What do you do if you're neighbors are better than you?

[dogghr]

LMAO you are always the interesting one, Bull. Gotta love it. And I really do.
Two things in my opinion. Learn. If there are others better, then stay on their ass and find out what makes them better. You don't get better at a sport by playing people less, you get better by stepping up to the competition of those better than you, and learn from them what you don't know. In hunting, is it their land management, or their hunting method? What do they do diff thats diff from your actions. Ask them. Watch them. Hell stalk them if you need to. It should make you a better manager and hunter.
And shoot what you want. It's your land, your hunt, your call. Do so and don't second guess. Just have some fun. Heck look at the deer I took this year, absolutely a fantastic fun hunt and no regrets that it didn't make the "trophy" mark.
Second, I get it. By nature I'm very competitive whatever it may be. I've got 3 long time hunting buddies, one deceased now, and believe me, we all compete and have a good time. I love when any get a great deer, but trust me, I will work extra hard to out do him before season ends. Not because I'm jealous, I just like the challenge. Sometimes I win the game, sometimes not so much. One of us is a dead on hunter of nice bucks anywhere he goes, he knows his stuff, and I strive to learn from him. And we all do our strutting thru the year if we best the others. But you can be damn sure of this, we all have fun and never second guess our choice. If you want to compete, then do so. Just step up to the plate and put forth the effort and don't get outdone. Enjoy it Bull, enjoy it. It's just a hobby/sport. Good luck.

 

[browndog]

This place is funny. I got one offer $20K over my buying price. Two verbal inquiries $40-50K over what I bought it for. I am going to use it to have fun till I get an offer I can't refuse then buy another parcel - flip it. I've got a bead on a smoking 40-80 right now in a real trophy area

40-50K more than you bought it for and you have a bead on a smoking 40-80 in a "real trophy area??" That is a no brainer....SOLD!!

 

[Seabee]

I only own 10 acres next to a very large Tract of timber. It's all about the doe! I have a 4 acre hillside facing south that we nuked about 5 years ago while doing some TSI work. My forester said there wasn't anything on that hill worth salvaging in good timber and he wanted to completely open it up and see what would would grow. It's so thick you can't walk it. THATS where the doe are. I only go in there on the opening day of gun season. I've since learned that even though the neighbors land doesn't get a lot of pressure during archery, the deer still learn the hunters habits. We've killed a 150" a 160" and a 140" the last 3 years, on opening day, at the last minute of light while watching these bucks walk right off my neighbors ridge into my thicket where the doe were waiting to enter the field as soon as the neighboring hunters left the woods. My 10 is all about keeping my doe happy!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[W33kender]

Honest to God, I think Bullwinkle's worst day in the woods is better than my best. That his worst owned property is better than what I lease.
Dude, I'm not picking on you. I just wish I had your problems in a way. LOL.

But just in case no one has told you recently...your glass is more than half full. It runneth over in fact.

Sir, when do you go to Giles Island? Please give us a full report upon returning.

 

[Blizzard Ridge]

I believe if I knew the neighbors were going to have the food then I would add the cover. Hinge cut a few acres and give them a place to hunker down. I would continue to add food as well. The way I see it is worse case scenario the deer bed on you and feed on the neighbor. This would make some easy hunting if you know where the deer are heading in the evenings to feed. You are always going to hold a doe group so you will always have bucks travel your farm. Best case scenario is you add the cover and a little food and you won't be able to get the dang things to go over to the neighbors anymore because a big deer is going to take heavy cover and a little food over a lot of food and little cover. I see it as a good problem you have. People have reaped the benefits of my work for years, you can do the same off of them.

 

[Bullwinkle]

Honest to God, I think Bullwinkle's worst day in the woods is better than my best. That his worst owned property is better than what I lease.
Dude, I'm not picking on you. I just wish I had your problems in a way. LOL.

But just in case no one has told you recently...your glass is more than half full. It runneth over in fact.

Sir, when do you go to Giles Island? Please give us a full report upon returning.

Will do. Later this week. 75F

 

[Bullwinkle]

40-50K more than you bought it for and you have a bead on a smoking 40-80 in a "real trophy area??" That is a no brainer....SOLD!!

Agree. I got an $1100/acre+ offer - 2 years from then before I even closed. The northern flight south has increased land interest big time in my area. The $20K offer was real money but since I don't have a better parcel lined up, surely don't want this income now with these tax rates. I could hardly net a half a dozen reconyx

 

[Bullwinkle]

I believe if I knew the neighbors were going to have the food then I would add the cover. Hinge cut a few acres and give them a place to hunker down. I would continue to add food as well. The way I see it is worse case scenario the deer bed on you and feed on the neighbor. This would make some easy hunting if you know where the deer are heading in the evenings to feed. You are always going to hold a doe group so you will always have bucks travel your farm. Best case scenario is you add the cover and a little food and you won't be able to get the dang things to go over to the neighbors anymore because a big deer is going to take heavy cover and a little food over a lot of food and little cover. I see it as a good problem you have. People have reaped the benefits of my work for years, you can do the same off of them.

Good advice. There are a coupe of nice islands in the cedar swamp but they are filled with big white oaks. I bought this 40 without walking it. My original plan was to drop all the trees on these islands and make it bedding. Can't get my mind wrapped around doing so. Somehow I need to make that cedar swamp thicker to hold a bunch of deer. The problem is there is no way I'll ever regen cedars without a fence.

 

[Reagan]

One thing is for certain. Bull will never be happy, he will continue to troll people with "problems", he won't listen to anyone's suggestions and he will continue to sound as moody as a teenage girl.




Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[Native Hunter]

I think they target 140" and above. I'm thinking setting our limit at 120" and above till I understand what we have. This year we missed one over 140" and passed on some 120". Probably was a mistake

They most likely will win but I pretty good in soil chemistry so we'll see. We may as well level the playing field by having lower rules than they do to start

Funny how your perspective changes if you lead the neighborhood or follow. There is nothing I can do to change the quality of the neighborhood with only 40 acres. There is 0 reason to create rules at or above the neighbors. I now know how my neighbors feel on my main farm.

Bull, I'm curious about something. You frequently refer to bucks by antler size in inches rather than by age. Do you strictly go by inches or do you take age into account too? While we have deer here that do indeed get big antlers, it's not unusual to see a fully mature buck that will end up between 120 and 130. I personally would pass a shot at a 140 inch 3 year old to take a 130 inch 6 year old. How do you feel about those things?

Also, I'm just curious about what percentage of deer in your area will eventually reach the magic 150 if given enough time - 30%, 50%, 70%?

 

[Bullwinkle]

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk[/QUOTE]

Bull, I'm curious about something. You frequently refer to bucks by antler size in inches rather than by age. Do you strictly go by inches or do you take age into account too? While we have deer here that do indeed get big antlers, it's not unusual to see a fully mature buck that will end up between 120 and 130. I personally would pass a shot at a 140 inch 3 year old to take a 130 inch 6 year old. How do you feel about those things?

Also, I'm just curious about what percentage of deer in your area will eventually reach the magic 150 if given enough time - 30%, 50%, 70%?

We use cameras to try to age the deer on the farm. Each year we come up with a hit list. This year we took a 3 year old 6ptr that weighed 180lb dressed. No way that deer would ever turn into much. Had a 12" spread with 6 small pts

I send all teeth in for all bucks shot. What I learned is I normally age one year less than the tooth tells. It is very rare for a deer by me to break 150". Less than 20%. This year we didn't have any on film. The ones we have gotten over 150" have all been 6,5 or 7.5 years old.

I did pass a 5 year 120" 10 this year we had on the hit list because I thought my son could get him youth weekend. One of my neighbors shot it and I got a tooth to check my aging. We only get one buck tag with a bow so taking a 115-120" is hard sometimes. These are not that hard to get and I am trying to play best buck. Gun season is best to take culls because we can legally share tags

This is one of the 115-120"ish bucks I passed this year. I like trying taking pictures. Had him at 25 yards. I think he was 4-5? He surely wasn't 6-7

My new parcel I plan on bringing guests. It's hard to ask someone who hasn't hunted much to pass a deer like this. That's why I need to come up with some looser rules and strategy to improve this parcel which is in a neighborhood of low pressure, great hunters.

 

[Buckly]

One thing is for certain. Bull will never be happy, he will continue to troll people with "problems", he won't listen to anyone's suggestions and he will continue to sound as moody as a teenage girl.




Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

That's because he is not a real person, he is just a completely fictitious persona made up with the sole purpose of annoying people. He's not real folks!!!!!. If you follow his posts you will see the pattern. Just a little bit of realism to make you think there might be something to it, then it starts getting strange. just when everybody's going to call BS he goes off on a completely different tangent topic. Again throwing in just enough realism so some think it is a real post. then bam! off to another obscure tangent. Just an internet troll and made up solely for his amusement. You guys can have fun with it if you want but, I learned from the old forums this guy is trolling us just for his amusement.

 

[Bullwinkle]

That's because he is not a real person, he is just a completely fictitious persona made up with the sole purpose of annoying people. He's not real folks!!!!!. If you follow his posts you will see the pattern. Just a little bit of realism to make you think there might be something to it, then it starts getting strange. just when everybody's going to call BS he goes off on a completely different tangent topic. Again throwing in just enough realism so some think it is a real post. then bam! off to another obscure tangent. Just an internet troll and made up solely for his amusement. You guys can have fun with it if you want but, I learned from the old forums this guy is trolling us just for his amusement.

I have an idea. Why don't you and Regan come up for a tour this summer. If you can find anything I posted that's not true I'll buy you each a reconyx camera and pay you for of your travel expenses. When you see I am real you guys each buy me a reconyx camera and apologize. Bring the cameras with you. What say you?

 

[Reagan]

Thanks but I'd rather beat my head against a brick wall than hang out for a minute with a guy like you.

I'd be happy to pass your offer on to one of my friends from up north who could more easily travel to your area.

I think you are real.

Your whining sucks all of the life out of hunting, property management, QDM, Internet forums etc.

I'm sure some here enjoy your post. I'm just not one of them.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[cutman]

Cool it, guys. As with any forum, if you have a problem with someone, ignore them and move on. Pissing matches benefit no one.

 

[W33kender]

Good post, Cutman.

 

[Triple C]

I say keep posting away Bullwinkle! It's guys like Bull that keep the forum interesting and entertaining, inside and outside of deer season. One thing for certain...when Bull posts...folks read, whether they agree with him or not. We're approaching 850 members. We need a lot, lot more. Bull will attract many, many more than guys like me. I for one love Bull's pursuits and impulsive, out of the box threads. Will Bull ever take a 150 off of his farm? Who knows. But it's fun and entertaining to follow his pursuits. Reach out to Bull with a PM. He and I have shared numerous emails with plenty of pics of things he's done on his property and bucks taken. Pretty impressive.

I think many on here were thrilled to see him start participating.

 

[W33kender]

I do not have a problem ain't anyone. But I will call out a Bullsht when I see it. Mr Horn porn aka Mr 150 has plenty of it.

"Lighten up, Francis" (Warren Oates, Stripes).

 

[Bigeight]

I didn't catch the acres amounts between your "Big" property and your neighbors property that borders the 40 ?

Anything that a lot of the deer studies have shown us about "growing" mature whitetails is that it takes a lot of CONTINOUS acres to do it. If your neighbors are truly beating you, and they truly are passing bucks under 140", who cares ?! Unless there is a 10' wall that separates your properties, then you are reaping the benefits of TOTAL acres under strict management. The more the merrier.

I wouldn't mind owning 40 acres (or even 10) that butts up to a "big" property as long as it was managed with similar goals. You get the benefit of piggy backing a large number of acres under strict management and don't have the financial burden of owning the lions share of the land. Gotta have those continuous acres to grow them one way or another

I definitely wouldn't treat that 40 like a "inferior property" if the total acres WITH the neighbors reaches totals that studies show can successfully be managed. If the totals are close, and your goals are a 150", and the neighbors are passing <140" that might even be a better situation to reach your individual harvest goal.

If they are hunting their property at all, I'm sure the deer are feeling some pressure....just have less than that, and that might be all it takes to find the oldest buck in the area.

What are the totals of management acres if you compared the 2 situations?

 

[dogdoc]

I don't know about other moderators and I know in a forum venue we all aren't going to get along but name calling is not going to be tolerated by me and more than likely any of the other mods. I have no problem with not agreeing and stating your opinion on here.

I deleted a post and make a small edit on one. Any issues send me a PM!

todd