The Farm - Madison County, GA

You know your property better than anyone else but is there any chance at all, any possibility that the neighborhood pressure has turned the bucks into almost ghost like and that one of them monster buck ghosts is still alive and weaving his way thru the thickest stuff possible mostly every minute of his day as they are here? I'm also convinced that if the neighbors here hunt every day that some good bucks have them pretty well figured out and though the bucks seem to be non-existent after a week or two of shooting that some or even one are still there; the bucks simply no longer step out of cover and avoid plots and openings- even small openings, both day and night. Maybe it is the same on your property. I certainly hope so.

I'm sure they do, but they must be really good at avoiding cameras, too, which is HIGHLY possible as everybody uses them too.
 
Tommy...That's the challenge we face hunting a state with a 3 month long firearms season. Just about every 2.5 yr old that comes in the cross hairs of a hunter gets shot. As you know...that's the way it's been for a very, very long time. Problem with the 2.5 yr olds is they make some nice looking 4 x 4's from the stand. If APRs are 4 on one side then lots of 2.5 yr olds have them. We had one of our shooter bucks taken by a neighbor last weekend. 135ish 4x4 and at least 3.5. Had him on camera a number of times. But, happy for the hunter as that's the age we're trying to reach. Grandson took our 1st buck in 2 seasons yesterday afternoon. Brooks had passed on him twice but me nor grandson was gonna pass if he came by us. I'll post pics on my thread soon.

As to your question about root stock - Not a single one survived and not sure why. Plenty of rain and they looked healthy when we planted.
 
Weird on the rootstock though a few years ago I had 6 of my 10 grafts fail due to the rootstock dying. I attributed it to being yankee rootstocks. LOL
 
Put this Banks Feeder up right after Christmas and filled it up with 300 lbs of corn to see if my deer would take to it. Three days later there was a double handful of corn left in it. I think the answer is yes.

Banks Feeder 12-30-18.JPG
 
My Plot with Feeder 12-31-18.JPG Here's a picture I made yesterday of my plot (with the Banks Feeder over to the left). I've been working here to clear the underbrush and leave a few pines and my sawtooths in the foreground to get me a kind of "park" feel. I'm big on aesthetics when it comes to my spots. When I ain't seeing deer I like to look at pretty woods. Seen a ton of deer here last night.
 
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Great looking plot Tommy! Those Banks feeders are one great design. Pretty much critter proof and hogs can't destroy them if you sink 4" wood screws thru the outer edge of the feeder ports into the base. Otherwise, they will loosen the wing bolts that hold the ports in place.
 
I love the Banks feeder, but don’t think it’s indestructible. Squirrels chewed mine so bad that it’s no longer 100% functional.
 
Yeah, the squirrels have already found it---no chewing yet thankfully---but I've got a solution for that problem.
 
I saw 13 deer all at the same time in the plot above last night. Five does, 7 fawns (6 button heads), and a nice 9-pointer. They have my durana grazed to the ground. I don't see how they can even get it in their mouths but they were sure trying hard.
 
I saw 13 deer all at the same time in the plot above last night. Five does, 7 fawns (6 button heads), and a nice 9-pointer. They have my durana grazed to the ground. I don't see how they can even get it in their mouths but they were sure trying hard.

Glad to hear I'm not the only one.
 
Got my homemade hopper feeder to the farm and erected today. A real chore all by myself, but nonetheless it is there! Still need to put some paint on it. I'll give them a week or two to get used to seeing it then fill 'er up. Should hold about 400 pounds of protein feed. The old tower stand in the background has to come down as well. Nothing but a buzzard roost now days.

Hopper Feeder 2-9-19.JPG
 
Wish our Fish & Wildlife Department would allow us to winter feed again. They are too afraid of CWD coming into the state and ended it along with baiting a few years back. The poor deer in my area are up to their bellies or higher in snow and coming onto my lawn to eat the bark off the apple trees. Another 12-14" predicted tomorrow and Wednesday. They say it kills the deer to feed them in the winter. So why not educate and have a permit system for those who are dedicated enough to do it right??
 
Better to let the ass-deep snow kill 'em slow I guess? I think I'd rather die with a full belly.
 
That being said, the jury is still out on feeding/baiting for me. They way I watched deer run to corn piles this season really didn't do much for me. I couldn't bring myself to shoot one over it.
 
That being said, the jury is still out on feeding/baiting for me. They way I watched deer run to corn piles this season really didn't do much for me. I couldn't bring myself to shoot one over it.

I hear you. I will be honest that when it was legal here I used to place apples during bow season so the deer would be at a known distance and positioned for the best shot. But at that time I only bowhunted for the meat as does were legal that season. When they made it illegal that is when I started the food plot/habitat management craze. Problem is, the snow is so deep here that anything planted is inaccessible this time of year. I think good, nutritional feed, maintained throughout the winter until greenup would be beneficial I would think.
 
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Their argument there is that it would unnaturally sustain deer that would normally be killed in winter screwing up the natural balance of things.
 
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