Mohican Land Tour
- Thread starter roymunson
- Start date
roymunson
5 year old buck +
It was a good day yesterday. Had to temper my enthusiasm around my wife because she didn't have as great a day and thought i was rubbing it in. HA!
Rain coming today so I was able to get outta work and head out. Tilled about 2 acres that had previously been plowed and disked by the farmer. Turned over really nice.
planted some of my beet seeds and hopefully we get this rain they've been calling for. If we do, I should be cooking.
I need to get better at pictures. but this plot is a "staging" plot for the big crop fields where deer are going to be heading this fall.
Also got my new alfalfa planting from last week sprayed last saturday before it popped up, and I put in a hedge of conceal on about 300' of field I wanted to have a visual break.
This is way more fun than work.
***there's a selfie in there for your enjoyment. Just being one of the millenials I always rave against
Rain coming today so I was able to get outta work and head out. Tilled about 2 acres that had previously been plowed and disked by the farmer. Turned over really nice.
planted some of my beet seeds and hopefully we get this rain they've been calling for. If we do, I should be cooking.
I need to get better at pictures. but this plot is a "staging" plot for the big crop fields where deer are going to be heading this fall.
Also got my new alfalfa planting from last week sprayed last saturday before it popped up, and I put in a hedge of conceal on about 300' of field I wanted to have a visual break.
This is way more fun than work.
***there's a selfie in there for your enjoyment. Just being one of the millenials I always rave against
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roymunson
5 year old buck +
Saturday after a forenoon at work we packed the kids up and went to the cabin. The new piece has a small pond on it and we weren't expecting anything but wanted to try it as we were there anyways. More bluegill than we could handle. Every cast the red worms were getting it done. Meant for a lot of fun action.
Boys and Momma had a lot of fun, sunburnt, and exhausted when we got home. Just how we like it.
Boys and Momma had a lot of fun, sunburnt, and exhausted when we got home. Just how we like it.
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roymunson
5 year old buck +
Newest Addition to the fleet.
Had my eye out for a good deal on a No Till Drill. Someone on here forwarded me a link to a craigslist ad, and low and behold, I now have a Great Plains 3P606NT on the premesis. Best part is, found out after the deal was made, that the drill comes from a guy who's active on here. Habitaters helping Habitaters. Pretty pumped to put some fall plots in the ground.
Sent my dad off to pick it up, about 2 hours from home, and he's the one in the picture.
Had my eye out for a good deal on a No Till Drill. Someone on here forwarded me a link to a craigslist ad, and low and behold, I now have a Great Plains 3P606NT on the premesis. Best part is, found out after the deal was made, that the drill comes from a guy who's active on here. Habitaters helping Habitaters. Pretty pumped to put some fall plots in the ground.
Sent my dad off to pick it up, about 2 hours from home, and he's the one in the picture.
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roymunson
5 year old buck +
here's an aerial that we have roughly mapped out.
Stand 1 is gonna be a new one that won't really develop until the switch is tall, but we tried to put several edges together right there and plan is to have a water hole there too. So as deer are working thru they'll all come past this "hub" of edges coming together. Access is also a big plus as we can come in off the road in a low spot and not be on display for anything utilizing the SG or Old Field Growth for bedding.
stand 4 had a lot of hot action last year and stand 5 is hopefully a spot to get deer w/ a west wind moving from bed to the big crop fields. Stand 6 is the same idea in that narrows but for an easterly wind which doesn't happen that often.
The big kill plot in the south central part of things is a 7.5 acre field that i'm gonna put my radishes and cereal in this fall and just observe then eventually cut it into more edges and plant a diversity of attractants depending on the season.
There are a couple other stand areas that are more topographical and don't show on here all that much, but this is the gyst of it.
Stand 1 is gonna be a new one that won't really develop until the switch is tall, but we tried to put several edges together right there and plan is to have a water hole there too. So as deer are working thru they'll all come past this "hub" of edges coming together. Access is also a big plus as we can come in off the road in a low spot and not be on display for anything utilizing the SG or Old Field Growth for bedding.
stand 4 had a lot of hot action last year and stand 5 is hopefully a spot to get deer w/ a west wind moving from bed to the big crop fields. Stand 6 is the same idea in that narrows but for an easterly wind which doesn't happen that often.
The big kill plot in the south central part of things is a 7.5 acre field that i'm gonna put my radishes and cereal in this fall and just observe then eventually cut it into more edges and plant a diversity of attractants depending on the season.
There are a couple other stand areas that are more topographical and don't show on here all that much, but this is the gyst of it.
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Hoytvectrix
5 year old buck +
I really like the idea of hunting those "edges" where you have different land and cover types coming together. It definitely looks like you guys have a great game plan. This has given me a couple of ideas to try out on our place.
roymunson
5 year old buck +
It may be a total flop, but there is at least some kind of redeeming idea behind it. And man it's fun trying to get them to do that.
The blue food plot in the NE is my chicory/alfalfa that they're just obliterating right now. Hope it holds up until hunting season because as a transition area, i think it'd be dynamite.
roymunson
5 year old buck +
Tree Spud
5 year old buck +
No matter when you shoot them, you can always second guess what you did. The important thing is to understand you hunted, made a good kill, and enjoy the experience.
More important is time you spend with your kids ... let them learn that joy ...
roymunson
5 year old buck +
we've had some pretty high dreams coming out of the mouth of an 8 and a 6 year old as they've been tucked in the last few nights. They're more excited to be with dad than anything else. But the intentions of what they're going to do to the squirrel population is entertaining.
roymunson
5 year old buck +
had a little time so I thought I'd update my tour.
First off, back in September, we decided to keep some of the tilapia and a couple other panfish for a meal. Not a giant pond, but we kept a couple. 3 year old caught a giant bluegill and my wife somehow ended up hooking an amur. The boys thought it was pretty neat.
First off, back in September, we decided to keep some of the tilapia and a couple other panfish for a meal. Not a giant pond, but we kept a couple. 3 year old caught a giant bluegill and my wife somehow ended up hooking an amur. The boys thought it was pretty neat.
roymunson
5 year old buck +
I planted several mixes of PTT, driller radishes, and some cereal grains with the new no till drill. Some did well, others, I think I planted too thick.
I have some things to learn when planting. Like the fact that the 6' drill isn't as wide as my tractor. Good thing we're not planting for maximum yield.
Chalk it up to a learning curve.
Then the first night in the woods, day 3 or 4 of the season, 2 hours in, a nice buck rolled in and just like that, I'm tagged out on my antlers for the year.
first buck I've ever been able to put a landowner tag on. Went right at 138". Not as big as I'd hoped and I am almost positive he was 3, but its the first buck I've killed in 3+ years, and I was happy with him.
I have some things to learn when planting. Like the fact that the 6' drill isn't as wide as my tractor. Good thing we're not planting for maximum yield.
Chalk it up to a learning curve.
Then the first night in the woods, day 3 or 4 of the season, 2 hours in, a nice buck rolled in and just like that, I'm tagged out on my antlers for the year.
first buck I've ever been able to put a landowner tag on. Went right at 138". Not as big as I'd hoped and I am almost positive he was 3, but its the first buck I've killed in 3+ years, and I was happy with him.
roymunson
5 year old buck +
We were got an order of 300 red cedars from a nursery in Arthur, IL. He happened to be in the area for another job so he trucked them to us for nothing. Can't argue with that.
So one saturday morning we had a blast.
We staggered them and put the rows about 12' apart. The trees we tried to go 18-20'.
First we did a pass or 2 with a DR brush mower, then 1 guy augered holes. We had 3 pre-teen kids (his sons and friends) carry trees in 1 gallon pots to the holes. Then I planted them and we have the makings of a visual break. Only take us another 15 years or so... The first picture is the main field where you can see 300-400 yards across and is a notorius road hunting spot. We've planted switchgrass and hopefully it'll take and we'll be cooking before long.
300 Cedars is a lot of flipping trees, but I think we had all but 10 planted by 12:30 or so.
So one saturday morning we had a blast.
We staggered them and put the rows about 12' apart. The trees we tried to go 18-20'.
First we did a pass or 2 with a DR brush mower, then 1 guy augered holes. We had 3 pre-teen kids (his sons and friends) carry trees in 1 gallon pots to the holes. Then I planted them and we have the makings of a visual break. Only take us another 15 years or so... The first picture is the main field where you can see 300-400 yards across and is a notorius road hunting spot. We've planted switchgrass and hopefully it'll take and we'll be cooking before long.
300 Cedars is a lot of flipping trees, but I think we had all but 10 planted by 12:30 or so.
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roymunson
5 year old buck +
a couple days later I left for a DIY elk hunt in southern colorado. There's a whole other set of pictures mixed in there, but that's for another day. We killed 1 elk between the 3 of us who had tags and we had a blast.
Got home on a Thursday and Saturday night, my 8 year old was up. He'd never been the trigger guy before. Only sat with dad. So we slipped into a raised blind overlooking a chicory and alfalfa plot that was just planted in May. Deer moving right away. He had the right to shoot whatever he wanted. he decided he wanted to shoot "anything bigger than a 4 point)
Had a little buck come past that would have met the criteria, but he turned and went thru a different blind window before we could get on him. Between some frustrated tears and me trying to calm him down, the buck circled around, picked up a buddy, and walked right past the blind.
My little guy put the crossbow on him at about 23 yards, and drilled him behind the shoulder. Dad's fault, but ended up the deer had been slightly quartered to. Didn't have a ton of blood that night, but I knew the deer was dead. Headed back in the next morning with Mom, shooter, his 2 brothers, and local tracking dog that I knew thru some other folks. We walked right up to the guy. Unfortunately, the deer had been dead the night before and we'd been within 50 yards of him, but hindsight is 2020.
We also got to watch one of the highest scoring deer on the farm that night. But my son took the bird in the hand. My buddy thinks the buck is only 3, but I think he's 4. I'd love to find out next year or the following. Either way, he's going to be a good one, and it was fun to see him on the hoof.
Got home on a Thursday and Saturday night, my 8 year old was up. He'd never been the trigger guy before. Only sat with dad. So we slipped into a raised blind overlooking a chicory and alfalfa plot that was just planted in May. Deer moving right away. He had the right to shoot whatever he wanted. he decided he wanted to shoot "anything bigger than a 4 point)
Had a little buck come past that would have met the criteria, but he turned and went thru a different blind window before we could get on him. Between some frustrated tears and me trying to calm him down, the buck circled around, picked up a buddy, and walked right past the blind.
My little guy put the crossbow on him at about 23 yards, and drilled him behind the shoulder. Dad's fault, but ended up the deer had been slightly quartered to. Didn't have a ton of blood that night, but I knew the deer was dead. Headed back in the next morning with Mom, shooter, his 2 brothers, and local tracking dog that I knew thru some other folks. We walked right up to the guy. Unfortunately, the deer had been dead the night before and we'd been within 50 yards of him, but hindsight is 2020.
We also got to watch one of the highest scoring deer on the farm that night. But my son took the bird in the hand. My buddy thinks the buck is only 3, but I think he's 4. I'd love to find out next year or the following. Either way, he's going to be a good one, and it was fun to see him on the hoof.
roymunson
5 year old buck +
2 weeks later, it was middle son's turn to ride along with dad. Same blind as his brother killed his buck, but I had my compound. Had a doe make a fatal mistake at 20 yards. Nearly the exact same spot as where the buck was killed 2 years before, and the heartshot took care of business.
Hit the offside shoulder, but blood sprayed everywhere. The 6 year old got to track and I followed. Took the opportunity to snap a few pictures for memory's sake. Just at last light we tracked her out of the plot and saw a green lighted nock just off of the plot
Wednesday I had a chance to go swap some card batteries and check plots. Turns out the deer love the greens on my brassicas.
I'm a little frustrated that I must have planted them too tight as some of the PTT never did anything. Is that indicative of planting them too thick? I was concerned about it, but the greens are there, there are just no bulbs.
In other portions of the plot, where things were a little thinner, I have some pretty nice turnips that should be good food later this winter.
Other things I've learned, wait until at least the 20th of August to plant your cereal grains. I have a spot where Oats got hammered last year, but this year I planted them when I did my brassicas and they've gone to head because they outgrew their palatability.
2. A high mowing of clover and alfalfa and chicory just before the season makes for a pretty sexy looking plot.
Hit the offside shoulder, but blood sprayed everywhere. The 6 year old got to track and I followed. Took the opportunity to snap a few pictures for memory's sake. Just at last light we tracked her out of the plot and saw a green lighted nock just off of the plot
Wednesday I had a chance to go swap some card batteries and check plots. Turns out the deer love the greens on my brassicas.
I'm a little frustrated that I must have planted them too tight as some of the PTT never did anything. Is that indicative of planting them too thick? I was concerned about it, but the greens are there, there are just no bulbs.
In other portions of the plot, where things were a little thinner, I have some pretty nice turnips that should be good food later this winter.
Other things I've learned, wait until at least the 20th of August to plant your cereal grains. I have a spot where Oats got hammered last year, but this year I planted them when I did my brassicas and they've gone to head because they outgrew their palatability.
2. A high mowing of clover and alfalfa and chicory just before the season makes for a pretty sexy looking plot.
roymunson
5 year old buck +
Lastly for this upload, while the habitat thing is becoming my favorite part of this, its still a lot of fun to have deer pictures on camera and chase individual deer.
We are finding that we have much bigger/healthier looking young deer. First year racks are no longer spikes and small forks, we're getting legitimate 6 and 8 point basket racks. We've seen a 2 year old that'll go well into the 120s, and hopefully some of these will continue to show what good nutrition and age structure will do when this is done right.
We are finding that we have much bigger/healthier looking young deer. First year racks are no longer spikes and small forks, we're getting legitimate 6 and 8 point basket racks. We've seen a 2 year old that'll go well into the 120s, and hopefully some of these will continue to show what good nutrition and age structure will do when this is done right.
Bill
Administrator
took a while but I learned to watch where the drills wheel left a depression and how to align that with the front bucket.
but you’re right deer don’t care how you drill...
roymunson
5 year old buck +
After Season Review of the year that was.
I was in the woods either pulling the trigger, or with someone pulling the trigger on 13 kills.
3 bucks (mine, my 8 year olds, and my hunting partner's 13 year old's)
Had 2 of the main target bucks killed during the firearms season by kids in our hunting party.
a 6 year old that ended up at 139", but has been a blast to watch for the last 3 years. The night before he was shot, I caught him on 3 or 4 different cameras walking the farm. Not in a circle, but from the SW corner to the sanctuary. Probably 3/4 mile of walking. Pretty neat to know he was heading where he knew it was "safe" due to hunting pressure. We killed him coming out of the sanctuary.
And a 5 year old we've watched since he was 2. our sanctuary was his absolute home core area and we got tons of pictures of him.
My partner's daughter shot him at 8:30, tuesday of shotgun season in Ohio, crossing a food plot. That to me is a testament to hunting smart and not pressuring the deer you're after until the time is right.
He went 149" I believe. Bittersweet to see both deer die within 16 hours of each other like thatm, but that's why we do it.
I was in the woods either pulling the trigger, or with someone pulling the trigger on 13 kills.
3 bucks (mine, my 8 year olds, and my hunting partner's 13 year old's)
Had 2 of the main target bucks killed during the firearms season by kids in our hunting party.
a 6 year old that ended up at 139", but has been a blast to watch for the last 3 years. The night before he was shot, I caught him on 3 or 4 different cameras walking the farm. Not in a circle, but from the SW corner to the sanctuary. Probably 3/4 mile of walking. Pretty neat to know he was heading where he knew it was "safe" due to hunting pressure. We killed him coming out of the sanctuary.
And a 5 year old we've watched since he was 2. our sanctuary was his absolute home core area and we got tons of pictures of him.
My partner's daughter shot him at 8:30, tuesday of shotgun season in Ohio, crossing a food plot. That to me is a testament to hunting smart and not pressuring the deer you're after until the time is right.
He went 149" I believe. Bittersweet to see both deer die within 16 hours of each other like thatm, but that's why we do it.
roymunson
5 year old buck +
During youth season the 3 year old "up and comer" was shot coming out of our sanctuary by the neighbor's kid. Same deer we'd watched 4-5 times in the early season. Our farm was his home area.
Turns out he shot low, under the deer, and broke the offside leg under the deer. Tracked for a while, but didn't recover him. 3 days later another neighbor saw the deer hurting badly, but still not dead
Flash forward to January, during an afternoon hunt on the opposite side of the sanctuary (1/2 mile away) my buddy sees a dead deer from the stand. Turns out Magnum finally succombed to his wounds/infection. (I didn't name the deer, don't blame me). Due to how eaten up he was when he was found, vs how eaten up he was when we retrieved the rack, he made it thru most of the month of December wounded. Kind of a bummer, but that's the way it goes I guess.
This deer would have been special to see as a 4 and 5 year old.
Turns out he shot low, under the deer, and broke the offside leg under the deer. Tracked for a while, but didn't recover him. 3 days later another neighbor saw the deer hurting badly, but still not dead
Flash forward to January, during an afternoon hunt on the opposite side of the sanctuary (1/2 mile away) my buddy sees a dead deer from the stand. Turns out Magnum finally succombed to his wounds/infection. (I didn't name the deer, don't blame me). Due to how eaten up he was when he was found, vs how eaten up he was when we retrieved the rack, he made it thru most of the month of December wounded. Kind of a bummer, but that's the way it goes I guess.
This deer would have been special to see as a 4 and 5 year old.
