Working at the Farm - Took a few I-Phone Pics

Drycreek said:
That blind will serve you well before you know it Native. Great buck and he looks pretty old to me. Congrats !
Click to expand...

I think you are right. The deer actually came from the direction of the blind, and that ground would have been mighty cold on my rear end the other morning when it was 15 degrees;). I think we need to keep the blind...
 
Great deer Native. Taking a good buck is always bittersweet; It's what we strive for but then the best part of the season is over. My best to your Dad. Hope he rebounds quickly.
 
Thanks everyone.

I thought I would share one more piece of information, because It may help explain why this old deer was so elusive. My taxidermist called today and asked if I had noticed a little knot in the jaw of my deer on the side with the good eye. I told him that I hadn't noticed it. He said he dug out a 22 bullet when he skinned out the head. He said probably 2 or 3 inches higher and it would have killed him.

I'm telling you I hate poachers....
 
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Steve - Congrats on a fine buck! And congrats to your neighbor on the buck you passed. Always enjoy catching up on your thread and what a surprise when I checked in this morn. Hope your dad is feeling better.
 
What do you think the biggest reason is for your annual success in getting these bucks to older age classes AND being able to kill them? You have a really good track record.
 
BenAllgood said:
What do you think the biggest reason is for your annual success in getting these bucks to older age classes AND being able to kill them? You have a really good track record.
Click to expand...

Ben, my deer this year came from the new (20 acre) property, and considering my late entry to the stand that day, I would have to admit that luck played a big part with him. Also, when you consider that the taxidermist found a 22 bullet in his jaw, I would say double luck. So, I will address your question considering my other (100 acre) place that I've been managing for several years now. That is where all of our deer from recent years that you've seen posted have come from.

I feel that our success has been a combination of several things rather than just one or two things. I will make a list below and put what I see as the most important things at the top:

  • Hold as many resident does as possible: There are places that this would not be a good thing, because does can overpopulate. However, it probably isn't going to happen in our county (Adair) due to how many of our neighbors will be killing them. Keeping a high number of does happy and spending most of their time on you place is going to be important during rut time. You've see all the food and NWSG cover that I provide them. Does care about food and security. Rutting buck care about does. It's an important formula for bringing in the big ones. The cover also makes the visiting and/or resident bucks feel secure too.
  • Create stands with entry and exit that don't disturb deer: This is hard to do for a bow hunter and depending on how the ground is laid out it might be difficult for a gun hunter. However, it is usually reasonably easy for gun. My 100 acres is set up perfect for this, but my new 20 isn't, and I can't really do much about it. But, I do have a few ideas for the future that will help there. Also make sure you can see as much as possible. The more you can see, the better your chances.
  • Limit human intrusion to certain areas much of the year: As soon as possible after getting my necessary work done, I limit my movement to places more out in the open where I won't disturb bedding areas. I keep cameras out in open places or at the edges too. That way you can tell what is going on without disturbing bedding (aka sanctuary) areas. The pressure on bucks really begins well before the gun season actually starts - spotlighting, poaching, sighting in rifles, building deer stands, scouting and other intrusions are going on everywhere. Past studies have shown that smart old mature bucks will pick out places free from human intrusion and stay in those places. Sometimes these places are not as big as you would expect. Yes, it would be nice for me to take a walk though my woods in mid October and see all of the rubs and scrapes - but if I did that - I could really be ruining my hunting for the year.
  • Post your land and let people know you are serious about them staying out: if you can convince them you are crazy, it's a good thing.
  • Pass young bucks that show great potential: This year we passed a 155 three year old and shot a 145 six year old. This year it didn't work, because the neighbor got the 155; however, sometimes it does work. In 2017 we passed a 130+ buck and he became a 170 next season and ended up on our wall.
Ben, these are the things I think make a difference. You are in a better area of the county than I am for big deer, because of the vast wooded hills and hollows. On my end of the county, it becomes flatter and more gently rolling. That can be both a blessing or a curse to you. You will probably have more big deer around than I do, but you will likely also have more nearby hunters. But, regardless of where we are, nothing trumps a good combination of food, cover and security. Those are the three things I focus on the most.

Best wishes, and good luck hunting!
 
Native Hunter said:
Ben, my deer this year came from the new (20 acre) property, and considering my late entry to the stand that day, I would have to admit that luck played a big part with him. Also, when you consider that the taxidermist found a 22 bullet in his jaw, I would say double luck. So, I will address your question considering my other (100 acre) place that I've been managing for several years now. That is where all of our deer from recent years that you've seen posted have come from.

I feel that our success has been a combination of several things rather than just one or two things. I will make a list below and put what I see as the most important things at the top:

  • Hold as many resident does as possible: There are places that this would not be a good thing, because does can overpopulate. However, it probably isn't going to happen in our county (Adair) due to how many of our neighbors will be killing them. Keeping a high number of does happy and spending most of their time on you place is going to be important during rut time. You've see all the food and NWSG cover that I provide them. Does care about food and security. Rutting buck care about does. It's an important formula for bringing in the big ones. The cover also makes the visiting and/or resident bucks feel secure too.
  • Create stands with entry and exit that don't disturb deer: This is hard to do for a bow hunter and depending on how the ground is laid out it might be difficult for a gun hunter. However, it is usually reasonably easy for gun. My 100 acres is set up perfect for this, but my new 20 isn't, and I can't really do much about it. But, I do have a few ideas for the future that will help there. Also make sure you can see as much as possible. The more you can see, the better your chances.
  • Limit human intrusion to certain areas much of the year: As soon as possible after getting my necessary work done, I limit my movement to places more out in the open where I won't disturb bedding areas. I keep cameras out in open places or at the edges too. That way you can tell what is going on without disturbing bedding (aka sanctuary) areas. The pressure on bucks really begins well before the gun season actually starts - spotlighting, poaching, sighting in rifles, building deer stands, scouting and other intrusions are going on everywhere. Past studies have shown that smart old mature bucks will pick out places free from human intrusion and stay in those places. Sometimes these places are not as big as you would expect. Yes, it would be nice for me to take a walk though my woods in mid October and see all of the rubs and scrapes - but if I did that - I could really be ruining my hunting for the year.
  • Post your land and let people know you are serious about them staying out: if you can convince them you are crazy, it's a good thing.
  • Pass young bucks that show great potential: This year we passed a 155 three year old and shot a 145 six year old. This year it didn't work, because the neighbor got the 155; however, sometimes it does work. In 2017 we passed a 130+ buck and he became a 170 next season and ended up on our wall.
Ben, these are the things I think make a difference. You are in a better area of the county than I am for big deer, because of the vast wooded hills and hollows. On my end of the county, it becomes flatter and more gently rolling. That can be both a blessing or a curse to you. You will probably have more big deer around than I do, but you will likely also have more nearby hunters. But, regardless of where we are, nothing trumps a good combination of food, cover and security. Those are the three things I focus on the most.

Best wishes, and good luck hunting!
Click to expand...
Thanks Steve. That further solidifies my plan to put most of my fields into the pollinator program. I'll be meeting with the NRCS guy next week.
 
BenAllgood said:
Thanks Steve. That further solidifies my plan to put most of my fields into the pollinator program. I'll be meeting with the NRCS guy next week.
Click to expand...

Ben, stress to him that you want tall cover that stands the winter well and that deer can hide in. Lots of those guys don't understand this. They are more focused on quail and small game. The truth is that you can have great deer cover and still have the small game too. I only mention this because I have seen some people disappointed because they didn't speak up about this subject in the beginning. They ended up with more butterflies than deer.
 
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