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Post by Sandbur on Feb 23, 2024 18:55:35 GMT -6
I like the buck factory topic and here's a question related to that in general. In SE MN, I've generally noticed that good buck hunting is 1) found first in areas with lower than average human pressure and 2) found in the thickest cover in the area. When you think back to the best buck hunting spots you've had over the years, what made that spot different than other areas that held fewer bucks?I've never had "awesome" buck hunting like what you see on TV. That said, the spots where I've killed many bucks (big and small) over the years all were the best intersections of habitat types/edges on a property. The more variations of edges/intersections/types the better. When hunting big woods, I liked to look at those locations. Swamp, with fingers of high ground that joins hardwoods and a string of conifers.
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Post by Reagan on Feb 23, 2024 19:15:24 GMT -6
My best was a beaver swamp next to a small river. The beaver ponds, river and some steep hills pinched down a travel route. Add thick cover and it was the best spot I ever hunted and I never killed a deer there. But bow hunting only gave me a lot of encounters.
Dad and a friend did kill nice bucks in that spot.
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Post by Bwoods11 on Feb 23, 2024 19:34:45 GMT -6
I walked a little peninsula on my Otter Tail County farm this past week. It’s tough to get to . Full of big rubs. I have to get a camera in there next year .
I’m going to put a stand in a Red Oak just east of it—as they work there way to the food . It’s a big buck spot.
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Post by Sandbur on Feb 24, 2024 4:51:57 GMT -6
I walked a little peninsula on my Otter Tail County farm this past week. It’s tough to get to . Full of big rubs. I have to get a camera in there next year . I’m going to put a stand in a Red Oak just east of it—as they work there way to the food . It’s a big buck spot. Do you think the camera could change their use of the area? I prefer to leave those areas alone and just modify your hunting on the edges. Some ‘experts’ say an elevated camera is best to not change deer movement.
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Post by Bwoods11 on Feb 24, 2024 7:13:36 GMT -6
I walked a little peninsula on my Otter Tail County farm this past week. It’s tough to get to . Full of big rubs. I have to get a camera in there next year . I’m going to put a stand in a Red Oak just east of it—as they work there way to the food . It’s a big buck spot. Do you think the camera could change their use of the area? I prefer to leave those areas alone and just modify your hunting on the edges. Some ‘experts’ say an elevated camera is best to not change deer movement. It could I suppose. I have a black flash camera that they never notice . If I get it in there in a windy day in August /September. I think I’d be ok . Elevated does seem to help.
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Post by MN Slick on Feb 25, 2024 6:56:36 GMT -6
I need more of a doe factory on one of my farms. Sturgis says it's as easy as providing summer food........
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Post by Sandbur on Feb 25, 2024 8:17:08 GMT -6
I need more of a doe factory on one of my farms. Sturgis says it's as easy as providing summer food........ and adequate winter nutrition.
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Post by Sandbur on Feb 25, 2024 8:17:58 GMT -6
Whatever happened to Tony LaPratt. Wasn’t he the buck bed expert?
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Post by Foggy on Feb 25, 2024 17:40:08 GMT -6
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Post by MN Slick on Feb 26, 2024 7:33:55 GMT -6
Whatever happened to Tony LaPratt. Wasn’t he the buck bed expert? He just did a podcast with Exodus. One food plot tip I found interesting is planting 30% corn and 70% beans with a grain drill. Evidently, the corn on narrow rows acts as a barrier to the deer so he gets better yields. I may give it a go.
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Post by smsmith on Feb 26, 2024 8:45:53 GMT -6
I'm thinking the Alpha Doe mentioned on his page is in reference to his wife/female friend. I don't think the gal with the handle Alpha Doe from the old Q forums would be working for/with Tony L.
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Post by Bwoods11 on Feb 26, 2024 9:55:11 GMT -6
Whatever happened to Tony LaPratt. Wasn’t he the buck bed expert? He just did a podcast with Exodus. One food plot tip I found interesting is planting 30% corn and 70% beans with a grain drill. Evidently, the corn on narrow rows acts as a barrier to the deer so he gets better yields. I may give it a go. We did that once by broadcast & drag into a good loose soil seedbed. It turned out great . It’s a little tricky to spray. Might try it again ? It was a 50/50 mix of corn/soybeans.
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Post by Sandbur on Feb 26, 2024 10:37:00 GMT -6
He just did a podcast with Exodus. One food plot tip I found interesting is planting 30% corn and 70% beans with a grain drill. Evidently, the corn on narrow rows acts as a barrier to the deer so he gets better yields. I may give it a go. We did that once by broadcast & drag into a good loose soil seedbed. It turned out great . It’s a little tricky to spray. Might try it again ? It was a 50/50 mix of corn/soybeans. I tried it years back and I do remember a great looking mix at a place north of Upsala. I think he used about 30% corn as well.
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gjs4
New Member
Posts: 35
Likes: 16
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Post by gjs4 on Mar 1, 2024 21:43:03 GMT -6
I did TL's BC in 2007. Hes got some snake oil and sales pitches.....but to this day, and having met and learned from many deer experts (known and unknown); I still feel that was money well spent and some of his techniques worked great
I only know Jake B from his videos...seems like hes a decent guy with some good approaches.
Ward is coming back with a deer school in May-June.
The new whitetail partners group is the fake it till you make it bunch. Lots of access to/fro through food sources inc small plots.
Did some consultant research using the forums last year. Jeff had the most redos and "ok" performance comments of anyone. his books are as easy to follow as he weekly videos. lol
Theyre all just guys....some with proven methods where you hope they have the understanding for application
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Post by snowracerh on Apr 29, 2024 19:31:43 GMT -6
For a few years, I've been planning on getting more scrape/rub poles set up as well as a waterhole or two. I feel like most bucks within a mile or two are on my place at sometime during the rut. Keeping them here longer and/or more frequently would be nice. Maybe I'll get those things done this year... I think the rub/scrape poles increase the chance they will walk by your stand. They won’t bring in new deer though, since a deer would have to walk by to know a scrape branch is there. In a drought I think a watering hole can draw in new bucks if it is the only water nearby. If you have tamaracks in your swamp or other conifers, cut one of them down and use that for your scrape/rub pole. I’ve had much better luck using conifers than other species. Although now that I think of it, basswood is a close second. I cut down a red pine this year to use as a rub scrape branch behind my house. I planted the tree 10 years ago, but I decided I didn’t want it there anymore. There is something about pines, spruce and tamarack that draws in bucks. I buried the trunk 2 feet in the ground and a buck went nuts on it and pulled the tree out of the ground. I got it on camera too, which was pretty cool. The bucks don't even slow down for my water holes most of the fall. I have had water holes in three different secluded wooded areas and never drew in any more deer than before they were added.
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