Kaleo Hills-Property Tour

[weekender21]

I got a few pictures of this buck in velvet at a mineral site and occasional pictures on a community scrape. This was one I was hoping to run into this season.

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[Someday isle]

Beauty!

 

[weekender21]

8 months since my last update.

Took my 12 year old on her first hunt in late December. No deer but we saw a NICE bear at ~30 yards one morning. We were in a ground blind and I couldn’t get her on it fast enough. She’s an archery girl at heart and not really comfortable with a rifle yet.

She opted out after the bear encounter. I shot this doe with my 7 year old son watching. My first deer with a gun since 2006.

Winter habitat trips.

Turkey season prep.

We only managed one three day trip and didn’t get a bird but had fun!

Summer velvet.

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[weekender21]

Two years later my son has killed his first 7 deer and two turkeys on the property. His older sister hasn’t shown much interest in the rifle but wants to archery hunt this year.

From a management perspective we’ve been hard on the antlerless harvest with six killed this last season.

I burned my first two units this year totaling ~8.5 acres.

A few more spring pictures.

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[weekender21]

Fall 24

Daughters first. She’s not into guns but at 14 was able to get it done with her bow.

October buck. This was a fun hunt. Hottest day of October, LOW expeditions. Slipped off an old logging road 25 yards from a loaded apple. Shot this buck 45 minutes later.

Sons first double, late December

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[weekender21]

Winter and spring was mainly spent cleaning up Hurricane Helene damage. I’ll never get to most of it. Just clearing our haul roads.

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[weekender21]

Spring burn ~5 acres. Spotty but successful. This area was logged in 2013. I’ll follow up with hack and squirt over the summer.

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[weekender21]

My 10 year old is on the board in NC! 23 yard shot with his single shot 410.

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[weekender21]

Mid April prescribed fire results. I’ll be in there with a chainsaw and herbicide next week to open it up.

14 months post fire in this unit. I was able to open up the canopy last summer.

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[weekender21]

I got to spend a few days working on our property.

First, opening up the canopy on a few burn units.
Either felling, girdle and spray, or hack and squirt. Putting the Harper cocktail to work.

Still cleaning up hurricane Helene damage from roads and plots.

Logging on ~30 acres started today, looking forward to getting that area burned next year!


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[weekender21]

I got to spend a few days working on our property.

First, opening up the canopy on a few burn units.
Either felling, girdle and spray, or hack and squirt. Putting the Harper cocktail to work.

Still cleaning up hurricane Helene damage from roads and plots.

Logging on ~30 acres started today, looking forward to getting that area burned next year!


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[weekender21]

Logging has begun, this 30 acre section should be completed by the end of the year. I plan to burn next spring or the following.

Six loads out and sunlight has already returned to a once completely closed canopy.

This spring 2024 burn looks great halfway through its second growing season post fire. I’ll likely burn it again in 2026.

Summer deer highway!

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[weekender21]

Plots finally planted and sets prepped for hunting. 2.5 weeks into the season and haven’t hunted once but I’m looking forward to it!

Home sweet home for one more season while the cabin is being built.

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[Bill]

My old house isn't much of a fancy place but I always say it beats a tent....
I bet you can't wait.

 

[weekender21]

My old house isn't much of a fancy place but I always say it beats a tent....
I bet you can't wait.

I don’t mind camping but having a shower will be NICE!


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[weekender21]

First hunt of the year! Almost a month into the season but I’ve been busy.

First night I was looking for hot sign under some oaks and ended up a little further up the mountain. This area has more hickory than oaks but the old logging road led to the acorns.

A bear came in a half hour before dark and stayed within 35 yards until after dark. Never did get a shot.

This doe busted me in the tree a few mornings later while hunting a black oak. She was curious enough to get shot.

That evening I hunted a remote ridge with an excellent view.

This coyote trotted in and bedded 15 yards from my tree several hours before dark!

Until November…


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[weekender21]

It’s been a frigid few days in western NC. Cold front hit hard with highs in the mid 20’s two days in a row. Gusty winds made for chilly time in the tree but it had been beautiful.

11 hours yesterday. Got to witness good rutting activity and saw 4-5 young bucks.

Today the snow storms were gone but gusty winds persisted, I hunted high on a ridge anyway.

The buck cruised by more than an hour before dark. I shot him at ~15 yards. My best whitetail yet.

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[weekender21]

A few better pictures of the buck and northern lights that night. I’m not sure if the northern lights have ever been that visible from western NC.

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[weekender21]

My son’s first buck! He’s been on doe patrol for the past four years but wanted a buck. I drove him out to our property for a rut hunt and his first opening day of rifle season.

We started seeing deer about 30 minutes after climbing in the blind. He passed up opportunities at a spike and several does before this buck made an appearance. He made a great shot too.

The next evening he was back on doe patrol.

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[Telemark]

Great stuff. Congratulations on all your success.