Ohio Farm Tours

In that picture it looks like you have plenty of small oaks scattered among the Beech. Giving them some sunlight and air should get them a good head start to a good future. I don't know much about beech--don't have any on my land. But I have freed up a lot of nice oaks by thinning out tall lanky non producing oaks and hickory. Oak trees do great in tubes---I have a lot of sawtooths, burs, and schuette oaks in tubes right now.
 
buckhunter10 said:
I've thought about cutting then putting oaks in tree tubes all throughout the area. How's that idea.

Thanks all for reading, commenting, etc.
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Perhaps thermal bedding in that area would be a better improvement since you compete against that YUGE clearcut adjacent? That is my main shortage and have worked on that without much success in recent years. Deer like to eat my Norways. I've started capping them with screen. Pain.
 
Great suggestions guys!

1. I do have some thermal cover up on top of this ridge, I have a ridge of red pines that run about 600 yards long. It is unreal attraction on the winter. Sometimes I will count 20+ beds in that pine thicket. It might be a great idea to add some pines below to help increase that thermal cover.

2. I won't be going after any of the super large beech. However I will hinge cut the smaller ones, junk other trees to open up the canopy to allow my young oaks to explode. I am thinking about possibly popping in a few extra oaks as well.

Should be a great offseason and 2017!
 
dogdoc said:
In that picture it looks like you have plenty of small oaks scattered among the Beech. Giving them some sunlight and air should get them a good head start to a good future. I don't know much about beech--don't have any on my land. But I have freed up a lot of nice oaks by thinning out tall lanky non producing oaks and hickory. Oak trees do great in tubes---I have a lot of sawtooths, burs, and schuette oaks in tubes right now.
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You are right, there is actually a large cluster of chestnut oaks behind me in this picture. You should see the size of some of the rubs I found in this bottom! Big ol trees, just torn up! Excited to make it that much better
 
Well all this Saturday Muzzy Season opens and Ill be out with the smoke pole! I will get to the cabin Friday evening.

Here is my question, do you all pull cards that night?
Should I wait till morning and pull them midday?

I am only hunting one of two plots all weekend, I know the bucks have been coming into them with it being cold. I just need to pick the right one. I am thinking I could sneak into both plots, pull cards, and get out fairly easily Friday night but want your thoughts.

Thanks for the tips!
 
buckhunter10 said:
Well all this Saturday Muzzy Season opens and Ill be out with the smoke pole! I will get to the cabin Friday evening.

Here is my question, do you all pull cards that night?
Should I wait till morning and pull them midday?

I am only hunting one of two plots all weekend, I know the bucks have been coming into them with it being cold. I just need to pick the right one. I am thinking I could sneak into both plots, pull cards, and get out fairly easily Friday night but want your thoughts.

Thanks for the tips!
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I would wait until mid day. I assume you are evenings only on food plots given the time of year, so no reason to take a chance of pushing deer out at night just to check a card.


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Paradise725 said:
I would wait until mid day. I assume you are evenings only on food plots given the time of year, so no reason to take a chance of pushing deer out at night just to check a card.


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That is what I am thinking as well! I most likely will pull them mid day and decide where to go. I will probably sit the morning overlooking a big bottom where I can see for awhile, check cards mid day, and flip a coin! LOL!
 
Enjoyed the updates buckhunter. On beech the timber value is "always" low. It is tough wood to work with. As firewood it is excellent. It sells for either firewood or pallet wood but both are low pricing.

Beech sprouts are almost the absolute last thing a deer will eat here but it does provide cover later into the season than other sprouts.Beech has nuts some years and the deer will hit them hard then so always save some beech--do not cut them all.

On some beech you will notice the bark cracking;those are the ones to cut here as they do not recover from whatever disease that is.
 
Sorry Buck... been a while since I have caught up. First of all, congrats on the engagement. It's always fantastic to have someone who appreciates our love for what we do. My wife made the mistake of saying she loves how much passion I show for hunting.... I remind her of that every time she's not excited for me driving out to the farm to mow, check cameras, plant, hunt etc.

Second of all... Looks like you have had a tough season as far as opportunities. Keep your head up.... I had gotten extremely frustrated early in December and pretty much stopped hunting. I just checked trail cameras this weekend and big bucks were all over them... and in daytime. Now I regret not being out there...
 
Sam16 said:
Sorry Buck... been a while since I have caught up. First of all, congrats on the engagement. It's always fantastic to have someone who appreciates our love for what we do. My wife made the mistake of saying she loves how much passion I show for hunting.... I remind her of that every time she's not excited for me driving out to the farm to mow, check cameras, plant, hunt etc.

Second of all... Looks like you have had a tough season as far as opportunities. Keep your head up.... I had gotten extremely frustrated early in December and pretty much stopped hunting. I just checked trail cameras this weekend and big bucks were all over them... and in daytime. Now I regret not being out there...
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Thank you buddy! I had been hunting hard but just not seeing the bucks I wanted to kill. I still got some time left so I will hunt bit more to see what happens.
 
I could be really selfish and say I didn't have a good season. However, that would be a lie. My cousin killed his first buck and I passed some darn good ones! My neighbors son killed a split brow buck that I was hoping would make it another year. The deer probably scored high 130s, so a great buck!

However below is a picture my other neighbor sends to me. I cannot wait to chase this guy next year. The bucks are around and we have some slammers around, just need to get a break one of these years!

IMG_2436.JPG
 
IMG_2431.JPG

I just had to share this picture. I just love this little plot. I stuck in a feeder just for late season draw. I wish Id had it up all year, look how the deer are tearing up this plot. This was mostly just rye grain, and oats! The deer are digging through it big time!
 
buckhunter10 said:
View attachment 5601

I just had to share this picture. I just love this little plot. I stuck in a feeder just for late season draw. I wish Id had it up all year, look how the deer are tearing up this plot. This was mostly just rye grain, and oats! The deer are digging through it big time!
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That's a stud buck man!! Will def be a good one to keep in the back of your mind all year next year...

And yea like I said before as much as I don't like or want to hunt by feeders unfortunately they do draw the deer in haha I think the only reason why I don't like hunting by feeders is cuz people in states that can't bait give us sooo much crap for it lol


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Warner32 said:
That's a stud buck man!! Will def be a good one to keep in the back of your mind all year next year...

And yea like I said before as much as I don't like or want to hunt by feeders unfortunately they do draw the deer in haha I think the only reason why I don't like hunting by feeders is cuz people in states that can't bait give us sooo much crap for it lol


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Warner buddy, I agree! If I owned enough land (several hundred acres) I think the need for feeders would be less, also depends on your neighbors. However, when owning less then 100 acres, having neighbors who also want to hunt big deer, feeders are a must. I tried the past two years to get away from them and even with plots of fantastic beans, the deer didn't seem to be hitting them.

Add a spin feeder to go off for 3 seconds and you got deer coming in left/right. It is truly amazing! They will come to corn, eat it for a minute then just venture around the plot to eat. However if you don't have the corn there they don't come into the plots nearly as often.

I am constantly playing with where the best area to stage a feeder is located. Right now I am happy with how they are setup but might move one here and there.
 
These are two deer I am hoping the made it. The split brow buck is still alive to my knowledge. The big 8 didn't show up until before gun season and disappeared half way through gun season but I have no recon that says he's dead. IMG_0306.JPGIMG_0010.JPG
 
Did not realize you could keep the feeders full during season and hunt over them. Alabama Game and Wildlife finally gave in to all the corn being used and allows the bait, but it must be 100 yards from hunter and not in sight. That get's tricky.
 
I might get another hunt or two in but mostly I am just waiting for season to end so I can get to work. I love the habitat work almost more than hunting itself!

Thank you all for reading!
 
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