Green Fields – Why They Work and Why They Don't for Hunting Deer with Dr. Grant Woods
Day 2: Don’t Shoot Does in Your Green Fields with Dr. Grant Woods
Editor’s Note: Planting a green field doesn't guarantee that you'll take a buck on it. Some green fields produce high-quality bucks every season, while other green fields rarely if ever even yield a buck. What factors make for a great green field, and what makes a green field a waste of time and money? To learn the answers to these questions, we've contacted Dr. Grant Woods (http://www.growingdeer.tv) of Reeds Spring, Missouri, an avid hunter and one of the nation's leading deer researchers and animal-nutrition experts.
  "To help green fields produce bucks, don't shoot does in a green field," Woods emphasizes.
Many hunting clubs permit members to take does in green fields, because in most areas of the country, hunters need to bag a certain number of does off a property to keep the herd in balance. Green fields provide the easiest place to see and identify the does before you squeeze the trigger.
But Dr. Woods warns, "If you shoot the does on a green field, the bucks will be much less likely to utilize that green field during daylight hours. However, if you only harvest does in the woods away from the green fields, the green fields then will become sanctuaries where the bucks can feed more confidently."
  If you allow bucks to feed on the green fields until the time you plan to hunt and harvest them, you'll put less pressure on your green fields, increase the number of bucks you see and drastically increase your odds of seeing any deer on the green field. Some clubs manage their green fields by imposing the rule of, "You can't hunt in a green field until after you take the number of does in the woods that the club expects you to harvest. Then, and only then can you hunt over a green field." Using this rule, club members can harvest the number of does they need to take early in the season before the food supply decreases. Then the green fields will become sanctuaries for the bucks, due to the lack of hunting on them. You'll see more bucks, and you'll have longer to study their body sizes and antler development on green fields managed under this system. You get to choose the older, bigger bucks that you want to harvest.
Check out the new Kindle eBooks, “Deer and Fixings,” “How to Hunt Deer like a Pro,” “PhD Whitetails” and “How to Hunt Deer Up Close: With Bows, Rifles, Muzzleloaders and Crossbows” by John E. Phillips. Go to http://www.amazon.com/kindle-ebooks, type in the name of the books, and download them to your Kindle and/or download a Kindle app for your iPad, SmartPhone or computer.
About the Author
John Phillips, winner of the 2012 Homer Circle Fishing Award for outstanding fishing writer by the American Sportfishing Association (AMA) and the Professional Outdoor Media Association (POMA), the 2008 Crossbow Communicator of the year and the 2007 Legendary Communicator chosen for induction into the National Fresh Water Hall of Fame, is a freelance writer (over 6,000 magazine articles for about 100 magazines and several thousand newspaper columns published), magazine editor, photographer for print media as well as industry catalogues (over 25,000 photos published), lecturer, outdoor consultant, marketing consultant, book author and daily internet content provider with an overview of the outdoors. Click here for more information and a list of all the books available from John E. Phillips.
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