It has been a while since I've posted any updates on our place. I got so busy with work, kids football and hunting over the last few months. I was able to get quite a bit done before the start of the season. I got my plots put in around Labor Day that consisted of Oats, WW, cereal rye, turnips and some clover. We had good rains the next day, but not much since. Our 60 day rainfall totals are less than 2". However, they have managed to hang with some spots being better than others. It hasn't stopped the deer from hitting them. I've got one plot that I had to clear some debris and downed trees in the corner. I disturbed the soil quite a bit there and the radishes are thriving in the corner of the plot. I've been surprised at how quickly the deer started hammering those.
I did lose a blind to some straight line winds of 80mph+ before the season started. The previous owner had some nice blinds and that was the one that I wasn't crazy about the location. I was able to move another overlooking the plot it was on.
We were able to finish up our cabin deck as well. I still have work to do on the inside, but at least we can enjoy the nice weather outside. There is mostly painting and trim work that needs to be wrapped up as well as hanging a few barns doors in the bathroom. Its been comfortable, but it is a project I'd sure like to finish. Sitting on the patio after a hunt has been hard to beat.
As for the hunting, its been a good first season so far. The weekends have been quick due to football games not finishing up around 2:00. That is one reason we decided to buy where we did. It gives us the chance to head out afterwards and still get some quality time in at the farm. The family is looking forward to getting some full weekends in and not feeling too rushed. I've been pleased with quality and quantity of deer we've seen. I have seen some nice quality bucks and passed on a few nice ones. The deer management association my farm is enrolled in has set a quota of 88 doe to harvest this year. I'm going to see what I can do over Thanksgiving to help out there.
Here a few pics of some deer we've seen. This spot is probably my favorite spot on the farm. It sits in a bottom area with some great oak trees. We cleared quite a few cedars around these oak bottoms in the spring and summer. There are tons that still need to be removed, but it will leave many with about 80-100 acres of hardwood bottoms similar to this when I get the cedar out of there.
This buck is probably one of my favorites. I've seen him the last few hunts at this stand. I'd love to see him make another year or so. He is going to be a special deer.
This next buck is just a big bodied clean 8. I had some cool encounters with him around Halloween. He is built like a linebacker and has a similar attitude.
Cool looking up and comer with great character
This is the buck I'd like a shot at. He keeps alluding me in person. He is really good a showing up wherever I am not sitting that day! Sorry for the quality, the first 2 pics are screenshots of videos near a scrape.
I'll end on something that I'm sure all of you have gone through as well.
During the offseason, all I could think about was hunting. Now that it is hunting season, I sit in the stand looking around at ll the habitat improvements I can get started on once the season is over!