White-tailed Deer Management Plans | The Summer Deer Check List

8 Things you need to do this summer as a deer hunter

Whether its early Saturday morning bass fishing on your favorite lake or an easy Sunday afternoon with catfish poles stuck in the muddy river banks, wasting these precious summer weekends can become too easy for dedicated deer hunters. For those looking to collect some bone this fall it’s time to get serious with your plans. You have plenty to do on your deer hunter’s summer to-do list.

Here are 8 things you need to do this summer as a deer hunter. Hopefully this to-do list will jolt your mind away from the lake water and back on antlers!

Plant and Finish Food plots

During the summer, rain can be precious. The more you delay planting your food plots the less days they can spend sucking up precious water, growing for the fall, and feeding your deer herd. This should be the first priority on your deer hunter’s summer to-do list for your white-tailed deer management plan. Set the date range) usually late summer or early fall) and stick to it!

Weed control

Existing food plots, like clover or alfalfa, can fill up with nightmarish weeds to haunt you as the season progresses. Study up on your herbicides and get ready to spray! Keeping your food plots at their full potential can only increase your chances of holding deer and producing bigger antlers, and reaching deer hunting success in the fall.

Set out mineral stations

Mineral stations are important this time of year. Deer get the majority of the nutrients they need from browse during the summer months, but this green luscious browse is water packed creating a need for both minerals and salt. Setting out minerals for deer is important on the deer hunter’s summer to-do list. Don’t forget to put a camera on the nearest tree to monitor bucks in the area.

Trail Camera Survey preparation

The time for a trail camera survey is not too far off in the distance. But planning ahead of time can insure you don’t miss your opportunity for this vital part of a deer management plan. Be sure to have the batteries, SD cards, and corn (if legal) ready to go.

Set up Tree Stands

For large property owners with a lot of stands to put up this might be a little more overwhelming, but it’s all the more reason to get started now! If you only have a handful to set up, put more thought into your set ups, including bedding areas, wind, and big buck movements.

Trim Shooting Lanes

It wouldn’t be worth even putting those stands up without shooting lanes now would it? Grab the pole saw and chainsaw and start trimming.

Habitat management

Food plots might be a priority but you can’t forget about the rest of the habitat. Always strive to increase cover, browse, and diversity on your property. Taking a weekend or two for some TSI work or designing cover with grasses and fire can do wonders for the upcoming deer season.

Start thinking about winter and fall

A successful white-tailed deer management plan is a dynamic one, always using adaptive management to adjust to the most recent information and circumstances. Overall observations on your property when completing this to-do list or just scouting can always give you this information. This includes the summer and every day until the season starts. Paying attention to trail camera photos, deer movements, and food plot browse pressure can begin to set your mind into fall and winter thinking.