deep woods goat hunter
PMA Member
I'll just leave this here.. anxious to see everyones reaction.
Food Plots Destroying Deer Hunting....?
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At first I didn’t know where Jeff was headed with this message, but he is mostly right although his message was a bit confusing to start with.
Bottom line if you’re a crappy hunter your going to be a crappy hunter with or without foodplots.
Nothing earth shattering here but cliffnotes/takeaways.
For a lot of hunters, woodsman ship is dying. Between foodplots and cameras reading the land and sign seems to be a dying art. There are a lot of people that rely on gadgets or think they can outsmart a deers nose or whatever because that is what the hunting industry is trying to sell them. Key word INDUSTRTY. I do think cameras have helped perpetuate better age structure. In most situations the effective use of cameras will tell you the oldest deer in the area. It is no longer a mystery. So people have reason to hold out when they may have otherwise shot a younger deer.
I disagree with his comments that foodplots are not affecting herd health because they have plenty to eat. I can cite several examples. Ie…. First thing to green up in the spring is clover and rye. It is by far the best food source available to a whitetail at that time of year and it happens to be when they need it the most coming off winter. That most certainly affects a whitetails overall health and their ability to express their best potential.
If mature deer are avoiding foodplots then folks are hunting them way to much and most likely have not spent enough time thinking about and evaluating their access both in and out. I think this is the single most thing that hunters screw up. Access is paramount.
If your riding an ATV to your stand/blind….. well your'e kinda dumb. That doesn’t apply to folks on here but plenty of folks in facebook world!
Bottom line if you’re a crappy hunter your going to be a crappy hunter with or without foodplots.
Nothing earth shattering here but cliffnotes/takeaways.
For a lot of hunters, woodsman ship is dying. Between foodplots and cameras reading the land and sign seems to be a dying art. There are a lot of people that rely on gadgets or think they can outsmart a deers nose or whatever because that is what the hunting industry is trying to sell them. Key word INDUSTRTY. I do think cameras have helped perpetuate better age structure. In most situations the effective use of cameras will tell you the oldest deer in the area. It is no longer a mystery. So people have reason to hold out when they may have otherwise shot a younger deer.
I disagree with his comments that foodplots are not affecting herd health because they have plenty to eat. I can cite several examples. Ie…. First thing to green up in the spring is clover and rye. It is by far the best food source available to a whitetail at that time of year and it happens to be when they need it the most coming off winter. That most certainly affects a whitetails overall health and their ability to express their best potential.
If mature deer are avoiding foodplots then folks are hunting them way to much and most likely have not spent enough time thinking about and evaluating their access both in and out. I think this is the single most thing that hunters screw up. Access is paramount.
If your riding an ATV to your stand/blind….. well your'e kinda dumb. That doesn’t apply to folks on here but plenty of folks in facebook world!
Bassattackr
Well-Known Member
I learned a long time ago nothing Sturgis posts is worth my time..
I will say this though, he's got the clickbait thing down pat.
I will say this though, he's got the clickbait thing down pat.
JOSHBRNDT
Active Member
I don't disagree with him at all. I've got friends that high dollar blinds. zero access points in getting in and out and they don't see big bucks. I believe if you can access food plots in and out they are a great resource. Playing the wind is also highly needed. I've TSI about 15 acres, so Setting on food plots with the right wind will only help your cause as you are putting in bedding and browse and green.
I agree woodsmanship is dead for the most part. Everyone hunts turkeys out of blinds now because its more comfortable and they can get away with more movement. I hate hunting out of blinds even for deer, let alone turkeys. I'd rather beat the turkeys in the open and the deer 20 feet up.
I agree woodsmanship is dead for the most part. Everyone hunts turkeys out of blinds now because its more comfortable and they can get away with more movement. I hate hunting out of blinds even for deer, let alone turkeys. I'd rather beat the turkeys in the open and the deer 20 feet up.
Daver
PMA Member
IMO, you nailed it. ^^ Especially the part about late winter/early spring plots, namely rye and clover. When I first bought my farm about 20 years ago there was no food besides natural browse, which was muted due to lack of TSI, etc, and acorns. True, in some years the acorn crop was very abundant, but in other years it was pretty limited. Once I started putting in rye/clover the number of deer that called my place home largely year round went up by about 500%...because I now had "year round" food...albeit not perfect, but FAR better than what had been the norm previously.
I watch his stuff from time to time, but I am kind of left with the feeling that I am very glad that I am not trying to make my living blogging about deer hunting, so as to generate enough "clicks" and "likes" daily to feed my family...as I would run out of valid and valuable things to say before too long.
There is plenty of "content" being produced these days that is overly contrived IMO...but whatcha gonna do if that is your job?
Daver
PMA Member
IMO, pretty much any hunting scenario that leads to deer being able to see you going to and from your hunting destination and/or smell you while you hunting is going to lead to fewer and fewer deer sightings and very few older deer sightings.
As a for instance, last year my son was hunting one specific buck on our farm that was at least 6 years old. Between the two of us we hunted him very, very carefully and he was able to have 5 quality encounters with him, missing him at 28 yards one time, harrumph. He was later taken during the shotgun season by a neighbor, ending the cat and mouse game at our place. But even with the disappointment in not getting him, we both felt pretty good about his ability to be "in the game" with this brute so many times last fall. Without careful entry/exit plans and hunting the wind right, etc, none of that would have been possible...and he was a smart deer too.
bkcrrtnps
Well-Known Member
Hunting the wind or worrying about deer seeing you enter/exit is overrated! Many people condition the deer to see them as a “threat” v a “non-threat”. Go lay down residual scent in his core area on a regular basis and let him see you and it’s a non issue. Why do you think farming we can see so many big mature deer regularly? The Amish don’t use scent control and the deer get use to a certain residual scent and see it as a “non-threat”…
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bkcrrtnps
Well-Known Member
Daver
PMA Member
Well, not to be duplicitous, but I also agree with this. I think it is situational, and although I didn't explain it well earlier...there are some ways that we do "act natural" and the deer are cool with it, because they are used to it. But other things that we do to make sure that they don't know that they are being hunted too that really seem to help keep them calm and getting on their feet during daylight hours. Mixed bag...depending.
hillrunner
PMA Member
The deer blow at me when I'm walking across my own yard in the evening. I don't know how to be any less threatening than that .
Good video. He nailed it.
Wi transplant
PMA Member
I agree to a point! If you have a buck that calls your farm home for several years I agree that he can get a little de sensitized to your individual scent . But what about the bucks that only occasionally use your place? Or the giant that wanders through during the rut? He not sticking around if there's human oder drifting through or deposited from sloppy entrance and exit stratagies!! My 2 cents!
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Ive not seen a buck that wasn’t bothered if he caught my scent. Especially when I wanted him to get in bow range. But that’s me.
Ive hunted without plots for probably 70% of my “hunting life”. Could continue but I do like plots & the deer health is a huge benefit - like above said (clover - spot on). Or having grain left after hunting season is over & a hard winter hits. If I were a NR & didnt hunt every year- I’d still do plots. For health & other reasons.
& spot on- you can’t make someone a great hunter with a few tricks. Some guys have been at it for years & it’s just a struggle for them. I personally know guys with huge farms & massive plots that don’t have results anyone would expect. Old deer are smart- plots or not. You could have an IQ of a genius but lack hunting skills- happens all the time.
Plots are one tool of hunting. Relying on them 100% will most likely result in mediocre results & IMO- not much fun. Using Them for health & some hunting is fun & rewarding. OR…. saving young bucks to live another year - it does help. That’s a double edged sword & might cause some folks to get ticked off BUT… if u have neighbors that kill any young buck they can…. A plot or 2 done strategically, sure can come in handy as a legit tool to help those young bucks escape & make it another year.
Ive hunted without plots for probably 70% of my “hunting life”. Could continue but I do like plots & the deer health is a huge benefit - like above said (clover - spot on). Or having grain left after hunting season is over & a hard winter hits. If I were a NR & didnt hunt every year- I’d still do plots. For health & other reasons.
& spot on- you can’t make someone a great hunter with a few tricks. Some guys have been at it for years & it’s just a struggle for them. I personally know guys with huge farms & massive plots that don’t have results anyone would expect. Old deer are smart- plots or not. You could have an IQ of a genius but lack hunting skills- happens all the time.
Plots are one tool of hunting. Relying on them 100% will most likely result in mediocre results & IMO- not much fun. Using Them for health & some hunting is fun & rewarding. OR…. saving young bucks to live another year - it does help. That’s a double edged sword & might cause some folks to get ticked off BUT… if u have neighbors that kill any young buck they can…. A plot or 2 done strategically, sure can come in handy as a legit tool to help those young bucks escape & make it another year.