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2021-2022 hunting thread

markstanco

By markstanco
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deadshank

deadshank 24654

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10 hours ago, markstanco said:

Plot question.

Kinda new in the deer hunting. I’ve been duck hunting since the mid 90s. But I have a 12 year old that wants a deer so I’m a deer hunter now.

So I took my 25 gallon 12v sprayer and crushed the grass/weeds in front of my feeder full of protein 3 weeks ago. I went out last week and it worked.

So my plan is, In two weeks go out there with the disc and turn it over and add some seed and drag it.

I’m north Texas, less than a mile from the red, do tell what to plant. I have a disc and drag and that’s it.

Also, my feeder is inside of panels because fuck pigs eating my expensive protein.

If you don't like pigs eating the expensive deer protein then you dang sure won't like them rooting up your food plot.

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Storm the Field

Storm the Field 5366

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If anyone's got $30M laying around, I saw a facebook ad for 16K acres of prime South Texas hunting land down near Carrizo Springs. 

This well known cattle/hunting ranch was part of a purchase made by Jim Cage and Jim West, and was once home to the largest trophy whitetail deer taken in the state of Texas. Along with monster bucks, the ranch has numerous lakes that offer world-class bass fishing.

https://www.dullnigranches.com/properties/15963-acres-el-indio-cage-ranch

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Johnny Sack

Johnny Sack 8397

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47 minutes ago, Storm the Field said:

If anyone's got $30M laying around, I saw a facebook ad for 16K acres of prime South Texas hunting land down near Carrizo Springs. 

This well known cattle/hunting ranch was part of a purchase made by Jim Cage and Jim West, and was once home to the largest trophy whitetail deer taken in the state of Texas. Along with monster bucks, the ranch has numerous lakes that offer world-class bass fishing.

https://www.dullnigranches.com/properties/15963-acres-el-indio-cage-ranch

Man, 16k acres and no housing structures and just one small barn?  For $30 million?

I would want the improvements or a couple million off to build them.

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fattyflattie

fattyflattie 4640

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59 minutes ago, Johnny Sack said:

Man, 16k acres and no housing structures and just one small barn?  For $30 million?

I would want the improvements or a couple million off to build them.

If I had 30 mil for a ranch, I’m bulldozing whatever house it comes with and building what I want. Same with the barns. $1875/ac doesn’t sound unreasonable?

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fattyflattie

fattyflattie 4640

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13 minutes ago, NotActuallyALonghorn said:

Sure does for land down there. Especially a tract of that size.

My last hunting spot got 3000/per on lower quality than this in same general area.  I understand it drops a bit the bigger it gets but that was several thousand ac, also only surface.  The fact that it’s all a contiguous piece with what appeared to be limited to no easements seems to be ideal. 

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Teamdirtyleg

Teamdirtyleg 1139

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3 hours ago, fattyflattie said:

If I had 30 mil for a ranch, I’m bulldozing whatever house it comes with and building what I want. Same with the barns. $1875/ac doesn’t sound unreasonable?

Growing up my dad and his partner, over about 10 years, pieced together several ranchettes in Duval county.  600 acres they probably bought for an average of $150-200/ acre.  Sold it about 15 years ago for 1500/acre.  I'm still pissed.  But growing up we did very little hunting on that ranch, other than dove, because all the surrounding ranchettes shot out most of what was there.  We had some pretty kick ass hunting leases over the years including some in northern Mexico.

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686

686 3461

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Plot question.

Kinda new in the deer hunting. I’ve been duck hunting since the mid 90s. But I have a 12 year old that wants a deer so I’m a deer hunter now.

So I took my 25 gallon 12v sprayer and crushed the grass/weeds in front of my feeder full of protein 3 weeks ago. I went out last week and it worked.

So my plan is, In two weeks go out there with the disc and turn it over and add some seed and drag it.

I’m north Texas, less than a mile from the red, do tell what to plant. I have a disc and drag and that’s it.

Also, my feeder is inside of panels because fuck pigs eating my expensive protein.

How far west are you? Turner Seed fall deer mix is out of Breckenridge TX and makes the best blend for west of I35 from my 15 years of trying dry land plots. East of I-35 things get easier with some of the Alabama and other eastern company blends (Pennington, tecomate, buck forage oats(whitetail institute), etc.)

Test soils, fertilize, and don’t plant too early, also you need to plant about 2.5-5% of your habitat area if I recall (if possible).
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686

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Also, a cultipacker will get you better results than a drag for packing the seed in after broadcasting, you might take a look at some point, they can be built/bought used for not too much. Dr. Deer says plots will outperform dry protein 10-1 in a cost per lb protein forage production. I plot about 5-8 acres on our ~184ac place. I drag a packer behind our disk

7bc1e7112ad71618c13b9b9fbcbf401b.jpg

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markstanco

markstanco 12788

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How far west are you? Turner Seed fall deer mix is out of Breckenridge TX and makes the best blend for west of I35 from my 15 years of trying dry land plots. East of I-35 things get easier with some of the Alabama and other eastern company blends (Pennington, tecomate, buck forage oats(whitetail institute), etc.)

Test soils, fertilize, and don’t plant too early, also you need to plant about 2.5-5% of your habitat area if I recall (if possible).

I’m near Clarksville. But I’ve been to turner seed before with a place I had in graham.
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Both Tacos

Both Tacos 1827

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Plot question.

Kinda new in the deer hunting. I’ve been duck hunting since the mid 90s. But I have a 12 year old that wants a deer so I’m a deer hunter now.

So I took my 25 gallon 12v sprayer and crushed the grass/weeds in front of my feeder full of protein 3 weeks ago. I went out last week and it worked.

So my plan is, In two weeks go out there with the disc and turn it over and add some seed and drag it.

I’m north Texas, less than a mile from the red, do tell what to plant. I have a disc and drag and that’s it.

Also, my feeder is inside of panels because fuck pigs eating my expensive protein.
It's taken a few years to figure out the food plot game.
1. Don't plant too early. I've tried and typically nothing germinated due to not enough rain or it germinated and died.
2. The types of seed I plant are fast growers so typically going into late Sept. or early Oct. has been ideal to plant.
3. Get a soil test to see if you need to add any ammendment.
4. I use a mix of Oats, Rye, Wheat and Peas.
5. Spray 2-4D to kill the grass and weeds.
6. Once dead, I do a little till to get more dirt exposed. I don't go very deep with the disc. You can go with the no till route, just up to you.
7. Try to plant right before a rain.
8. About a month after planting, top off with fertilizer to keep things going into winter.

If you have a bunch of pigs, good luck keeping them from tearing it up.

Here are some pics of this past year's plot.7f2579d782e50b857a6ae1fc2a0ee095.jpgb935d243d31a1425816872ba4ef70913.jpg8b66fd34d521a029991ee3750ab1f042.jpg7a2bc5703edac8bb123d97eaff516868.jpg413b2a66b58d9b8299244f6a51d5e335.jpg
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markstanco

markstanco 12788

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9 hours ago, Both Tacos said:

@markstanco can't forget about keeping ahead of the beavers. Trying to get the water off the upper deer land and just in the wetland.ac9d38be37d960bb164f84428ba38ea3.jpg2b289915e5a050bfccf759bb7a98a785.jpg
 

We only have one beaver dam currently and it is mildly affecting the water flow.  We will go out there with some aluminum powder and fertilizer in a few weeks.  Here is us blowing it up a few years back:

 

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Johnny Sack

Johnny Sack 8397

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All our food plots are irrigated with a pivot.  And we high fence it until it grows out, then open it all up.  We plant Lablab.  Usually plant in March, IIRC. Shit grows like crazy in the red soil of Frio County.  All you need is water.

We also have a lot of oat patches -- like 20-30 acres each.  No irrigation.  But usually they do pretty decent.  Deer love the oat patches late in the day and at night.

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Reagan1k

Reagan1k 3042

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1 hour ago, Johnny Sack said:

All our food plots are irrigated with a pivot.  And we high fence it until it grows out, then open it all up.  We plant Lablab.  Usually plant in March, IIRC. Shit grows like crazy in the red soil of Frio County.  All you need is water.

We also have a lot of oat patches -- like 20-30 acres each.  No irrigation.  But usually they do pretty decent.  Deer love the oat patches late in the day and at night.

There was a old boy 25+ years ago that had a place just south of Llano on 16 - West side of the road.  He had a little swale where he'd meticulously cleared probably 7-8 acres.  For several years he'd plant oats and manually irrigate it as needed from his well.  I swear at dusk it looked like half of the deer in the county congregated in that field.  You'd see them walking north on both sides of 16  on their way there.  They do love oats, and especially in areas like that where food plots aren't common.  It was like an open bar for college kids.

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fattyflattie

fattyflattie 4640

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1 hour ago, Johnny Sack said:

I have never used anything outside of 7.5 or 8 shot for dove.  Apparently, I am in the minority here.

Hunted a WW patch last year and it was probably the most frustrating dove hunt I ever made. Ended with with full in top barrel and mod under it. Don’t think I shot a bird all day off the mod.   Just sky high and 7.5# was all I had with me.  Went home and bought a second full.  But I’m with you, I typically have 7,7.5,8 whatever is in the grab bag.  Paid the price on that hunt. Ended up with a ton of birds but had to work way too hard for a dove hunt. 

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BabaYaga

BabaYaga 15625

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2 hours ago, Johnny Sack said:

I have never used anything outside of 7.5 or 8 shot for dove.  Apparently, I am in the minority here.

Same.  By the end of the season, my shell bag is a mix-match of various loads as I frantically dump whatever I have in them when the birds start flying. 

 

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Storm the Field

Storm the Field 5366

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Dove counts from TPWD point to a decent dove season in most of the state, though northern counties may be slow. South zone might see a really good year.

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Despite February's brutal freeze, the dove population remains strong and resilient, according to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. 

The biggest storm impact on dove numbers was in the North Zone. “Our spring dove surveys suggest that there may have been some impacts from the winter storm, particularly in the northern half of the state, but it’s difficult to know the extent since dove populations naturally fluctuate from year to year,” said Owen Fitzsimmons, TPWD Dove Program leader. “The most evident impact seems to be in the North Zone, where white-wing estimates are below average overall. I don’t anticipate any long-term impacts. The good rainfall this spring and summer has resulted in good production, which will help offset any losses and allow a quick recovery.”

Fitzsimmons said statewide breeding populations are about average this year with 25 million mourning doves and 12 million white-winged doves.

He anticipates an excellent year for dove hunters in the South Zone.

The Central and North zones should see an average season.

The wet spring and somewhat mild summer have boosted dove habitat and food sources, TPWD officials said.

 

 

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Spaulding Smails

Spaulding Smails 1610

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On 8/30/2021 at 9:53 AM, Johnny Sack said:

I have never used anything outside of 7.5 or 8 shot for dove.  Apparently, I am in the minority here.

I'm in the same boat.  But, the majority of my recent hunts in Central Texas have been Mourning Dove.  I do carry a few boxes of #6 in my shell box if we're getting into high-flying WWs.  I've gotten to be a bit of a gear snob, so I have a loaded Yeti bucket with a lid for dove hunting, plus a go-bag for quail and a larger go-bag for ducks / geese.  Pure #6 for quail and #3 / #4 steel shot for ducks plus steel BBs in the same bag for geese.  I like not having to mix-and-match every time.  

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ROFL BOX

ROFL BOX 6655

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Honestly, I was going for the High Brass & got what Academy had.  If I had known this 11-87 needed the hot shells, I wouldn't have gone that route (no0b mistake).

Monster got his HSC handled (he's 14) & will be going out with me tomorrow for his 1st ever hunt on ANYTHING.  Hope he gets to shoot @ even a pair... he's heard me talk about how quick the shooting can be, so let's see how things go.  Obv. I'll be 50+ yards away from him & will coach him on all the finer points of concealment & identifying your lanes ahead of time, etc.  Probably talk him into a few empty practice swings before we actually get down to it.

He will be shooting a Youth .20 but given his size, he could actually handle my full Mossberg; might offer that to him.

Let's see some pics & be sure to mention if it was an AM or PM hunt & maybe list a zip code.

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davidg

davidg 4057

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6 hours ago, ROFL BOX said:

Honestly, I was going for the High Brass & got what Academy had.  If I had known this 11-87 needed the hot shells, I wouldn't have gone that route (no0b mistake).

Monster got his HSC handled (he's 14) & will be going out with me tomorrow for his 1st ever hunt on ANYTHING.  Hope he gets to shoot @ even a pair... he's heard me talk about how quick the shooting can be, so let's see how things go.  Obv. I'll be 50+ yards away from him & will coach him on all the finer points of concealment & identifying your lanes ahead of time, etc.  Probably talk him into a few empty practice swings before we actually get down to it.

He will be shooting a Youth .20 but given his size, he could actually handle my full Mossberg; might offer that to him.

Let's see some pics & be sure to mention if it was an AM or PM hunt & maybe list a zip code.

If he's never hunted before, you should be right next to him coaching him on what shots to take or not, even if that means not shooting anything yourself.  Anything else is irresponsible.

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deadshank

deadshank 24654

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1 hour ago, davidg said:

If he's never hunted before, you should be right next to him coaching him on what shots to take or not, even if that means not shooting anything yourself.  Anything else is irresponsible.

This is great advice.  Coach that boy up!

Somehow, I have become the go-to-guy at our place for taking on those guests that are new to hunting, be it dove, deer, pigs or what have you.  I've shot plenty of stuff over the years and don't have to prove anything to other hunters.   

I quite enjoy helping out those just starting their adventure.  It is fun and rewarding when a new hunter gets to enjoy a hunt, experience how it is done, blind and firearms etiquette, has success in the field and gets a little blood on their cheeks.

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BHMCruiser

BHMCruiser 1828

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8 hours ago, ROFL BOX said:

Honestly, I was going for the High Brass & got what Academy had.  If I had known this 11-87 needed the hot shells, I wouldn't have gone that route (no0b mistake).

Monster got his HSC handled (he's 14) & will be going out with me tomorrow for his 1st ever hunt on ANYTHING.  Hope he gets to shoot @ even a pair... he's heard me talk about how quick the shooting can be, so let's see how things go.  Obv. I'll be 50+ yards away from him & will coach him on all the finer points of concealment & identifying your lanes ahead of time, etc.  Probably talk him into a few empty practice swings before we actually get down to it.

He will be shooting a Youth .20 but given his size, he could actually handle my full Mossberg; might offer that to him.

Let's see some pics & be sure to mention if it was an AM or PM hunt & maybe list a zip code.

FWIW I hate the 11-87. The 1100 was a great dove gun but the 11-87 is clunky trash. I can't imagine how awful the newer ones must be given the decline in the 870 quality. 

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BHMCruiser

BHMCruiser 1828

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1 minute ago, deadshank said:

This is great advice.  Coach that boy up!

Somehow, I have become the go-to-guy at our place for taking on those guests that are new to hunting, be it dove, deer, pigs or what have you.  I've shot plenty of stuff over the years and don't have to prove anything to other hunters.   

I quite enjoy helping out those just starting their adventure.  It is fun and rewarding when a new hunter gets to enjoy a hunt, experience how it is done, blind and firearms etiquette, has success in the field and gets a little blood on their cheeks.

It's the best. And all these people you teach will take you hunting with them and their kids when you're old and don't have shit to do. 

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Both Tacos

Both Tacos 1827

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CHIEF Jr. was going to go to the deer lease this weekend but forgot that he is supposed to go to a buddie's bachelor party. The bachelor party is a dove hunt in De Leon. Ten drunk guys in their early 20's with guns. What could go wrong?
CHIEF
Nothing because they will be so hungover they won't get out of bed to hunt the next morning.
Now, the evening shoots could get interesting.

Sent from my SM-G998U using Tapatalk

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