That sounds like a good program, but it might have too many variables and demands for some people, such as a spare concealed food plot out by the road with the prevailing wind direction good, and the shooting ability to drop deer on the spot, and the time to make it all happen. And is assuming that everyone's male and female deer cooperate as well as yours. A lot of my timing to harvest antlerless deer hinges on when it suits me to butcher them. At that time I'll usually go shoot them wherever they are.Bullwinkle, your fence pictures are excellent and are very revealing as to what the deer do to the landscape. We had a one acre exclusion fence here and the results over the years of growth within the fenced area compared to growth outside the fenced area were amazing both in the amount of growth and in the many types of plants growing inside versus outside the fenced area.
I get a lot of your thinking and agree with a good portion of it. I look forward to someday discussing all of this with you in person as much of what I agree with would take pages to go over and the few things we might disagree on, well that could take even more pages. So for now though I'd like to share with you our system for cropping does that has worked excellent for us over the years and the resultant pressure has helped keep our deer on our property rather than drive them off and even trains them to stay away from the road during daytimes. We built a couple of population control food plots of less than 1/2 acre each very, very close to the road yet screened from the road so neither the plots nor the deer are visible from the road. Bucks quickly learn not to venture near that road where the population control food plots are located;does eventually catch on but the task is usually completed by then. Note; Here there is no 500 feet rule about shooting near a road, one needs only to be standing a step beyond the mowed edge of the roadway.
Each of the plots take only an extremely short walk to directly access from the road. Bucks of all ages generally travel behind the plot as they know that 1/2 acre near the road to be a dangerous place for them. So it is NOT a plot that a mature buck will ever be caught in. The keys to keeping this high pressure 1/2 acre contained is the very short access, wind direction of course, accurate shooting and perfect shot placement which is easily accomplished with standing shots no longer than a half acre. We do not hunt there hoping for a buck and taking a doe once in a while. It is strictly a population control plot period; we go there to shoot does. All does are shot in the point of the shoulder so they instantly drop right where they are standing. Yes the shot placement damages a certain amount of meat but that is the cost in this case of our low impact population control program.
That sounds like a good program, but it might have too many variables and demands for some people, such as a spare concealed food plot out by the road with the prevailing wind direction good, and the shooting ability to drop deer on the spot, and the time to make it all happen. And is assuming that everyone's male and female deer cooperate as well as yours. A lot of my timing to harvest antlerless deer hinges on when it suits me to butcher them. At that time I'll usually go shoot them wherever they are.
That is a really cool idea. New one to me Chainsaw. I completely see how this could work. I need to think about how to use thisBullwinkle, your fence pictures are excellent and are very revealing as to what the deer do to the landscape. We had a one acre exclusion fence here and the results over the years of growth within the fenced area compared to growth outside the fenced area were amazing both in the amount of growth and in the many types of plants growing inside versus outside the fenced area.
I get a lot of your thinking and agree with a good portion of it. I look forward to someday discussing all of this with you in person as much of what I agree with would take pages to go over and the few things we might disagree on, well that could take even more pages. So for now though I'd like to share with you our system for cropping does that has worked excellent for us over the years and the resultant pressure has helped keep our deer on our property rather than drive them off and even trains them to stay away from the road during daytimes. We built a couple of population control food plots of less than 1/2 acre each very, very close to the road yet screened from the road so neither the plots nor the deer are visible from the road. Bucks quickly learn not to venture near that road where the population control food plots are located;does eventually catch on but the task is usually completed by then. Note; Here there is no 500 feet rule about shooting near a road, one needs only to be standing a step beyond the mowed edge of the roadway.
Each of the plots take only an extremely short walk to directly access from the road. Bucks of all ages generally travel behind the plot as they know that 1/2 acre near the road to be a dangerous place for them. So it is NOT a plot that a mature buck will ever be caught in. The keys to keeping this high pressure 1/2 acre contained is the very short access, wind direction of course, accurate shooting and perfect shot placement which is easily accomplished with standing shots no longer than a half acre. We do not hunt there hoping for a buck and taking a doe once in a while. It is strictly a population control plot period; we go there to shoot does. All does are shot in the point of the shoulder so they instantly drop right where they are standing. Yes the shot placement damages a certain amount of meat but that is the cost in this case of our low impact population control program.
I did an 8 acre shelterwood cut unfenced. Got world class blackberryies. Had to plant norways because nothing can grow. Turned out as awesome diversity but not in oak and hard mapleBull...The contrast between the growth inside the fence as compared to outside the fence is amazing. Can't imagine that kind of browse. We have so much browse after thinning that I don't think 70 to 80 dsm density would be more than a little noticeable. I can't imagine a landscape like that where every leaf on the stems outside the fence is gone. Ever think about clearcutting sections just to promote early successional habitat?
It's interesting everyone's perspective. I had a buddy up hunting with me a couple of weeks ago. He told me in one weekend he saw as many bucks as he sees in about 3 seasons. His land is in CWD control where they shot every deer that moved. He told me to becareful and not fall into the shoot every deer that moves because I'll regret it. We had average sightings and he was giggling like a new hunter just seeing deer.
I'd be giggling too if I were in the same situation.It's interesting everyone's perspective. I had a buddy up hunting with me a couple of weeks ago. He told me in one weekend he saw as many bucks as he sees in about 3 seasons. His land is in CWD control where they shot every deer that moved. He told me to becareful and not fall into the shoot every deer that moves because I'll regret it. We had average sightings and he was giggling like a new hunter just seeing deer.
Thanks Bull. It is not something we really thought of but rather just something that sort of naturally evolved over the years as we have sought to grow older bucks. Those plots are also used to break in new hunters because of the easy shooting and expected action. The new hunters do very well there. They are not tied in to shooting behind the shoulder so they learn the shot very quickly.That is a really cool idea. New one to me Chainsaw. I completely see how this could work. I need to think about how to use this
I agree that having plots along property lines has too many downsides especially during the rut; the key for ours working is having them near the road. And in both cases across the street from each road plot are open hardwoods, not preplanned. It just happened that way.I had plots on my property lines but Sturgis taught me the poor logic in this. I eliminated them
Having plots set up just for does I think is interesting idea. The keep is to just attract does is the real challenge. . More open areas. Difficult access spots for your neighbors,etc. I have some spots this could work