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Post by Bwoods11 on Dec 13, 2019 9:54:29 GMT -6
On a scale of one to 10...I think leaving a sanctuary is a 9.5. Having shot my two biggest bucks while existing a sanctuary, I just cannot stress the importance. The buck I shot in Iowa, was hanging in that same area for two years. We found his trail cam pic from last year and had him again this year. My neighbor never had a pic, or saw the buck, so he was living in a small 40-60 acre block of timber/cedars. I think he would venture into the nearby fields, but we have zero pics of him on any other cameras on the farm. Crazy.
To come out in the open field at 4:00 on a 49 degree day in December, shows the lack of pressure he had.
I'd like to hear from you guys on what you leave (acres, type of cover, etc..) as I'd like to start expanding the sanctuaries in MN. Any of other good tips
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Post by Bwoods11 on Dec 13, 2019 9:55:46 GMT -6
Buck last year (150 yards) from where he died.
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Post by batman on Dec 13, 2019 10:08:30 GMT -6
Anything I cant access/exit without spooking deer is geared toward sanctuary. Unless I am intentionally queering a line or area because I hate my neighbors because they are fuckers they don't hunt like me and they are my deer and I feed them and want them older and bigger.
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Post by nhmountains on Dec 13, 2019 10:28:15 GMT -6
I think you’ve done well and agree with having sanctuaries but, you still have to have the deer want to live on your property. I have about 90 acres of sanctuary and we’ve never had any buck close to your sizewise. The deer here have other places they want to stay besides my property.
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Post by Bwoods11 on Dec 13, 2019 10:38:13 GMT -6
I think you’ve done well and agree with having sanctuaries but, you still have to have the deer want to live on your property. I have about 90 acres of sanctuary and we’ve never had any buck close to your sizewise. The deer here have other places they want to stay besides my property. I am talking bucks in general, not that size. Iowa makes a big difference. Rare to have anything like that in MN, but not looking for that in MN...... 3-5 year old bucks in MN, even keeping 2.5 year olds alive!
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Post by smsmith on Dec 13, 2019 10:43:33 GMT -6
I leave around 20 acres of cattails/tamaracks/sedge/tags on the west side of my property. I also leave a few acres of RCG/tags alone on the east side of the property, but I do disturb that area at least a couple times a year. Nobody has been through the west side sanctuary for years. I have pockets throughout my property that rarely get disturbed (less than once a year on average), but since my scent frequently drifts through those areas...they really aren't sanctuaries. The west side sanctuary gets human scent infrequently, and on a much lesser level when we do get an east wind.
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Post by mnaaron on Dec 13, 2019 11:04:28 GMT -6
We do pretty much exactly what Crazy Batman does. In addition we try and add food near the sanctuaries to try and pull does out of the sanctuaries with bucks in tow.
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Post by Bwoods11 on Dec 13, 2019 11:07:11 GMT -6
I leave around 20 acres of cattails/tamaracks/sedge/tags on the west side of my property. I also leave a few acres of RCG/tags alone on the east side of the property, but I do disturb that area at least a couple times a year. Nobody has been through the west side sanctuary for years. I have pockets throughout my property that rarely get disturbed (less than once a year on average), but since my scent frequently drifts through those areas...they really aren't sanctuaries. The west side sanctuary gets human scent infrequently, and on a much lesser level when we do get an east wind. Do you think the human scent matters if you don’t enter??
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Post by smsmith on Dec 13, 2019 11:11:16 GMT -6
I leave around 20 acres of cattails/tamaracks/sedge/tags on the west side of my property. I also leave a few acres of RCG/tags alone on the east side of the property, but I do disturb that area at least a couple times a year. Nobody has been through the west side sanctuary for years. I have pockets throughout my property that rarely get disturbed (less than once a year on average), but since my scent frequently drifts through those areas...they really aren't sanctuaries. The west side sanctuary gets human scent infrequently, and on a much lesser level when we do get an east wind. Do you think the human scent matters if you don’t enter?? Yes. My thoughts are that if a mature buck smells you...it isn't a sanctuary.
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Post by Bwoods11 on Dec 13, 2019 11:28:32 GMT -6
I would kind of disagree with that, but I am not sure. I know there are sanctuaries in metro areas that are 10 acres and full of human scent. We have a 15 acres sanctuary south of Glenwood that is very productive, but I am pretty sure our scent goes through that on occasion.
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Post by smsmith on Dec 13, 2019 11:33:33 GMT -6
In metro areas there are few if any spots for a deer to completely escape human intrusion and scent. Deer are adaptable. There are good sized chunks of ground all around the lake/swamp that I live on where a deer could spend most of it's life without getting much human scent. I believe those areas are where the mature bucks around here spend most of their lives.
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Post by badgerfowl on Dec 13, 2019 11:37:34 GMT -6
In metro areas there are few if any spots for a deer to completely escape human intrusion and scent. Deer are adaptable. There are good sized chunks of ground all around the lake/swamp that I live on where a deer could spend most of it's life without getting much human scent. I believe those areas are where the mature bucks around here spend most of their lives. We could shoot bigger bucks off the deck at my parents place on Redstone than we do at the land. My mom saw more deer during rifle season than we did and she didn't even hunt. Some really nice deer in the "no hunting" zone right by the lake.
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Post by batman on Dec 13, 2019 11:57:31 GMT -6
I would kind of disagree with that, but I am not sure. I know there are sanctuaries in metro areas that are 10 acres and full of human scent. We have a 15 acres sanctuary south of Glenwood that is very productive, but I am pretty sure our scent goes through that on occasion. When human scent suprises deer they take offense. Same with sights and sounds. The surprise is what upsets the deer.
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Post by jbird on Dec 13, 2019 12:11:34 GMT -6
HIGH STEM COUNT with an elevation advantage! In my neck of the woods....or lack there of. High stem count areas that are left alone are deer magnets. This can be woody stems or grass/weeds or a combination. The bigger the area the better. Give me a high stem count with a little elevation advantage and it be left the hell alone from people or dogs and you will have deer in there. We typically hunt the plots near these areas or the connecting cover between these areas (since that is about all I have).
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Post by Sandbur on Dec 13, 2019 12:48:29 GMT -6
HIGH STEM COUNT with an elevation advantage! In my neck of the woods....or lack there of. High stem count areas that are left alone are deer magnets. This can be woody stems or grass/weeds or a combination. The bigger the area the better. Give me a high stem count with a little elevation advantage and it be left the hell alone from people or dogs and you will have deer in there. We typically hunt the plots near these areas or the connecting cover between these areas (since that is about all I have). Read cornfields for 60 plus days.
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