Ohio Farm Tours

Buckhunter10

5 year old buck +
This is my new thread. I am going to do an update on home 7, and the SE Ohio farm in the same thread. I live on 7 acres in northern OH, that just sit in the right area. I have chased some great deer on this small property in the past year. Over the past 10 years, I have worked my tail off to increase our habitat on the family 65 acres. Here is the picture of the cabin! Literally my piece of heaven on Earth.
 
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Anyone know how to make it so the picture shows so guys don't have to click on it? Thanks!
 
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One thing I have learned over the years is FOOD and COVER are the most important. In my current situation, I am unable to out compete the 500acres of clear cut surrounding my farm. This cut is about 5 years old, and still stupid thick! The deer deff browse in it, but they also come to my farm to eat. This is where I have learned that growing great plots is key especially in my area where the nearest ag field in MILES away.

This is a plot I call Stonehenge, when we cleared it originally we had a bunch of old barn foundation stones in this bottom. It is planted in Eagle Beans and RR corn as a screen. I also just broadcasted turnips in thin spots right before a rain to help with the winter browse as well.

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This is my other large feeding field, I call this "big plot". This is a view from the bottom of field. Again using corn as a screen and then beans on back side. IF you look close you can see my box blind. This blind has perfect access, and is key to hunting smaller farms. If wind is questionable, swirling (SE OH special), etc. Sit in a box blind, watch a beautiful field, and enjoy the hunt. IMG_1989.JPG
 
One important factor I have found of food plotting is making sure you have exclusion fences up. Beans tend to be a plant that are very easy to recognize browse on, but it is not easy to see how much of that browse has been taken per acre. I personally have realized that my deer numbers are much higher this year then in years past. The local doe harvest has been regulated by the ODNR and several guys around just haven't been hunting like they used too.

Notice the browse in this 2 acre bean field already. These are eagle beans so they continue to grow after being nipped, that is a big plus to them IMO! IMG_1986.JPG
 
Finally some Ohio bucks that I am chasing this year. Not sure if I am going to shoot any of these, but its early and I am very happy to see the caliber of deer running around already. 7 years ago when we bought the farm we only would see one shooter on camera a year. Seems now we see significantly more good bucks, I believe what we are doing has been working! Low pressure, provide food, and love the hunt!

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Looking Good! Our beans look to be about the same size. Are you broadcasting or drilling your beans/corn?
 
Looking Good! Our beans look to be about the same size. Are you broadcasting or drilling your beans/corn?

Thank you Garrett! This year I broadcasted them, and to be honest I went a little light on the beans. I had an extra bag, and I should have used it. Last year I used regular ag beans and had them much thicker. Live and learn I guess.

One thing I can tell you that has really impressed me was the broadcast, and till under method. I tried that this year with my corn, it worked really well. I then packed it after that and prayed for rain!
 
Well quick update. Farm has got some much needed rain I believe. We also have 60% chance of rain the next 4/5 days there so we oughta be in good shape for the fall plots!
 
You motivated me to try broadcasting corn as a screen next year.
 
You motivated me to try broadcasting corn as a screen next year.

Josh, I can tell you that I really believe you need to do the seeding rate correctly. I bought 2.5 acres of corn seed. That is not a lot, it is easy to spread to much to quickly and be out. I really went slow to make sure I got good coverage but not too much. I then tilled it under, just ran the till at the top of the soil. I then packed it 9 ways to Sunday. I got fortunate with rain, I really don't believe I would have had the growth without the tilling in part of the equation.
 
Wow, this thread is tired!

Well, a lot has happened since 2016.
1. We now own almost 250 acres
2. I have gone all NO TILL for the past several years and really increased my diversity in plantings. Right now I am mixing 10-17 way mixes.
3. We have HEAVILY reduced our hunting pressure, got on the same page as neighbors, and killed a few bucks along the way.


My cousin killed this mature 8pt Nov. 1st 2019
2019 buck zack.jpg
I killed this 8pt - the opening morning of Ohio bow season 2020. The season was over at 830am! What a hunt to remember.
2020 buck Al.png
Oh, yea - My wife and I had a baby!!! I go to enjoy this year's buck harvest with him! He was interested! I killed this buck on Nov. 3, 2021. He was 5.5 years old and I passed him out of the same stand, almost to the day that I killed him - two years prior.
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Another angle of this year's buck.
Buck 2021 Albert.jpg
 
I give a lot of credit to our success due to our foodplotting. We have around 10 acres of plots and we have not fertilized in years. I am constantly focusing on balancing the carbon to nitrogen ratios to best benefit the microbes, and the deer!

Cover crop from Spring of 2021 (after winter green up)
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Fall no-tilled 15-way mix
fall cover crop 2021.jpg

Close up of the fall mix -
close up fall cover crop 2021.jpg
 
Nice work, and great deer! Congrats
 
We have also done a little doe patrol over the past few years - here are a few.
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In order to get an accurate assessment on needed doe harvest, we are EXTREMELY focused on observing as much as possible. We use exclusion fences on darn near all of our fields. We also do wintertime browse surveys on our native habitat. We speak to all the neighbors to figure out what they harvested throughout the year, and lastly, we use our hunting observations coupled with trail camera data, to allow us a somewhat clear representation of the population. After all of this information is gathered, we make a "rough" goal of how many does we want to shoot off the farm, for example, 3-5 in 2022.

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Deer sign is another thing we can monitor but I don't get to focus on this as a key determining factor in doe harvests. One, a few deer can make a lot of signs - resulting in overharvest. Sometimes if we only wait for signs, we might allow the population to get far too large - causing us to struggle with doe harvests later on. The last thing I want to have happened is for my habitat to degrade.
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Another exclusion fence - showing that we just simply don't have enough food. We either need to shoot more does, plant more food, or both - we continue to try to do both each year.
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Natural browse survey - this is a bramble that is about as thick as my pinky... .heavy browse on a moderately desirable food source, relative to that thickness of fauna.
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When it comes to Spring/Summer each year, my main goal is to optimize soil health. I am doing this by creating the most robust above and below-ground biomass I am able to - with a high level of diversity. I have noticed much more nice buck and doe pictures feeding all Spring and Summer in this cover. I have also (as you see above) noticed incredible fall plots after I spray/mow and plant my fall mix.

I am using legumes to fix nitrogen, for my fall crops. I am also realizing the benefits of mycorrhizal fungi by not tilling. This is allowing the diversity in my planting and their exudates to create far better-aggregated soil, solubilize nutrients (such as P), etc. There is also a very strong correlation between healthier plants and far more pest resistance but I can cover that another day!

As I lay down or mow down this thatch, I am also heavily benefiting my soil by always keeping it covered, which will slowly break down over time and go through the N cycle, also providing more N to our N feeders. Not to mention the nutrient benefits. All things are connected!

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