Managing property for wild game hunting

[Reagan1k 3024]

Lotta rain all over.  Grass is waist high and deer are fat as embedded ticks.  Tall grass should bode well well for fawns.  Might be tough early hunting if the acorns are thick but that’s a small price to pay for a health heard.  

[hornmpa96 2620]

With all the browse out here, the deer are hardly hitting the protein right now.

[Reagan1k 3024]

We have a decent, steady flow to our protein, but you are correct- nothing like when things are tough and they appear to be waiting in line to eat.  This amount of moisture closing on mid June bodes well.

Should be a huge year for acorns and wild persimmons which makes hunting tough but I’m happy to take that over the alternative.

Interesting fact.  If deer are gorging on wild persimmons, they get extremely  sluggish and move very little. The ripe fruit ferments in the rumination process and they get a bit drunk which keeps them laid up.  We had a biologist refuse to do a scheduled deer count when the fruit was still available because of the effect it plays on their movement. 

[fattyflattie 4638]

Ours were slamming the protein about a month ago. I’m sure this rain will slow them down a bit. 

[deadshank 24653]

On 6/5/2021 at 11:44 AM, fattyflattie said:

Ours were slamming the protein about a month ago. I’m sure this rain will slow them down a bit. 

Checked our PFs Saturday.  All are stone empty.  Trail cam pics show an endless parade of deer in pens.  Super green all over.  

Go figure.

[Reagan1k 3024]

I've got one camera that's been overtaken by a wildflower of some kind.  Sucker has grown 2 feet in the last month.  Now it's blocking the camera and taking a flower-selfie every time the wind blows.  It beats the alternative of nothing but crispy, burned grass, but it is annoying.

[deadshank 24653]

We’re gonna need a bigger shredder. 

[fattyflattie 4638]

@deadshank you have the most beautiful place.  
 

I haven’t been able to get down to mine since the rains, but last year it was 5’ or so across the entire place.  I’ve never seen south Texas cows so fat and shiny. 

[686 3451]

This field had been fallow for years; my dad disked it and planted it in Kleingrass last year; it looks phenomenal with all the rain. Kleingrass is a great combo cattle/wildlife grass.



I haven’t put cameras out yet, but I got a quick cell phone pic of a nice buck on the way out of the ranch last week. Might have some shooter bucks this year.

[CHIEF 5095]

Kleingrass was kinda the "in" thing to plant in the mid 80's-early 90's. It did really well in our area. Not sure the reason people went away from it. Maybe better hybrids of more common grasses. That's a great stand for just a year.

CHIEF

[686 3451]

Kleingrass was kinda the "in" thing to plant in the mid 80's-early 90's. It did really well in our area. Not sure the reason people went away from it. Maybe better hybrids of more common grasses. That's a great stand for just a year.
CHIEF

Klein doesn’t produce the #/acre biomass that some of the hybrid bermudas will (jigs, tifton, maybe even Coastal); but it does better in clay soils and colder climates than hybrid Bermudas in my experience; and wildlife generally won’t eat Bermuda, but will eat new growth Klein.

[Lazarus Bocanegra 306]

Was out before sunrise last weekend walking the senderos on our property in Live Oak County, Texas.  We bought it back in May and are going to be converting to Wildlife Management in the coming year.  We've put a bunch of work into already. Cleared about 10 acres of brush over the summer, and have supplemental feeding underway.  Right now, we only have one blind for 128 acs, that sits at the intersection of five senderos and has feeders to the north, south, and west.  I threw a bunch of corn on the roads Saturday afternoon.  Sunday morning, I took the circuitous route to the blind, and there was a big javelina at the end of the Sendero to the north.  I climbed into the blind and watched it for a while before it took off into the brush to the east.  I got out to check the timer on the north feeder because it didn't go off, and noticed another javelina down further to the north.  I crept pretty slowly as he munched his way towards me and got to within about 10 yards before he noticed me.  I kept thinking each shutter click would be the one to send him scurrying, but he stuck around for a little while and let me get some shots before he took off into the brush to the west.  I'd really like to know what cut his face.  I am going to call him Omar from now on.  

Our place is basically a rectangle that has slight ridge that runs along the western third.  After the javeIina encounter, I continued on down to the north road and turned towards the west.  From where I was, you walk up the eastern slope of the ridge, which is probably about 50' or so in elevation. As I crest the top of the ridge, I come upon two doe with their fawns.  They spot me but stick around long enough for me to get a couple snaps, when out of the brush to my left, yet another javelina comes into frame before it spots me and darts under the fence to the neighboring property.  I walk down to the northwest corner, and for some reason I put my camera in my hip bag and zipped it.  Just as I turn the corner, I come face to face with a nice little buck eating road corn with a couple of does no more than 15 yards away.  We both freeze.  At this point. I've got no choice but to make a move to unzip my camera back, and as soon as I do, he darts off into the brush to my left.  One of the does stuck around, so I figure I might as well get a shot of her now that I've got the camera out.  I set up on her, and as soon as I take the first pic, the buck springs out of the brush, takes one step, and leaps the fence to the western neighbor's property.  I got two clicks off before he was gone.  All told, a good morning.  I can't wait to get back out there.  

[686 3451]

Nice work! Is that doe in the last pic missing half her left ear?

[Lazarus Bocanegra 306]

3 minutes ago, 686 said:

Nice work! Is that doe in the last pic missing half her left ear?

nice catch.  Sure looks like it.  Probably the same thing cut Omar's face took the doe's ear.  

[fattyflattie 4638]

I've got a little family of javs that visit my feeder like clockwork over the last few years.  Cool animals.  They don't disturb the deer in any capacity compared to the turkeys, in my experience.

[Johnny Sack 8397]

18 minutes ago, fattyflattie said:

I've got a little family of javs that visit my feeder like clockwork over the last few years.  Cool animals.  They don't disturb the deer in any capacity compared to the turkeys, in my experience.

Yep.  I pretty much leave them alone.  Only see them occasionally and they don't hurt anything.

Coyotes and wild pigs are terminated with extreme prejudice.  All methods and means.  Trapping, snaring, shooting from blinds, helicopter hunting, thermal hunting, etc.

[fattyflattie 4638]

2 minutes ago, Johnny Sack said:

Yep.  I pretty much leave them alone.  Only see them occasionally and they don't hurt anything.

Coyotes and wild pigs are terminated with extreme prejudice.  All methods and means.  Trapping, snaring, shooting from blinds, helicopter hunting, thermal hunting, etc.

We don’t have shit for pigs.  One guy actually got a second place in east Texas so he could satisfy his love for killing pigs I guess (gives the kids a ton of practice). 

[Reagan1k 3024]

2 hours ago, fattyflattie said:

They don't disturb the deer in any capacity compared to the turkeys, in my experience.

So much this.   My experience has been that deer loathe turkey more than any other wildlife.  I can only guess that a flock creates so much movement and noise around them the deer feel vulnerable and their defenses are compromised so they exit quickly. 

[BabaYaga 15318]

16 hours ago, Johnny Sack said:

Coyotes and wild pigs are terminated with extreme prejudice.

and porcupine & nutria...

Edited September 16, 2021 by BabaYaga

[Spaulding Smails 1555]

Great pics @Lazarus Bocanegra!  Love that area.  Congrats on the purchase.  Roughly where are you in Live Oak County?  I've hunted on-and-off in that county for 25+ years.  Had a lease near Lagarto for over a decade and now have a good friend with a place on the Nueces between Three Rivers and George West and my uncle has a ranch right at the Duval County line off Hwy 59.  

[Lazarus Bocanegra 306]

On 9/17/2021 at 12:50 PM, Spaulding Smails said:

Great pics @Lazarus Bocanegra!  Love that area.  Congrats on the purchase.  Roughly where are you in Live Oak County?  I've hunted on-and-off in that county for 25+ years.  Had a lease near Lagarto for over a decade and now have a good friend with a place on the Nueces between Three Rivers and George West and my uncle has a ranch right at the Duval County line off Hwy 59.  

Thanks, man.  Got very lucky with the timing of the purchase.  Place was pretty trashed up by the goat farmers we bought it from, and in a few short months we've really turned the place around.  This first season should be a big learning experience for us.  None of us have any experience in brush country.   My partners' old place was out near Brady, so a totally different world. Recently found out the previous owners were pretty much hated by everyone in the surrounding area because they'd shoot everything that moved.  We're trying to get the word out that there's new management in town...

We are on 99 due north of Choke Canyon in the NW of the County, close to where McMullen, Live Oak, and Atascosa Counties meet 

 

Edited September 27, 2021 by Lazarus Bocanegra

[deadshank 24653]

51 minutes ago, Lazarus Bocanegra said:

Thanks, man.  Got very lucky with the timing of the purchase.  Place was pretty trashed up by the goat farmers we bought it from, and in a few short months we've really turned the place around.  This first season should be a big learning experience for us.  None of us have any experience in brush country.   My partners' old place was out near Brady, so a totally different world. Recently found out the previous owners were pretty much hated by everyone in the surrounding area because they'd shoot everything that moved.  We're trying to get the word out that there's new management in town...

We are on 99 due north of Choke Canyon in the NW of the County, close to where McMullen, Live Oak, and Atascosa Counties meet 

 

That's a nice area.  I used to be on 9000 acres where 99 dead ends at a pipe gate on the south side of Choke Canyon in McMullen county.  The Nueces was our southern border.  That joint was gamey as all get out.  

Good luck.

[Both Tacos 1806]

After spraying a couple of weeks ago to kill everything and mowing last weekend I took the tractor out with a disc and a drag behind the Rhino to prep a good seed bed in the deer food plot this past weekend.
After the field was prepped, we threw out 150 lbs of winter wildlife mix (wheat, oats, cereal rye, peas and a couple others I can't remember).
Then ran over it again with the drag to get good seed to soil contact.
Now, just need the forecasted rain this week to hold.

[Spaulding Smails 1555]

4 hours ago, Lazarus Bocanegra said:

Thanks, man.  Got very lucky with the timing of the purchase.  Place was pretty trashed up by the goat farmers we bought it from, and in a few short months we've really turned the place around.  This first season should be a big learning experience for us.  None of us have any experience in brush country.   My partners' old place was out near Brady, so a totally different world. Recently found out the previous owners were pretty much hated by everyone in the surrounding area because they'd shoot everything that moved.  We're trying to get the word out that there's new management in town...

We are on 99 due north of Choke Canyon in the NW of the County, close to where McMullen, Live Oak, and Atascosa Counties meet 

 

That's a primo spot.  I hunted on a buddy's spot one weekend near Whitsett and had some banner hunts.  Like @deadshank said, lots of wildlife.  Just give it time and patience!  

[BabaYaga 15318]

GD wind this weekend.  Everything was bedded down and didn't see jack squat.

[deadshank 24653]

2 minutes ago, BabaYaga said:

GD wind this weekend.  Everything was bedded down and didn't see jack squat.

You need to better manage your property and the wind for wild game.

[BabaYaga 15318]

3 minutes ago, deadshank said:

You need to better manage your property and the wind for wild game.

F your high game fences, I;m getting one of these

[NotActuallyALonghorn 4977]

A snow globe?

[BabaYaga 15318]

22 minutes ago, NotActuallyALonghorn said:

A snow globe?