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Post by Freeborn on Nov 1, 2021 13:48:29 GMT -6
I don't walk into the back side of my property from August through the end of all of the deer seasons and that has worked well for me. I could add food plots, trails, etc. there, but it would likely hurt my deer hunting. My neighbor did that and the deer use his property less than they did prior to his arrival and his "improvements". I think this is an important practice if you are hunting mature bucks, you can't use a portion you have setup as sanctuary for a good part of the year. If you walk or drive across your property for hunting or work you decrease the chances of killing a mature buck. I'm a big believer in having a sanctuary, zero trails through it and one primary food plot where you setup stands to intercept deer coming from feeding and bedding. I don't think mature deer are killed very often on large food plots and more often than not are killed closer to their bedding areas. The key is to access your stand near bedding and catching them in transition.
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Post by wklman on Nov 1, 2021 14:42:03 GMT -6
I don't walk into the back side of my property from August through the end of all of the deer seasons and that has worked well for me. I could add food plots, trails, etc. there, but it would likely hurt my deer hunting. My neighbor did that and the deer use his property less than they did prior to his arrival and his "improvements". Preach brother! When I looked at my place last year before I bought it the guy had brush hogged trails all throughout the place. I told him the first thing I'm gonna do is let them grow in. He thought I was crazy. 1 season without mowing has already changed things for the better. Tall grass has grown in on all the trails and deer have moved back in. I'll take an 80 of security cover over a 160 with manicured trails covering it all day long.
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Post by Catscratch on Nov 6, 2021 18:14:35 GMT -6
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Post by Catscratch on Nov 6, 2021 18:21:06 GMT -6
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Post by Freeborn on Nov 9, 2021 5:44:09 GMT -6
I pulled my cameras this past weekend as I shut down camp and this deer is the best I have. This quality and sometimes a little better is as good as I see on my place. I believe there is allot more potential in my/our deer herd that is never realized because deer like the one attached never gets to 5 years old. I blame the MDA, the DNR and the people who support them for lack of a deer management plan that includes larger bucks. I agree a deer plan needs to be broad based but excluding the development of bigger bucks tells me the MDA and DNR are only interested in hunters who support their brown is down herd management philosophy. If the state included in their plans some effort for managing for larger bucks I believe they could without excluding other hunters interest. I just don't see any compromise from the the MDA/DNR and the brown is down crowd that supports them.
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Post by smsmith on Nov 9, 2021 6:46:47 GMT -6
MN's deer hunters are ultimately at fault for the lack of 3.5+ year old bucks. MDHA and the DNR have certainly impacted the culture of deer hunting here, but hunters pull the trigger.
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Post by Freeborn on Nov 9, 2021 7:34:52 GMT -6
MN's deer hunters are ultimately at fault for the lack of 3.5+ year old bucks. MDHA and the DNR have certainly impacted the culture of deer hunting here, but hunters pull the trigger. Agree, but I think there is room for all in a bigger tent. The culture here is to shoot whatever walks by because the belief is your neighbor will do the same. This is a culture promoted/supported by the MDHA and the DNR. As much as I don't like government oversite it is sometimes necessary and in Minnesota they could use some leadership. There is quite the contrast in herd management between Minnesota and say Wisconsin and Iowa. Minnesota's DNR manages its deer herd via Totalitarianism and is not really interested in anything that is counter the political agenda. MDHA and its DNR established leadership align with the brown is down crowd therefore they make good bedfellows.
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Post by MoBuckChaser on Nov 9, 2021 7:36:06 GMT -6
MN's deer hunters are ultimately at fault for the lack of 3.5+ year old bucks. MDHA and the DNR have certainly impacted the culture of deer hunting here, but hunters pull the trigger. Agree, but I think there is room for all in a bigger tent. The culture here is to shoot whatever walks by because the belief is your neighbor will do the same. This is a culture promoted/supported by the MDHA and the DNR. As much as I don't like government oversite it is sometimes necessary and in Minnesota they could use some leadership. There is quite the contrast in herd management between Minnesota and say Wisconsin and Iowa. Minnesota's DNR manages its deer herd via Totalitarianism and is not really interested in anything that is counter the political agenda. MDHA and its DNR established leadership align with the brown is down crowd therefore they make good bedfellows. Simple fix, four point One side, antler restriction. And you will become Missouri.
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Post by smsmith on Nov 9, 2021 7:52:01 GMT -6
The actual solutions are pretty simple. It's getting people to support any change from the established norm (e.g. moving the season back a week) that is nearly impossible in this state.
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Post by MoBuckChaser on Nov 9, 2021 7:54:23 GMT -6
The actual solutions are pretty simple. It's getting people to support any change from the established norm (e.g. moving the season back a week) that is nearly impossible in this state. A few years ago when we were pretty involved in trying to get the Minnesota DNR to change their deer policy, too many people said the insurance industry will not allow it in Minnesota. They are the real ones that want every deer killed.
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Post by smsmith on Nov 9, 2021 8:09:57 GMT -6
The actual solutions are pretty simple. It's getting people to support any change from the established norm (e.g. moving the season back a week) that is nearly impossible in this state. A few years ago when we were pretty involved in trying to get the Minnesota DNR to change their deer policy, too many people said the insurance industry will not allow it in Minnesota. They are the real ones that want every deer killed. I don't think the insurance industry has that much power. If they want every deer killed around here, they are losing the battle. I'm about covered up in deer (not complaining). I haven't seen this many deer while hunting since sometime back in the 90s in central WI. Even when I talk to guys around here who are "big buck" hunters, they are mostly against making any changes to the season dates or structure. People don't like change. Also, most of those guys have found other hunters/land owners who think alike and are shooting dandy bucks. One group of guys north of me around 5 miles take at least one 150" buck every year off a couple hundred acres.
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Post by MoBuckChaser on Nov 9, 2021 8:10:54 GMT -6
A few years ago when we were pretty involved in trying to get the Minnesota DNR to change their deer policy, too many people said the insurance industry will not allow it in Minnesota. They are the real ones that want every deer killed. I don't think the insurance industry has that much power. If they want every deer killed around here, they are losing the battle. I'm about covered up in deer (not complaining). I haven't seen this many deer while hunting since sometime back in the 90s in central WI. Even when I talk to guys around here who are "big buck" hunters, they are mostly against making any changes to the season dates or structure. People don't like change. Also, most of those guys have found other hunters/land owners who think alike and are shooting dandy bucks. One group of guys north of me around 5 miles take at least one 150" buck every year off a couple hundred acres. I was told they have enough lobbyist hanging around the capital to get almost anything done they want. So I do think there’s some truth to it.
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Post by smsmith on Nov 9, 2021 8:21:47 GMT -6
I don't think the insurance industry has that much power. If they want every deer killed around here, they are losing the battle. I'm about covered up in deer (not complaining). I haven't seen this many deer while hunting since sometime back in the 90s in central WI. Even when I talk to guys around here who are "big buck" hunters, they are mostly against making any changes to the season dates or structure. People don't like change. Also, most of those guys have found other hunters/land owners who think alike and are shooting dandy bucks. One group of guys north of me around 5 miles take at least one 150" buck every year off a couple hundred acres. I was told they have enough lobbyist hanging around the capital to get almost anything done they want. So I do think there’s some truth to it. I wouldn't be surprised if they have some power in establishing harvest goals/unit designations. That said, this unit has allowed every hunter to shoot 3 deer for a few years and before then it was 2. When I bought here just seeing a deer was a big deal. Now I can't work in the woods and not see a deer. I'd guess we're right around 35-40 dpsm pre-hunt. We used to have a goal of 10-12 and in 2012 when I talked to the old DNR guy (forget his name) he said this area was "slightly below goal". During that time span we had the overall coldest winter on record in central MN for the last 100ish years. Did hunters start passing more does? Have hunter hours/effort gone way down? Did poaching in this immediate area decrease significantly (answer=yes)? Trigger control is everything. edit...oops, every hunter here for the last two years could take a total of 7 or 8 deer I believe. Early antlerless + intensive harvest.
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Post by smsmith on Nov 9, 2021 20:46:52 GMT -6
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Post by Freeborn on Nov 9, 2021 20:50:38 GMT -6
Great buck Stu, Congratulations! Beer time.
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