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Post by mnaaron on Dec 2, 2018 19:46:44 GMT -6
Do you have the ability to set up two or more sanctuaries and sit in between them or down wind of them?
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Post by nhmountains on Dec 2, 2018 19:47:56 GMT -6
I'd be thrilled to have one 4 year old. Been hunting the area for about 10 years and have not even seen one over 130. Not even on the game camera. What are your doe numbers? What size property? Do you have a lot of smaller bucks? Do you hunt archery and rifle? Do you have roaming bucks on your property during rut?
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Post by Sandbur on Dec 2, 2018 19:48:12 GMT -6
I asked my consulting forester on how he manages a sanctuary. He is a QDMA guy and a deer nut like us. He said he doesn’t believe in them and he can walk to his stand and get in it with five or six antlerless deer watching him. I disagree with him as does, especially old ones are as skiddish as hell around me. Here is the key. He has 400 acres of woods with scattered foodplots and connecting woods. Near as I can tell, he and his wife are the only hunters. I have about 80 acres of cover surrounded by fields with avid hunters all around me. Thick and stay out until the rut is best for me. Kill an adult buck and maybe another will move in before season closes. Far from a sure thing that there is another mature buck nearby. You're a veterinarian though right? I think I read that one here somewhere. If so, then I can't blame your does for being skiddish. I'm nervous when I go to my doctor. He stuck something up my ass once. I will bring you one of those shoulder length sleeves to give to your doctor for the next visit . Heck, I will even give you a NEW one!
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Post by biglakebass on Dec 2, 2018 19:57:22 GMT -6
First of all, what do you want to call a dominant buck? Toughest on the block even thou he may only be 130"? Biggest Rack? Biggest Body? Oldest deer? I should have said mature buck (5 years old) The first hurdle is getting a deer to 5 years old in MN....... Until that is conquered, the possibilities are very very small.....
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Post by kooch on Dec 2, 2018 20:00:47 GMT -6
You're a veterinarian though right? I think I read that one here somewhere. If so, then I can't blame your does for being skiddish. I'm nervous when I go to my doctor. He stuck something up my ass once. I will bring you one of those shoulder length sleeves to give to your doctor for the next visit . Heck, I will even give you a NEW one! Moon River
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Post by Freeborn on Dec 2, 2018 20:23:01 GMT -6
Do you have the ability to set up two or more sanctuaries and sit in between them or down wind of them? Not on this property but I like the idea. One thing I am missing in my neighborhood is larger tracts of woods. Most properties around me are primarily ag and small tracts of woods. If I could do it all over again I would pick the opposite, larger tracts of woods and small tracts of Ag. I think your neighborhood fits that description.
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Coda1
Full Member
Posts: 242
Likes: 303
Location: Hunting north of Staples, MN
Zone: 3B
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Post by Coda1 on Dec 2, 2018 21:46:13 GMT -6
I'd be thrilled to have one 4 year old. Been hunting the area for about 10 years and have not even seen one over 130. Not even on the game camera. What are your doe numbers? What size property? Do you have a lot of smaller bucks? Do you hunt archery and rifle? Do you have roaming bucks on your property during rut?
Based on my camera over the summer I had two 8 pointers that I am guessing are 2.5 year olds, a spike, and a couple of forks. A bit hard to tell how many does but I had less pictures of does then bucks. 40 acre parcel with state land on two sides. I think most around me are shooting anything that moves. Three hunters on it during gun season, I bow hunt elsewhere. We do get a few roaming bucks during the rut. All of the bigger bucks we have shot we never saw on the cameras before.
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Post by badgerfowl on Dec 2, 2018 22:29:40 GMT -6
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Post by nhmountains on Dec 3, 2018 1:18:42 GMT -6
What are your doe numbers? What size property? Do you have a lot of smaller bucks? Do you hunt archery and rifle? Do you have roaming bucks on your property during rut?
Based on my camera over the summer I had two 8 pointers that I am guessing are 2.5 year olds, a spike, and a couple of forks. A bit hard to tell how many does but I had less pictures of does then bucks. 40 acre parcel with state land on two sides. I think most around me are shooting anything that moves. Three hunters on it during gun season, I bow hunt elsewhere. We do get a few roaming bucks during the rut. All of the bigger bucks we have shot we never saw on the cameras before.
I’d suggest posting a separate thread in our public land tour or big game thread. We may be able to come up with some suggestions for you. It sounds like your best bet is to either provide more feed to pull in more does so that more roamers show during the rut or more cover to have more deer show during the gun season off the public lands. With maps we may be able to suggest stand location and access.
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Post by Sandbur on Dec 3, 2018 3:43:24 GMT -6
Do you have the ability to set up two or more sanctuaries and sit in between them or down wind of them? Not on this property but I like the idea. One thing I am missing in my neighborhood is larger tracts of woods. Most properties around me are primarily ag and small tracts of woods. If I could do it all over again I would pick the opposite, larger tracts of woods and small tracts of Ag. I think your neighborhood fits that description. The largest track of woods by me is a wildlife management area. The rest is ag, just like for you. Large tracts of woods/ tree plantations exist about two miles away. The WMA gets pounded. I feel I need to be very conservative about doe harvest because of the pressure all around me. Lots of does about two miles away on the wooded private land.
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Post by MN Slick on Dec 3, 2018 7:30:28 GMT -6
I think it depends on the layout of the property and more importantly age dynamics and population. As mentioned if you can provide everything a buck needs in seperate areas on your farm you have a chance of getting them to spend more time on you. The age dynamics in MN suck! There is a lack of older bucks period so once pushed around the less dominant one can head next door and find himself the king very easily even if he's only 3.5 at the time. Why fight when you can fornicate.
That said older bucks still dissapear in areas with better population dynamics for sure but the game of numbers will usually favor having more than one older matoor buck on your ground.
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Post by kooch on Dec 3, 2018 9:51:43 GMT -6
I'll just go ahead and say it. I'd just be happy seeing ANY buck. I've got food. I've got water. The does eat at my place every afternoon like clockwork. They just bed off my place. I think my access plan is pretty solid. From a habitat perspective this year I'm just planning to work on bedding and improving access.
My goal is not monster bucks. I'd just be happy seeing something more than a spike or fork now and then. This should not be too hard. My neighbor has about a dozen nice racks on the wall in his cabin. But, he's been hunting his place for something like 50 years.... so.
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Post by kabic on Dec 3, 2018 10:01:13 GMT -6
I found THE key to dominate bucks
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Post by Bwoods11 on Dec 9, 2018 9:54:11 GMT -6
2 things for me are key...
1. Sanctuary of heavy cover, we just do not go in there.
2. Food available at multiple locations.
Passing small bucks helps ensure that we “usually” have a few survivors.
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Post by honker on Jan 1, 2019 10:25:54 GMT -6
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