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Post by jbird on Aug 5, 2019 18:25:02 GMT -5
Do you realize how lucky you are? congratulations on living the dream. My "luck" has simply put me in a position to make the proper choices. "Luck" is having the opportunity to make a choice....right or wrong, easy or difficult, seemingly important or trivial. Where we end up in life is a collective of the choices we have made. God makes us "lucky" in that we have these choices presented to us daily. Is it luck when we scout and hang cams and study deer and the terrain and thermals and follow the progress of what the deer are eating and the stages of the rut? Is it luck when we practice for hours at the range, making sure we can perform under the pressure? Is is luck getting up day after day before the sun comes up and sitting until the sun goes down testing our patience and sometimes our sanity? Is it luck, when your heart is racing and your blood pressure is pounding and you start to shake because that moment you have worked so hard for and dream about is culminating as planned right in front of you? Is it luck when it goes exactly as you had planned? This "dream" you call it....is a pretty good spot for me. What others dream of...may not look like this. I have worked my butt off to be where I am. I have been tested along the way. I have stumbled along the way. I have had some "luck" along the way....but I can certainly say.....it wasn't luck alone!
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Post by jbird on Aug 20, 2019 12:05:46 GMT -5
I got out and did some "deer trail" mowing. Most of you probably are familiar with how a deer likes to follow edges and a path of least resistance. I use my little 30hp tractor and mower to make it a little easier for them....and the trails just happen to wander by a stand or two! This is where the buffer strip forms 2 edges...one with the corn field and one with the woods. I have a path at the edge of the field I use on a year round basis. I added a path between the grass and the woods. I have found that after harvest deer don't like that field edge any more and as such look for another route. My path gives them that route and puts them more where I want them. My area is pretty flat with lots of ag, so there are not many terrain features that force deer movement. The trails help me guide the deer where I want them. This shows my winding path. I use a winding path because it feels safer to deer. This path is 5' wide because of my mower, but you really only need about the width of a push mower (this path is 400 yards long - NOT using a push mower!). I also like to have the path near potential rub and scrape trees and branches....give those deer a chance to leave some sign. I also try to "connect the dots" if I can. I typically like these paths to lead and connect to food sources and pass by bedding areas. I do NOT create a path thru the bedding area. That simply compromises the safety of the bedding area. So below you will see that this path connects to a food plot and the trail then continues into the woods on the other side. The path in the woods I maintain in the winter (after season closes) because the wooded areas is where my deer like to use the slopes to use the elevation to their advantage and bed.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 20, 2019 12:37:47 GMT -5
I got out and did some "deer trail" mowing. Most of you probably are familiar with how a deer likes to follow edges and a path of least resistance. I use my little 30hp tractor and mower to make it a little easier for them....and the trails just happen to wander by a stand or two! This is where the buffer strip forms 2 edges...one with the corn field and one with the woods. I have a path at the edge of the field I use on a year round basis. I added a path between the grass and the woods. I have found that after harvest deer don't like that field edge any more and as such look for another route. My path gives them that route and puts them more where I want them. My area is pretty flat with lots of ag, so there are not many terrain features that force deer movement. The trails help me guide the deer where I want them. This shows my winding path. I use a winding path because it feels safer to deer. This path is 5' wide because of my mower, but you really only need about the width of a push mower (this path is 400 yards long - NOT using a push mower!). I also like to have the path near potential rub and scrape trees and branches....give those deer a chance to leave some sign. I also try to "connect the dots" if I can. I typically like these paths to lead and connect to food sources and pass by bedding areas. I do NOT create a path thru the bedding area. That simply compromises the safety of the bedding area. So below you will see that this path connects to a food plot and the trail then continues into the woods on the other side. The path in the woods I maintain in the winter (after season closes) because the wooded areas is where my deer like to use the slopes to use the elevation to their advantage and bed. Deer are lazy just like us. They like the easiest and smoothest path if they feel safe.
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Post by jbird on Aug 20, 2019 13:06:38 GMT -5
I got out and did some "deer trail" mowing. Most of you probably are familiar with how a deer likes to follow edges and a path of least resistance. I use my little 30hp tractor and mower to make it a little easier for them....and the trails just happen to wander by a stand or two! This is where the buffer strip forms 2 edges...one with the corn field and one with the woods. I have a path at the edge of the field I use on a year round basis. I added a path between the grass and the woods. I have found that after harvest deer don't like that field edge any more and as such look for another route. My path gives them that route and puts them more where I want them. My area is pretty flat with lots of ag, so there are not many terrain features that force deer movement. The trails help me guide the deer where I want them. This shows my winding path. I use a winding path because it feels safer to deer. This path is 5' wide because of my mower, but you really only need about the width of a push mower (this path is 400 yards long - NOT using a push mower!). I also like to have the path near potential rub and scrape trees and branches....give those deer a chance to leave some sign. I also try to "connect the dots" if I can. I typically like these paths to lead and connect to food sources and pass by bedding areas. I do NOT create a path thru the bedding area. That simply compromises the safety of the bedding area. So below you will see that this path connects to a food plot and the trail then continues into the woods on the other side. The path in the woods I maintain in the winter (after season closes) because the wooded areas is where my deer like to use the slopes to use the elevation to their advantage and bed. Deer are lazy just like us. They like the easiest and smoothest path if they feel safe. Yes, we/they are.....I'm sort of counting on that!
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Post by jbird on Aug 26, 2019 10:10:47 GMT -5
I got a little stupid with the pictures saturday. The rain brought out the flowers and the butterflies. North side of my place. I have a corner foodplot area....bean plot overseeded with turnips, clover plot (freshly overseeded), chestnut trees, sawtooth oaks and persimmons trees. None producing mast yet....but I gotta start somewhere! Further north I have another small plot in the woods with a water hole.... Paw-paw are fruiting and my chinkapin oaks are showing acorns. The water hole is still about a foot low, but no dead deer. It got a little stirred up because I had some help! She loves water....hates a bath...go figure! My MG, cedar road screen.... Older MG is about 8 feet tall, but still needs to fill out some. I have apples and crab apples planted as well. The coons raided most of my apples this year....bit have not gotten them all yet. My crab apples are doing well but need some time yet. And lastly a salvage project. This was a 8 foot tall chestnut tree. Until the deer removed the cage and ate and rubbed the crap out of it. I had to cut it back to about a 12" stick. I't about 3 feet tall now and fighting it's way back.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 26, 2019 11:53:04 GMT -5
I lost 3 chestnuts about the same 8 foot high to deer. My new group the last two years will always have a 5 foot high cage around it. Maybe when it has a 24" base I'll take them off or might be rusted off by then.
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Post by jbird on Aug 26, 2019 17:02:46 GMT -5
I lost 3 chestnuts about the same 8 foot high to deer. My new group the last two years will always have a 5 foot high cage around it. Maybe when it has a 24" base I'll take them off or might be rusted off by then. Mine had a 5' cage on it. I think a buck got it's antler caught on the cage and when it freaked out....it pulled the cage off the stake. That left the tree exposed before I could find it.....and the deer did the rest. The cage was pretty mangled when I found it. When i discovered what had happened I was looking for my nice tree...and it was essentially gone! They had eaten the leaves and even the stem itself and rubbed on it to the point that at a distance I couldn't even see the stick/stem/trunk of what was left! To your point....I have apple trees that are a big around as a pop can and I still have cages on them (just smaller diameter) because I figure the deer will rub them as soon as I remove them.
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Post by jakew1991 on Sept 4, 2019 13:58:45 GMT -5
New to this forum, your property is gorgeous. Pretty obviously something you have put a lot of work into. I'm new to hunting in Indiana, but this looks like pristine whitetail property. Our public land here seemed pretty 'hunted out' last year. More hunters than deer for sure.
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Post by jbird on Sept 4, 2019 16:03:13 GMT -5
New to this forum, your property is gorgeous. Pretty obviously something you have put a lot of work into. I'm new to hunting in Indiana, but this looks like pristine whitetail property. Our public land here seemed pretty 'hunted out' last year. More hunters than deer for sure. Thank you. Actually - my area Decatur/Bartholomew county has a fairly low deer density. It is better than it was when I first started, but on average I bet over a hunting season we see a deer a sit. That means if we see a group of 4 deer.....there are 3 sits without seeing a thing. My area is dominated with corn and soybean fields....so cover is the limiting factor. I have been working on the habitat on my place for the past 15 to 20 years. Never kill any monsters but we have taken a couple P&Y class deer (with a gun) off of the place and I take a doe or two for the freezer every year. My oldest son and my youngest daughter also hunt the property with me. I saw your post and replied there so I won't go into that. if your interested....there are a couple of national forums that you may be interested in. One is "habitat-talk" and the other is "deer hunter forum". Links below. Not sure these will be of interest to you...but they might. I go by the same name on those forums as well. I have more info and history on my place on those forums as well. You can become a member or just "lurk" as they call it. habitat-talk.com/index.phpdeerhunterforum.com/index.php
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Post by jakew1991 on Sept 6, 2019 5:28:13 GMT -5
Right on, will check these other sites out for sure. Not sure how many forums I can handle joining all at once as I'm still kind of in the information intake stage. I think my best solution for my first IN deer is a low budget guide service if I can find it. I'm incredibly rusty when it comes to hunting in general, so an extra keen and experienced eye will help me greatly. I'm confident with my trigger skills but locating, tracking, calling are not skills that I've sharpened. Plus I'm just not too familiar with the general deer ecology around here.
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Post by jbird on Sept 9, 2019 12:00:47 GMT -5
Right on, will check these other sites out for sure. Not sure how many forums I can handle joining all at once as I'm still kind of in the information intake stage. I think my best solution for my first IN deer is a low budget guide service if I can find it. I'm incredibly rusty when it comes to hunting in general, so an extra keen and experienced eye will help me greatly. I'm confident with my trigger skills but locating, tracking, calling are not skills that I've sharpened. Plus I'm just not too familiar with the general deer ecology around here. I have no idea on if IN has many outfitters/guides for deer hunting. Especially fully guided hunts. I would not worry about calling. I think in most public and even most private lands....calling is overdone and does more harm than good (just my opinion). I have never brought a deer to me by calling and I think I do better just being quiet. Finding deer is such a site specific thing. What I do and the like in my area may not apply to where you hunt. I can certainly show you how cover and terrain dictate movement on my place if you are interested (you can come on out and we can walk the property and I can at least show you how those things impact my hunting - if you want). Locating feeding areas and bedding (thick) areas is an important part of this because you have to try to narrow down where the deer are headed to and coming from in general. Sometimes you can find deer trails or see old rubs or even notice signs of browsing along the way. Sometimes it's as easy as getting out a day or two after a rain and looking for tracks and following those. Generally hunting next to bedding areas is very tricky, because you want to get close...but not too close and it's easy to spook them in situations like that. But on heavily hunted areas....hunting the thick areas is often the only way your going to see deer in the daylight. Tracking a wounded deer can be an art. I am sure you could train by having a buddy leave you a fake blood trail but deer do some real goofy stuff. They do practice runs to train dogs to do this so in a sense I guess you could practice as well. And again wooded areas can be very different than grassy areas and the like. Biggest piece of advice I can give you on that matter is. Unless you see or hear the deer go down....wait. Wait at least an hour if you can. Rain can cause issues with this, as well as can coyotes or other hunters (yes, sometimes other hunters will tag YOUR deer). I have pushed more presumed dead deer than I care to admit to. Note where the deer was standing when you shot (before you shoot)....and note the direction it took and where you last saw it. Pushing a deer often results in loosing that deer. Being prepared helps a lot as well. Several bright flash lights and some means to mark the trail really helps. I like to work as a team. One looking for new blood and focused and one back at last blood doing more generalized looking. I like to use old busted arrows or flagging tape or the like to mark the trail as well (just use something you will go back and get or is biodegradable). You can get an idea of the direction the deer is heading and make some educated guesses if needed. I also often times alert the neighbors that I might need to access their property if the deer ran that direction. So having a good relationship with the neighbors is a good idea as well (ahead of time)....as they don't HAVE to give you permission....then things get ugly.
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Post by jbird on Sept 9, 2019 12:03:05 GMT -5
Right on, will check these other sites out for sure. Not sure how many forums I can handle joining all at once as I'm still kind of in the information intake stage. I think my best solution for my first IN deer is a low budget guide service if I can find it. I'm incredibly rusty when it comes to hunting in general, so an extra keen and experienced eye will help me greatly. I'm confident with my trigger skills but locating, tracking, calling are not skills that I've sharpened. Plus I'm just not too familiar with the general deer ecology around here. The other sites I listed are more aimed at habitat type work but there is some areas on those about hunting in particular. I just thought it might help you reach out to someone more in your area that might be able/willing to help.
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Post by jbird on Sept 16, 2019 13:57:07 GMT -5
Haven't posted much lately as I have been working on a hunting project....late like always. My son has named it "the battle wagon". So far all the lumber has been stuff I had laying around. Got the cart for $250, I have about $50 in screws and another $40 in sheeting (with more needed). This idea was spawned from the fact that I have a portion of my farm that likes to flood. As such I can't put in a wood structure/shooting house because the floor waters will damage it or possibly even knock it over. So....we are putting it on wheels! I will be able to change locations if I wish, we can pull it as soon as season is over and avoid the spring flooding season. Modular construction design so we can more easily install on the wagon yet build safely on the ground. I have done all of this myself with a lot of thinking involved....no plans. The gravity cart is roughly 6' wide by 10' long. The top flange is about 7 1/2' off the ground. Plan is to put a platform on the cart (so we don't have to alter it) and then put an enclosed blind on top. I thought about setting it down in the hopper, but I liked the additional height. Windows will be double slider type. Good thing I don't hunt much in October!!!! Oh...and despite what my wife thinks....the intent is NOT to hunt from it while it's being pulled around! It's a hunting blind....not a hunting float!
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Post by 36fan on Sept 29, 2019 16:18:41 GMT -5
Do you realize how lucky you are? congratulations on living the dream. My "luck" has simply put me in a position to make the proper choices. "Luck" is having the opportunity to make a choice....right or wrong, easy or difficult, seemingly important or trivial. Where we end up in life is a collective of the choices we have made. God makes us "lucky" in that we have these choices presented to us daily. Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity. - Senaca
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Post by jbird on Sept 30, 2019 10:55:50 GMT -5
Well I got some progress on the hunting blind.... Sheeting, paint and up on the wagon.
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Post by jbird on Oct 14, 2019 10:31:05 GMT -5
Got the door made and fitted and some metal on the roof....
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Post by jbird on Oct 28, 2019 8:02:57 GMT -5
So I got the door installed, the roof finished, and windows installed......
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Post by jbird on Nov 4, 2019 12:49:52 GMT -5
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Post by Deleted on Nov 4, 2019 13:10:20 GMT -5
Nice and create USA flag on top.
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Post by jbird on Nov 4, 2019 15:59:04 GMT -5
Nice and create USA flag on top. I have taken a lot of flak from non-hunters about this blind. Yet deer hunters seem to "get it". I have a funny feeling it's going to see a lot of use.....just because it's going to be so much better than my other blinds..... MY other blinds I use a orange flag but this one we has "old glory" up during construction and I simply didn't see a need to take it down. From what I have seen the deer get used to them and the little bit of motion helps me get away with other movement later. And best of all...I can put it in a different spot if I want next year!
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