End of season survey

[cutman]

Some decent bucks survived the 2017 season. This forked buck has been around for at least 3 years with his distinctive rack.

This guy showed up at the very end of the season. I don’t think I’d ever seen him before.

Lots of happy, fat does.

This young 8 pointer is typical of the younger generation.

Finally, this buck disappeared for months after hanging around all summer. No telling where he went.

The biggest takeaway from this season was a very pronounced rut. I have never seen so many busted up racks, scrapes, and rubs.


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[willy]

Boy that deer with its rear facing us in the second pic looks a bit malnourished. I wonder if is has some issue. The others all look good. You have some good ones that made it.

 

[j-bird]

Looks like you got some good prospects for next season as well. Also healthy does mean lots of fawns come spring and hopefully a good stable population for you overall.

Do you feed year round or just in the winter?

 

[lakngolf]

I have a deer that looks like a crab claw also.

 

[cutman]

Looks like you got some good prospects for next season as well. Also healthy does mean lots of fawns come spring and hopefully a good stable population for you overall.

Do you feed year round or just in the winter?

I’ve got year round food plots (20 acres), so generally only feed when I’m doing camera surveys.

 

[j-bird]

I’ve got year round food plots (20 acres), so generally only feed when I’m doing camera surveys.

I knew you did plots and that was sort of why I asked. Cam survey makes sense now. I was sort of wondering why you plotted and supplemented at the same time as that seemed odd.....but one never knows.

 

[Otghuntingclub]

Good group of pics!

I like surveys. Here in Michigan, I try to do them the last two weeks in December. Baiting is banned here after December 31, so we like to get it done before then for best pics. Two years ago we got a good cross-section of results that provided some good data. Last year, we had most of the bucks shedding antlers before the completion of the survey (very unusual that early), so it was hard to get a good buck/doe ratio. This year we were hit with a brutal sub zero cold spell that played havoc with some of the cameras and feeders. One of our members is going through pics now to see if we can salvage some decent results.

I’d be interested in population density and buck/doe ratio of those doing surveys for reference. Two years ago, our density was much higher that I think is optimal. Deer numbers are not the problem in our area. Virtually all surrounding neighbors just won’t harvest does, but have no problem shooting young bucks.

 

[Mennoniteman]

Love the pics. Looking at survey pics after the last day of the season is like presents under the Christmas tree, wondering who made it through the season, watching these bucks grow new antlers in this coming summer and wondering what they will add to last year is coming right up. Here's a few of ours.

 

[cutman]

Forgot to add how I put the corn out. Much easier than putting it in bags. Ha.

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[Otghuntingclub]

Forgot to add how I put the corn out. Much easier than putting it in bags. Ha.

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I take it there is no limit on baiting in SC? We would be locked up in Michigan for that. Sept 15-Dec 31 only. No more than two gallons spread over a 10ft x 10ft area at any given time. That’s why we have to survey during the last two weeks of legal hunting.

 

[cutman]

SC is the most redneck state in the US. We have very few regulations.

To be honest, this corn is serving a second purpose. I’m going to start coon trapping in about 10 days and this corn will get them all in one spot.

 

[Otghuntingclub]

SC is the most redneck state in the US. We have very few regulations.

To be honest, this corn is serving a second purpose. I’m going to start coon trapping in about 10 days and this corn will get them all in one spot.

Nice. I was going to say if I did that on my property it would make for a great coon survey.

 

[Drycreek]

I'm

Nice. I was going to say if I did that on my property it would make for a great coon survey.

If that was on my places, either of them, you could not count the hogs ! Hell, they would eat the cobs !