Farmhunter's Deer Management and Property Improvements

[farmhunter]

No luck this weekend - cameras are showing some night rut activity but did not see it myself this weekend. Definitely seeing some range expansion by the local mature bucks. In addition to our resident Buddy8 I've shown before - we have had Sevi a big mature 7 point on camera all last week - and a new big eight point with short G3s but a with a heck of a frame. Got to think he might be a One-timer - but I hope not - I really like the way he looks!

Took Next Monday off - hoping to give it a serious last bow hunt chance - because I feel like I lose control once the guns go off - that will be the following weekend - then its a crap shoot for a couple weeks. Good things can still happen - but anyone can get lucky with a rifle.
.
Sevi - Heavy body 7 point

New big 8

Adding 11/7 picture of Buddy8 -he's around a couple times a week - usually in the middle of the night - glad to see he's still local.

Big frame chasing buck - not sure which one. (date is wrong of course!)

Piebald has been camping out on a couple scrapes - she knows whats up!

I may not get a chance at any of these top end bucks - and I'll be thrilled with any 2.5 year old 8 point - but having them call my place home - even for a little bit- lets me know our program is working!

 

[Chainsaw]

Great looking bunch of deer Farmhunter. You've got an exciting season coming I think. And your program is definitely working. There may be some like minded landowners here and there in your area helping the cause as well. New York is getting better and better all the time. We are no Oklahoma or Kentucky yet but we are gaining as evidenced by the results of the many NY property tours.

 

[George]

Great looking bunch of deer Farmhunter. You've got an exciting season coming I think. And your program is definitely working. There may be some like minded landowners here and there in your area helping the cause as well. New York is getting better and better all the time. We are no Oklahoma or Kentucky yet but we are gaining as evidenced by the results of the many NY property tours.

You NY guys are representing well.

G

 

[rusty1034]

You NY guys are representing well.

G

Except in the World Series


Rusty

 

[George]

Except in the World Series


Rusty

My short term memory fails me all that comes to mind is Jackson and Jeter.

G

 

[farmhunter]

Opening Weekend NY Rifle (southern tier) has come and gone. For us it was successful. Our bow season is mostly 3 people Me, my dad, and my buddy John) and occasional guests - but when rifle comes, some of the extended family comes too. This year we ended up with 10 people on opening day - and that is a lot for 180 acres. Hunting with family is very important to my cousin and I (we each have 90 acres from the original farm our dads grew up on as kids). So when gun season comes, the 1st weekend is hard for us that are management minded. Some years some young bucks fall to very happy hunters, kids, older family - wives, etc. Its hard to handle at times - but a funny thing has happened - and I truly believe its because my Hunting partner John and I have lead by example for 10 years now..... people are taking does and passing young bucks! A little more each year.

We took 6 deer this weekend. I took a 6x3 buck we called the Cherry Buck (probably 2.5 years) and My uncle's Grandson Josh took the buck we called Sevi - a real nice 3.5 year old 7 point. John and I took up the track this morning on the 7 point, as we thought it best to leave it overnight and we found it after he did some tricky back trailing. Josh couldn't be there this morning and we were happy to fill him in before lunch time with the picture below. Also we took 4 mature does. Our management strategy has been to get as many bucks to the next year class as possible - none of us are trophy hunters - but I have to tell you that for me - its great to see some young ones being passed - and with some like-minded neighbors - more are getting into their 4th year even.

 

[farmhunter]

That big 8 point with the shorter G3s we called the Stranger Buck was taken on the adjoining property - (sorry no pic).
I'll post one here if I get one.

 

[Chainsaw]

Nice bucks farmhunter. Must have been a really fun weekend getting everyone together and especially seeing does taken while letting yearling bucks walk. 2 1/2 is a nice middle ground for providing hunting for everyone and some excitement for the more serious serious hunters. One can usually count on one 2 1/2 usually making it into the next year somehow. Ten hunters on just under two hundred acres sure takes a bit of planning. My hat is off to you on that.
Did you get a group picture with the game pole filled?

 

[farmhunter]

No group picture - we used to do them but it gets hard to get everyone with two camps and with people coming and going.
of the 10 hunters - some only hunt a couple days - even a couple hours - we decide on who sits where - its a process usually people have a good experience -most years everyone gets something by the end. It can be frustrating but its family and friends. Bow season is when we should really take it serious - we try.

 

[farmhunter]

After opening day - its pretty manageable - the last two weeks of season - I don't think we'll have a soul hunting. I may go up for a day of black powder - but I've enough deer meat and have had a very satisfying season overall.

Last weekend I hunted not too seriously - I enjoyed the views and helped one of our hunters get his doe out. Most of my family has left for the year and we winterized the camps.

a few pictures from the weekend - the soybeans look enticing - but as a couple of the pictures show - they are all but gone. We didn't plant enough, not sure 2x would have been enough this year - was a lot of deer using out plots - the farm next door was disked up and left for the winter - about 40 acres! Yikes - they ran though our 6 acre beans like they were a snack!! still have the last of the corn and some turnips. ( and clover and rye but I don't count that for winter). sorry no buck pictures - it was a beautiful night to hunt but only does and fawns showed.

 

[FL Plotter]

Pretty, but looks so damn COLD!!! Yes, I'm from Florida.

 

[farmhunter]

It is cold - and snowy! Winter has settled in pretty normal for Mid December. Not exactly nice weather. Elevation is king this time of year - over 1500 ft - its nasty - below 1000 ft - you might only have a little snow. shouldn't matter soon - we'll all get the snow and be socked in for the next 12 weeks.

I didn't hunt the last two weeks of the season. Went up and pulled three camera cards. 2 other cameras are in bedding areas - and as long as hunting season is open - I don't want to go in there yet. Cannot say for sure - but looks like at least 2 bucks 2.5 have made it so far. I'm hopeful that number will double. Lots of 1.5 year olds still around. Looks too like Patches our Piebald doe has thus far made it through her 12th hunting season.

this buck is a butterball!

this buck was on camera every night here for two weeks until 12/10 - seems the corn ran out around then -
Hopefully he made it the next few days -

its going to be tough to get pictures this winter with very limited plots left yielding! I'm hopeful the two woods cameras will be productive. One is in a cut over the other on the edge of the neighbor's corn that was cut around 12/4.

 

[farmhunter]

I've been up to the farm 2x since hunting season ended. We had normal snowfall and temperatures up until 1/8 then like most other places we had a heck of a warm up and lost all our snow. That does not happen here, only very rarely in mid January - even the lakes might thaw. So I'm not complaining. Hiking around I found one dead fawn - Looked like a coyote kill - was a very very small fawn - really not much left but a backbone and some hooves.

I marked some dead cherry trees standing that I will cut in the summer for firewood. Wish I had a little more time to look around today - but was glad to get out some. I did re-position a couple cameras and pulled the camera cards.

So far we know that our #1 goal buck (Buddy8) for 2019 made it through, there was only pictures for a few nights in the turnips - looks like he lost a brow tine - but looks healthy. Hoping we really get to see what a buck does on our farm from 3.5 to 4.5.

Several other 2.5 year old bucks made it to - including Big 6, Tommy10, and Skinny. We had a lot of pictures of all three all summer and fall. Hoping they stick around.

Pretty excited to see what shows up June/July.

Last Spring we had out first Bear on camera - this winter we got our first bobcat on camera. We've hear of others seeing them or getting pictures - but in all these years we've never had a confirmed picture. This isn't a great picture - but its definitive and that makes me happy!

Lastly - Patches our piebald has survived her 12th hunting season. She will be twelve year old this May/June. She was extra visible this year - I saw her more than ever - she did not raise a fawn this summer, most years she's only ever had one fawn. Not sure if she lost hers this summer- or if she didn't have one. She was getting chased around pretty good this fall - and she seemed very receptive around the main scrape I keep track of.

 

[farmhunter]

We had a pretty good thaw in January - which was good, and helpful - because February was very Wintry at the Farm.

The recent thaw let me get into the cabin for the 1st time since January. I was very lucky to find Buddy8's right side on the pipeline - right out in the open (which never happens) near where I last had pictures of him at the ends of December. I wasn't very hopeful he'd shed on our property - because our beans and corn were already gone - the turnips lasted into January - must have been enough to keep him close! I'm looking forward to spending some time at the farm on the weekend - will try to match him up.

On the upcoming weekend - I hope to spend a little time working at the farm - I need to frost seed in some red clover - and cut some fallen trees. Really looking forward to it - hope to have some pictures to share

 

[weekender21]

Wow, that looks COLD!

 

[Triple C]

Great update farmhunter! Congrats on getting the big boy thru another year. My hat's off to you guys in upstate NY for the winter's you have to endure. I always enjoy following the NY threads. Prolly cause I've never visited anywhere up there outside of Manhattan. Our fields are 8" high or higher right now with green up growth which makes finding sheds the more difficult. I watched a really nice buck still holding his antlers come in to the cabin field just about dark last weekend. Would love to find his sheds but dang they're hard to find down here.

 

[farmhunter]

Thanks for the comments and looks. I wanted to share my weekend results. I went up with the plan to search for Buddy8's left side. I've shed hunted for many years - and like a lot of others I have a plan when I try to match up a previous find. Myself - I get pumped trying to match up - so what I've learned to do is to start off following obvious deer runs nearby the shed I found 1st. I'll follow them out a couple hundred yards generally or until I reach a barrier that I can later come back to. If this doesn't work out - I grid. I'm not a fan of gridding - but its helped me in the past so its always my fall back option.

In the case of Buddy8 - I was more confident than usual because I found his right side almost in the Middle of the property and I knew I'd have time, and no competition to find the left side. the first three trails were a bust - the snow was 90% gone - so I was feeling pretty good covering ground. About 1 hour in, on trail number four and the first heading north - there was a section of Aspen, scrub brush and wild apple trees between the pipeline and a 5 acre field. I knew I had to look through this 2 acre patch pretty good. I'd been back and forth on every deer trail. I crossed a heavy trail and turned south to find it can out right where I found the 1st shed. So - I backtracked and followed it north toward the 5 acre field. The trail comes into the field in the SW corner. This corner always has standing water in the spring. When I got to the field - I wasn't sure if I should search it, or come back. The water in the corner was pretty deep - so i was contemplating my next move. As I looked across, I thought I could see something... I couple more steps and I KNEW what I was looking at out in the field - I was psyched!!!!!

I sloshed across and took some pictures as I went.

I was so excited. I didn't pick it up - I hiked back to the cabin to get the other side for a celebratory picture!!

I had him matched up in about an hour.

The next day -I did a bunch if camp work and I frost seeded some red clover into a 3/4 acre rye plot.

 

[Mennoniteman]

Thanks for the comments and looks. I wanted to share my weekend results. I went up with the plan to search for Buddy8's left side. I've shed hunted for many years - and like a lot of others I have a plan when I try to match up a previous find. Myself - I get pumped trying to match up - so what I've learned to do is to start off following obvious deer runs nearby the shed I found 1st. I'll follow them out a couple hundred yards generally or until I reach a barrier that I can later come back to. If this doesn't work out - I grid. I'm not a fan of gridding - but its helped me in the past so its always my fall back option.

In the case of Buddy8 - I was more confident than usual because I found his right side almost in the Middle of the property and I knew I'd have time, and no competition to find the left side. the first three trails were a bust - the snow was 90% gone - so I was feeling pretty good covering ground. About 1 hour in, on trail number four and the first heading north - there was a section of Aspen, scrub brush and wild apple trees between the pipeline and a 5 acre field. I knew I had to look through this 2 acre patch pretty good. I'd been back and forth on every deer trail. I crossed a heavy trail and turned south to find it can out right where I found the 1st shed. So - I backtracked and followed it north toward the 5 acre field. The trail comes into the field in the SW corner. This corner always has standing water in the spring. When I got to the field - I wasn't sure if I should search it, or come back. The water in the corner was pretty deep - so i was contemplating my next move. As I looked across, I thought I could see something... I couple more steps and I KNEW what I was looking at out in the field - I was psyched!!!!!

I sloshed across and took some pictures as I went.

I was so excited. I didn't pick it up - I hiked back to the cabin to get the other side for a celebratory picture!!

I had him matched up in about an hour.

The next day -I did a bunch if camp work and I frost seeded some red clover into a 3/4 acre rye plot.

Enjoyed the story.

 

[farmhunter]

Spring is starting at the farm - I’ve been working out of my cabin for the first time as a result of Covid-19 and how my family has decided to handle it. So I’ve had a little more time to walk and see before the planting work begins.
The beavers like to flood our headwaters swamp on the hill. I always like it when they flood the basin Unfortunately they tend to stray and flood the neighbors hardwoods and he puts an end to their destruction.

Enjoying the sights for now - hope to take some waterfowl pictures this weekend- nice to see it with some real water in it - its been a while.

 

[lakngolf]

Seems to have been a wet spring in almost every locale this year. My Bull Pen pond filled for the first time in several years. I had become convinced that it must have a leak in it. Good luck with the waterfowl