Iowa Crush Cam

[Hardwood11]

When I say kids I mean young adults. One thing that’s changed is social media. These young guys share hunts all the time.

Plus they seem to be more willing to drive a distance to hunt or fish. I rarely left the county to hunt until I was 18.

 

[northcedar]

If anyone (kids included!) have some fun hunts on a deer "farm" then I'd sure as heck hope they'll take some measures at some point to join the party. All about priorities. Most people with a head on their shoulders and a decent job should be able to buy 20 or 40 acres, work their tail off, hand seed an awesome plot, create cover, etc. It's a start. Next step is passing a few bucks up. The whole thing is a process, and the beauty is that everyone can choose how deep they go.

My buddy is in his 30's. He has access to a decent 80. A couple other guys have access too. To the point that it's way over-pressured. The elderly owners, who also happen to be his neighbors, absolutely like him, and they only see the other hunters every few years. I told him to offer them a long term lease. He said he can't afford it. He can. He has a monster truck for a daily driver and is looking to trade his Ranger crew cab for a Northstar 1000 w/ hvac. Those cost 25k+. My only point here, is that it's all about priorities. He wants a monster buck and great all-around deer hunting, but he won't pony up a single penny to achieve it. He came from a family of deer hunters who believed "ya never pay for deer hunting".

Treat it like a job. Start out serving ice cream cones, then eventually own your welding truck or accounting firm. Yeah I agree, if a kid gets to start out hunting at the Lakosky ranch with Tiff, then it might be all downhill after that. Honestly, what are the Lakoskys, like 1 in a million? Who here even owns 600 acres? I'd venture not more than a few? Over here on the wrong side of the river, I don't know anyone within 30 miles who owns 600 acres of hunting land. In fact, some of the biggest, deepest deer woods are public.

 

[isu22andy]

If you own 20- 40 acres do you only hunt that 20-40 acres for the rest of your life ? Say you want coyote call Farmer Johns 1000 acres he farms but Farmer John and his buddy’s wants to deer hunt your 20-40 acres in exchange cause it buts up to his .... Do you let it happen ?

The median household income in Iowa is $60,000 . Throw two kids in it - vehicle and mortgage .... how much are you willing to sacrifice to shoot big bucks if your TRUELY an average joe . Not everyone was raised the same or wanted a deer farm from age 25 . Some people got into it when they were 50 and financially unstable , sure they made some mistakes but now what ?


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[northcedar]

In my case? I'd hunt my 20-40 and toss the coyote 1000 to the curb. If it's an either or.

I know what you're saying though, the coyote guys are getting religious about it and no amount of ground is too much for them.

 

[northcedar]

If a husband and wife were bringing in 60K, they're possibly out of the buying market. I'd be saving my nickels to come up with a yearly leasing budget of 1K or whatever is possible, if that's what it had to come to. Just brain-storming here.

 

[Sligh1]

Agree on above- priorities & discipline! I bought my 1st farm at 21 or 22.... I literally saved since I was 13-14 with my lawn mowing jobs & saved while working through college while paying for it & worked extra & set it aside. Got roommate out of college to cut costs & on a “decent income” had enough for down payment on 80 acres. Never stopped since. Not always fun but very doable for those driven & willing to find a way. No, u make $10/hour & pop out 3 kids- sure, u would not be wise to think u r buying some land next year.

DISCUSSING “BIG FARMS”....

• Even with giant farms “deer farms” there’s a huge spectrum of how they are handled.... this could be a massively long post..... I’ll try and keep it shorter.... I’ll fire off examples.... good or bad or indifferent.....

• Some own massive amounts of land- hire work done & target bucks based on cams. This may be the simplest but “reasonably effective strategy” that a few use.... not calling this good, bad or indifferent- just stating the method & mindset here. & in all fairness- maybe it’s a guy who worked hard & is now “60” & wants to “enjoy life” - I can’t fault that guy. Nor am I.

• some have giant farms which are so mis-managed & poorly hunted it would blow your mind!!! Examples of this are crazy & I see it a lot.... no timber management, poor habitat & food plot skills/knowledge. Don’t shoot any bully or cull bucks & just top end the farm leaving old bullies to overtake it. Too many does. Hunt it wrong in so many ways- that just is endless. These are the big land owners I talk to that are greatly dissatisfied with the results - & there’s a lot of them. HUNTING THEM WRONG!!!!!..... huge!!!!!!!! Just because u can afford a big farm does not mean u have hunting skills. Seen this gap countless times!!!

• some who spend more time on habitat, conservation, management, balance, making each farm reach its potential than time spent hunting. Often times these are NOT ego-hunters just out to kill a high scoring deer. They care about land, overall management, sharing it & conserving it foremost. Work the farms all weeks of the year (maybe farm &/or make living off the land) and some I would say like the management & habitat more than the hunting. (Does anyone have a guess who might fit into this category ?!?!?!)

• some who own a gazillion farms in tons of locations and hunt xyz farm based on what’s on it. Want lots of options & back up plans. Downside is- all those farms don’t get to potential and don’t get massive amount of attention - it’s just increasing opportunities by #’s.

• big farms “without a giant to hunt”. Yes, I’ve seen this on many farms depending on the year. I assure u..... u take ONE farm, say 1,000 acres.... “giant farm” whatever u call it. I promise u- there’s years in there where there is NOT a “giant” (say 175+). There may be years where there’s a few. But- don’t think because u have a giant farm- it’s packed full of pigs - not the case.

• When I was younger & hunted “junk” or small over pressured farms I would always say “man, if we had 640 acres, we’d grow 200’s every year!!!!!” Or whatever the dream phrase was we believed. I’m telling u- it’s not true and that dream is just that- a dream. “The places with lots of giant bucks don’t really have a lot of giant bucks”..... telling u- there’s less monsters on these “dream farms” than anyone could imagine unless u finally see it.

• I’ve seen “dream farms” where I am pretty sure I could hunt permission ground or big tracts of public & have a better chance at a giant. Lots of reasons - some mentioned above.... sometimes these great farms get out of control & mismanaged they actually go down hill.

• the man power, equipment, strategy, implementation, money, patrolling/problems, never ending work that goes into a big farm DONE RIGHT - is mind boggling!!!! MOST the time it’s not done right!!!

this is in reference to no one specifically. Yes- I’ve been on many of “the great farms” all over the place. I am lucky to have what I do but going from “junk” to “great land” - it’s not what it appears- I assure u!!!! It’s fantastic & awesome to own land but it’s not like there’s giants all over. Doesn’t exist!!!! It’s the equivalent of saying “I’d be happy for the rest of my life if I won the lottery or made a few hundred million dollars”. It’s not how it works & usually not true after a short amount of time goes by. Same with MOST of these giant farms, on average. It’s not what it seems from the outside - I assure u. Great problem to have but big farms are complex and far more to it than can even be explained.

 

[Obsessed]

Iowa deer hunting, 2020, where you've got to pay to play with the TV celebrities. Totally different from the 'hunting' that I grew up with and that I still love to this day. Deer did pretty well here before deer hunting became so commercialized and people started locking down private properties to farm their deer. Not my thing. Not what makes hunting enjoyable. Not really hunting at all. More like farming. Yep, I'm sticking to my guns on this one...

 

[Daver]

... I told him to offer them a long term lease. He said he can't afford it. He can. He has a monster truck for a daily driver and is looking to trade his Ranger crew cab for a Northstar 1000 w/ hvac. Those cost 25k+. My only point here, is that it's all about priorities. He wants a monster buck and great all-around deer hunting, but he won't pony up a single penny to achieve it. He came from a family of deer hunters who believed "ya never pay for deer hunting".

...

Excellent perspective. ^^ FWIW, I was 45 years old before I bought my first new vehicle. I bought my farm about 7 years before that. We live in a modest house, we did not take "big" vacations, I always had a "main" job but did many other things on the side to earn extra money too, etc, etc, etc. Perhaps owning their own farm is not something that EVERYONE can do...but it is in reach of 90% of the people...provided they are willing to focus and prioritize on it v. spending their money on various other things.

 

[hillrunner]

Yep, I'm sticking to my guns on this one...

There is nothing surprising about this statement. I don't think I have ever seen anyone concede an argument on the internet, not even once. Arguing with strangers on the internet is a total waste of time , but some people sure seem to enjoy it.

 

[Hardwood11]

Iowa deer hunting, 2020, where you've got to pay to play with the TV celebrities. Totally different from the 'hunting' that I grew up with and that I still love to this day. Deer did pretty well here before deer hunting became so commercialized and people started locking down private properties to farm their deer. Not my thing. Not what makes hunting enjoyable. Not really hunting at all. More like farming. Yep, I'm sticking to my guns on this one...

Not like it matters because big farms are common and they won’t be asking you before they buy them.

Iowa has big farms, head west young man ... these are small ??

 

[iowavf]

I commend you for taking youth out. It's one of the most rewarding experiences I've personally had within deer hunting.

Since you claim it as your 'deer farm', what are the chances these youth are able to replicate the same type of success in the real world, when they are no longer selectively invited onto your privately managed property? Sure, you're providing these youth with an exciting experience on your 'deer farm', but not a realistic one that they can replicate on their own. To say they're 'hooked now' is a bit premature, I'd say. How quickly have you seen excited youth and young adults lose passion in something as soon as reality sets in? Providing an exciting experience to youth on privately 'farmed' property does not equate to the creation of lifelong hunters. In-fact, it could do the exact opposite and actually turn them off once they try hunting on their own in the real world. They'll always remember the exciting experience they had with you at your place though. So, kudos to you.

I think it's more about teaching them good hunting skills, and yes you still need to have hunting skills even on a deer farm just as you do it the real world! Hunting public or the real world as you stated, doesn't automatically make you a better hunter than a person who hunts private ground. A person with good hunting skills can hunt anywhere and enjoy the experience. It should be more about hunting and not having to kill something every year. If the youth have the passion to want to hunt and like it, they'll keep hunting, if they don't then yes they may stop hunting, just like other things they do when growing up. I think a lot of hunters dream of killing a big deer, but they don't give up hunting when they don't. It's just part of the rush when going hunting, there's always that chance that a big buck will show up no matter where you're hunting.

 

[IowaBowHunter1983]

Deer farming or not deer farming there is somthing to be said for improving the habitat. It's truly a joy that some will never understand. There are benefits far reaching beyond killing a deer. TSI, NWSG plantings, tree plantings, orchards, foodplots, wind breaks/screening... it benefits wildlife of all shapes and sizes. The amount of acres transformed by "deer farming" is incredibly and in my opinion a huge benefit to the natural world. Personally, it's my passion, probably more so than hunting.

 

[mplane72]

I've been debating adding my 2 cents to this thread for a few days. I have a few minutes so what the hell.

Like the way things are going or not it is pretty obvious that it's not good for the over all future of hunters and hunting. That's especially true in a state like Iowa that has so little public land. Access is even becoming an issue in state's with large amounts of public land in the West. Even though hunter numbers are falling over crowding on public land even in the west is becoming an issue. I'm pretty sure we will be seeing some significant changes to the OTC tag allocations in the very friendly NR hunter state of CO in the not to distant future. The residents are getting pissed and eventually their legislature will have to listen to them.

Hunters are a selfish bunch especially with all the horn porn going on now. I fully support private property rights. You own the land you control the access. Fortunately owning land does not mean you own the wildlife.

It sucks but hunting in the US will eventually go the way of Europe. I do have serious concerns about my son's and especially my future grandchildren's ability to be hunters if they so chose. Access to a quality experience is getting expensive that is a fact and it's not good.

I hope I am wrong but I think an honest assessment of the situation does not give one reason to be optimistic.

 

[Daver]

Deer farming or not deer farming there is somthing to be said for improving the habitat. It's truly a joy that some will never understand. There are benefits far reaching beyond killing a deer. TSI, NWSG plantings, tree plantings, orchards, foodplots, wind breaks/screening... it benefits wildlife of all shapes and sizes. The amount of acres transformed by "deer farming" is incredibly and in my opinion a huge benefit to the natural world. Personally, it's my passion, probably more so than hunting.

Exactly. ^^ When I bought my farm approximately 20 years ago there were no quail, now there are plenty. There were few pheasants, now there are "some" and I think they will blossom in the next couple of years since my CRP is now in a much better planting for them. There were no fish, as the pond there didn't support them, now there is a beautiful pond, with many good fish in it. Believe it or not, there weren't many deer either, as nothing had ever been done to the habitat to improve it for Mr. Whitetail. Now there are many, healthy deer and a good number of mature bucks to chase as well.

I suspect that I am one that could be considered a deer farmer I suppose...funny thing though, there is FAR MORE wildlife living on my farm now than there was 20 years ago AND I shoot fewer deer per year than I did back in the day. Also, I am quite content with the state of affairs there and enjoy doing the work to bring the fruit to the table...even if it is mostly others then that bag Mr. Big.

More people recreate on my farm, with enjoyment and success, now than before I bought it and turned it into a deer farm too. I don't see all of this as a bad thing.

 

[mplane72]

Deer farming or not deer farming there is somthing to be said for improving the habitat. It's truly a joy that some will never understand. There are benefits far reaching beyond killing a deer. TSI, NWSG plantings, tree plantings, orchards, foodplots, wind breaks/screening... it benefits wildlife of all shapes and sizes. The amount of acres transformed by "deer farming" is incredibly and in my opinion a huge benefit to the natural world. Personally, it's my passion, probably more so than hunting.

I fully agree. However, when I see biologists make a recommendation to do something like ban artificial mineral sites because of CWD it seems the biggest push back is from the "deer managers". I know that there are many honorable land stewards out there. There are also many that just want a big rack.

Deer make people crazy.

 

[Obsessed]

I've been debating adding my 2 cents to this thread for a few days. I have a few minutes so what the hell.

Like the way things are going or not it is pretty obvious that it's not good for the over all future of hunters and hunting. That's especially true in a state like Iowa that has so little public land. Access is even becoming an issue in state's with large amounts of public land in the West. Even though hunter numbers are falling over crowding on public land even in the west is becoming an issue. I'm pretty sure we will be seeing some significant changes to the OTC tag allocations in the very friendly NR hunter state of CO in the not to distant future. The residents are getting pissed and eventually their legislature will have to listen to them.

Hunters are a selfish bunch especially with all the horn porn going on now. I fully support private property rights. You own the land you control the access. Fortunately owning land does not mean you own the wildlife.

It sucks but hunting in the US will eventually go the way of Europe. I do have serious concerns about my son's and especially my future grandchildren's ability to be hunters if they so chose. Access to a quality experience is getting expensive that is a fact and it's not good.

I hope I am wrong but I think an honest assessment of the situation does not give one reason to be optimistic.

Very well said mp72.

 

[iowavf]

Exactly. ^^ When I bought my farm approximately 20 years ago there were no quail, now there are plenty. There were few pheasants, now there are "some" and I think they will blossom in the next couple of years since my CRP is now in a much better planting for them. There were no fish, as the pond there didn't support them, now there is a beautiful pond, with many good fish in it. Believe it or not, there weren't many deer either, as nothing had ever been done to the habitat to improve it for Mr. Whitetail. Now there are many, healthy deer and a good number of mature bucks to chase as well.

I suspect that I am one that could be considered a deer farmer I suppose...funny thing though, there is FAR MORE wildlife living on my farm now than there was 20 years ago AND I shoot fewer deer per year than I did back in the day. Also, I am quite content with the state of affairs there and enjoy doing the work to bring the fruit to the table...even if it is mostly others then that bag Mr. Big.

More people recreate on my farm, with enjoyment and success, now than before I bought it and turned it into a deer farm too. I don't see all of this as a bad thing.

I would agree with this. These species you now have on your farm more than likely gross the fence to other places too and hunted by others, well be sides the fish you have in your fish farm.

 

[Daver]

I would agree with this. These species you now have on your farm more than likely gross the fence to other places too and hunted by others, well be sides the fish you have in your fish farm.

Fish farm...LOLOLOLOLOL. That cracked me up. Not only am I dirty deer farmer...I guess I am also a bad guy for fish farming too.

 

[Hardwood11]

The most satisfying farm situation for me was turning a marginal, poor crop and pasture farm into a wildlife paradise. 148 acres. There was hardly a tree on this farm. Most of the trees, ponds cost etc... were paid for by CRP, RIM, wetland restoration and USFW.

50,000 trees, plus new ponds, a dam on a creek, food plots, 19 years into it.

We went from literally no animals outside of a few predators and an occasional pheasant to having 100+ pheasants and at least 12-15 deer. Ducks, geese, everything... a lot of fun!

Some of the trees are now 20 feet tall, and a few oaks are producing acorns.

 

[Obsessed]

Fish farm...LOLOLOLOLOL. That cracked me up. Not only am I dirty deer farmer...I guess I am also a bad guy for fish farming too.

Hey now, I've never called anybody a 'dirty deer farmer'...