Bucksnbears
Well-Known Member
I think I'm done for this year.
Dismal!.
Dismal!.
deerhunter93
Well-Known Member
I have only walked twice this year which is way less than normal. Found 6. Three fresh and three that were old.
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Sent from my Pixel 6a using Tapatalk
I had a decent year mostly around home. Two bucks dropped within site of where I feed and never had pictures of them. Several that were on the corn every night I didn’t find sheds off of, idk where they go.
70 percent of my sheds come off grassy fence rows, terraces and waterways. I walk plenty of timber and just don’t find many there.
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Snail3496
Well-Known Member
Up to 16 total on our 50 acre project. All this year's sheds and only ONE match set. It's been amazing to see the transformation over the 3 full years we've had it. Closed right before '21 season, and would be lucky to see 4-5 deer in a hunt. Dead, no deer nor bucks. Property setup incredible for many reasons but previous owner had raped it.
Fast forward to now after many hours of improving cover, access, food, trigger managemnet etc. and it's the norm to see 40+ deer a night in our main field. Have killed two 5.5 yo's now and let this year's go to try and see if he could make it to 6....he made it! Lots of great 3-4 yo coming through the ranks too.
So crazy fulfilling to see the evident transformation take place over a few short years
Fast forward to now after many hours of improving cover, access, food, trigger managemnet etc. and it's the norm to see 40+ deer a night in our main field. Have killed two 5.5 yo's now and let this year's go to try and see if he could make it to 6....he made it! Lots of great 3-4 yo coming through the ranks too.
So crazy fulfilling to see the evident transformation take place over a few short years
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Hardwood11
It is going to be a good fall!
What is the key ? More food ?
sep0667
Land of the Whitetail
16 of 50 acres is super good. What have you done to turn it from poor to outstanding in just 3 years?
Snail3496
Well-Known Member
Nothing too complicated that most guys on here don't already know. It was at rock bottom and had been abused for years, so it was only uphill from where it was. The place had the "bones" to be awesome, just needed love and basic management 101
Thickened up the timber, put in a lot of year around food (Clover, greens, grains etc.) , and stayed out until the wind and time is right. Even then just staying around the edges. Gave most of the property to the deer and let them be. The main destination field and cover sit where the deer get up and feed in a "safe", completely private, direction every night which has been a big deal with keeping them away from neighbors during shooting light, especially during gun season.
What is coolest to me is seeing how we are becoming the main hub, especially as the fall/winter progresses, and seeing how there are a few classes of young deer that have been alive since we've had control. The crew of 2 and 3 year olds is substantially larger than what was around when we got it, and it's without doubt due to our control and trigger discipline.
The main 35 ac timber block has a pile of full canopy ancient white oaks that I don't have the heart to get cut, but know if they would it'd probably improve it more. They just aren't making them like that anymore in my area so it's a tough decision.
The property is fairly isolated so that is a big deal too. If it were a 50ac block of timber amongst a large continuous block of neighbors and timber, results would most likely be less drastic.
Did one last walk, still a pretty rough ratio
Up to 6 sheds, 13 antlered bucks. So 2 sheds, 3 heads this time. Also found 9 dead does on this last walk. Whenever I found a doe head, it gets wedged in a tree so I don't repeat count it.
I talked to both neighbors and a DNR officer and a Forester up here in North Central Iowa. Neighbors have only found 1 shed on about 600 acres total of darn good habitat, I have found zero on all of mine. Talked to the officer, he said he has had LOTS of calls for salvage tags. Talked to the forester, he has found TONS of dead deer while going through woods.
Officer seems to think this area didnt "report" well for EHD, stating that next year could be really bad for hunters.
Officer seems to think this area didnt "report" well for EHD, stating that next year could be really bad for hunters.
Gamekeeper 69
Member
tracker
Life Member
I have some unique ones once in a while as well. I don't find the sheds until the next year unfortunately.
When I was at the classic I was admiring some of the sheds from different states. There were several that looked like dried up root balls off of a small trees. Something you wouldn't even focus looking for when shed hunting unless you would have had a picture off a camera to know it existed....wild
When I was at the classic I was admiring some of the sheds from different states. There were several that looked like dried up root balls off of a small trees. Something you wouldn't even focus looking for when shed hunting unless you would have had a picture off a camera to know it existed....wild
letemgrow
PMA Member
They still producing acorns?
I'd study the trees over the next 3-4 years and see if some are consistently better acorn producers.
Cut out some of the others for firewood, smoking, etc and let natural regeneration (or you plant some acorns with protection) to produce the next white oaks that will be there for hundreds of years. The white oaks are a blessing, but if they're not producing acorns.....
Hardwood11
It is going to be a good fall!
Both sides in Minnesota 
Snail3496
Well-Known Member
A lot are producing based off of the caps on the ground. I like your thinking though, never crossed my mind. I'm going to start keeping tabs on them, thanks!