My first thought is to move the stand from the North side if the field.

There is only maybe 15 scattered pines total in the whole thing and a few other trash trees, not sure how you "clear cut" something like that or how it would help with cover. I think letting parts of it grow up thicker would help with cover for sure as others have stated.

Question - is this land owned by you or leased? That really will determine what options are available to you when it comes to making changes.

I was talking about the surrounding woods hallb

And get it back in some cover. Plant better food and dont blast away. Itll get better.

Those two food plots around it ain’t helping the situation none

There are 2 types of food plots that I really like.
1. Long narrow strips
2. Big ones, 2 acres or more

I would say plant the whole thing, and limit the pressure. We have some of the best luck in our largest plots. And on a COLD clear day you will absolutely lose count of how many deer will be feeding.

The areas adjacent to this plot, we own some of it you see and don't own some of it you see, but have rights to hunt it and we plant it, etc. We do own the whole plot. The property lines are weird right there, basically we share the pond with one other landowner and the property line runs right up the middle of it. We have a guy we know locally that owns a timber management company and he will be helping us make decisions on cutting, thinning, etc. I would love a big ol' cutover too, but I think there is another section of the property that's 40 acres that is a better suited to it and has an immediate need. So really was looking at more of things we can do within the plot, plantings, letting it grow up natural or I like Blumsden's idea too but not sure if that is in the budget, may start it and do something like that over time.

I think we'll probably start by letting a good portion of it grow up and just plant the middle section and move the stand.

Hallb, have you met Kenny King down there?l

On the areas you own, the pines look mature enough to cut. Designate a few 5-10 acre areas of pines to clear cut and replant in Long Leaf. Thin the remainder of the pines and then put on a burn rotation. That will create a mixture of habitat that provides food and cover different from the hardwood drains and fields. I have seen first hand how younger long leaf stands and thinned burned pines benefit all wildlife.

If you are fortunate enough to have a 5 acre plot, plant it. Keep something for deer to eat in it all year, give them a reason to be there, its that simple

Keep in mind that the prevailing winter wind is from the northwest to north so the access and stand should be from the southeast to south. With property like that I would have multiple access points and stands to accommodate any wind. Nice place tho good luck.

The way it is now only access is from the north and with trying to keep shot distances reasonable, etc it just made sense to put it where it is now. Honestly though we’ve had probably just as many days where we could hunt this stand as any other one and it is nice to have a stand on those days. I do think it could have two stands.

Well that was kinda our theory too but didn’t seem to do the trick, maybe I’m being impatient.

Hall that is a good looking piece of land. I would have thought with that pond next to the big field the deer would wear it out. Interesting.

Don't over hunt it.

Definitely haven’t done that

Do you only hunt it on a South wind?

That is what I was thinking too. Try that for a year or at least save it for really late in the season.

yes, or some version of S/SW/SE, etc - never hunted on a N, NE. Like I said, there has actually been a number of days with that wind here this year, so it is nice to have a place to go. That being said, it could have multiple stands.