New Heritage HC

[Deadeye]

To go along with my Food Plot Thread, this one is about the Land and the Adventures it gives me.

Leased 80 Acres in the Florida Panhandle. The surrounding 300 Acres on 3 Sides is owned by one man that does not hunt.

This is a New To Me parcel of land and as I learn more about it I will share.

First thing is the Does in this area just started to drop their fawns the last week of August into the first week of September. That is way later than I expected, although my early pics of Does showed me that I thought they were still pregnant. The Rut here is late January into mid February.

Some pics of early fawns, in fact the one must be just days old from its size.

Other Doe pics.

Doe scent checking a Licking Branch

Some Buck pics. Mostly young so far, but a couple look to have some good potential.

Fire Ring

Camp gather area.

Thanks for looking. I’ll update as the season(s) go on.

 

[Deadeye]

My Work Machine that hauls my gear and makes the Food Plots.

 

[mattpatt]

Ours drop late too but not that late. If you have doe tags to fill it makes it hard sometimes to pick out ones that don't have nursing fawns.

 

[Deadeye]

I was wrong when I said the last week of August.

The pic that shows the maybe day old fawn was taken on August 17. So that is probably closer to Mid August than last week.

 

[Cap'n]

Nice pic's, healthy looking deer. I like the way your set up and equipped.

 

[Deadeye]

Nice pic's, healthy looking deer. I like the way your set up and equipped.

Thanks.

I have since exchanged the Broadcast Spreader for a Bag Style Hand Spreader. That made a huge difference when starting a new plot and putting down fertilizer and or Lime. Being able to walk over the thicker stuff instead of dragging the spreader through it was worth the money.

That Disc is sweet. It's a Ground Hog Max made to fit behind any ATV. Takes a bit but really does a great job and you can take it where you can't get a tractor into.

 

[lakngolf]

Good job and good luck with the new lease

 

[FL Plotter]

I'm not too far from your lease and I've got a wobbly fawn mid-Aug on cam indicating a mid-January rut. My cams on the property also showed some roaming bucks in the mid-January timeframe.

That one buck has one helluva Roman nose on it.

 

[Deadeye]

Well the Time is getting closer to go up and check on the Property to see how it made out during Hurricane Michael. I got to admit I'm a little scared to go and see that all the work put in so far is gone.

I've seen some pics and videos of the Woods along I-10 and there are stretches where the Trees are all broken off about 5-6 ft up and everything else is gone. I'm hoping against hope that ours was spared.

Also don't even know if I can get to it. It sits on a Dead End Road that has no one living on it, so it would be one of the last to get cleared off. I talked to the Lease Manager and he told me everything's a real mess up there, and that to expect to probably need to cut my way in.

Time will tell. I hope that all living there have had the chance to get their lives moving forward, that is more important anyway.

 

[Deadeye]

Made it here late yesterday afternoon. Roads in were not to bad and only had to cut back one tree to get to property.

Road into Camp had 2 small trees down. By the time I got it cleaned up and Camp set it was almost dark.

Walked to the Closest Blind n Food Plot and pulled the cards. Pretty happy with what I saw. Food Plot is coming but slow however the deer are there.

Hunting another stand this morning. Storm got it some and covered the main crossing.

I got some saw work to do to get it back in shape but overall I feel blessed.

 

[Deadeye]

Heading back up this next weekend to clear the roads and plots of trees. I also plan to fertilize the plots as recommended.

I’m hoping to get a good tripod stand and set up where I had my little blind. Might be good for a young man this older guy with a bad back can’t take it. The tripod would get me up higher to both help to see and keep scent away as well.

 

[Deadeye]

Well we got all the trees cut off of the Plots and Trails.

Heard the Coyote Pack fire up again, that’s the first time my SIL has heard them. There is quite a few from the sound of it. We made a See a Coyote Shoot a Coyote mandatory rule.

The Plots look like they are not coming in as good as I hoped, yet on one Cam before the deer found it they were growing good. I’m going to believe that the deer are keeping them grazed down. The fertilizer I put down should help some.

Took down that crappy blind and put a new Tripod Stand in its place. I wrapped it with camo Blind material and it blends in pretty good.

Thanksgiving weekend we are going up to hunt. It’s Doe Days and Buck is in also for Rifle. The it goes back to Crossbow for Buck Only for a week. Regular Gun starts on December 8th I believe.

Some pics of the camp since I raised the canopy, made a Meat Pole, set my Tent and the new Stand.

Also one of the big bucks is back. We are calling him Loppy because one of his ears is lopped off. I thought at first it was the same big 8-point showing on different cams, but now with the ear to check I know we have two big 8’s.

Oh and the last time I was up alone I heard two big bucks fighting at night not more than 200 yards from the tent. They went hard at it, smashing horns like rams and busting brush and palmettos for 30 minutes. Took a 5 minute break then back at it for another 15 minutes before it ended.

Was pretty cool to hear and I never would of had I not been staying right out in the woods in a tent.

 

[Chainsaw]

Deadeye, your tent camp looks like a very wonderful deer camp. Good for you! I look forward to following along on your hunts this fall.

 

[Deadeye]

Thanks.

Even though it’s a tent I like to have some comfort.

We researched and then bought this Double High Queen Air Mattress made by Sealy, Same company that makes regular mattresses. Very comfortable to sleep on. A table to hold some gear and I also have a Mr Buddy heater for when it’s gets real cold.

So kind of “roughing” it but not to bad.

 

[Deadeye]

Getting ready to head to Camp. This is the first time We get to hunt with a Rifle in our hands. Gun is in for Thursday Thru Sunday, with Doe Days Saturday and Sunday.
I'm also taking my Crossbow as it comes in for Buck Only Monday thru Friday.

Then all is closed until early December when General Gun opens again and runs until mid/late February.

 

[FL Plotter]

Be interested to see how you did for the gun opener. My cams out your way are showing my bucks are nocturnal right now. I did take a 90# doe on my lease Friday afternoon though...buck have disappeared since the hurricane there.

 

[Deadeye]

Well I had tons of bucks showing night and day. Then boom almost all have disappeared. Had a spike and a small 8 on day but that’s it.

Hardly seeing anything so far.

Some night pics at camp. SIL bought some Solar Powered LED lights that go low power until motion then go very bright. Seem to be lasting quite awhile.

 

[Neahawg]

Looks awesome hope you get one!

 

[Deadeye]

Looks awesome hope you get one!

Thanks.

We each had and "encounter" with deer meaning one smelt and blew at him and I jumped one up after leaving a morning sit. Well I say morning but I sat from daylight until 2:00 pm. Walked down one of the lanes to switch out cards on the Cam and one was bedded 10 yrds off of it at 50 yrds where I had been sitting. This stuff is so thick you have to be on them to see them.

SIL left late Sunday night and I stayed until Monday to put more Lime on one of the plots that is not doing very well and more fertilizer on all three. Probably good and bad I left. Bad was that a Cold Snap came in that I was unaware of was coming that dropped the temps into the low 30's, which may of had them up and moving.. Good because I did not have the clothing to have dealt with it.

 

[Deadeye]

A couple of pics I got from the buck we are calling The Big 8. He has a twin that is just a bit bigger I think and at first I thought they were the same. Then I noticed one has a torn off ear on one side.

I’d say a solid 3.5 year old for both of them. No belly or back drop started yet. Should be a real good one if he makes it.

We plan to take a Doe and Buck each. My SIL hasn’t taken many deer (2) so I told him that any legal buck that makes him happy he can go ahead and shoot. I’m planning to hold out for a good one if I can.

Even though we “have” only 80 acres we really have 460 due to the owners surrounding us do not hunt. So 4-5 deer taken will be just fine.