Many have been working deer season prep projects since the end of last season.
For me it helps quell the anticipation yet spurns further anticipation as the projects come to a close.
Would like to hear what others have been working to, hopefully, enhance opportunities this coming deer season.
Well......
I bought a new 2021 Polaris Ranger... I'm not getting any younger, and the mountain's not getting any flatter. :readit:
I bought a 3pack of Muddy trail cameras... Never used them before? Guess it'll be a learning experience. :dunno:
They logged the mountain a couple years ago. Lots of tree tops to clean up.... (Cabin firewood!) :campfire:
Cabin needs a new stovepipe.... And some other work..... :help:
Early Bear Season starts in September, probly better get busy!!!!
Oh!!!! shoot my bow!! :archer2:
We have 40 acres in the ozarks that we manage for timber and wildlife habitat. We have established perennial clover food plots and we over seed them with wheat in the fall. Had to spray for weeds on some plots, and just completed mowing the weeds in the clover last week.
Bow season starts about the end of September. We will be cleaning out box blinds, planting wheat and maybe turnips, mowing trails and food plots about that time too. Cameras will have to be put out too.... No shortage of pre deer season chores, and we enjoy every chore we have to do.
Not much to prep here. I hunt public so just need to check the camp out to be sure all is well there. I do need to lower the top bunk so my guests can get in and out a little easier :laughing:
Idk I'm never prepping in a sense. Outdoors is all I do and I'm in the woods about every day. Always doing something there or with my gear. Nothing ever changes except the few days I start readying gear as in glue on broadheads, spray clothes, get a pack ready.
Archery, hunting are a lifestyle.
Activity on my property...have 6000 other acres to manage
- Have been running numerous cams...had 35 cams just on my farm at peak of season last year
- Have established four new setup locations from cam scouting thru last season and past winter
- Regular bush hogging maintenance on multiple perennial food plots
- Bush hogging complete 8 planned annual food plots
- Will start disking and planting next month
- Forecasted to have 12 food plots on my farm this season...the last food plot is a hidden old 4 acre hayfield which is planned to be an alfalfa food plot....will be a challenge to make this one successful.
Like basin boy, I hunt public so my projects are pretty minimal other than scouting and checking over gear, like zeebob said our season opens late Sept and my main goal is to have scouted all I can and have a stand or two in place to start off with
Planted three small food plots yesterday and bush hogged all the trails on my property today. It is so wet that I didn't plant as much as I had hoped to. With this tropical storm coming in the chances of it drying up anytime soon are slim. I'll probably just wait until fall to put in the other plot. I scoped out a couple of spots that I want to cut some understory from and try to let some more sunlight hit the ground. I'm also thinking about planting some screening cover like millet or Egyptian wheat on the edge of my property near a dirt road. There is always something to do, even on a small parcel like mine.
[attachment=1]
Just finished some woodies and put some bear razorheads on them. I'll be hunting w bears from the 50's - 70's this year.
Tim B
I did bring 110 oak trees I started from acorns up to Kansas and planted them with the help of the farmers son. Told him I won't likely see an acorn but you will have some fine hunting in 20+ years.
[attachment=1]
Quote from: Basinboy on July 05, 2021, 05:39:57 PM
I did bring 110 oak trees I started from acorns up to Kansas and planted them with the help of the farmers son. Told him I won't likely see an acorn but you will have some fine hunting in 20+ years.
[attachment=1,msg2969627]
Nothing wrong with paying it forward. Especially when it comes to habitat enhancement.
Quote from: Basinboy on July 05, 2021, 05:39:57 PM
I did bring 110 oak trees I started from acorns up to Kansas and planted them with the help of the farmers son. Told him I won't likely see an acorn but you will have some fine hunting in 20+ years.
[attachment=1,msg2969627]
Corey, you may have heard the old Greek proverb:
"Society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in."
I'd say you're doing the hunter's version of that...but not calling you old! :laughing: :laughing:
Sprayed 120 gallon yesterday and another 120 gallons this aftenoon...one clover plot to be done in the morning and two more next week...should have 12 foodplots this season.,,on the fence with regard to completing a 4 acre alfalfa field....have already distributed 500#'s of Deer 30 mineral...400#'s more coming next week....have much yet to accomplish.
[attachment=1,msg2970668]Some of what i will be planting for this fall...already have three 1/2 to 1 acre Antler King Clover Blend food plots established...
Quote from: Friend on July 17, 2021, 07:47:51 PM
[attachment=1,msg2970668]Some of what i will be planting for this fall...already have three 1/2 to 1 acre Antler King Clover Blend food plots established...
That's quite the selection. I'm curious with the acreage that you have available why you aren't buying seed and mixing your own blends.
Gregg...we do mix some of our own blends as we continue to identify which food plots are the most productive in the particular areas...
That is a good selection friend! I like your wife's shirt too - I wonder if any of our sponsors sell them - my wife will need one for each day of the week as I retire in 6 weeks
Tim B
Planted and the up keep of 7 food plots of my own blend of turnips, beets, crimson clover. ladino clover and forage oats, (little over 14 acres in total),. The way I figure it, if I give the deer something to eat, they wont hit my corn and soybeans so hard?? "Not likely but I try". Running maintenance on numerous tree stands and putting together new ones. Just started taking inventory on what bucks are around by binoculars and trail cams. Figuring out new travel patterns due to everything to crop rotation to down timber to flooding. Fletching arrows and keeping up my daily practicing with my bow, martin Dream Catcher. So, yes, I keep pretty busy with the summer projects.
I live out west so no food plots but got plenty of scouting setting up trail cams building new arrows and strings for my new Yellowstone Longbow working in the garden.
Private wise cousin and I moved a couple of stands at farm based on some observations from last year in addition to checking cables, straps etc. on what is out now. I think we'll have 6 to 8 stands set when season starts. No real food plot work, the farm is all beans this year.
As far as public goes not a whole lot. There are several tracts within few minutes of my house. Really only hunt one of them. Usually will hang 2 stands there. Went out this morning and confirmed the 2 trees I'll use. One of them basically same as last year but based on sign/observation changing the second one up a little bit. Won't go back in there till September 1st when we are allowed to put up stands and then most likely not hunt it till beginning of October.
I enjoy the prep work/scouting almost as much as hunting sometimes.
Best of luck to all this year.
Finished prep work on 2 new food plots today. Ready to plant.
Some good stuff...
Disced 11 acres here at the farm today...run tiller over tomorrow then seed over the next few days...appears to be a total of 15 foodplots offering 9 varieties....much more to do before season.
Just been silencing all my saddle hunting gear
Scouting public lands
Planning a trip with friends to my home state of Iowa
Have started counting down the days till that first morning hunt
Nearly always have my infield deer hunting projects completed well before season. Have Millenium Blind Buck Hut Tower Blinds on order for months. They were delivered to the dealer yesterday morning and was there with a 20' trailer in less than an hour.
Picked up 9 kits and started assembly this morning. Appears that taking this on will be a saga project. Not even willing to estimate how many will be assembled and set up in the field this season.
Taking a break now...the horseflies were wearing me out...knew I shouldn't have trimmed the hair on my tail.
A few years ago, my cousin and I built a stand from 3 tiers of scaffolding, complete with a pvc roof to shed snow and rain. The bases are set on doubled up, pressure treated 2" X !2" blocks and all four corners are secured with tie down straps to trees. During a recent storm, one of the trees snapped, so we will be cutting that tree free and adding a new tie down to a tree a bit further away. and we will be brush hogging the trail into the tree line. A lot of wild strawberry vines that are out of control due to the copious amount of rain we have had. They are 2-3' tall and are a serious tripping hazard.