Congrats to Matty and thanks to his generous donation to the kids, he'll be headed to Double A Farm in a few months. I am excited to host this hunt again and figured I'd start a preview thread with what's happening at the farm and take us up through the hunt.
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The biggest change from last year (first year I owned this farm) is the addition of the first building going up on the property. I have plans for a cabin in the future but first I needed a place to store equipment and a loft to sleep in so I can actually get some work done without hauling equipment back and forth and running to a hotel in town 30 minutes away. A pole barn design made for a quick, cheap build and as soon as the ground thawed, we got started.
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I built some custom gambrel trusses in my garage and trailered them to the farm.
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-Brian
Before long, the roof was sheathed and I finished the metal roofing.
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Planting and maintaining food plots will be a lot easier with this new-to-me John Deere. Huge upgrade from my ATV implements.
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Really looking forward to having a dry, warm place to stay on the property this hunting season.
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-Brian
:campfire:
Oh man! Am I ever excited about this!
Thanks so much for the opportunity Brian!
And I love the teaser pics....
The farmer that leases my fields originally planned to follow last year's soybeans with corn this year but with falling corn prices, he planted the fields back to beans this year.
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I started clearing a road through the property to establish a line of connected secluded plots in an attempt to control deer movements with the prevailing winds in the hunter's favor. The idea is to design a layout to make deer movements more predictable and bowhunting more successful with less impact on the herd.
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More to follow!
-Brian
:campfire:
Should be a great year Matty. I am planting 3 secluded fall food plots in the timber between the north and south fields and a big fall plot in the north field. There will be plenty of turnips, radishes, winter peas, oats and rye to keep the deer hanging around after the corn and beans are cut.
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It won't be 5 star accommodations but the barn will have lights, heat and water along with an ice chest and some type of cooking vessel. I'm planning on getting a few mattresses for the loft too.
-Brian
Very nice work brian I wish you all the best in it ...looks like your headed in the right direction CONGRATS!! Like to hookup someday
Looking Great Brian!
It looks like you are getting a lot of work done this year. Keep up the good work
Looks great Brian! This should be fun to follow all the way through your season. Best if luck to you and Matty!
Thanks everyone. Hey Pred, how ya been?
Started getting the fall food plots brush hogged and ready to till. This horseshoe shaped plot has a pinch point upwind of an island of trees within bow range.
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I am planning on tilling this plot in the next week or so and getting my turnip, radish and canola mix started. I plan to put the brassica mix in a strip down the middle of the plot and come back later and add a strip of rye and oats to the sides. This plot curves towards a travel corridor I cut through the timber that leads to the large ag fields in the front of my property.
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-Brian
Here is the newly cleared travel corridor. This connects several small clearings in the timber before getting to the big ag fields. I hope to clear these out into hour glass shaped hunting plots in time for the rye and oat plantings. The idea is to keep the deer moving along this upwind corridor for more predictable ambush sites.
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That's the plan anyway. My supervisors seem to approve.
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-Brian
You should have a word with your supervisors.... maybe over Ice Cream :readit:
Doing great brian would like to hookup soon man...things are looking great for ya hope to see a GOODONE tagged and on the ground this fall!! Best of luck to ya :thumbsup:
You are really doing great stuff with that piece of land! Looks great.
Deer seem to be much more active this year around here with daytime feeding a norm. I think they are still working to recover from the winter. You should have a great season with all you're doing there!
Thanks. The deer have already started using the corridor we cleared for them.
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-Brian
Matty, the table is set. The back field fall plot got a variety of food that will keep the deer in the area all hunting season. The west edge of the plot got a strip of forage beans and peas, the center got a blend of turnips, radishes and canola and the east edge will be planted to oats at the end of August.
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-Brian
I just have a few hunting plots inside the timber along the corridor to get planted and finish up the barn. With nine weeks before opening day, I'm hopeful all of my goals for this year will be met.
There are three clearings inside the timber along the new travel corridor ranging from an eighth of an acre to a quarter acre. I brush hogged them and have to clean them up a little more. The more open, sunny plots will get a similar mix as the back field with the less sunny plots getting rye grain and possibly oats. I plan to open up the canopy on the smaller, shady plot next year.
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-Brian
:thumbsup: :thumbsup: :campfire:
Things are coming along at the farm. I was putting trim boards on the barn today and got rained out. It's been a wet summer, I hope we are getting all the rain out of the way before hunting season. The fall food plots like the rain and they're off to a good start.
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Here's a buck enjoying the new food plot. I will download a better pic from the SD card, took this one of the screen with my phone.
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-Brian
Looking good Brian ....
Wish you the BEST!!
Brian it looks and sounds like a dream come true congrats
Brian it sounds like your sweat equity is already paying off.
Looking good :thumbsup:
Great thread, keep it coming. Great looking place!
Thanks everyone. Here's a quick update. Archery season is quickly approaching! Plenty of targets for you Matty and a good batch of future bucks too.
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Very very nice! All your hard work will pay off. Best of luck to a great season this fall. :)
Looks great! How many acres do you have? What kind of stands are you going with?
I have a variety of hang on stands and ladder sections as well as a couple of ground blinds. Between what I own and my neighbors place who I trade tillable ground for hunting access, I manage almost 200 acres. He farms and doesn't hunt, I hunt and don't farm (except food plots) so it's a win-win for both of us.
Brian, the food plots and the deer are looking good. Now if Mother Nature cooperates Matty should be putting one of the Big Guys down. Good Luck.
Burton
Man that's looking great! I am very excited for this trip...
What a treat it will be and thanks for all you're hard work..
Were planning on coming out the week of the 9th sat-sat.
Ttt
Thanks Burton, hope things are coming together at your place.
Matty the barn is almost done. I am excited to finally have a building on the property. The loft will provide a comfortable place to crash. I should have it all closed up in the next few weeks then I can start working on creature comforts inside. It will have a wood stove, water and kitchen for hunting season.
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Oh man I'm getting excited. As elk hunting is about over. Then I get to sit around and make arrows for 5 weeks till this trip is on!!
Matty, looks like a great setup waiting for you! I look forward to the stories.
:campfire: :coffee:
It'll be here before you know it Matty. Been a busy month at the Double A and archery season opened on Saturday. Finally got the barn closed up and the loft cleaned up with a few things to sleep on.
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Got a little more trim and paint work and the outside will be wrapped up. Then I can start on the inside.
-Brian
Had an enjoyable weekend and did something other than work at the farm for a change. My buddy Mike was staying to hunt and our friend Jeff stopped by for dinner and a campfire. A blanket of stars, a campfire and cold beer, it was nice to start enjoying the fruits of all the labor this year.
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Matty there are plenty of deer around, the neighbors have been seeing some big boys too and some are still showing up on the trail cams. I was behind the video camera filming Mike taking a doe in the new food plot less than an hour after hunting hours began.
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I never get tired of the sunsets in NE Ohio.
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-Brian
Awesome
Looking Great Brian, this is the year you guys are going to score on a wall hanger.
Thanks for bringing this back up! Awesome!
Been a while since I updated this and figured it was a good time to get this to the top with Matty and his dad coming in on Friday to hunt a week at the Double A.
The bucks seem to be getting ready to break the rut wide open and I think those guys may hit the seeking/chasing phase just right.
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The beans were cut off my place and I'm hoping the neighbor's corn will be gone soon too. It's been cold and the extended forecast is looking great.
I'm still putting the finishing touches on the barn but it will be cozy for the week. I finally got the first floor joists and sheathing in.
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:campfire:
It won't be fancy but it should be cozy. I'll be installing the wood stove this week. The loft is looking more and more like a real deer camp.
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I was hoping to have the barn a little more complete but it's been a rough couple of months. My best and favorite hunting partner, my Dad, was called home by the Lord after his 14-month battle with melanoma cancer. There is a large void in my world now and I miss him terribly but I am so happy that he is face to face with our Savior Jesus Christ and has a new body free from pain and disease.
Dad you taught me everything I know, instilled the importance of love of family and country, the value of hard work and being the best I can be and a love of the outdoors that has never waned after all these years. You were the greatest man I have ever known, an incredible father, husband and grandfather. If I can be half the man you were, I will be doing great. From losing your father at the age of 8 to earning a Purple Heart in Vietnam to losing a good job with small kids and a wife to care for, you never once complained or felt sorry for yourself. Words cannot express the love and respect I have for you in my heart. We all miss you terribly, especially those granddaughters who were your sidekicks all these years. Go on peacefully knowing that you left an amazing legacy here and an amazing family that your love solidified. Give Grandma and Pops a hug and kiss for me and we will see you again someday. I love you Dad!
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So sorry to hear your loss Brian GODBLESS YOU AND YOUR FAMILY!! As far as the property and cabin keep up the good work looks GREAT!
Brian, I'm sorry to hear about your father that was a touching tribute to him. I miss my father everyday myself and my only regret is my children won't get to meet him in person but I tell them about grandpa all the time. The farm is looking great. Fred and me are trying to get it done here in the Michigan on the St. Jude hunt we saw a couple shooters and a bunch of does and young bucks. The fawns just got kicked today and saw them wondering by themselves so I think that is a good sign that the Does are getting ready for some action. Good Luck God Bless.
Burton
May your father be blessed and he kiss the face of our Savior, you be comforted by the hopes of reunion with them.
Great tribute Brian. May you and your family be comforted as well.
Agreed Ryan. That's never easy for anyone...very nice words Bri. Can't wait to see you brother. My current status is.....
AIRPORT! Waiting my departure from DIA. GONNA LAND IN NY 10 pm. And heading to OHIO at about 6 am. 6-7 hr drive. And it's hunt on!! Very excited. For those reading along. Brian has been periodically sending me trail cam pics with some pretty sweet bucks. This is gonna be a real treat. Can't wait.
Sorry to hear about your dad. From the words of your tribute Id say we all lost a good guy.
Thank you all for the kind words.
Matty and his dad are on their way and should be arriving at the farm around sunset. I'm gathering up some last minute items this morning and I'll be heading there shortly to tidy everything up for their arrival. Weather forecast and rut activity are looking good for the week so hopefully they can connect on one of these Ohio bruisers.
Stayed tuned...
wow, what a great thread so far!
I know the pain of losing a father well. It hurts. It is a sad thought that my kids will never know their grandpa. That I will never share the wood with him, nor did I ever get to.
But i'm very thankful for a heavenly father who is always there for me!
keep us updated!
Matt and his dad Joe are all settled in and they are hunting their tails off. Like most guys I have met through this site, they are a couple of super gentlemen.
The first morning hunt on Saturday, Matt saw three bucks, two were shooters, and a couple of does. Nothing in stickbow range yet but a great start for sure. Still a lot of night time buck pictures on the trail cams but hopefully the rut will bust wide open for them this week.
All of the beans have been cut off in the area but we are still competing with some giant fields of standing corn. So far it doesn't seem to be hurting us too bad. Maybe the combines will be out on the next few sunny days.
I was working on the loft steps and installing the wood stove while they were on their way Friday. I decided my wall tent Cylinder stove would work quite well for this little barn. The pipe is an odd 5 inch though and required me to special order stove pipe and a wall thimble/chimney kit. The stove pipe showed up on time but not the chimney kit. I figured I could redneck engineer something to get us by for the weekend.
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Bri is on it!you last I wrote in I was sitting in Denver waiting to depart to NYC. Which is where my dad lives. Arrived there at 10 pm thurs. And about 6:30 Friday. We head out to Brian's in Ohio.
So we travel via. I-80 and in north jersey no BS. We saw 2 bears that had been road killed. I couldn't believe it. I've heard the numbers are way up. But I'm guessing they are REALLY UP. if they're getting many road kills. Pretty sad to see. And of course. I lost count of dead deer. Anyway 1/2 way through PA it started to snow.
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When we got there about 7hrs later rain was working his tail off to make sure we were comfy. Built some steps for the loft. And put in the stove so we could be warm.
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Brian got us in the side by side and took us for a quick tour about the property. Showed us stands and we pulled some trail cam cards.
We had a pretty interesting first evening. As we didn't get much sleep. Between my dads tiny bladder and large prostate. And a small ventures my problem with the stove. It definately made for some good laughs.
That morning. Saturday. I got into stand late. As I had to get my dad settled into his stand. Made sure he was up there and safe. I shot over to mine and I could see a flag going away from me. Which means I spooked something. Well I quickly climbed in and watched as 2 deer moved into the patch of goldenrod that sits in the field. That stuff is about 4' tall and burries a deer. Well I saw them go in but not out. Well about 20 min later a small buck emerges from the other side of the field. He meanders around and guessing picks up a scent and heads into the goldenrod spooking what would end up being 2 does and a really nice buck. Well all 4 of them headed back into the brush to the north of the field and disappeared. At one other point. The little guy re appeared and then went back in. Brian believes this particular spot to be a bedding area. I agree. Well about 9am. I see another buck and nice one. Bounding from the north east of the property. And headed into the bedding area. And that summed up the morning. That evening. A deer emerged almost at dark from the bedding area. And made its way toward me. But it was very dark by the time it got anywhere near me.
Tonight SUNDAY. nothing happened in the am. And in the evenI got my dad in the stand with me. VERY CAREFULLY. Lol. And we sat till dark.
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Again. 2 deer emerged at dark. But couldn't tell what they were cause they were pretty far away.
Stay posted. Hoping the rut heats up and gets them moving
I had to come home and work a couple of days but I'm heading back up tomorrow. It's supposed to be in the 60s before this cold front blows in on Wednesday so I figured it might be my last chance to finish painting the barn for a while.
Matty has been keeping me updated and it sounds like he had an encounter with a big one tonight. I believe his text said "a very large buck". It sounds like they are fine tuning their set ups and closing in on an opportunity. I'm taking another stand or two up tomorrow and we'll set them where they've been regularly seeing them exit the bedding area. I've got a great feeling about this cold, snowy front coming.
Any news?
:campfire:
Didn't think anyone was paying attention.
My iPad keeps freezing up. I'll type more when I get back to CO Tuesday.
Hope you had a great trip, Matt.