Great Thread! What I'm already planning for 2025:
-I'm growing some persimmons in my backyard so maybe next year will plant those
-adding a new feeder
-starting on 2 small food plots. I'm thinking clover since farmer can't get into those spots and I don't have a UTV or anything so will all be by hand
-Trace minerals early spring - Agree the cows/hogs find them and they disappear
-I do run my feeders all year

Had the privilege to get a quick tour of Stompy’s place. I’d let him chime in because his place is absolute gorgeous and wildlife mecca. That ranch has it going on, simply incredible! Proof is in the pudding

I've been removing cedars around oaks for years now. I use the cedar trash to protect the small oaks trying to grow. Opening up the creek and pasture has caused the axis move in. Cactus control as well. Brush piles give refuge to the cottontails and quail. Dense cedar areas provide cold weather protection.
Water is available in several places. Milo added to the feeders for the seed eaters.

I appreciate that Jeff. A lot of work, a few mistakes, but I believe I'm headed in the right direction.

I have the short, black liquid feed tubs (they're about 10" tall) for my sheep. After they clean the feed out, I use them for minerals/salt. I buy a 50lb bag of mineral and mix it 1/2 bag to a 50lb bag of salt. If you don't have stock, you can just put the mineral out straight as it has quite a bit of salt already in it. I cut it to limit intake as it gets expensive.

like this but about 1/2 as tall:

We call the white oaks on our place "deer candy trees". They have a real heavy growth about every 3 years and the deer walk past everything to feed at them.

I am curious about persimmons, we have a couple of native trees with the small fruit that falls from the tree and disappear fast, I thought it was just small animals and birds eating them but then they all started disappearing off of the limbs several feet off the ground and I saw a couple deer on their hind legs picking them. My neighbor has a large seedless Fuyu persimmon tree with hundreds of HUGE fruit that is sweet after the first frost. I am thinking about starting some cuttings and planting them at the property as this type requires very little care.

I threw several of the really ripe persimmons out by several feeders to see any reaction by the deer, at first they just fed around them but after temps were above freezing 2 bucks were there eating them, also some pigs and turkeys later...

Grew up N E TX hunting the hardwood ridges, edges and bottoms. Whiteoaks are key but when Persimmons ripen those are the best period. I've seen deer cross wide open fields to get to persimmon trees right out in the middle of fields with no cover and no tall grass. I would plant them.

Thanks!

where do you buy the 50# bags of di-cal? I can't find it anywhere!

We have lots of persimmons. Our natural habitat is a real smorgasbord. Blessed.

Creekrunner, I also like the mineral blocks. I’m still working on something that will keep them in one place. Hogs move them a considerable distance. I have one metal 4x6 ft table with 2 inch sides. They work there. I put another on an old rusty disc plow that worked:because they can’t scoot it off.

If I put one on the ground, it disappears in days.

What mineral blocks are you guys using?

Just buy that "brownish" colored trace mineral block for sheep/goats/cattle. Put it near a pond or other water supply. It may take a year or two for the deer to really start to use it (if they need it.) I would not spend too much money on minerals. The deer will get plenty of minerals in a protein pellet or from the native plants that they eat.

Thanks. I’m working on this small property about 50 acres for next season have about 2 square miles around me that doesn’t get hunted. So I’m really trying to draw attention to this piece in the center

Try Antler King Grainiac XL protein blocks. They are 20% protein in a 33lb. block and at my place the deer love them. I go through one block a week at the back of the property and one about every 2 weeks at the pond close to the cabin.