Congratulations on a fine deer! Love it when everything works out!
J-birds place
- Thread starter j-bird
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Mennoniteman
Well-Known Member
That's a good buck would also have met my criteria. Nice little story almost as good as being along for the hunt!
j-bird
Well-Known Member
I always liked learning how/why a hunt works well. So maybe others can see a similar situation and take advantage. I love a good story...but I hate to read for fun. I read for information and I am a visual learner. I like seeing the tactics and the like used and the like....so it may be more than some folks like(and that is ok), but I use my property thread for myself just as much as I do for others. Besides...it's not often a plan actually works!
I am currently working on a plan to hunt that same corn field on a bucket to tag a few does.... It's the only standing corn around and the deer don't seem to be as drawn to my green plots at the moment so...it's time to get creative. I'll let you know if it works....
j-bird
Well-Known Member
So we had an interesting day today....
First the morning hunt... The youngest stayed home in bed to sleep.... she would regret that choice....
The morning was cold and slow, I saw a couple of young bucks....and then a real nice buck showed up! First time I saw him he was 50 yards away! With my buck tag being punched already...all I could do was watch. He wandered off and then came back about a 1/2 hour later and trolled my food plots. At one point we was 30 yards or so.... Sorry the pics are poor - I had to take them with my phone thru my binos.
This was all the motivation my youngest needed.... we was back in the same blind at 3:30! She tells me she was nervous the entire time, just with anticipation.
Well the buck didn't show up....but she did drop a 160 lb (live weight) doe in her tracks. I'm gonna have a hard time getting my 308 back....
First the morning hunt... The youngest stayed home in bed to sleep.... she would regret that choice....
The morning was cold and slow, I saw a couple of young bucks....and then a real nice buck showed up! First time I saw him he was 50 yards away! With my buck tag being punched already...all I could do was watch. He wandered off and then came back about a 1/2 hour later and trolled my food plots. At one point we was 30 yards or so.... Sorry the pics are poor - I had to take them with my phone thru my binos.
This was all the motivation my youngest needed.... we was back in the same blind at 3:30! She tells me she was nervous the entire time, just with anticipation.
Well the buck didn't show up....but she did drop a 160 lb (live weight) doe in her tracks. I'm gonna have a hard time getting my 308 back....
Mennoniteman
Well-Known Member
Hey, split 2's and everything. Looks to be a solid 150 buck... Plus one for the freezer as well.
j-bird
Well-Known Member
I would have loved to tag that buck....but Indiana has a "one buck rule" in that an individual hunter can only take a single antlered deer over the entire state for the entire deer season regardless of weapon (there are some exceptions regarding urban hunting but I don't do that).. I made my choice....and sort of paid for it...but maybe one of the kids get him yet or he makes it until next year. I know people who would have killed that deer and tagged it under another name. I can't do that. The man in the mirror simply won't let me....he will beat me up internally until I make things right. I like antlers...but not enough to break the law for them.
Mennoniteman
Well-Known Member
PA also has the 1 buck per year rule and I really like it. That allows the trophy hunters to hold off for a big one, gives the kids a better chance, and let's more middle sized bucks grow for next year
j-bird
Well-Known Member
I like the one-buck rule...but it has bit me in the butt a time or two....but overall I think it has helped.
Mennoniteman
Well-Known Member
Rifle bear season opener in PA tomorrow at daylbreak. We've got the .300's sighted in.
j-bird
Well-Known Member
So general firearms season closed with all the hunters tagging at least one deer. Our muzzleloader season will open on Saturday and run for 16 days. The boy may continue to hunt for antlers, and I suspect the daughter is done....she isn't one for the cold!
Since I am done for the year (by choice and need), I took some pics of my green plots. I am a little disappointed in the lack of activity in them this year. They have done reasonably well...they just don't seem to have the interest of the deer yet. I did move a few cams from scrapes to the plots to get an idea of what activity I may be missing or when the activity will pick up. We had our first dusting of snow over night so maybe that will help. We also have some standing corn in the area and I think that may have hurt the plot use as well. One of those areas has since been harvested, but we have a large field near my place that is still standing.
I also wanted to make a little note about when I added some 10-10-10 to a plot late in the fall just to see if it would do anything. What i Have noticed is that the area I applied the fertilizer to lacks some of the purple coloration that I see in some of the other turnip tops. Not sure what that is a sign of...but the fertilized area is still a pretty green color. I have shown the exclusion cage in orange and the approx boundary of the fertilizer application (spread by hand) in red.
The mix is purple top turnip (and apparently I can't abbreviate properly), AWP and frosty berseem clover. I did add some wheat later, but it didn't take so well. The AWP is still widespread in the plots which is surprising/disappointing. For "deer candy"....I didn't expect it to last nearly this long!!
Turnips are not huge, but plenty big enough for the deer. I expected more of the AWP, but I think I planted it too late or broadcast the turnips a bit heavy and it shaded the AWP some. I will reduce the turnip rate next year if I do this again. Still a long way to go thru winter....but I was hoping for this to be a very active plot for our general firearm season in mid to late November....and it didn't pan out that way.
Since I am done for the year (by choice and need), I took some pics of my green plots. I am a little disappointed in the lack of activity in them this year. They have done reasonably well...they just don't seem to have the interest of the deer yet. I did move a few cams from scrapes to the plots to get an idea of what activity I may be missing or when the activity will pick up. We had our first dusting of snow over night so maybe that will help. We also have some standing corn in the area and I think that may have hurt the plot use as well. One of those areas has since been harvested, but we have a large field near my place that is still standing.
I also wanted to make a little note about when I added some 10-10-10 to a plot late in the fall just to see if it would do anything. What i Have noticed is that the area I applied the fertilizer to lacks some of the purple coloration that I see in some of the other turnip tops. Not sure what that is a sign of...but the fertilized area is still a pretty green color. I have shown the exclusion cage in orange and the approx boundary of the fertilizer application (spread by hand) in red.
The mix is purple top turnip (and apparently I can't abbreviate properly), AWP and frosty berseem clover. I did add some wheat later, but it didn't take so well. The AWP is still widespread in the plots which is surprising/disappointing. For "deer candy"....I didn't expect it to last nearly this long!!
Turnips are not huge, but plenty big enough for the deer. I expected more of the AWP, but I think I planted it too late or broadcast the turnips a bit heavy and it shaded the AWP some. I will reduce the turnip rate next year if I do this again. Still a long way to go thru winter....but I was hoping for this to be a very active plot for our general firearm season in mid to late November....and it didn't pan out that way.
j-bird
Well-Known Member
So with our gun seasons winding down...this weekend will close our muzzleloader season. I took a little walk over the weekend to see what I could find.
I didn't see a doe, but jumped two bucks...one was a nice one bedded on a hillside overlooking a large weed patch of mine. The other in another area was a nice 2 or 3 year old bedded in some switchgrass on a slope. Neither really bolted but just sort of trotted off. I have my buck tag filled for the year so not a big deal. It was also early afternoon and warm and didn't hear any resulting shots.
I pulled 2 cam cards I have on plots and nothing of any real importance to report there. The turnips are starting to brown some and lots of bulbs the size of softballs just sitting there...untouched.
I did find a few places where the deer did find the AWP and have it nipped down to the ground....so they seem to like it to at least some degree. They seem to be picking there way thru the plot for the AWP at the moment... the turnips...well, they are good for the soil. I will certainly reduce to 1/2 of what I applied next year if I go the same route. I had a few spots like the one below...places where I missed with the broadcast of the turnips where the deer have found the peas.
I also found some scrape activity along a travel way I leave for the deer so that was nice to see as well.
I didn't see a doe, but jumped two bucks...one was a nice one bedded on a hillside overlooking a large weed patch of mine. The other in another area was a nice 2 or 3 year old bedded in some switchgrass on a slope. Neither really bolted but just sort of trotted off. I have my buck tag filled for the year so not a big deal. It was also early afternoon and warm and didn't hear any resulting shots.
I pulled 2 cam cards I have on plots and nothing of any real importance to report there. The turnips are starting to brown some and lots of bulbs the size of softballs just sitting there...untouched.
I did find a few places where the deer did find the AWP and have it nipped down to the ground....so they seem to like it to at least some degree. They seem to be picking there way thru the plot for the AWP at the moment... the turnips...well, they are good for the soil. I will certainly reduce to 1/2 of what I applied next year if I go the same route. I had a few spots like the one below...places where I missed with the broadcast of the turnips where the deer have found the peas.
I also found some scrape activity along a travel way I leave for the deer so that was nice to see as well.
j-bird
Well-Known Member
Thank you. He wasn't the biggest buck, but he met our harvest criteria and I had an empty freezer....so he fit the bill quite well. Was kicking myself in the pants however a few days later when I had to watch the other...much nicer buck...cruise thru my plot. Oh well, such is life. Maybe he makes it and I get a crack at him next year.
Mennoniteman
Well-Known Member
That's an interesting picture that shows the benefits of fertilizer. Your turnip leaves turning purple is definitely an indication that the soil is low in phosphorus (P). This one is easy to remember for any crop; Purple leaves, low P (Phosphorus). I agree with you that standing corn will hurt buck sightings in the area, I've personally witnessed bucks bedding in standing corn and not moving out much before dark. Hey, if we could sleep in the middle of a red lobster restaurant we probably would too! Back to the turnips, I've been planting less brassica and more AWP, oats and rye, clover and soybeans, because the brassica seemed overrated for deer use in our area. Hopefully it comes through for you for muzzleloader season.
j-bird
Well-Known Member
I don't mind planting the turnips... they are cheap and easy and I see them mostly as an insurance policy.... That said, its frustrating that you go to the effort and the deer ignore it all together OR at least ignore it until it's passed when you want. Even the AWP wasn't as sought after as I had hoped it would be. Just confirms that I have to fight fire with fire and go back to planting corn and beans with an overseeding of the "insurance" type forages. But deep down that was my fear all along... I will probably stick with beans simply because they are easier and cheaper.... It will be interesting to see how the AWP and some of the other things do come spring time...
Mennoniteman
Well-Known Member
My AWP never grew back in the spring. And of course the turnips will be rotted. That's where beans interseeded with rye shines. The rye always gets heavy use in early spring right before everything else gets going.
