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Post by badbrad on Jul 25, 2017 13:42:01 GMT -6
A little slow so I decided I was going to come up with a topic. How many habitat obsessive guys that you know of that kill big bucks every year? I know Mo has said the best way to kill big bucks isn't to buy a piece and improve the habitat. The best way is to buy the right piece of land and stay out until the right time and then hunt and kill.
Doing that and staying out isn't going to satisfy the habitat fix for most of you guys including myself. So most of us are in the woods a lot, improving the deer habitat. Are we chasing away those big bucks? Are we making it so no big buck wants to live or travel through our ground much because those bucks consider our lands pressured? We may make our land have all the food and cover deer want and need but do they feel safe there?
I can say once I get my plan implemented I am going to try and stay out a lot more and try and make my land seem less pressured through-out the year. The projects I will want to do I will save for winter or early spring and not really go in unless it is to plant food plots. I am ok with staying out of my land to make my hunting better. Where are you on this? No right or wrong answers.
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Post by leexrayshady on Jul 25, 2017 13:51:03 GMT -6
that's tough as I think most of us enjoy tinkering with the land just as much as we do hunting, I got to say that chances at any buck has increased since I have started improving things
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Post by kl9 on Jul 25, 2017 14:10:54 GMT -6
I think this has some to do with the size of the property as well as what percentage of the parcel you're tinkering with
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Post by Bwoods11 on Jul 25, 2017 14:11:16 GMT -6
I have noticed that guys that spend a lot of time on their land do seem to complain about not seeing bucks. Myself, I would say, I do best on farms that I leave from August-late October...minimal intrusion.
Habitat will help long term. Without some of the spruce, cedar and oak trees, I would have no deer on one of my farms.
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Post by badbrad on Jul 25, 2017 14:13:31 GMT -6
I have noticed that guys that spend a lot of time on their land do seem to complain about not seeing bucks. Myself, I would say, I do best on farms that I leave from August-late October...minimal intrusion. Habitat will help long term. Without some of the spruce, cedar and oak trees, I would have no deer on one of my farms. I have no question all the habitat work increases "deer" that use the property and the ability to see and kill deer while hunting. I would say the same with younger bucks. I was getting at mature old big bucks. At some point of course those does that use the land should bring in those mature big bucks. |
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Post by smsmith on Jul 25, 2017 14:25:47 GMT -6
I haven't shot a "big" buck since moving here. I don't think there's any doubt that excessive human intrusion will reduce the chances of seeing/shooting a mature buck. The problem is "excessive" varies from spot to spot. In remote areas with infrequent human disturbance for miles and miles...a single time of bumping a mature buck may result in his not using that area ever again. In suburbia, that isn't going to happen.
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Post by batman on Jul 25, 2017 14:30:31 GMT -6
Human presence does not always queer the mature buck chances. Routine human presence can increase your chances. But you have to hunt spots with LOTS of mature bucks to have any real chance of success. Those spots are few and far between.
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Post by Catscratch on Jul 25, 2017 14:40:11 GMT -6
My dad has 160 acres and is on it every single day. He isn't much on deer hunting but loves to hunt ducks, doves, and quail. He does a lot of deer related improvements but "sanctuary" certainly isn't one of them. With that said he still has big bucks on the place from time to time (when I say big I mean BIG compared to the one's I'm use to seeing). They are huntable but usually show up around 1:00am instead.
The place I have is a little different. It's about 1000 acres continuous with larger chunks around it. I am on some of it relentlessly and have lots of nice sized deer on the plots that I frequent (basically in the yard and where all of my posted pics come from). But when it's time to hunt I go to remote places that don't see any humans other than feed truck a couple of times a yr. This is where I see; the biggest bucks, in the daylight, during hunting season.
Like said before, it depends on what the deer are use to and what you want to see.
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Post by wklman on Jul 25, 2017 15:20:57 GMT -6
I'm lucky enough to be an absentee land owner with decent neighbors. I'm at my land 2-3 times a year at most and still stay out of the woods if possible. I've got a few mature bucks every year around and think they're there because I'm not. I believe if I lived close to where my land was I'd see fewer of those mature deer on my property. Reason being I'd be there a lot more fooling around. I've got a western background when it comes to deer hunting and have found here in az the biggest bucks are in the most remote, least disturbed areas.
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Post by Reagan on Jul 25, 2017 16:35:40 GMT -6
I share a lease with a father son team that have killed more big bucks than anyone I know.
They don't do much for habitat other than a couple of plots and harvesting timber to make a dollar now and then. They are very good hunters. I think I'm pretty good too. The biggest difference between them and me is time in the stand and making the shot count.
They don't have young kids so they hunt more than me. They spend more vacation time hunting and they live near the area.
As for making the shot, I've blown it on 3 nice bucks in the last 10-11 years. They haven't.
We are all only bow hunters.
I think Ohio has a lot of good areas that can produce good deer if they are left alone and not shot to hell during our gun season. Better habitat is a good thing but I don't see it as a requirement to killing a nice deer here.
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Post by sd51555 on Jul 25, 2017 17:01:07 GMT -6
If I was in this to shoot a big buck, I'd have been put in the loony bin five years ago.
I can't afford good land, so I'm not going to put off living my dream for another 10-20 years to chase it. I'm damn thankful I finally have a piece to call my own and manage my way. I do get more out of habitat work than killing a deer. Seeing a deer in my plot is about the height of my passion. I also get a funny feeling in my special area when I can point to a habitat improvement and the subsequent deer usage.
Is there a connection to habitat nuts and big buck success? I don't think there is any connection at all. I knew guys in SE MN that hunted the same stand no matter the wind, grouse hunted it in October, partied all summer at it. Still shot multiple 130+" deer every year. I would venture to guess, up by me, there is maybe 1 100+" deer per 5 square miles. No amount of work is going to put more of them on the landscape when we've got 1.5 hunters per deer in the woods and 16 days to seal the deal on anything brown.
Now, here's my goal: To offer the best 40 acres in the neighborhood. The best plots, the best native browse, the best cover, the least intrusion, and the smartest stand access and usage strategy. Will I kill the big one? Big one is probably 4 miles away laying in cattails. But I can watch the junior high dance on my property and get blasted drunk with Omaha Steve and sister brother.
I'm with you Brad, as soon as I'm done with the major projects on my land, I would be happy as hell to stay out after spring plots are in. I could settle for going in once in July to mow, once in August to seed fall plots, and once early September to pull cards once more and do a final check on stands. Beyond that, I don't need to sweat my ass off, freak out over imaginary ticks on my back while I'm sleeping, or scrape horse flies off my hard hat. I'm already looking at pulling back next year if I get this year's stuff done. Most of my habitat work will get done November/December at the hands of my chainsaw and native seeding experiment. I want to use my vacation days for bowhunting and ice fishing, not planting trees, mowing, and spraying.
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Post by smsmith on Jul 25, 2017 17:28:26 GMT -6
Now, here's my goal: To offer the best 40 acres in the neighborhood. Pretty much where I'm at here. I have no delusions that this place is ever going to be a "big buck heaven". I do think there's a legitimate chance at a P&Y type buck here most years. Whether a guy closes the deal or not...that's a different story. |
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Post by jbird on Jul 25, 2017 18:13:41 GMT -6
I know of very few folks that do significant habitat work AND kill big bucks EVERY year. And I mean B&C type big...not P&Y type big. Most habitat guys (myself included) enjoy the work too much or lack the funds to do everything in a year or two and then not touch anything until hunting season. That is where you have to be honest with yourself and your goals. If your hell bent on getting a booner every year....out stomping around the place every weekend is NOT the way to accomplish that. I can't imaging having the entire place sit there and do nothing with it until 2 or 3 weeks of the year.....just sounds like a waste to me. Hunting is never going to make me famous or rich, and I don't want it to, so I might as well enjoy what I do have. If I need a big buck every year to support my self-worth then my priorities are all fucked up!!!! You better have a whole lot of ground, a damn big fence and plenty deep pockets if you want to have your cake and eat it too in that world!
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Post by biglakebass on Jul 25, 2017 18:20:38 GMT -6
We do all kinds of work.
Doesnt do shit with crap neighbors.
I have fun.
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Post by badbrad on Jul 25, 2017 18:26:21 GMT -6
Good posts guys as always
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