Mennoniteman
Well-Known Member
That's a good buck for a first buck. It has one more point than my first one. He's practically guaranteed to have a long and successful hunting career.
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Triple C's Place
- Thread starter Triple C
- Start date
Drycreek
Well-Known Member
Triple C, good to see your posts, especially the African trip. I bet y’all had a great time ! I wanted so badly to go many years ago, but my detesting of airplanes and my work had me putting it off until financially and physically it is no longer feasible. Still, I love to live vicariously through others. Good to see the kids having success also. Thanks for posting !
Triple C
Well-Known Member
A walk back in time…
When I bought me place in 2011, I had a 105 acre stand of planted loblolly out of the original 214 acres. I could get lost in these pines at the time. This pic is circa 2014 when pine stand was 14 years old. It was cool to ride thru the interior roads at the time but was pretty much a deer desert as no sunlight hit the floor.
Fast forward to present day and after two thinnings and several burns. Year round food in the pines with native forbs n browse and a very productive food plot planted on the widened interior road.
Just off that interior road food plot above, we put in another water hole about 6 weeks ago. Hadn’t rained a drop since putting it in. Over 5 inches of rain this past weekend filled it up. Underbrush is now 4 to 5 feet tall after burning spring of 2024. On either side of this particular pine stand is 2 mature, hardwood draws that flank the pines. Mostly water oak and red oak with a few mature white oaks mixed in. We all know deer love acorns. But for year round food source, thinned timber of any type to a BA of 50ish or so is hard to beat.
Another stand of pines the same age that we burned back in April.
Growth about 18 inches to 2 feet tall now.
Enough of these around now to actually hunt. 2 things that southerners love…sound of a whippoorwill at dusk and the mating call of bobwhite during June.
Over 14 years now on this land journey. Grand kids have grown up with the youngest now 10. Oldest 21. Oldest was 7 yrs old when this started. I was 54 and was still hanging lock-on’s. Now 69 and ain’t doing that any more. To this day…when I arrive at the gate, I still have the feeling that I’m on vacation. Heart rate slows and a little bit of a euphoric feeling still creeps in.
These two were toddlers when this journey started. They are now 17 year old young ladies.
Enjoy the journey boys. Ain’t never a destination. Only the journey. And, glad to have shared it with many of you since 2013 starting with the “old” forum.
When I bought me place in 2011, I had a 105 acre stand of planted loblolly out of the original 214 acres. I could get lost in these pines at the time. This pic is circa 2014 when pine stand was 14 years old. It was cool to ride thru the interior roads at the time but was pretty much a deer desert as no sunlight hit the floor.
Fast forward to present day and after two thinnings and several burns. Year round food in the pines with native forbs n browse and a very productive food plot planted on the widened interior road.
Just off that interior road food plot above, we put in another water hole about 6 weeks ago. Hadn’t rained a drop since putting it in. Over 5 inches of rain this past weekend filled it up. Underbrush is now 4 to 5 feet tall after burning spring of 2024. On either side of this particular pine stand is 2 mature, hardwood draws that flank the pines. Mostly water oak and red oak with a few mature white oaks mixed in. We all know deer love acorns. But for year round food source, thinned timber of any type to a BA of 50ish or so is hard to beat.
Another stand of pines the same age that we burned back in April.
Growth about 18 inches to 2 feet tall now.
Enough of these around now to actually hunt. 2 things that southerners love…sound of a whippoorwill at dusk and the mating call of bobwhite during June.
Over 14 years now on this land journey. Grand kids have grown up with the youngest now 10. Oldest 21. Oldest was 7 yrs old when this started. I was 54 and was still hanging lock-on’s. Now 69 and ain’t doing that any more. To this day…when I arrive at the gate, I still have the feeling that I’m on vacation. Heart rate slows and a little bit of a euphoric feeling still creeps in.
These two were toddlers when this journey started. They are now 17 year old young ladies.
Enjoy the journey boys. Ain’t never a destination. Only the journey. And, glad to have shared it with many of you since 2013 starting with the “old” forum.
Native Hunter
Well-Known Member
Awesome pics TC, and thanks for that update.
Drycreek
Well-Known Member
Good stuff Trip, good stuff !
I bought a similar place in 2010, a 217 acre place with about 40 acres of planted pines and the rest native hardwoods and pines. I clearcut a 40’ swath around the perimeter and thinned the timber the first spring. I always wanted to do a burn, but a bad drought in 2011 put that on hold for a couple years and then it just got lost in the shuffle of food plots, road building, etc. We only kept that place ten years as I retired and spent too much time and money there.
I had the chance to join a lease much closer to home and figured it to be a better decision. The fact that I have 80 acres at home figured into that decision too. I do completely understand the feeling of owning a place that only limits you by imagination and dollar bills though.
I bought a similar place in 2010, a 217 acre place with about 40 acres of planted pines and the rest native hardwoods and pines. I clearcut a 40’ swath around the perimeter and thinned the timber the first spring. I always wanted to do a burn, but a bad drought in 2011 put that on hold for a couple years and then it just got lost in the shuffle of food plots, road building, etc. We only kept that place ten years as I retired and spent too much time and money there.
I had the chance to join a lease much closer to home and figured it to be a better decision. The fact that I have 80 acres at home figured into that decision too. I do completely understand the feeling of owning a place that only limits you by imagination and dollar bills though.
Triple C
Well-Known Member
Bonus track…
For any of you guys that may be in the market for a new lock-on stand, check this one out. My son bought this last year. Looked interesting in the box. He hung it last weekend about 15 yds from the new water hole in the pic above. Sitting in the top of a cedar tree adjacent to the pine it’s hung on.
Holy cow! This thing is just awesome. Swivel 360 degrees without standing up. Easy to shoot a bow out of while sitting. Only mod is that I told him we are replacing the sticks with a ladder for the old man to be able to climb more safely.
For any of you guys that may be in the market for a new lock-on stand, check this one out. My son bought this last year. Looked interesting in the box. He hung it last weekend about 15 yds from the new water hole in the pic above. Sitting in the top of a cedar tree adjacent to the pine it’s hung on.
Holy cow! This thing is just awesome. Swivel 360 degrees without standing up. Easy to shoot a bow out of while sitting. Only mod is that I told him we are replacing the sticks with a ladder for the old man to be able to climb more safely.
Drycreek
Well-Known Member
Those Millenium seats are comfortable too, I fish out of one when my buddy and I go crappie fishing with a guide. I liked tripods with a round platform like that when I was bowhunting. Much easier to hunt out of, but sometimes harder to get set up where you wanted to hunt. That should be a good set up.
Triple C
Well-Known Member
Thx Steve. Always good to catch up with the tribe here on the forum.
Triple C
Well-Known Member
Drycreek - Followed your old thread of that place for many years. Nothing lasts forever. At my age now, thinking about legacy on my place is quite challenging. Still haven’t got it figured out. May be one of those deals like most are that we enjoy for 20 years or longer n then sale to the next guy looking for what we all were looking for at the time.Good stuff Trip, good stuff !
I bought a similar place in 2010, a 217 acre place with about 40 acres of planted pines and the rest native hardwoods and pines. I clearcut a 40’ swath around the perimeter and thinned the timber the first spring. I always wanted to do a burn, but a bad drought in 2011 put that on hold for a couple years and then it just got lost in the shuffle of food plots, road building, etc. We only kept that place ten years as I retired and spent too much time and money there.
I had the chance to join a lease much closer to home and figured it to be a better decision. The fact that I have 80 acres at home figured into that decision too. I do completely understand the feeling of owning a place that only limits you by imagination and dollar bills though.
Triple C
Well-Known Member
Gotta a feeling this stand will be on the short list come hunting season due to comfort plus location. Oddly, we have so many stands scattered across the property as we primarily bow hunt which lends itself to multiple stand sites. Often times, when I’m staring at our property map in the morning before heading to a stand, I’m generally very influenced by the comfort of the stand. Millenniums are hard to beat for comfort.
Triple C
Well-Known Member
Thx Buckly! Appreciate the comment.
I have a really nice Millenium ladder stand I bought on clearance 5 years ago that is still in the box in my shop. I would like to say this is the year I put it together and get it in my favorite spot but man I have a bunch going on! Since I retired and took on cattle and stuff I sure look at our land differently. I used to hate grass but I don’t anymore!
dogghr
Well-Known Member
Good update C. You had me pause to think back how long since old forum. I’ve put up 3 ladder stands , 2 of which are millennials. Much better than a more expensive one I have. Still use some of my lock on stands though simply because they are in the best of places. Good luck w your aging , I haven’t had that happen yet!!
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Cedar Ridge
Active Member
Always enjoy your updates, TC. The before and after pictures you kicked off with were amazing. What a transformation!
