2021 North Central Wisconsin “Lake Farm” - 35 acres on two lakes and surrounded by National Forest

[Travis Aasen]

Views from various stands including a small snow storm we had Monday.

Another good plot all cleaned up

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[Travis Aasen]

End of 2021 “Rutcation”… great view even if I don’t have any shooter bucks this year! …. Post again in 2 weeks..see how gun season plays out

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[Travis Aasen]

Hunting Season 2021 came to a close for me. harvested a doe for meat, but maybe should've just let the heard grow. Too cold and Too much snow to proceed with hunting when absolutely no shooter bucks have showed up on camera all season. Not a single buck over 2.5 years old visited my undisturbed property.

2022 will bring more habitat work including a far better trail/bedding system through my UNUSED Tamarack swamp - This absolutely baffles me why the deer do not use it at all?!?! 2022 will bring Larger food plots, 19 Crab Apples on order(3 different recommended venders), 100 Norway Spruce(MDC), + misc trees & shrubs. oh yea, hopefully the budget will allow at least 1 nice elevated blind to get out of the elements during late season. I did buy myself a "black Friday gadget" an additional cell CAM & solar panel from Exodus. 25% off was enough to get me to buy another. Note: W/ Solar panel & Lithium Ion batteries - no need to change batteries since August - still 100%! The Exodus Cell cam w/o a solar panel needs new batteries every 45 days. Amazing how those little panels keep these cell cams going!!

Last picture of the year and quick video of a couple deer trotting through the snow

 

[Mennoniteman]

Hunting Season 2021 came to a close for me. harvested a doe for meat, but maybe should've just let the heard grow. Too cold and Too much snow to proceed with hunting when absolutely no shooter bucks have showed up on camera all season. Not a single buck over 2.5 years old visited my undisturbed property.

2022 will bring more habitat work including a far better trail/bedding system through my UNUSED Tamarack swamp - This absolutely baffles me why the deer do not use it at all?!?! 2022 will bring Larger food plots, 19 Crab Apples on order(3 different recommended venders), 100 Norway Spruce(MDC), + misc trees & shrubs. oh yea, hopefully the budget will allow at least 1 nice elevated blind to get out of the elements during late season. I did buy myself a "black Friday gadget" an additional cell CAM & solar panel from Exodus. 25% off was enough to get me to buy another. Note: W/ Solar panel & Lithium Ion batteries - no need to change batteries since August - still 100%! The Exodus Cell cam w/o a solar panel needs new batteries every 45 days. Amazing how those little panels keep these cell cams going!!

Last picture of the year and quick video of a couple deer trotting through the snow

That's kind of baffling as to why you are not seeing bigger horns... There's many possibilities for your lack of shooters, but if you continue to do everything right it will pay off.
I would encourage you to keep on doing the habitat work, and I still am convinced that it will eventually lead to a homegrown 4 year old.
Food and cover, high stem counts, females around, what more could a buck want. But we sometimes have "off" years where there's a lack of big deer when we think there should be some.
If I'm a property owner doing habitat work I'm also going to have some venison in my freezer, I doubt that you harmed the health of your herd by taking on doe. I enjoy following along with your improvements. Allen

 

[BoneCrusher20]

Hunting Season 2021 came to a close for me. harvested a doe for meat, but maybe should've just let the heard grow. Too cold and Too much snow to proceed with hunting when absolutely no shooter bucks have showed up on camera all season. Not a single buck over 2.5 years old visited my undisturbed property.

2022 will bring more habitat work including a far better trail/bedding system through my UNUSED Tamarack swamp - This absolutely baffles me why the deer do not use it at all?!?! 2022 will bring Larger food plots, 19 Crab Apples on order(3 different recommended venders), 100 Norway Spruce(MDC), + misc trees & shrubs. oh yea, hopefully the budget will allow at least 1 nice elevated blind to get out of the elements during late season. I did buy myself a "black Friday gadget" an additional cell CAM & solar panel from Exodus. 25% off was enough to get me to buy another. Note: W/ Solar panel & Lithium Ion batteries - no need to change batteries since August - still 100%! The Exodus Cell cam w/o a solar panel needs new batteries every 45 days. Amazing how those little panels keep these cell cams going!!

Last picture of the year and quick video of a couple deer trotting through the snow

Joys of hunting Northern WI........are some good bucks, but between Wolves, Bears, Coyotes, Bobcats, Cold Winters/Less Ag, High hunter density sure makes it tough in your neck of woods to get a 3.5+ buck

 

[Travis Aasen]

Joys of hunting Northern WI........are some good bucks, but between Wolves, Bears, Coyotes, Bobcats, Cold Winters/Less Ag, High hunter density sure makes it tough in your neck of woods to get a 3.5+ buck

Very true. I enjoy the work in the woods as much hunting these days. Yes, the bobcats seem to have some high numbers and I capture them on cameras quite often. The Coyotes, Bears and Wolves - Haven't seen any to be honest on any cell camera. I do have a fox family, too! I've "heard" my neighbors and the hunters on national land pretty much eliminate all predators they see in the woods? Can't say I have any interest in shooting a bear or wolve. Maybe a Coyote if given the opportunity? My first year on the property and I'm still not sure on what to believe. I saw a ton of deer - just no shooter bucks.

I'm watched some interesting videos from a habitat manager in Minnesota that has spent quite a bit of time on making swamp beds for deer using mulch and really any type of cover. I may try to create a few areas and hang some cameras to see if it works in my tamarack swamp to suck deer from the neighbors. They were already complaining the sightings were down for does... I know where they were -

 

[James P. Bipps]

Very true. I enjoy the work in the woods as much hunting these days. Yes, the bobcats seem to have some high numbers and I capture them on cameras quite often. The Coyotes, Bears and Wolves - Haven't seen any to be honest on any cell camera. I do have a fox family, too! I've "heard" my neighbors and the hunters on national land pretty much eliminate all predators they see in the woods? Can't say I have any interest in shooting a bear or wolve. Maybe a Coyote if given the opportunity? My first year on the property and I'm still not sure on what to believe. I saw a ton of deer - just no shooter bucks.

I'm watched some interesting videos from a habitat manager in Minnesota that has spent quite a bit of time on making swamp beds for deer using mulch and really any type of cover. I may try to create a few areas and hang some cameras to see if it works in my tamarack swamp to suck deer from the neighbors. They were already complaining the sightings were down for does... I know where they were -

What is the name of the manager or where did you find the videos?

 

[Travis Aasen]

What is the name of the manager or where did you find the videos?

James,
Habitat Pro LLC is on utube. His stuff is short and to the point. Good concepts. Here is his video https://www.youtube.com/watchv=IqUJytXNeno

What kind of land do you have?

 

[James P. Bipps]

James,
Habitat Pro LLC is on utube. His stuff is short and to the point. Good concepts. Here is his video https://www.youtube.com/watchv=IqUJytXNeno

What kind of land do you have?

Mixed hardwoods that transitions to cedar swamp which transitions to more cedar swamp on the surrounding neighbors.

 

[Travis Aasen]

Mixed hardwoods that transitions to cedar swamp which transitions to more cedar swamp on the surrounding neighbors.

James, Here is another video by the same author. Straight to the point...

 

[Travis Aasen]

James., here is a quick video of my Swamp that I'm going to cut a 6 foot trail through as well as small connecting trails for deer and bedding on the high ground. Can't hurt to see what I can hold in that thick tangle of a mess! Where I mention in the video that the trail is going you can see about a 1.5 acre island of redpine in the middle of the swamp. That little island is about 100 yards from my north eastern food plot.

 

[Mennoniteman]

Mixed hardwoods that transitions to cedar swamp which transitions to more cedar swamp on the surrounding neighbors.

I've always been intrigued by the strong deer hunting culture that you yoopers have. Can that culture attributed to higher deer numbers because of lots of food and habitat?

 

[Native Hunter]

Travis, congratulations on the doe. Mature buck can be hard to come by at times. In my area the main problem is neighbors harvesting bucks before they reach maturity. Just keep up the habitat work, and I think that in time it will pay off for you. Good luck for the future and best wishes!

 

[Travis Aasen]

Finally! My week in the northwoods started Thursday, April 21. We still have some snow, but 98% is gone!! The lakes are frozen and my swamp is still a little crusty. But…..time to open canopy, plant trees, kickoff year 2 on my Lake-Farm.

Lots o trees to plant, cage weed barriers, etc. some quick photos

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[KSQ2]

Finally! My week in the northwoods started Thursday, April 21. We still have some snow, but 98% is gone!! The lakes are frozen and my swamp is still a little crusty. But…..time to open canopy, plant trees, kickoff year 2 on my Lake-Farm.

Lots o trees to plant, cage weed barriers, etc. some quick photos

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I’ve been EXTREMELY happy with our NorthernWhitetail crabapples! Tough trees for sure.

 

[BoneCrusher20]

What a strange spring we're having....was 1/2 tempted to bring snowmobile back out and head just north of us where still trails are still ridable up toward UP just to say i was riding on May 1st.

 

[Mennoniteman]

What a strange spring we're having....was 1/2 tempted to bring snowmobile back out and head just north of us where still trails are still ridable up toward UP just to say i was riding on May 1st.

Yes, we are having a very cool spring in PA as well.

 

[Travis Aasen]

100 Norway spruce in - FANTASTIC health and size from MDC. Would love to get 10-20% survival. 9 Northwoods Whitetail crabs - 30-.06, Crossbow, & Droptine (3 of each).

The heard was down by the lake… quick drink and scrounge acorns

Keeping a close eye on me. Probably the old boys last spring. 12 and tumors start growing all over them- inside and out.

 

[badgerfowl]

My NWC crabs have done well. Third year I’ve planted some. Can’t wait to get some fruit off them!

 

[Travis Aasen]

Lots of planting over the last several weekends plus removing canopy. We pulled down 3 Oaks that were probably 75+ years old, Plus 25-50 medium sized canopy from all over the woods.

I learned some very hard lessons this year. Stop over buying trees!! You just can't get them all planted while living 3.5 hours away and your wife having other expectations of your time spent on the property. ie. put the pier in. fill in this low spot. Planting and caging 21 Crab apples was a pretty good chore. Plus an extra HEWES crab apple I wasn't expecting, 85 more norway spruce, 50 Hybrid willows, 50-100 ROD. However, 25 eastern red cedars, 15 norway spruce, 100 Miscanthus rhizomes all went to waste because I just didn't have enough planting time.

Crab Apples - These are all 100% sun facing South/west/east. North is to the rear.

Health of the 3 orders. The Crab Apples all look good with the exception of maybe one of them.

Whitetail crabs all looked fantastic. Bluehill and Turkey Creek were fine, but the order from Whitetail Crabs was exceptional.

Compiling the final list of installed crabs for 2022

Whitetail Crabs List
(3) 30-06 Crabapple $71.85
(3) Droptine Crabapple $71.85
(3) Crossbow Crabapple $71.85

Blue Hill Wildlife Nursery List
(1) Buckman,
(1) Big dog,
(1) Sweet Dog,
(1) Kerr,
(1) Chestnut Crab
(1) Dolgo

Turkey Creek
(2) Big Dog, apple B118 #1 2 $23 $46
(1) Chestnut, crabapple B118 #1 1 $23 $23
(1) Dolgo, crabapple B118 #1 1 $23 $23
(1) Kerr, crabapple B118 #1 1 $23 $23
(1) Yellow Dog, crabapple B118 #1 1 $23 $23

Wifes tasks for me.(Really a tale of two sides of this property). This was another couple days worth of work - Pier in. Stepping stones added, filled in some old ruts and re-seeded.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk