

-Mid november-early december General season deer.

-December - tail end of grouse season

-January - mid April - Some ice fishing and indoor arhery practice, but mostly to bloody cold to leave the house...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.