The 2018 Hunting Thread

[cabowabo 4578]

Mine has been fine so far.  It has locked up a couple of times, but you just shut it down and back on, and you're back in business.  There are a lot of bells and whistles that I will probably never use....the range finder, ballistics calculator, etc.  I am not going to be be inputing all that information when I have an animal in sight.  I think a lot of the complaints deal with these features. You can set profiles for different weapons, and that is useful to me as I can swap between weapons.  You'll notice the date was wrong in the video.  I had done a firmware update and I guess that reset the date/time.  I have reset that.  The buttons are a little quirky, but you get used to them and this is a non-issue to me.

Edited July 30, 2018 by cabowabo

[BabaYaga 15419]

23 hours ago, Both Tacos said:

Picked up this 40' trailer this weekend to put at my hunting land. It's a hurricane "survivor" that needs some fixing up but will be a good camp trailer to fit the entire family.

Shitters full!

[686 3457]

Made a pretty satisfying “window” shot on a blesbok a few days back, off the sticks, with my 375 WBY. The tree is about 30 yards away, blesbok was 225 yards out. He circled and dropped where he stood at the shot.

 

View with the naked eye:

 

 

Zoomed in:

 

Nice big old ram, measured in at SCI Gold.

 

 

This was some of the most beautiful country I’ve ever seen, big red rock mountains with gorgeous valley savannas at 5000’ elevation. The rifle report echoing off the sheer mountains in the beauty of that place was just unforgettable. A herd of over 1000 blesbok, along with zebra, impala, warthog, kudu, eland, leopard, etc. Pictures don’t do it justice.

 

 

[686 3457]

Had an awesome trip.








Kudu steaks are killer:




Our camp had fun




Just got to make some more money and get back over there

[BayouBill 835]

On 5/18/2018 at 9:31 PM, Both Tacos said:

Got my mount back from Headhunter Taxidermy out of Wills Point. Pretty quick turn around this year. My son's dear took about 8 months to get back a few years ago. I'm not complaining as he does a great job.

Looks like a deer I was after a few years ago...only got a couple pics of him around 1-2 AM each time.

 

[deadshank 24653]

17 minutes ago, OatmealRaisinCookie said:

Bringing my son to opening day for the first time this year (8 years old).

Where can I go get him some good quality gear? Boots, camo, vest, etc.? Cabela's I assume is the one-stop shop answer?

Opening day of what?  Dove? WTD?

I wouldn't waste a bunch of money on top quality gear on an 8 year old.  He's going to quickly outgrow clothing.

If it's dove then buy him a camo shirt and hat.  If WTD and you're sitting in a blind then came is completely not needed.

 

[solamente73 1132]

21 minutes ago, OatmealRaisinCookie said:

Bringing my son to opening day for the first time this year (8 years old).

Where can I go get him some good quality gear? Boots, camo, vest, etc.? Cabela's I assume is the one-stop shop answer?

If it can’t be bought at Academy, you don’t truly need it.

 

 

 

But, yeah, can’t go wrong with Game Winner gear from Academy.  More than the kid will need.  $5 camo t-shirts are nice, too,

[686 3457]

35 minutes ago, OatmealRaisinCookie said:

Bringing my son to opening day for the first time this year (8 years old).

Where can I go get him some good quality gear? Boots, camo, vest, etc.? Cabela's I assume is the one-stop shop answer?

I'm assuming we're talking dove hunting here.

1. Most importantly, don't let him get eaten up by chiggers. Cabela's, etc. have permethrin socks that supposedly work well, or just remember to get some strong bug spray and spray his socks/boots/ankles/waistline/arms real well.

2. Make sure you have a 5 gallon bucket or something for him to sit on, with some cold drinks inside for him.

3. Ear protection 

4. Hat, cheap camo t-shirt, whatever pants and boots.

[686 3457]

11 minutes ago, OatmealRaisinCookie said:

Good stuff -- and yes, Dove Hunting/Bird Boy stuff this year with some shooting of the .410 or 20 ga. single shot once i limit out, at like 8:45am.

Have you had him out to a skeet range/hand throwing clays or dove hunting before? In my experience, it's a lot easier to teach kids to shoot, let them practice, understand firearm safety, get them accustomed to guns going off, understand the dynamics of being in the field, etc. at skeet ranges or hand throwing clays out in a field vs. during a hunt.

Besides, I always like to go "knock the rust off" my shooting before opening day, so if you could take him out to to practice with you between now and then, it would be time well spent IMO. I don't want to add to your to-do list, just want you guys to have a great day hunting. I've seen some bad ones where there was no practice beforehand.

[Spaulding Smails 1569]

That's a great list above.  If he hasn't shot much before, bring him a BB gun too.  My son had a blast shooting small targets while we waited for the birds.  Bring snacks too.

Also, don't underestimate the need for ear protection.  Makes a huge difference if he is new to it or sensitive to loud noises.  

[686 3457]

We had a good half-day of bird hunting in Africa as well. Guineas, Franklins, and doves, lots of fun, great way to end a safari. The most serious business I saw during the trip was the trackers divvying the birds between themselves.

[Brisketexan 105701]

2 hours ago, OatmealRaisinCookie said:

Good stuff -- and yes, Dove Hunting/Bird Boy stuff this year with some shooting of the .410 or 20 ga. single shot once i limit out, at like 8:45am.

Re-think the single-shot.  A .410 is tough to hit stuff with, which will discourage him.  And a single-shot 20 can kick like a mule.  If you can get your hands on a cheap autoloader (which absorbs a fair amount of shot energy), even in 12 ga, I'd suggest that.  I learned via experience with my son.

1 hour ago, 686 said:

Have you had him out to a skeet range/hand throwing clays or dove hunting before? In my experience, it's a lot easier to teach kids to shoot, let them practice, understand firearm safety, get them accustomed to guns going off, understand the dynamics of being in the field, etc. at skeet ranges or hand throwing clays out in a field vs. during a hunt.

Besides, I always like to go "knock the rust off" my shooting before opening day, so if you could take him out to to practice with you between now and then, it would be time well spent IMO. I don't want to add to your to-do list, just want you guys to have a great day hunting. I've seen some bad ones where there was no practice beforehand.

Definitely this.  Get him shooting at EASY shots at the skeet range or from a hand thrower.  Get some confidence built up, and learning the basics of leading and shooting.

1 hour ago, Spaulding Smails said:

That's a great list above.  If he hasn't shot much before, bring him a BB gun too.  My son had a blast shooting small targets while we waited for the birds.  Bring snacks too.

Also, don't underestimate the need for ear protection.  Makes a huge difference if he is new to it or sensitive to loud noises.  

Great suggestion on the bb gun.  Give him something to fart around with -- he's a kid.

[Both Tacos 1825]

Started prepping the wetlands with millet and milo seed in the mudflats. Will continue over the next couple of weeks while the water continues to drop.

[ousuxndallas 65]

Agree with the above recommendations. Give him a bb gun, let him retrieve birds, good intro to hunting.

Academy is the place for kids gear. Cabelas is too expensive for something a kid can only wear one season.

[BabaYaga 15419]

Started on a 410 single-shot.  Got damn good with it.  Wish I still had it.  Graduated to a H&R 20 gauge.  Developed such a proficiency we and my buddies could knock a bird out of the air, reload, and hit the trailing bird all in one motion.  

First rifle - single shot 22lr.

Teach him that each shot matters.  Scarcity forces disciple and proper mechanics.  They can't rush the shot.  There are no follow-ups.  They have to execute.  And the very least, get a cheap 20g OU, port the barrels, get him a recoil pad to wear, and low-recoil target ammo.  

And sit with him.  Tell stories.  Spend the time (my fondest memories as a child.  Not the actual shooting).  We always had a box of clay pigeons and a hand thrower to practice with if the birds weren't flying.  Just lob a few gimmes up there and let him practice.  Teach him how to lead targets.  Deflection shooting, etc.  

Edited August 7, 2018 by BabaYaga

[BabaYaga 15419]

18 minutes ago, OatmealRaisinCookie said:

I still have my first .410 single shot and 20 ga., and what's fun to do is instead of being completely done by like 10am, we pull them out when we are at like 10 birds and have to finish our limit by, you know, actually having to be a good shot (no offense to you tailgate hunters who just spray 12 boxes to kill 12 birds because that is fun too)

I remember as a kid tromping off over the ranch with my best friend.  Single-shot 22's in hand with ONE box of ammo.  50...That's it (less than two 10/22 mags these days).  For the whole day.  And we'd have contests on how many rabbits we could bag.  Or taking turtles out of stock ponds with our Sheridan .177 pump air rifles.  Had to make head shots only.  No skipping off their shells like you can with a .22.  

[Spaulding Smails 1569]

4 hours ago, BabaYaga said:

Started on a 410 single-shot.  Got damn good with it.  Wish I still had it.  Graduated to a H&R 20 gauge.  Developed such a proficiency we and my buddies could knock a bird out of the air, reload, and hit the trailing bird all in one motion.  

First rifle - single shot 22lr.

Teach him that each shot matters.  Scarcity forces disciple and proper mechanics.  They can't rush the shot.  There are no follow-ups.  They have to execute.  And the very least, get a cheap 20g OU, port the barrels, get him a recoil pad to wear, and low-recoil target ammo.  

And sit with him.  Tell stories.  Spend the time (my fondest memories as a child.  Not the actual shooting).  We always had a box of clay pigeons and a hand thrower to practice with if the birds weren't flying.  Just lob a few gimmes up there and let him practice.  Teach him how to lead targets.  Deflection shooting, etc.  

THIS.

I started hunting when I was about 8.  Single shot .410 and a lever action .22 (same ones my boy shoots now).  Had to learn to be patient and selective when shooting dove and quail with my dad.  You can't throw the Hail Mary shot because you only get one chance.  And i had to learn to aim small at squirrels and rabbits.  Once I got to about 10, I'd deer hunt from the stand with my dad, go back and eat breakfast, then walk around the ranch for a few hours with my .22.  So much fun to bring back dinner.  My dad would make me clean them and he'd cook them.  He wasn't fond of eating squirrels and rabbits, but he'd humor me and it taught me to respect what you kill.

I'm not a marksman by any stretch of the imagination and I don't practice nearly enough, but I still prefer to shoot an over/under.  My buddies will go through 3-4 boxes to get a limit of birds, but I can usually do it in less than a box.  It's not that I'm all that good of a shot, I just don't spray lead unless I know I have a good shot at knocking the bird down.  My son's learning the same principles with the .410 now and he's starting to get the concept of swinging through the bird, adjusting for distance and speed, etc.

It was so nice to seem him comfortable behind his new 243 last winter when he took his first doe.  He was calm, patient and waited for the right shot.  We had talked so much beforehand that I didn't even have to reinforce it when he had the crosshairs on her.  His shot was a bit far for him to be comfortable for a head / neck shot so he took aim behind the shoulder.  He waited for the other smaller does and yearlings to clear before firing.  I was watching through the binoculars and saw it hit and saw her run, but I couldn't tell exactly where he hit her.  I was afraid I was going to have to track her forever, but he reassured me that it was a clean lung / heart shot.  He was right.  30 yds from the sendero, she folded up.  I attribute that not to time on the range but time shooting free-hand through iron sites on a 22.

It's so easy to throw a scope on a 22 or buy a kid a semi-auto, but there's something to be said for forcing them to learn to take the right shot. 

[BabaYaga 15419]

36 minutes ago, Spaulding Smails said:

THIS.

I started hunting when I was about 8.  Single shot .410 and a lever action .22 (same ones my boy shoots now).  Had to learn to be patient and selective when shooting dove and quail with my dad.  You can't throw the Hail Mary shot because you only get one chance.  And i had to learn to aim small at squirrels and rabbits.  Once I got to about 10, I'd deer hunt from the stand with my dad, go back and eat breakfast, then walk around the ranch for a few hours with my .22.  So much fun to bring back dinner.  My dad would make me clean them and he'd cook them.  He wasn't fond of eating squirrels and rabbits, but he'd humor me and it taught me to respect what you kill.

I'm not a marksman by any stretch of the imagination and I don't practice nearly enough, but I still prefer to shoot an over/under.  My buddies will go through 3-4 boxes to get a limit of birds, but I can usually do it in less than a box.  It's not that I'm all that good of a shot, I just don't spray lead unless I know I have a good shot at knocking the bird down.  My son's learning the same principles with the .410 now and he's starting to get the concept of swinging through the bird, adjusting for distance and speed, etc.

It was so nice to seem him comfortable behind his new 243 last winter when he took his first doe.  He was calm, patient and waited for the right shot.  We had talked so much beforehand that I didn't even have to reinforce it when he had the crosshairs on her.  His shot was a bit far for him to be comfortable for a head / neck shot so he took aim behind the shoulder.  He waited for the other smaller does and yearlings to clear before firing.  I was watching through the binoculars and saw it hit and saw her run, but I couldn't tell exactly where he hit her.  I was afraid I was going to have to track her forever, but he reassured me that it was a clean lung / heart shot.  He was right.  30 yds from the sendero, she folded up.  I attribute that not to time on the range but time shooting free-hand through iron sites on a 22.

It's so easy to throw a scope on a 22 or buy a kid a semi-auto, but there's something to be said for forcing them to learn to take the right shot. 

Right now all the bow hunters are laughing at us.  

Patience.  Practice.  Stealth.  Judging distance.  Using the wind.  When the shot absolutely has to count.  Talk to a bowhunter!  

[Spaulding Smails 1569]

14 minutes ago, BabaYaga said:

Right now all the bow hunters are laughing at us.  

Patience.  Practice.  Stealth.  Judging distance.  Using the wind.  When the shot absolutely has to count.  Talk to a bowhunter!  

Great point!  I know that's a whole different level of hunting.  And one I really want to try... eventually.  Same with fly fishing.  But, I have too damn many hobbies and not enough time at this point to try either of them.  I know I'd be hooked on both.  All in due time, I suppose.  

[butthurt 1540]

I need some ideas on how to use these antlers beside bottle openers.

[BabaYaga 15419]

10 hours ago, butthurt said:

I need some ideas on how to use these antlers beside bottle openers.

Hat/coat rack?  Cabinet handle?  Jackelope taxidermy mount?

[686 3457]

Right now all the bow hunters are laughing at us.  
Patience.  Practice.  Stealth.  Judging distance.  Using the wind.  When the shot absolutely has to count.  Talk to a bowhunter!  

I used to bowhunt when I had more time. It’s great being that close to the animals, and archery is rewarding as a hobby as well. The hardest thing about bowhunting, for me, is that the efficacy of modern broadheads is still a lot less than even moderate centerfire rifles. Here’s a photo of a deer I had shot about two weeks prior showing the exit wound from a premium broadhead. The shot was a couple inches high, but that shot from a 243 or a 30-30 would have put that deer in the dirt. I was sick about wounding/losing the deer until I saw it had survived. My dad ended up getting him with a rifle a couple weeks after the photo.



I wasn’t interested in taking my bow to Africa (although that’s pretty popular now) because some really good bowhunters I know have lost a few animals in Africa. Basically, if everything doesn’t go perfectly, you’re going to have to finish it with a rifle, or you may lose it entirely. The higher chance of losing game (vs a rifle) just weighs on my mind too much to enjoy it at this point. I really enjoyed archery hunting for pigs for these reasons (lost animal not a big deal), but my current hunting spots don’t have pigs.

[BabaYaga 15419]

18 minutes ago, 686 said:

 

I used to bowhunt when I had more time. It’s great being that close to the animals, and archery is rewarding as a hobby as well. The hardest thing about bowhunting, for me, is that the efficacy of modern broadheads is still a lot less than even moderate centerfire rifles. Here’s a photo of a deer I had shot about two weeks prior showing the exit wound from a premium broadhead. The shot was a couple inches high, but that shot from a 243 or a 30-30 would have put that deer in the dirt. I was sick about wounding/losing the deer until I saw it had survived. My dad ended up getting him with a rifle a couple weeks after the photo.



I wasn’t interested in taking my bow to Africa (although that’s pretty popular now) because some really good bowhunters I know have lost a few animals in Africa. Basically, if everything doesn’t go perfectly, you’re going to have to finish it with a rifle, or you may lose it entirely. The higher chance of losing game (vs a rifle) just weighs on my mind too much to enjoy it at this point. I really enjoyed archery hunting for pigs for these reasons (lost animal not a big deal), but my current hunting spots don’t have pigs.

 

Bow hunting is just so damn hard.  Not much else needs to be said about it.  And to your point, if you can't make an efficient, ethical shot.  Don't take it.  I don't have the time to get proficient.  I get a little fancy and take primarily neck shots, but that is about it.  Between our hunters and my son, honestly I just take spikes and does.  Let them chase horns.  I just want the meat.  

[williemackgarza 1826]

Cool pic 686. Got a pic of the entry side?
Deer are really tough animals

[686 3457]

Cool pic 686. Got a pic of the entry side?
Deer are really tough animals

No pics, but it was about ~4” higher than the exit wound. I was shooting from a pretty high treestand. Shot went though “the void”.

The crazy thing is that when I was butchering this deer after my dad shot it, the meat had no scar tissue from the archery wound. You could see the scar on the skin, but the muscles had healed like nothing had happened. A broadhead is basically a ~1”x 1” scalpel, just no where near the amount of peripheral damage that a bullet creates.

Coincidentally, I was listening to Rinella’s podcast today and he mentioned that sometimes people tell him they prefer to see people bowhunt because it in someway “gives the animal more of a chance” or is “more respectful to the animal”, and he kinda went on a deep dive about how if you think about it, a rifle is about the most ethical way to dispatch a wild animal, and bowhunting probably creates some needless suffering, but hey, a bullet or an arrow probably both result in less suffering vs the natural way of the animal starving, freezing, or being eaten alive by predators.

[BabaYaga 15419]

8 hours ago, 686 said:

 

No pics, but it was about ~4” higher than the exit wound. I was shooting from a pretty high treestand. Shot went though “the void”.

The crazy thing is that when I was butchering this deer after my dad shot it, the meat had no scar tissue from the archery wound. You could see the scar on the skin, but the muscles had healed like nothing had happened. A broadhead is basically a ~1”x 1” scalpel, just no where near the amount of peripheral damage that a bullet creates.

Coincidentally, I was listening to Rinella’s podcast today and he mentioned that sometimes people tell him they prefer to see people bowhunt because it in someway “gives the animal more of a chance” or is “more respectful to the animal”, and he kinda went on a deep dive about how if you think about it, a rifle is about the most ethical way to dispatch a wild animal, and bowhunting probably creates some needless suffering, but hey, a bullet or an arrow probably both result in less suffering vs the natural way of the animal starving, freezing, or being eaten alive by predators.

 

HUGE Rinella fan.  Dudley says the same thing; about the efficacy of a broadhead being overblown and how critical shot placement is.  Rogan/Cam Haynes will also wax poetic about all the vegan warriors both are accosted by daily who have never seen a bear or a pack of wolves take down an animal.  They don't go for the throat like a lion and end things quickly.  They eat you while you are still alive - a**hole & guts first!

My great grandfather used to hunt wolves in Coleman county from the back of a horse and a pack of mixed Walker/Catahoula hounds.  There's a reason wolves were essentially eradicated from most of N.America.  G-mother would tell me stories she was told about crying neighbors who would come to the homestead who's entire flock was "thrill killed" by wolves (most immigrants ran sheep goats back then.  Not cattle).  They'd run through whole herds, rip out throats & bellies, then move on.  Not the stories I told my kids when they were little.....

[cabowabo 4578]

Went on another hog mission last night with the Ruger Ranch 300 Blk.  Judging by his shrieks and the way he was hopping after the shit, looks like I did hit him, but not good enough.  Should have waited for a better shot and aimed for the ear.  I looked around in the brush and could not find a corpse, but my guess is that he's probably expired by this point.  As my heart is getting softer with age, I like quick kills, so I think I need a Ruger American 450 Bushmaster.  I have a SilencerCo Hybrid in NFA jail right now, but that can on the 450 would make a great hog exterminator.  Brownells has it now for 379.99 shipped (with Code NDU)..  Must resist.......

 

Edited August 9, 2018 by cabowabo

[BabaYaga 15419]

2 hours ago, cabowabo said:

Went on another hog mission last night with the Ruger Ranch 300 Blk.  Judging by his shrieks and the way he was hopping after the shit, looks like I did hit him, but not good enough.  Should have waited for a better shot and aimed for the ear.  I looked around in the brush and could not find a corpse, but my guess is that he's probably expired by this point.  As my heart is getting softer with age, I like quick kills, so I think I need a Ruger American 450 Bushmaster.  I have a SilencerCo Hybrid in NFA jail right now, but that can on the 450 would make a great hog exterminator.  Brownells has it now for 379.99 shipped (with Code NDU)..  Must resist.......

 

Coyotes gotta' eat too...

[crimsonlonghorn 2311]

I second the advice on the automatic and advise against the single shot. There just aren't enough pellets to hit anything consistently and even the SS 410 will kick more than a bigger automatic will. Many people think a 410 is just a "little shotgun" but it's really an entirely different beast than other shotguns and takes a lot of skill to shoot. 

Your only issue is that automatics are bigger and longer and therefore heavier, so look for one that is either designed for youth or has the stock cut down and/or a short barrel (20 or 24 inches). A cut down 28 gauge automatic is your best bet if you can find one and can afford it. 

Both of my boys - 9 and 11 - have been regularly shooting skeet now for about a year with autoloaders and have gotten pretty good at it, so much so that I'm going to finally take them dove hunting  with me this year for the first time. They originally started out sharing a Rem 1100 28 Gauge this time last year and have both graduated now to 20 gauge autos - one left-handed (Benelli M2) and one right-handed (Beretta A300). Both can regularly exceed 15 targets at skeet and will probably pass me and my lame C-class ability some time in the next 2-3 years

Tonight we went and shot sporting clays as the first of a few preseason practices and both of them were knocking them down pretty good. I am excited about dove season for sure. Six more weeks left here in the south zone. Signed my new lease agreement today. Can't wait. 

 

Edited August 11, 2018 by crimsonlonghorn

[686 3457]

Put a camera out yesterday and pulled some pics today. This ranch is close to Lampasas and had no ten pointers on it in 2015 when my folks bought it and we started improving the range conditions and feeding some. We had one 10pt on camera in 2016, had seven on camera in 2017, and we may have that many just from this morning at this feeder. I recognize a lot of these bucks, so it’s great to see them adding inches.

[jofus 2266]

Looks like a deer sausage party. 

[686 3457]

21 minutes ago, jofus said:

Looks like a deer sausage party. 

That feeder has a timer and is only open a few minutes morning and evening, and the mature bucks will generally push does out of the way until they have their fill.

[Caver60 418]

Here in Comal County, bucks are still in their bachelor herds. Running together until they start running tail.

 

[Both Tacos 1825]

21 hours ago, 686 said:

That feeder has a timer and is only open a few minutes morning and evening, and the mature bucks will generally push does out of the way until they have their fill.

You can see how a lot of the bucks were "waiting" until the does got done. In one pic you see one doe on her hind legs, which looks like she was bitch slapping someone. Feeding quality protein and enough of it is an expensive endeavor, but worth it to see the results.  

[Reagan1k 3026]

22 hours ago, 686 said:

Put a camera out yesterday and pulled some pics today. This ranch is close to Lampasas and had no ten pointers on it in 2015 when my folks bought it and we started improving the range conditions and feeding some. We had one 10pt on camera in 2016, had seven on camera in 2017, and we may have that many just from this morning at this feeder. I recognize a lot of these bucks, so it’s great to see them adding inches.

Time and money.....time and money......Amazing combination.

That's my answer to anyone who asks how we grow good deer on our place.

Time is the main factor but money greases the wheel for sure.  You can't see and shoot mature bucks unless you have mature bucks.

Good work there 686.

[686 3457]

Thanks. This place is 180 acres, low fence, and we’ve probably cleared about 30 acres of solid cedar that was non-habitat. We spend about $2k a year on feed and food plot seed and fertilizer. I plant about 5-10 acres of fall plots every October, which makes a huge difference; the deer are in the plots from around December-May, and prefer the Turner Seed Fall Deer mix to protein pellets. Dr. Deer says plots have 10x the value to pellets, and I agree. Here’s what the plots look like in February, there will be ~20 deer in this plot at dawn/dusk:

 

 

I have pics of this deer going back 3 years, he’s at least 6, maybe 7. He was an 8pt until this year, and he added inches everywhere this year, including the neat little G1 split on his left side. I’m looking forward to seeing him live, maybe a good target candidate.

 

 

We don’t do formal surveys, but try to manage numbers by shooting about 3 does and a few spikes if we see them in addition to about 2 old bucks every year, seems to be working ok. Neighbors on two sides hunt, so I’m sure they benefit by my effort and investment.

 

Using the timed protein feeder is a huge help for low fence operations, as the bucks can’t pig out on protein all night at my place and then chase does on my neighbor’s place and get shot in the morning. If they want their morning/evening snack, they have to be on my place during shooting hours. Also it helps ration out the protein so I can stay close to my budget.

 

[Both Tacos 1825]

Started prepping the wetlands with millet and milo seed in the mudflats. Will continue over the next couple of weeks while the water continues to drop.

Well, looks like most of my seeding went to waste with all this rain. Check the wetland out and water pretty much covered up whatever I planted. I'll get after it again this coming weekend with the new water line.

[686 3457]

20 minutes ago, Both Tacos said:

Well, looks like most of my seeding went to waste with all this rain. Check the wetland out and water pretty much covered up whatever I planted. I'll get after it again this coming weekend with the new water line. 

Mother Nature likes to make things challenging. I disked and planted about 5 acres of spring dove mix on April 1, 2017, and we got great rain the next several days (not too heavy, just right). I was stoked and thought I was going to have some bad ass dove hunting fields last year, but then it didn't rain for about two months after that and I lost the plots. (April Fools!) The rain was so minimal this spring I didn't even attempt spring plots; until this weekend, we had only had 12" in 2018. Got about 1.3" this weekend, desperately needed.

[Reagan1k 3026]

Kroll knows his stuff for sure.

Sounds like you are doing all the right stuff.

Happy hunting....you've earned it.  Those are some great bucks.

Hill Country deer get slighted pretty often, especially by folks in my generation or older who remember the old "day-hunting" days, where anything with horns was a good deer in Central TX and a 110" 3-year old was paraded through town, but man has that changed.

Back then, a ton of hunting was paid for by the day and not the season....with hunters shooting any buck they saw because they may never step foot on the property again when those 24-hours are over.  That, and the old doe permit system decimated the population of mature bucks and threw the buck/doe ratio so far out of whack that the population never stood a chance. 

For those that don't know - back in the day, landowners got doe permits and they could sell them at their discretion.  You'd pay for a lease or to day-hunt, and even though you had doe tags on your license, you still needed the doe permit to shoot a doe off a particular property.  A hunter paid $50-$100 a day to hunt a given pasture and could shoot a buck, but if he wanted to shoot a doe he had to pony up another $25-$50 for the permit.  Guess what he's shooting - anything with horns.  It was cheaper to shoot a 4-point than a doe, and the hunter had no vested interest in the land's management.  Doe were everywhere and any buck was a prize.

With the general death of low-fence day hunts as they were run back then, and the elimination of property-based doe permits.....management had a chance to work and Hill Country bucks have gotten better every passing year in general.  Lots of low-fence bucks +150" are there for the taking.  Unheard of in the 60's-90's.  

Bucks are given time to mature, hunters are spending money on feed and habitat (see 686) and the better buck doe ratio means dominate bucks have a chance to breed more doe so the better genetics are passed on at a higher and higher percentage.

 

[NotActuallyALonghorn 4980]

When I had Kroll for my intro to wildlife management class he said the average age of a buck shot in East Texas was something like 1.9 years old. Now with more liberal doe seasons and antler restrictions things are generally much better. Still, too many folks like to shoot spikes instead of does when the other more important stuff like buck to doe ratio isn't yet under control. I'm of the opinion that we generally need longer doe seasons, but I think a lot of that is kept in check by the old perceptions of it not being manly or whatever to shoot anything that doesn't have antlers.

[Reagan1k 3026]

41 minutes ago, NotActuallyALonghorn said:

When I had Kroll for my intro to wildlife management class he said the average age of a buck shot in East Texas was something like 1.9 years old and shot at night.

FIFY

Sentiment is changing toward doe hunting for sure, but still has a way to go.  You open up cans of worms when you tinker with the seasons but I'd love some combinations of the following depending on the part of the state;

1) An early doe-only season to reduce doe numbers pre-rut, before any dominate bucks are shot (messes with bow season and laws about hunting with guns present at that time)

2) Expanded doe tag numbers for certain regions (by special license I guess - make it free but required)

3) Extended Doe only seasons through January at least (lots of bucks drop horns in mid/late Jan and this means there will be casualties of bad eyes or excited trigger fingers)

4) Better use of Hunt for Hungry programs - grants for processors so that hunters don't have to pay anything.  (most if not all processors still charge a fee to accept deer)

Anyway - just my thoughts....we have to encourage more folks to do it and make it easier / cheaper to do so in a lot of places.  Others, not so much!  

Edited August 13, 2018 by Reagan1k
1234

[686 3457]

Kroll knows his stuff for sure.
Sounds like you are doing all the right stuff.
Happy hunting....you've earned it.  Those are some great bucks.
Hill Country deer get slighted pretty often, especially by folks in my generation or older who remember the old "day-hunting" days, where anything with horns was a good deer in Central TX and a 110" 3-year old was paraded through town, but man has that changed.
Back then, a ton of hunting was paid for by the day and not the season....with hunters shooting any buck they saw because they may never step foot on the property again when those 24-hours are over.  That, and the old doe permit system decimated the population of mature bucks and threw the buck/doe ratio so far out of whack that the population never stood a chance. 
For those that don't know - back in the day, landowners got doe permits and they could sell them at their discretion.  You'd pay for a lease or to day-hunt, and even though you had doe tags on your license, you still needed the doe permit to shoot a doe off a particular property.  A hunter paid $50-$100 a day to hunt a given pasture and could shoot a buck, but if he wanted to shoot a doe he had to pony up another $25-$50 for the permit.  Guess what he's shooting - anything with horns.  It was cheaper to shoot a 4-point than a doe, and the hunter had no vested interest in the land's management.  Doe were everywhere and any buck was a prize.
With the general death of low-fence day hunts as they were run back then, and the elimination of property-based doe permits.....management had a chance to work and Hill Country bucks have gotten better every passing year in general.  Lots of low-fence bucks +150" are there for the taking.  Unheard of in the 60's-90's.  
Bucks are given time to mature, hunters are spending money on feed and habitat (see 686) and the better buck doe ratio means dominate bucks have a chance to breed more doe so the better genetics are passed on at a higher and higher percentage.
 

Yep. I’ve been in Central Texas my whole life and I would say buck quality and quantity may better now that it has been in over 100 years in a lot of areas. I grew up shooting exclusively does for about a decade, because bucks were so rare and I wasn’t interested in shooting a really young buck.

A neighbor in Lampasas told me the general area around our place was “shot out” between the 60s and 90s, just like you describe.

Also there was a ton of just absolute bullshit junk science that people would circulate in the 80s-90s in Central Texas (“you can’t clear the cedar, that’s good deer habitat; you shouldn’t shoot does, that will really reduce the herd numbers, it’s like taking two deer”, etc.); and before the internet, it was hard to go get real information on management.

The internet, trail cams, and antler restrictions have been a huge help.

[Spaulding Smails 1569]

6 hours ago, 686 said:

Thanks. This place is 180 acres, low fence, and we’ve probably cleared about 30 acres of solid cedar that was non-habitat. We spend about $2k a year on feed and food plot seed and fertilizer. I plant about 5-10 acres of fall plots every October, which makes a huge difference; the deer are in the plots from around December-May, and prefer the Turner Seed Fall Deer mix to protein pellets. Dr. Deer says plots have 10x the value to pellets, and I agree. Here’s what the plots look like in February, there will be ~20 deer in this plot at dawn/dusk:

 

 

I have pics of this deer going back 3 years, he’s at least 6, maybe 7. He was an 8pt until this year, and he added inches everywhere this year, including the neat little G1 split on his left side. I’m looking forward to seeing him live, maybe a good target candidate.

 

 

We don’t do formal surveys, but try to manage numbers by shooting about 3 does and a few spikes if we see them in addition to about 2 old bucks every year, seems to be working ok. Neighbors on two sides hunt, so I’m sure they benefit by my effort and investment.

 

Using the timed protein feeder is a huge help for low fence operations, as the bucks can’t pig out on protein all night at my place and then chase does on my neighbor’s place and get shot in the morning. If they want their morning/evening snack, they have to be on my place during shooting hours. Also it helps ration out the protein so I can stay close to my budget.

 

I can't thank you enough for this post.  We just bought our place in Kimble Co earlier this year.  Put out standard feeders this spring, but considering switching to straight protein next year.  The food plot idea is most intriguing.  I'll PM for more details if you don't mind.

[686 3457]

I can't thank you enough for this post.  We just bought our place in Kimble Co earlier this year.  Put out standard feeders this spring, but considering switching to straight protein next year.  The food plot idea is most intriguing.  I'll PM for more details if you don't mind.

Ask away, by all means. By “standard feeders” I assume you mean corn spinners. What I like to do is put a corn spinner and a timed protein feeder at my main setups (two main setups on our 180 ac, one additional corn spinner at a third setup). This benefits both me and the deer in my experience through the following:
1. Showing up to hunt and finding your feeder battery is dead or the feeder has been empty for awhile is aggravating as hell. Having two feeders doubles the chances one is operational when you roll up on a Friday afternoon or whatever and are looking forward to having some nice stand time and seeing some wildlife.

2. I only throw corn for 1-2 seconds from my spinners, and I only open the protein feeders for a couple minutes morning and evening. I maintain good range conditions, plant food plots, and try to maintain appropriate stocking numbers. I don’t want the deer to rely on the corn and protein; more that it’s an extra snack that they like and which gives me an opportunity to watch them for awhile. Co-locating a corn spinner and a protein feeder (mine are about 25 yards apart) will in general, increase the time the deer spend at the setup. They will usually try to get a little of both, and if the protein feeder is crowded, hunting down some corn gives them something to do while they wait for the crowd to die down.

I used to feed protein free choice, but in my experience feeding free choice the deer stay more nocturnal, and I have a good amount of loss to coons (and loss to hogs on previous places I hunted). With timed protein, I have almost no nighttime trail cam pics, vs probably 50% nighttime pics feeding free choice, and no coon loss. (hell yeah!!!!)

Also, feeding free choice, the consumption can get absurd, and the deer will just be lazy and eat protein instead of getting out in the pasture and hustling a little. We average 50 lb/day of protein consumption total between the two feeders open only that couple of minutes morning and evening.

In Kimble county, you might be able to do late fall plots (like I do), if you have some soil, spring plots are probably out unless you have irrigation.

[Spaulding Smails 1569]

Thanks for the info!  I like the way you have it set up.  I appreciate your strategy about the timing and the food plot, and it makes sense that open protein feeding is not only expensive but also creates nocturnal behaviors.

What type of protein are you feeding?  Are you buying bags or in bulk?  Feeding year-round protein or only during spring / summer?

Our property is similar in size to yours and we're low fenced as well with larger properties surrounding us.  The smallest adjacent property is 600 acres, and we don't think they get much hunting pressure.  So, we're excited to see what we can develop in the coming years.  Right now, we're seeing some decent whitetail and axis on the game cameras.

We just bought the property earlier this year.  This spring and summer, we cleared a ton of cedar ourselves and brought in a hydro-mulcher for a full day as well.  We weren't overly thick as the property was grazing land primarily over the last several decades.  There's a nice wet weather creek at the back of the property that seems to be the main traffic area for movement.  The property is almost perfectly square, so it feels much larger than it is.  

We set up three spinning feeders and we're feeding 50/50 corn/protein twice per day at 2 second intervals.  We don't have any tanks on the property, but we're putting in two cisterns in the coming weeks.  Setting up float valves and hoping to keep the hogs from tearing those up.  The goal is to draw more wildlife in from adjacent properties and keep them there.  Right now, I think we're getting mostly deer passing through.

We do have an old pasture (approx 2 acres) that was fenced and we're assuming was a small food plot at one time.  The fence was in such disrepair that we took it down completely.  I haven't pulled the trigger on a tractor yet, but hoping to do a food plot out there in the next few years.  We've already spent way more than we wanted on fence, a new road and getting the cabin set up, so any additional improvements are probably going to take a few years for funds to recover, but I'm excited to start playing with the protein to see what we can develop.

[BabaYaga 15419]

18 hours ago, 686 said:

Thanks. This place is 180 acres, low fence, and we’ve probably cleared about 30 acres of solid cedar that was non-habitat. We spend about $2k a year on feed and food plot seed and fertilizer. I plant about 5-10 acres of fall plots every October, which makes a huge difference; the deer are in the plots from around December-May, and prefer the Turner Seed Fall Deer mix to protein pellets. Dr. Deer says plots have 10x the value to pellets, and I agree. Here’s what the plots look like in February, there will be ~20 deer in this plot at dawn/dusk:

 

 

I have pics of this deer going back 3 years, he’s at least 6, maybe 7. He was an 8pt until this year, and he added inches everywhere this year, including the neat little G1 split on his left side. I’m looking forward to seeing him live, maybe a good target candidate.

 

 

We don’t do formal surveys, but try to manage numbers by shooting about 3 does and a few spikes if we see them in addition to about 2 old bucks every year, seems to be working ok. Neighbors on two sides hunt, so I’m sure they benefit by my effort and investment.

 

Using the timed protein feeder is a huge help for low fence operations, as the bucks can’t pig out on protein all night at my place and then chase does on my neighbor’s place and get shot in the morning. If they want their morning/evening snack, they have to be on my place during shooting hours. Also it helps ration out the protein so I can stay close to my budget.

 

We have a little over a section near Coleman.  Same situation, minus cedar and substitute in mesquite.  They are relentless.  Our situation is a little different in that I've started leasing to hunters.  Family land.  Parents are out of state and I'm in DFW.  Need more hands and eyes on the place.  Reclaiming two large fields (40+ acres) and sewing winter wheat.  Food plots going in for the first time as well.  So fingers crossed.  We run more than a half dozen corn feeders and a big Lamco protein feeder - also on a timer.  One thing I've also done is cottonseed.  They seem to absolutely love it.  It's gone in a matter of days.  Just hard to stay consistent with it due to the logistics.  Big thing is water.  Tanks have not gone dry.  That in itself is a blessing.

[BabaYaga 15419]

1 hour ago, Spaulding Smails said:

"We just bought the property earlier this year.....We've already spent way more than we wanted"

Yep.  And it doesn't get an easier.  But it's worth it.  And watch the Axis.  They can/will run whitetail off.  They are a little larger, more dominant, and tend to push the WT out.  They also range farther, so it's not all bad.  They are also one of the best tasting animals you can find.  Better than elk IMHO.  

[686 3457]

1 hour ago, Spaulding Smails said:

What type of protein are you feeding?  I've fed lots of different stuff, and in my opinion, brand nor %protein matters as much as consistent availability. I still change what I'm feeding now depending on which feed store is on my way to the ranch. 

Are you buying bags or in bulk?  I like buying in bulk because its easier to load, and one of the feed stores I use will let you use their trailer for free. That said, I still load bags by hand about half the time because I'm coming from a direction that doesn't have a good bulk supplier. I arrange my setups so I can pull up next to the feeder with my truck and load the feeders while standing on my toolbox, a lot easier/faster than climbing a ladder.

Feeding year-round protein or only during spring / summer? I like having protein available year-round, because rainfall and pasture conditions can be so seasonally unpredictable. But the deer will generally consume a lot more in the summertime than in the fall/winter/spring if there has been some rain.

An anecdote: several years ago when I was feeding free choice, we had a nice group of old (7+ yrs) bucks we watched through the season. I ran out of money/time/motivation to keep the feeders filled in late January, and the weather was dry and the food plots didn't really get up and going until March that year. We lost every single one of the old bucks. In my opinion, they got adjusted to protein feed and corn, and then post-rut when they were most run-down, the feeders went dry, the pastures were in a "low-protein" (dry) condition, and the bucks died. It happens with pen raised deer - there are stories of people turning big pellet-fed pen raised breeder bucks out onto a ranch and finding them dead within weeks; it can happen with cattle as well.

...

We set up three spinning feeders and we're feeding 50/50 corn/protein twice per day at 2 second intervals.  I would recommend switching to just corn around September/Oct. in your spinners. Protein that gets rained on doesn't get eaten much, and the deer will really be craving the calories/carbs in the corn as the rut starts to ramp up, and it will reduce your costs some.

We don't have any tanks on the property, but we're putting in two cisterns in the coming weeks.  Setting up float valves and hoping to keep the hogs from tearing those up.  The goal is to draw more wildlife in from adjacent properties and keep them there.  Right now, I think we're getting mostly deer passing through. Water is YUGE. We have two tanks that never go dry and 3 other seasonal tanks. One of Dr. Deer's studies showed that if a deer had adequate food, water, and thermal cover in close proximity, it's range would shrink down to something like 80 acres. 

 

Quote

We do have an old pasture (approx 2 acres) that was fenced and we're assuming was a small food plot at one time.  The fence was in such disrepair that we took it down completely.  I haven't pulled the trigger on a tractor yet, but hoping to do a food plot out there in the next few years.  We've already spent way more than we wanted on fence, a new road and getting the cabin set up, so any additional improvements are probably going to take a few years for funds to recover, but I'm excited to start playing with the protein to see what we can develop.

If you have any farmer neighbors out there, you could talk with them about planting your plot (assuming the plot area is accessible from  the road). The most important part of food plotting that gets overlooked is packing. I built my own cultipacker, as they are a little pricey, but they are essential for good germination.

 

Edited August 14, 2018 by 686

[Both Tacos 1825]

FIFY
Sentiment is changing toward doe hunting for sure, but still has a way to go.  You open up cans of worms when you tinker with the seasons but I'd love some combinations of the following depending on the part of the state;
1) An early doe-only season to reduce doe numbers pre-rut, before any dominate bucks are shot (messes with bow season and laws about hunting with guns present at that time)
2) Expanded doe tag numbers for certain regions (by special license I guess - make it free but required)
3) Extended Doe only seasons through January at least (lots of bucks drop horns in mid/late Jan and this means there will be casualties of bad eyes or excited trigger fingers)
4) Better use of Hunt for Hungry programs - grants for processors so that hunters don't have to pay anything.  (most if not all processors still charge a fee to accept deer)
Anyway - just my thoughts....we have to encourage more folks to do it and make it easier / cheaper to do so in a lot of places.  Others, not so much!  

I would like to just see my county go to being able to take a doe anytime of the season rather than the special doe season which is only the 4 days over the Thanksgiving weekend.

[BabaYaga 15419]

23 hours ago, 686 said:

We set up three spinning feeders and we're feeding 50/50 corn/protein twice per day at 2 second intervals.  I would recommend switching to just corn around September/Oct. in your spinners. Protein that gets rained on doesn't get eaten much, and the deer will really be craving the calories/carbs in the corn as the rut starts to ramp up, and it will reduce your costs some.

Another option down the road is to look at protein feeders that keep it off the ground.  That way less is wasted (turns to mush when exposed to moisture).  Look at trough feeders with a timer (like Lamco or others).

Lamco