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14 registered members (hyco, CAL, Cactus_buck, Ryano, Bulls eye, FX4, Hammertime7v2, Tree Dweller, jawbone, Frankie, Turkeyneck78, Livintohunt19, 2 invisible),
268
guests, and 0
spiders. |
Key:
Admin,
Global Mod,
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Re: what's made the biggest difference on your land?
[Re: AUwrestler]
#4100012
03/12/24 11:31 AM
03/12/24 11:31 AM
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Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 34,872 Boxes Cove
2Dogs
Freak of Nature
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Freak of Nature
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 34,872
Boxes Cove
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Hunting where the deer are and not where I think they should be. Reading sign and using that to make changes to my hunting plan. In addition to that, reducing pressure by hunting the edges of the deer's areas, and only going in to where the deer are when conditions are perfect ie. waiting for a rain so leaves are silent, waiting for cold front to help with thermals, taking the long way around to not have a deer cross my path later in the morning. You get it.
"Why do you ask"?
Always vote the slowest path to socialism.
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Re: what's made the biggest difference on your land?
[Re: Goatkiller]
#4100038
03/12/24 12:30 PM
03/12/24 12:30 PM
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Joined: Aug 2018
Posts: 5,365 Georgia and Missouri
Semo
12 point
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12 point
Joined: Aug 2018
Posts: 5,365
Georgia and Missouri
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When I say "pressure" I mean stop shooting at the deer.
I may shock someone here.... I'm on the fence about the "human presence" thing. I think I might hold the opposite opinion. I grew up farming so we couldn't worry about running a deer off. And they seemed like they were use to us or at least use to the tractors. Fast forward to today and another State known as Alabama... and my deer don't run from me unless I get within 30-40 yards but again... I am out there ALL the time and I started farming it a few years ago... so they are use to me. I can walk right through the middle of a food plot get in my stand and they don't pay attention to where I've been. Not even a little bit. They are use to smelling where I've been and don't associate me with "danger".... because well... I don't blast them when I see them.
That's how that works. I don't shoot at them. That's the #1. When I first got the place I cleaned all the old does that would lose their mind if they saw or smelled you out of there. We got rid of the trouble makers 1st season.
#2 - Another thing is plot size = 1+ acres minimum. Prefer 2 acres. 1 acre or less food plots are a joke that got played on you. There's been decades of theories that small plots are great. That NEVER worked but made the timber companies more money they gave you 4 each 1/4 acre plots for the price of one good plot. This is why you need to ignore people like Dr. Deer they got truckload of BS ready to sell you.
This is ALL common sense IMO. Show me a 2 acre food plot with low pressure anywhere in Alabama and you will have deer on it soon enough.
#3 - The last pro tip I've got - I like to set the shooting houses back and create a buffer zone of about 10 yards between the shooting house and the edge of the plot. I can hunt my shooting houses MORE than normal because you can get in/out and never spook the deer in the plots. 95% of the places I have hunted aren't setup like this. Maybe kinda/sorta the shooting house is set back BUT the key here is that you really need to create some screening cover.
#3 = one of my key things I think I've done that has tremendously helped.
I'm with you on what pressure is. I can put people all over a place and if they arent killing deer yhe deer will soon figure that out and not even run away.
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Re: what's made the biggest difference on your land?
[Re: blazer625]
#4100043
03/12/24 12:56 PM
03/12/24 12:56 PM
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Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 22,122 Awbarn, AL
CNC
Dances With Weeds
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Dances With Weeds
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 22,122
Awbarn, AL
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Goat is correct......Shooting a gun at them is the real pressure
We dont rent pigs
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Re: what's made the biggest difference on your land?
[Re: CNC]
#4100095
03/12/24 02:35 PM
03/12/24 02:35 PM
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Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 34,872 Boxes Cove
2Dogs
Freak of Nature
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Freak of Nature
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 34,872
Boxes Cove
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Goat is correct......Shooting a gun at them is the real pressure Mature bucks back in the mountains or other remote areas that don't see farmer Brown every day don't care if you shoot or not . When deer season nears or opens and it's like Patton's army rolling in they tend to get mighty shy.
"Why do you ask"?
Always vote the slowest path to socialism.
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Re: what's made the biggest difference on your land?
[Re: 2Dogs]
#4100315
03/12/24 09:18 PM
03/12/24 09:18 PM
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Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 3,857 Jasper
buckhunter2
10 point
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10 point
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 3,857
Jasper
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Goat is correct......Shooting a gun at them is the real pressure Mature bucks back in the mountains or other remote areas that don't see farmer Brown every day don't care if you shoot or not . When deer season nears or opens and it's like Patton's army rolling in they tend to get mighty shy. This! Plus most folks don’t have the time or desire to “acclimate” their deer to daily human interaction.
You're only as good as your worst shot-
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Re: what's made the biggest difference on your land?
[Re: buckhunter2]
#4100324
03/12/24 09:24 PM
03/12/24 09:24 PM
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Joined: Aug 2018
Posts: 5,365 Georgia and Missouri
Semo
12 point
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12 point
Joined: Aug 2018
Posts: 5,365
Georgia and Missouri
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Goat is correct......Shooting a gun at them is the real pressure Mature bucks back in the mountains or other remote areas that don't see farmer Brown every day don't care if you shoot or not . When deer season nears or opens and it's like Patton's army rolling in they tend to get mighty shy. This! Plus most folks don’t have the time or desire to “acclimate” their deer to daily human interaction. Every time a person sees a deer they should be mandated to take a couple shots over their back just to acclimate them to firearms.
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Re: what's made the biggest difference on your land?
[Re: SEWoodsWhitetail]
#4100347
03/12/24 09:51 PM
03/12/24 09:51 PM
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Joined: Feb 2016
Posts: 8,308 Right behind you
Mbrock
Fancy
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Fancy
Joined: Feb 2016
Posts: 8,308
Right behind you
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Following Mark Buxton on Facebook So you built a fence around your place….How tall of a fence does he recommend anyways? 😂😂
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Re: what's made the biggest difference on your land?
[Re: CrappieMan]
#4100360
03/12/24 10:05 PM
03/12/24 10:05 PM
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Joined: Mar 2015
Posts: 4,505 george county ms
johndeere5036
10 point
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10 point
Joined: Mar 2015
Posts: 4,505
george county ms
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Reducing pressure and year round feeding. this and access to my stands. I have most everything set up so you can slip in and out and be undetected
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Re: what's made the biggest difference on your land?
[Re: Semo]
#4100458
03/13/24 08:16 AM
03/13/24 08:16 AM
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Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 34,872 Boxes Cove
2Dogs
Freak of Nature
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Freak of Nature
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 34,872
Boxes Cove
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Goat is correct......Shooting a gun at them is the real pressure Mature bucks back in the mountains or other remote areas that don't see farmer Brown every day don't care if you shoot or not . When deer season nears or opens and it's like Patton's army rolling in they tend to get mighty shy. This! Plus most folks don’t have the time or desire to “acclimate” their deer to daily human interaction. Every time a person sees a deer they should be mandated to take a couple shots over their back just to acclimate them to firearms. There are some who do , they're actually aiming to hit the deer though.
"Why do you ask"?
Always vote the slowest path to socialism.
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Re: what's made the biggest difference on your land?
[Re: blazer625]
#4100494
03/13/24 09:08 AM
03/13/24 09:08 AM
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Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 9,217 B'ham
Goatkiller
14 point
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14 point
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 9,217
B'ham
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I think just being out there on the weekends is enough to get the deer comfortable with human presence... I'm not there during the week hardly ever. So... being out there all day is not the requirement.
It gets pretty busy on my place on the weekends. Do y'all figure the deer know that I only show up on Saturday? I don't think so. I think they know that every couple of days someone comes out there and starts raising hell beating on crap with hammers banging stuff around at the barn..... THEN they come out here and drive that big ass green thing all their living room. Working on gates, fence, cutting downed trees, radio going, etc.
When I show up during hunting season it's really no different less the driving the big green thing all over.
Seems like they don't pay me any attention. I have a video that would shock you I'm draggin a dead deer out of a food plot and 40 yards away a live deer is standing at the feeder not even looking at us. Head down eating. Not joking. Nothing between us but air deer is literally just across the field.
Don't mentally put yourself in a box before you ever actually try something. My deer aren't any different than the ones you've got.
I know the difference I have hunted plenty of places where a deer would see you at 400 yards or smell where you walked to your stand...go berserk and lose their mind and probably not stop running until they got to the next County. I've been there plenty.
No government employees were harmed in the making of this mess.
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Re: what's made the biggest difference on your land?
[Re: Goatkiller]
#4100548
03/13/24 11:36 AM
03/13/24 11:36 AM
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Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 3,868 Cullman, AL
Ryano
10 point
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10 point
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 3,868
Cullman, AL
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When I say "pressure" I mean stop shooting at the deer.
I may shock someone here.... I'm on the fence about the "human presence" thing. I think I might hold the opposite opinion. I grew up farming so we couldn't worry about running a deer off. And they seemed like they were use to us or at least use to the tractors. Fast forward to today and another State known as Alabama... and my deer don't run from me unless I get within 30-40 yards but again... I am out there ALL the time and I started farming it a few years ago... so they are use to me. I can walk right through the middle of a food plot get in my stand and they don't pay attention to where I've been. Not even a little bit. They are use to smelling where I've been and don't associate me with "danger".... because well... I don't blast them when I see them.
That's how that works. I don't shoot at them. That's the #1. When I first got the place I cleaned all the old does that would lose their mind if they saw or smelled you out of there. We got rid of the trouble makers 1st season.
#2 - Another thing is plot size = 1+ acres minimum. Prefer 2 acres. 1 acre or less food plots are a joke that got played on you. There's been decades of theories that small plots are great. That NEVER worked but made the timber companies more money they gave you 4 each 1/4 acre plots for the price of one good plot. This is why you need to ignore people like Dr. Deer they got truckload of BS ready to sell you.
This is ALL common sense IMO. Show me a 2 acre food plot with low pressure anywhere in Alabama and you will have deer on it soon enough.
#3 - The last pro tip I've got - I like to set the shooting houses back and create a buffer zone of about 10 yards between the shooting house and the edge of the plot. I can hunt my shooting houses MORE than normal because you can get in/out and never spook the deer in the plots. 95% of the places I have hunted aren't setup like this. Maybe kinda/sorta the shooting house is set back BUT the key here is that you really need to create some screening cover.
#3 = one of my key things I think I've done that has tremendously helped.
How did you do #1 without creating pressure? Revolving door? Pressure, I think is defined different for each property.
Last edited by Ryano; 03/13/24 11:38 AM.
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Re: what's made the biggest difference on your land?
[Re: blazer625]
#4100652
03/13/24 03:32 PM
03/13/24 03:32 PM
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Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 9,217 B'ham
Goatkiller
14 point
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14 point
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 9,217
B'ham
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I mean... taxidermy is expensive these days. If I'm not going to be proud enough of my deer to spend some money on it after I kill it..... I don't see the point in shooting it. I work hard, therefore I can go down to the grocery and buy food. Don't need to eat deer meat I try to focus on my job instead of hunting all season stacking meat in the freezer claiming I can't afford beef... you can complete that circle on your own.
Deer run from you because of the perception of danger. IMO they are taught by their momma to run and act like an asshat. You start there with the does and stop shooting at them. The bucks still do buck things they are different but much easier to kill when you have more around and the ratio is better. Your ratio will get a LOT better when you stop shooting and let Mother Nature do her thing. She'll get it right 100% of the time. You have to mentally understand that when you pull the trigger you are working against your goal, if that goal is a decent buck... just like if the deer ran across the highway and got killed. Same impact. 1 less deer. This is exactly like raising cows... you wouldn't go out in your pasture and blast all your heifers then wonder what happened to your cows. That's what many here appear to be doing. Shoot deer have less deer. Shoot does have less bucks. Facts.
No government employees were harmed in the making of this mess.
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Re: what's made the biggest difference on your land?
[Re: blazer625]
#4100804
03/13/24 09:54 PM
03/13/24 09:54 PM
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Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 3,434 Here
Okatuppa
10 point
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10 point
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 3,434
Here
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An 8 foot tall fence around the perimeter.
I ain't fightin nobody that swings around in trees with a running chainsaw like Tarzan. - FurFlyin
Oh I just thought u were a dumba$$ 🤣 my apologies… - jb20
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Re: what's made the biggest difference on your land?
[Re: hamma]
#4100941
03/14/24 09:41 AM
03/14/24 09:41 AM
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Joined: Jul 2020
Posts: 8,573 Chelsea
Lockjaw
14 point
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14 point
Joined: Jul 2020
Posts: 8,573
Chelsea
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Any of you guys successfully changed a property that may have once had mediocre or terrible hunting? I feel like I have on my lease. We had to many members, and a culture of shoot every doe you see and the typical 6pt or better buck rule. Since its a timber co lease, and I can't manage for habitat, I managed for year round food instead. Soil tested and limed, and started doing lots of clover. The first year I was Prez, I told all the guys we needed to stop killing doe's off green fields. I didn't make it a rule that year, just a suggestion. Made it a rule the following year. Then last year, changed the buck rule to match the lease, which is 3.5 year old or older. Bucks are tough, if they come out on a greenfield, then aging them is easier, when they are walking thru the woods during the rut, you have less time, so I have to make allowances there. My neighboring club is doing the same thing I am doing, which is letting the younger bucks walk. What is nice is we are seeing more rack bucks. Not just on camera, but I saw 9 last season. I can't recall ever seeing 9 rack bucks on any property I have hunted during a deer season. I am not convinced I have a big doe herd yet either. I tinkered around alot, and learned alot with planting. I research and study alot about deer too. One of the things I believe in and have seen is the benefit of year round food. What I have seen is how much a deer will utilize a good whitetail clover plot. I don't expect the deer to get their daily food requirements met soley off a greenfield I have, rather, I just want them to get some. My thinking is a limed and fertilized plot with high quality forage is superior to the rest of the forage a deer consumes. Over time that leads to greated health for the deer. I want them to have that food right as deer season ends and to maintain it into fawning season. Clover offers me the best opportunity to do that, howver, the last 2 dry summers have hurt my production. Now I am going to work in some peas/beans and sunn hemp. Sunn hemp is also a good forage for the deer. I wish I had a better way to access areas on my lease, the road goes right thru the middle of it. I think I am out there enough in my truck, or on my 4 wheeler that the deer are pretty accustomed to hearing me, especially as we get into fall and I am planting. I think the biggest problem in clubs is pressure from the members that don't look at the wind direction. It's one thing to walk thru an area and the wind blow your scent down to deer, but its another to camp out there for 3 or 4 hours. I think a deer is used to the presence of human scent, but when it stays there for long periods, they change up their movement. I saw this demonstrated in the last club I was in. I had a trail cam on a transition zone with a small creek on it, between 2 different age stands of pines. I had daily traffic on the camera all summer and into fall. I would simply ride by on my 4 wheeler, swap SD cards, and keep going, so I could monitor traffic. I sat on the spot and waited until later in the season to hunt it. Check my camera one day, had a guy go in there to hunt. After that, my daily traffic stopped. I had very few deer on the camera and pulled it after deer season. The last pic was the left side of a bucks rack. He went into the area far enough that I got his rack, and never went any further.
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