Native Hunter
5 year old buck +
This little nook of about 1/4 acres was mostly goldenrods and other weeds. I sprayed with gly, disked and threw out cereal grains and brassicas. Has been getting good use with the nearby cover.
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Spray, disk and throw plot kill plot
- Thread starter Native Hunter
- Start date
Erik Hendricks
5 year old buck +
I think these little kill plots are the best! Seems deer use them all day when it's right next to the bedding cover. It's like us having a fridge in our bedroom. Great work! It looks like you did it right.
Native Hunter
5 year old buck +
Thanks, this is my first year of doing the little micro plots. It really doesn't take that much more time and has the benefits you mentioned. I have some more that I haven't been to since I planted them and don't have a cam on them. I watched from a distance last weekend and all were being used.
Erik Hendricks
5 year old buck +
I plant a few that I never hunt. They're just there so if the deer wants a quick snack it can get up and walk 20 ft eat and go back to bed and never leave our property during daylight. Can't say enough good things about micro plots.
Native Hunter
5 year old buck +
Yep, they seem to like it. And I like having the big gals around with rut time approaching.
Jordan Selsor
5 year old buck +
Looks great NH! I'm excited to see how your season pans out!
My 2 micro plots failed this year. We are in a bad drought. The plots I disked are doing ok but the no till plots didn't do much of anything. Oh well try again next yr. The hard parts done (clearing).
My 2 micro plots failed this year. We are in a bad drought. The plots I disked are doing ok but the no till plots didn't do much of anything. Oh well try again next yr. The hard parts done (clearing).
D
dipper
Guest
3 mature does and not one fawn. Not a good sight. Those does look at least 3, likely 4 plus. Do u know if there are fawns hanging with them? How many?
I just don't understand how you guys don't have plots down to the dirt? Some of you might actually have more deer than me and plots still above your ankles.
It's bone dry here too. Some of my rye is showing drought stress.
I just don't understand how you guys don't have plots down to the dirt? Some of you might actually have more deer than me and plots still above your ankles.
It's bone dry here too. Some of my rye is showing drought stress.
Native Hunter
5 year old buck +
Those 3 does just moved in recently, and I was also surprised to not see any fawns with them. Honestly, I can't explain it. The other doe group that was already here had multiple fawns, but a couple of them didn't have fawns either.
We had some drought, but our rains have been good lately. The plots have come on more than the deer can mow down. Also we have lots of other nature foods around.
D
dipper
Guest
U have the food and are bringing them in. Those old hags give me a bad feeling. Many never have fawns with them it seems and I wonder if they are even getting bred.
I removed those hags from my place and the does I have now seem more reproductive.
I removed those hags from my place and the does I have now seem more reproductive.
Native Hunter
5 year old buck +
Coyotes are a problem in the whole state. My family hunts coyotes harder than we do deer, and we hunt them harder in the spring than any other time. Farms are so small in this area (average maybe 100 acres) dog hunting isn't reasonable - a short run and you are crossing properties. Trapping is a good answer, but I personally can't trap because of my job. However, I could let someone come in and already know a guy.
Even though fawns seem somewhat scarce this year, that isn't always the case. Right now I have a large crop of two and three year old bucks on the place, so some years appear to be better for fawning than others. The record severe winter we went through this time could be affecting things this year.
Right now I am only seeing two coyotes on trail cameras and always at night. That's not bad considering how many rabbits and quail we have here to draw them in. My dad and I taking out 7 this year (5 females) has helped a lot. And, we will continue the smack down. One good thing is that a relative has a clean field to the south of me. We kill most of the yotes there coming from and going to my place, and that keeps the gun pressure off my property but still gets my yotes. I whacked the one below this spring running straight away at about 230 yards - entered the rectum and exited the face.
I did have a few fawns this year.
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Native Hunter
5 year old buck +
Jordan, we had a bad drought right after I planted this year. The morning dew was all that kept me from having a food plot disaster. The low ground plots held their own and are doing the best. Some of the high ground plots suffered - especially the ones near trees.
Good luck to you this year. So far I'm in a down year for mature bucks, but it is the best year I've had for future prospects. When the leaves finally fall, all of us will likely see different deer.
Native Hunter
5 year old buck +
Thanks Scott. The rain that finally came saved this one. It looked bad for a while. It's on high ground but not near big tree roots. The one closer to the big trees never really made a great looking plot.
Native Hunter
5 year old buck +
If you do the snares, make us a post on your setups and methods. That would make an interesting thread. Good luck.
D
dipper
Guest
Snaring is a lot harder, you need a prime travel route. Trapping opened last Saturday and the guy who traps in our yote killing group has 5 already. 2 on my property
We average over 40 a year but they keep coming back. Very important segment in deer management.
I just wonder if there is any research based on fawn recruitment and doe age.
We average over 40 a year but they keep coming back. Very important segment in deer management.
I just wonder if there is any research based on fawn recruitment and doe age.
B
BJE80
Guest
My old hags have fawns every year. and they are old And I've never seen them lose one. We know them old bitches by first name They are smart and know how to work the area for safety. We rarely get yote pics.
