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Post by smsmith on Nov 14, 2019 8:17:12 GMT -6
Its hard for me to wait. I kept making improvements and selling because it was not good enough. I stayed in touch and those places I sold are kicking out lots of deer now - but still not what I needed to say it met my goals. The fence has satisfied my deer itch for now. Sounds like my offer on the Mille Lacs piece has been accepted but the plan is different this time. Timber money, couple food plots and trails and sell to a dreamer. This is where I'm getting. I have owned my place for 9 years and in that time I have killed 6 ten point bucks. I'm killing what I have but I want bigger bucks.I enjoy managing the property but my area does not regularly produce bucks over 130. Most are 115-130, my best is 143 but I want 150-170. I won't sell the current place as my wife loves it and I am currently financially restricted by my OZ investment so a new place will take awhile. So in the short run I need to either wait, go guided or network into opportunities. Bottom line I want to shoot bigger bucks so I will travel to ware I can find opportunities. A new farm, maybe, if I could buy it right but that won't be for awhile. In the end me and allot of us are lucky to have the opportunities we have. Not to be a douche, but if you kill bucks when they're under 150-170" they don't grow to be what you want. I tire of passing 100-115" bucks here, but know that if I kill them they won't make it to the 125-150" bucks I'm wanting. Both your area and mine crank out numerous 150-190" bucks every year, so we both know it's possible.
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Post by Sandbur on Nov 14, 2019 11:14:35 GMT -6
This is where I'm getting. I have owned my place for 9 years and in that time I have killed 6 ten point bucks. I'm killing what I have but I want bigger bucks.I enjoy managing the property but my area does not regularly produce bucks over 130. Most are 115-130, my best is 143 but I want 150-170. I won't sell the current place as my wife loves it and I am currently financially restricted by my OZ investment so a new place will take awhile. So in the short run I need to either wait, go guided or network into opportunities. Bottom line I want to shoot bigger bucks so I will travel to ware I can find opportunities. A new farm, maybe, if I could buy it right but that won't be for awhile. In the end me and allot of us are lucky to have the opportunities we have. Not to be a douche, but if you kill bucks when they're under 150-170" they don't grow to be what you want. I tire of passing 100-115" bucks here, but know that if I kill them they won't make it to the 125-150" bucks I'm wanting. Both your area and mine crank out numerous 150-190" bucks every year, so we both know it's possible. I think both of you guys have better areas than me. Jerry, just keep at it. You are doing a good job. It took me thirty years to get two bucks in that 150-170 range. Is there anything you could plant to give them a boost in their year long nutritional cycle? I feel late spring cause shorter time length. Many old northwoods bucks have great mass but short times.
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Post by smsmith on Nov 14, 2019 11:24:35 GMT -6
Talked to my north and south neighbors today while I was walking. One guy hunting north shot a low to mid 140s nine pointer and the south guy's kid shot a 10. From the sounds of the 10, it was a buck I had a few pics of...probably a 150"+ buck. There's at least one more 10 running around that is probably 120" or so. The 8 the north neighbors wounded (and that I took a crack at) was a 120"+ buck, pretty sure it was a buck I saw in the back yard the week before firearm season.
The bucks are here, it's just a matter of connecting with them. If the those ^^^^ two bucks had been allowed to live another year, they most likely would have been real jaw droppers. I sure can't blame the hunters who shot them though. I would have if given the chance.
150" bucks aren't common anywhere...well, maybe on Mobuck's farm
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Post by Catscratch on Nov 14, 2019 11:56:46 GMT -6
My real problem is I experienced way too much good hunting, and I no longer want to travel for it. I wanted that experience an hour from home, and discovered its not possible in the state of Minnesota. I gave it a go and finally decided to quit trying. I am good with that. There may come a time when the kids leave home that I can relocate to somewhere and try again. I have seen some killer places in Colorado that have deer, ducks, pheasant, antelope, turkey and elk all in the same ranch. But I really think for me it will always be better under fence. How long before the kids move out? There's a big chunk of KS land here that could use a fence... LOTS of ducks, decent deer, rabbits, turkey, and quail. Also as much osage orange as a guy could want for making selfbows.
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Post by batman on Nov 14, 2019 12:10:35 GMT -6
Its hard for me to wait. I kept making improvements and selling because it was not good enough. I stayed in touch and those places I sold are kicking out lots of deer now - but still not what I needed to say it met my goals. The fence has satisfied my deer itch for now. Sounds like my offer on the Mille Lacs piece has been accepted but the plan is different this time. Timber money, couple food plots and trails and sell to a dreamer. This is where I'm getting. I have owned my place for 9 years and in that time I have killed 6 ten point bucks. I'm killing what I have but I want bigger bucks. I enjoy managing the property but my area does not regularly produce bucks over 130. Most are 115-130, my best is 143 but I want 150-170. I won't sell the current place as my wife loves it and I am currently financially restricted by my OZ investment so a new place will take awhile. So in the short run I need to either wait, go guided or network into opportunities. Bottom line I want to shoot bigger bucks so I will travel to ware I can find opportunities. A new farm, maybe, if I could buy it right but that won't be for awhile. In the end me and allot of us are lucky to have the opportunities we have. You ever considered running protein feeders? Might get you 20 or 30 inches at 4. Big racks need year round nutrition. Problem may be when your deer really want/need it they may be coming from miles away. I am feeding about 35 animals and will only go through 5 ton of feed this year, plus couple ton of corn. Cost you about $2300 if to feed that plus the protein gravity feeders themselves. Lots of magazine cover wild deer have eating their fair share of protein pellets.
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Post by Sandbur on Nov 14, 2019 12:40:57 GMT -6
This is where I'm getting. I have owned my place for 9 years and in that time I have killed 6 ten point bucks. I'm killing what I have but I want bigger bucks. I enjoy managing the property but my area does not regularly produce bucks over 130. Most are 115-130, my best is 143 but I want 150-170. I won't sell the current place as my wife loves it and I am currently financially restricted by my OZ investment so a new place will take awhile. So in the short run I need to either wait, go guided or network into opportunities. Bottom line I want to shoot bigger bucks so I will travel to ware I can find opportunities. A new farm, maybe, if I could buy it right but that won't be for awhile. In the end me and allot of us are lucky to have the opportunities we have. You ever considered running protein feeders? Might get you 20 or 30 inches at 4. Big racks need year round nutrition. Problem may be when your deer really want/need it they may be coming from miles away. I am feeding about 35 animals and will only go through 5 ton of feed this year, plus couple ton of corn. Cost you about $2300 if to feed that plus the protein gravity feeders themselves. Lots of magazine cover wild deer have eating their fair share of protein pellets. I was thinking of protein and corn, but as alfalfa field, standing corn, and plenty of rye. Jerry has some corn and clover.
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Post by batman on Nov 14, 2019 13:20:41 GMT -6
Very little protein available October November December January February March. I think corn is 9%. Thats half of optimal.
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Post by Sandbur on Nov 14, 2019 13:39:41 GMT -6
Very little protein available October November December January February March. I think corn is 9%. Thats half of optimal. Agree, less than optimal protein, but I just don’t want to feed. I did feed one winter, maybe 25 years back. Protein and corn.
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Post by sd51555 on Nov 14, 2019 15:14:18 GMT -6
I think about whether I'm enjoying my place every time I'm up. I wonder if I'm crazy for driving that far. I wonder if I'm genuinely enjoying all the land work and decorating. I wonder if I'll enjoy my place when I get done doing what I'm gonna do.
Then I think to myself, "Ain't got money for big deer country, or a public exclosure, so I might as well make the best of it." Still got a place to go, no matter how crappy it is. I peed in my blind three times in two hours the other day.
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Post by Catscratch on Nov 14, 2019 15:19:29 GMT -6
I fear getting my projects done... that is the fun part of it.
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Post by MoBuckChaser on Nov 14, 2019 15:20:57 GMT -6
Talked to my north and south neighbors today while I was walking. One guy hunting north shot a low to mid 140s nine pointer and the south guy's kid shot a 10. From the sounds of the 10, it was a buck I had a few pics of...probably a 150"+ buck. There's at least one more 10 running around that is probably 120" or so. The 8 the north neighbors wounded (and that I took a crack at) was a 120"+ buck, pretty sure it was a buck I saw in the back yard the week before firearm season. The bucks are here, it's just a matter of connecting with them. If the those ^^^^ two bucks had been allowed to live another year, they most likely would have been real jaw droppers. I sure can't blame the hunters who shot them though. I would have if given the chance. 150" bucks aren't common anywhere...well, maybe on Mobuck's farm Not common but more then most places I have hunted.
But you can't get 150"-170" if everyone in the hood keeps shooting the 110"-130". Dirt is key and proper food over the winter, and the winter temps as well if you want big deer. Sand does not equate to big deer normally. Down here, these guys will leave corn stand all winter and just chip away at it when they want to. They combine beans with 40' heads now that can not possibly pick up all the beans tight to the ground on some of these ugly contoured fields. So lots of beans to eat after they combine. Then they don't plow anything, stubble stands all winter. Cedars for thermal cover next to large acorn filled woods has got to be a huge plus for growing and maintaining big deer. That almost year round protein source has got to be one of the biggest parts of growing big deer. They never have to expose themselves if they don't want too.
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Post by Sandbur on Nov 14, 2019 18:27:25 GMT -6
I think about whether I'm enjoying my place every time I'm up. I wonder if I'm crazy for driving that far. I wonder if I'm genuinely enjoying all the land work and decorating. I wonder if I'll enjoy my place when I get done doing what I'm gonna do. Then I think to myself, "Ain't got money for big deer country, or a public exclosure, so I might as well make the best of it." Still got a place to go, no matter how crappy it is. I peed in my blind three times in two hours the other day. If you enjoy going there and look forward to going, keep the place. With big woods bucks, you probably won’t get time length and high scores. Usually a mature buck will have a beautiful, heavy rack that tends to be darker in color... something to admire and remember. Like they say, it’s the journey that counts, the end score ain’t always so important. Enjoy the journey. Change things if you no longer enjoy it.
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Post by Freeborn on Nov 14, 2019 20:20:01 GMT -6
This is where I'm getting. I have owned my place for 9 years and in that time I have killed 6 ten point bucks. I'm killing what I have but I want bigger bucks.I enjoy managing the property but my area does not regularly produce bucks over 130. Most are 115-130, my best is 143 but I want 150-170. I won't sell the current place as my wife loves it and I am currently financially restricted by my OZ investment so a new place will take awhile. So in the short run I need to either wait, go guided or network into opportunities. Bottom line I want to shoot bigger bucks so I will travel to ware I can find opportunities. A new farm, maybe, if I could buy it right but that won't be for awhile. In the end me and allot of us are lucky to have the opportunities we have. Not to be a douche, but if you kill bucks when they're under 150-170" they don't grow to be what you want. I tire of passing 100-115" bucks here, but know that if I kill them they won't make it to the 125-150" bucks I'm wanting. Both your area and mine crank out numerous 150-190" bucks every year, so we both know it's possible. Agree that shooting all the smaller bucks doesn't help get you to larger bucks. Do you have history with bucks that you are seeing the progression? Do you harvest a doe early that way you don't have to think about getting meat late in the season? I wonder what kind of survival rate I would see letting all bucks go until they hit 150?
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Post by Freeborn on Nov 14, 2019 20:34:06 GMT -6
This is where I'm getting. I have owned my place for 9 years and in that time I have killed 6 ten point bucks. I'm killing what I have but I want bigger bucks. I enjoy managing the property but my area does not regularly produce bucks over 130. Most are 115-130, my best is 143 but I want 150-170. I won't sell the current place as my wife loves it and I am currently financially restricted by my OZ investment so a new place will take awhile. So in the short run I need to either wait, go guided or network into opportunities. Bottom line I want to shoot bigger bucks so I will travel to ware I can find opportunities. A new farm, maybe, if I could buy it right but that won't be for awhile. In the end me and allot of us are lucky to have the opportunities we have. You ever considered running protein feeders? Might get you 20 or 30 inches at 4. Big racks need year round nutrition. Problem may be when your deer really want/need it they may be coming from miles away. I am feeding about 35 animals and will only go through 5 ton of feed this year, plus couple ton of corn. Cost you about $2300 if to feed that plus the protein gravity feeders themselves. Lots of magazine cover wild deer have eating their fair share of protein pellets. I have not, it makes sense but I'm not prepared to do that.
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Post by smsmith on Nov 14, 2019 20:35:21 GMT -6
Not to be a douche, but if you kill bucks when they're under 150-170" they don't grow to be what you want. I tire of passing 100-115" bucks here, but know that if I kill them they won't make it to the 125-150" bucks I'm wanting. Both your area and mine crank out numerous 150-190" bucks every year, so we both know it's possible. Agree that shooting all the smaller bucks doesn't help get you to larger bucks. Do you have history with bucks that you are seeing the progression?Do you harvest a doe early that way you don't have to think about getting meat late in the season? I wonder what kind of survival rate I would see letting all bucks go until they hit 150? Some, yes. The only 150+ shot here was a buck I had pics of for 3 years. The third year my SIL shot him. I have (probably had, think the south neighbor's kid shot him) a 10 pointer this year that I am (was) convinced was a drop tine 11 eleven last year, and a smaller 10 the year prior to that (2017). I think that buck would push 150, but without seeing him up close that's just a guess. I haven't shot a doe since well before moving to MN, and will likely never do so again. I'm not a meat hunter. I prefer beef to be honest. You will likely see a low survival rate by letting bucks go until they hit 150. That said, if 150+ is your goal...they aren't going to get bigger if you shoot them before they hit your goal. Unless you buy land in an area where everyone is cooperating with each other and all agree that 150"+ bucks are the goal....you're going to struggle getting bucks to 150" most anywhere. Either that, or buy a square mile of ground and manage it well. The kid shooting studs with some frequency south of me a few miles is doing so on his dad's 400ish acres.
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