A few from the farm this yr
- Thread starter Baker
- Start date
wbpdeer
Well-Known Member
Baker,
I live in Tennessee and appreciate you sharing these photos? Can you tell me the advantages you have in place to grow such top end bucks in large quantities? I am interested in plots, supplemental feeding, sanctuaries, etc. Amount of ground too. Let avoid the word fence.
How many trophies die of old age because they just can't be harvested?
I am amazed at the size of the deer and their massive antlers.
Thanks again.
I live in Tennessee and appreciate you sharing these photos? Can you tell me the advantages you have in place to grow such top end bucks in large quantities? I am interested in plots, supplemental feeding, sanctuaries, etc. Amount of ground too. Let avoid the word fence.
How many trophies die of old age because they just can't be harvested?
I am amazed at the size of the deer and their massive antlers.
Thanks again.
Stickbow Felty
Member
Some of you are lucky to have such nice deer on your farms. I have only seen about a dozen deer over 120 inches in my lifetime.
Merle Hawggard
Well-Known Member
Just when I think I can't be amazed by another deer pic I am! Awesome bucks, thanks for sharing.
My neighbor and I have a 'cooperative' of about 2500 acres in central La. Our management approach is a lot like Vince Lambardi and his Green bay Packers...intense focus on the basics....nutrition and age. Between us we have over 250 acres of ag with something growing all year round. The ag is scattered all over the farm with both small plots, large plots, clover, annuals, and anything growing we think can help the deer. One key is to have crops growing at all times of the year. For ex. right now the clover is gone, beans and peas will soon be converted to fall fields, but we have joint vetch and alyce clover doing great all around with the deer all over it. That along with chicory will be the bridge to fall crops.
Also please appreciate we have been doing this a long time.Because of the high nutritional plane we have markedly improved the genetics on our farm. Epigenetic markers respond to the environment ,positive or negative, and shifts happen. I believe we are realizing the benefits of decades of enhanced nutrition.
We also supplementally feed 20% protein pellets from Feb-August. This gets us thru pregnancy, lactation , antler growth , and rut recovery..the primary stressors down here. Even though we have ample forage the deer readily consume the pellets and they make a difference in all health markers. On my farm alone I have a feeder per 60 acres assuring that every deer has the opportunity every day.
Native forests in the deep south don't need bedding areas, sanctuaries etc. Here it is a semi tropical jungle, very thick with escape cover a few steps away. Pine plantations are a different story but I only have a couple hundred acres of that. We also do regular TSI with approximately 120 acres thinned this year. This takes place every year or two.
Deer die from lots of causes. Mostly we find dead deer form fighting. I suppose some die of old age and suspect we will see more of that as more bucks get to the advanced ages. I find deer live a long time given the chance and odds are we intervene before coyotes in most circumstances. Which brings up predator control. We do none. I like a balanced ecosystem and we use habitat management to ensure success.
Perhaps the biggest secret though is that my neighbor and lifelong friend absolutely love this stuff and are passionately committed to growing the healthiest deer herd possible. It is a joy, a lifestyle ,and a blessing. Hope this helps.
wbpdeer
Well-Known Member
Baker,
That is the type of feedback I was hoping for. Protein Feb to Aug makes sense. What would be the norm for how many bucks you & neighbor will harvest a year on the 2,500 in the cooperative.
Your bucks are amazing to me. They illustrate what perfect food and age structure are capable of. In TN our buck's get wacked at an early age.
Thanks for sharing. I appreciate your knowledge, experience and success.
That is the type of feedback I was hoping for. Protein Feb to Aug makes sense. What would be the norm for how many bucks you & neighbor will harvest a year on the 2,500 in the cooperative.
Your bucks are amazing to me. They illustrate what perfect food and age structure are capable of. In TN our buck's get wacked at an early age.
Thanks for sharing. I appreciate your knowledge, experience and success.
Turkey Creek
Well-Known Member
I dont know about that I have seen it repeated in some bucks. I swear the one year I think I got in 3 double beam bucks into to do the taxidermy, and now havent had one in the shop in a couple of seasons.
CentralKyHunter
Active Member
Pretty amazing Baker!! Def a dream for most of us.
What situations make it worth upping the anny and feeding high protein deer feed?
Acreage, region, competing food sources etc?
What situations make it worth upping the anny and feeding high protein deer feed?
Acreage, region, competing food sources etc?
Steve Bartylla
Member
Do you do anything specifically to try to minimize that? Offering multiple areas with everything bucks could want helps, but is there anything else you've found that you believe helps keep buck levels high, while minimizing social stress and fighting? For what it's worth, I believe far more bucks die from fights in areas with good mature buck numbers than most hunters realize, both near immediate deaths and a bunch more deaths that occur months later from complications caused by fights.
I'll start with 'I don't know'.
I don't think habitat mgt. is an element at least in my situation. About every square foot of our entire farm is intensively micro managed.
Deer will always fight and a few will kill themselves either by locking up or goring. Pretty common to see the victor poke the loser in the butt as he's running off. Also common to see another buck, frequently younger, run up and poke fighting bucks or distracted bucks in the side. I lost a 170" 5 yr old to that just last yr.
I think the management key to minimizing fighting to the degree you can lies in the buck/doe ratio and the age structure. I like 1/1 b/d ratio. I saw your post elsewhere preferring slightly more does. I think the reason we may differ there lies with age structure. I believe if you get enough bucks in the older age classes ...5+ with ample bucks 6+. they exert significant control over the breeding cycle. I also find the older bucks are far less prone to fight. They intimidate younger bucks thru body language and have known their cohorts long enough that most dominance issues are settled. It's the 3 and 4 yr olds that do most of the fighting...and killing each other. But having older age classes I think even moderates the younger ones from fighting, again thru intimidation.
I like 1/1 b/d for several reasons. A tight ratio tightens the rut , effectively shortening it which also limits the time bucks are apt to fight. Also a tighter rut reduces stress on the bucks leading to quicker recovery and a healthier start to the new year. In my case I only want the does necessary to ensure my recruitment goals. Any more are superfluous and limit nutrition.
I have seen properties that had 3-4B/1D. Interestingly fighting increased in that situation. Even the older bucks were killing each other. I theorize it was because there were several mature bucks for every doe coming in estrus. Lots of super stars were found dead.
Be curious if any of the pundits you know have opinions.
