Creating a Sanctuary for Deer

STEVE SMOLENSKI

08/30/2015

You are not seeing bucks while deer hunting, on trail cameras….something is going wrong, so what’s issue? I guarantee human pressure is to blame for this lack of bucks. Don’t worry you can correct this problem starting right now by simply creating a sanctuary.

Video: Filmed by Jessica Johnson and Weston Schrank

As land and property owners, you might be aware your property has great cover, natural forage, browse, tons of deer food plots, but for some reason you’re just not holding those mature bucks. On the other hand you might not have that quality cover or food, or even a single food plot on the property.  Regardless of the situation you are still not holding mature bucks. You are not seeing these bucks while deer hunting, or even seeing them on trail cameras….something is going wrong, so what’s issue?

Now you might not recognize it as a problem right away but I guarantee human pressure is to blame for this lack of bucks. Don’t worry you can correct this problem starting right now by simply creating a sanctuary.

 A sanctuary is piece or section of the property you title off limits to any human activity. You don’t walk around in it, you don’t put trail cameras in it, and you definitely don’t go deer hunting in it. Now you’re probably thinking why waste that piece of the property when I could hunt on it, and I would agree with you if I had not seen the benefits first hand. Pictured in the video are two mature bucks taken off of a 70 acre property with a 20 acre sanctuary.  With it you are simply giving the bucks a place to hold up in. Let’s say 10 acres of a 70 acre property, 100 acres of a 1000 acre property, or 6 of 12 acres. Giving anything and deeming it a sanctuary helps.

You should choose the nastiest, thicket that you probably couldn’t hunt in any ways. If you don’t have one of these type of areas,  create one by simply hinge-cutting or dropping less desirable trees, burning old fields or native grasses, or just setting back succession. This cover, and food at the deer’s level creates a safe place for bucks to hold up in and gets them closer to your tree stand during those daylight hours.  Sacrificing a section of your property for a big buck sanctuary will be well worth it come this fall, and improve your deer hunting.

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