by Gavin Maxwell

Created on: December 18, 2007

One of the greatest things an outdoor enthusiast can do to enhance their private property, whether you are a hunter(which I am) or just someone who enjoys watching wildlife is to make your property appealing to game animals. This can be a nuisance for the gardener or someone who has a well manicured lawn, but for us hunters, and anyone else who enjoys seeing wild mammals in their backyard, it is pretty fun and interesting to bring animals into your property just by creating the proper habitat for them.

Now how can you make your property more appealing, you might ask. Well truthfully it is not all that hard. Of course, if you live out in the country somewhere, either near farmland, fields, or large expanses of forests, usually the more likely their is to be wild animals such as deer, elk, bear, cougar and so forth. The more isolated the better. Less people to look at the animals you will be coaxing onto your property and the safer the animals will feel. Below are a few key things you will want to include into your property.

APPLE OR FRUIT TREES. Deer, elk and bear absolutely love apples and other tasty fruits. Plant some in an open area of your property that is easily viewable from a ground blind or tree stand, or at a distance from your house or other structure. Make sure the trees are allowed plenty of sunlight and accessible to water. When the trees are young, they will have to be fenced to keep animals from killing them or browsing them to heavily. They will have to be fenced for several years. If you are going to plant an apple tree, you might as well plant several and create a little orchard. Plant a variety of fruit trees that grow in your climate to see what the animals like in your area.

WATER. Have a shallow pond on your property, preferably fed by a creek to keep the water clear and healthy. Water always attracts animals, so if you don't have any water on your property, figure out how to get some to your land. Water needs to be somewhere to create optimal big game and small game habitat.

THICK BRUSH. Animals need to have reasons to come to your property. Food, safety, water and bedding areas are the key reasons. Create a brushy as hell thicket on your property where "nobody" is allowed, to create an ultra-safe bedding and hiding area. Have food sources close by so animals will be quickly drawn out when ready to feed in the evening, and slow to find cover in the morning. If they feel really safe they might feed there as much as they want, all day long.

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