River Bend

[George]

Nice looking setup.

G

 

[Redneck]

Nice looking setup.

G

Thanks we been putting a lot of work in it. One day it will payoff. We are starting to see it turn around.


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[Redneck]

Walked the white oak flat today. It is a ridge about 100 acres big that sits between a 40’ bluff and the river. This place is full of white oaks. Picked up a few white oak acorns and swamp Chestnut acorns and direct seeded them in the woods at the house. the last photo shows the difference between a white oak acorn and swamp chestnut oak acorn. That white oak acorn isn’t small.


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[Drycreek]

Nice place Redneck ! What part of Mississippi ? I have a friend who lives there, but I can’t remember what town. I just remember it’s off I20.

 

[OkieKubota]

A few good bucks from the camera run. We started enforcing a 18” spread last year and have started to see a difference. The people who had our lease before we got it ran dogs and killed everything that moved. We got lucky and was able to get it when they got dropped. My goal for the lease is grafting a ton of persimmons this spring to try and get more food on the ground.View attachment 17451


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I have never understood the minimum spread rule. I have several 130-165 class deer and only 1 would meet your spread requirement...some deer just aren’t wide but they are still very mature. I shot a 155” 8 point last year that is 13.5” wide...

 

[Redneck]

Nice place Redneck ! What part of Mississippi ? I have a friend who lives there, but I can’t remember what town. I just remember it’s off I20.

I live in wayne county. it is south east ms right on the Alabama line.

I have never understood the minimum spread rule. I have several 130-165 class deer and only 1 would meet your spread requirement...some deer just aren’t wide but they are still very mature. I shot a 155” 8 point last year that is 13.5” wide...

I am with you Okie and I hate the spread and points rule and I agree that it is not a proper management tool. The reason I went to the spread is because we rarely see a deer make it to 3 years of age or older. A lot of 1-2 year old bucks get shot. My club and land is hunted by me and family and we had small bucks getting shot. I am using the spread rule to try and teach them about age management. I understand that some mature deer wouldn't make my spread requirements and the overall plan with the rule is to get some 3-4 year old deer on the property to show the guys what passing deer up and letting them grow can do. Once they can see what a mature deer looks like and are able to judge the difference between a young deer and a mature deer then we will change the rule. last year was our first year with the lease and by implementing the spread rule I have seen more bucks make it through the season then I have in previous years. I understand also that we only have 400 and something acres and we are in a heavily hunted area so I know we cant make drastic changes but every little bit helps.

 

[Drycreek]

I live in wayne county. it is south east ms right on the Alabama line.

I am with you Okie and I hate the spread and points rule and I agree that it is not a proper management tool. The reason I went to the spread is because we rarely see a deer make it to 3 years of age or older. A lot of 1-2 year old bucks get shot. My club and land is hunted by me and family and we had small bucks getting shot. I am using the spread rule to try and teach them about age management. I understand that some mature deer wouldn't make my spread requirements and the overall plan with the rule is to get some 3-4 year old deer on the property to show the guys what passing deer up and letting them grow can do. Once they can see what a mature deer looks like and are able to judge the difference between a young deer and a mature deer then we will change the rule. last year was our first year with the lease and by implementing the spread rule I have seen more bucks make it through the season then I have in previous years. I understand also that we only have 400 and something acres and we are in a heavily hunted area so I know we cant make drastic changes but every little bit helps.

We have a 13” rule in most of my area. It’s done worlds of good for our deer herd. We see so many more decent bucks now than we used to. The only thing that I don’t like about our regs is the limit. The state allows one buck over 13” inside and one buck with at least one unbranched antler. I don’t like the last part because it encourages the killing of spikes and lots of folks shoot them. That’s ok if it’s a kid getting his first deer but you’re killing bucks that you’ve no idea what they might turn into. The reason for the 13” rule is to let young bucks grow, and a spike that’s killed is done growing. Makes no sense to me, but it keeps the masses happy I guess. Dr. James Kroll did a four year study on first year spikes vs first year branch antlered bucks and proved that by age 4.5 they had all evened out. No reason to shoot spikes in my opinion. Off my soapbox now !

 

[Redneck]

We have a 13” rule in most of my area. It’s done worlds of good for our deer herd. We see so many more decent bucks now than we used to. The only thing that I don’t like about our regs is the limit. The state allows one buck over 13” inside and one buck with at least one unbranched antler. I don’t like the last part because it encourages the killing of spikes and lots of folks shoot them. That’s ok if it’s a kid getting his first deer but you’re killing bucks that you’ve no idea what they might turn into. The reason for the 13” rule is to let young bucks grow, and a spike that’s killed is done growing. Makes no sense to me, but it keeps the masses happy I guess. Dr. James Kroll did a four year study on first year spikes vs first year branch antlered bucks and proved that by age 4.5 they had all evened out. No reason to shoot spikes in my opinion. Off my soapbox now !

If we went off of state regulations we wouldn't have any big deer and I believe that's exactly what happens all around us. State rules are 10" inside spread or 13" main beam. I Know everyone has their own opinions on deer management and its not a one shoe fits all. Some hunters are just out for meat and in some places you have to shoot what's available to put meat in the freezer after all that is what hunting is all about. If I lived in a low deer density area I would do the same thing but in my area you can see 5 or more does on a patch in any giving sit so if I want meat I will just take a doe. My saying for bucks is if you wouldn't shoulder mount it and put it on the wall then you shouldn't shot it.

 

[OkieKubota]

If we went off of state regulations we wouldn't have any big deer and I believe that's exactly what happens all around us. State rules are 10" inside spread or 13" main beam. I Know everyone has their own opinions on deer management and its not a one shoe fits all. Some hunters are just out for meat and in some places you have to shoot what's available to put meat in the freezer after all that is what hunting is all about. If I lived in a low deer density area I would do the same thing but in my area you can see 5 or more does on a patch in any giving sit so if I want meat I will just take a doe. My saying for bucks is if you wouldn't shoulder mount it and put it on the wall then you shouldn't shot it.

That’s a good way of doing it...after someone has to have 2 or 3 2.5 yr old deer mounted and has to look at them daily I imagine their standards will go up. My wife and I have killed some great deer that weren’t wide at all...I always say “The air between theirs beams isn’t rack” but even though Jackie Bushman came up with a new scoring system leaving inside spread off it has never caught on...
My deer in my Avatar I killed in 2014 is 24” wide but doesn’t score well...age was there though...