reading this thread has taught me... I NEED MORE MONEY!!!! Interesting thoughts though in the end you do the best with what you can afford, and with what will work in your immediate area. Blister beetles grasshoppers and army worms have me convinced that alfalfa for the deer may not be something I can manage, though the deer loved it at the critical time of early spring.
Curious if you guys who feed mineral have noticed huge differences in usage in what appear to be similar feeding spots? I have two a mile apart both in heavy cover. One gets hit 5x more than the other after 3 years Im thinking of just letting the one leech away and giving them what they want where they obviously want it.
My buck/doe ratio is amazing in summer with 12-30 bucks per evening this summer, seldom more than 5-10 girls, fawns almost none. I think I have coyotes that are really specialising in deer catching. I plan on entering them into re-education camps this year during archery season sits as I have checked and having a rifle hanging is OK long as you bow kill has no bullet hole.
Two things are certain that one should always be learning and adapting, and it sure is fun to play on your own land.
Im thinking of baiting late winter as all the mighty nimrods pour the corn when its not really needed and then the day after gun season they pull it away just when the deer might actually get some benefit from it. As I'm anti-bait this is still a mental exercise which I have not fully digested. Leaving 10 acres of corn standing would be less hypocritical. But may not be nearly enough.
Curious if you guys who feed mineral have noticed huge differences in usage in what appear to be similar feeding spots? I have two a mile apart both in heavy cover. One gets hit 5x more than the other after 3 years Im thinking of just letting the one leech away and giving them what they want where they obviously want it.
My buck/doe ratio is amazing in summer with 12-30 bucks per evening this summer, seldom more than 5-10 girls, fawns almost none. I think I have coyotes that are really specialising in deer catching. I plan on entering them into re-education camps this year during archery season sits as I have checked and having a rifle hanging is OK long as you bow kill has no bullet hole.
Two things are certain that one should always be learning and adapting, and it sure is fun to play on your own land.
Im thinking of baiting late winter as all the mighty nimrods pour the corn when its not really needed and then the day after gun season they pull it away just when the deer might actually get some benefit from it. As I'm anti-bait this is still a mental exercise which I have not fully digested. Leaving 10 acres of corn standing would be less hypocritical. But may not be nearly enough.
