Hunting pressured bucks After finding Mr. Big on pressured grounds, I want to setup in that area he problems viewing web cams feels safe during daylight hours. There isn't an exact formula for this and it seems to vary most on how big that area is. For example, in those small, overlooked spots, I'm always setup within shooting distance of his bed. I'm not going to be able to get…

Habitat Consultants No 2 pieces of property are the same, and every property has multiple opportunities to increase the quality of it’s habitat, deer herd, and most importantly, it’s hunt ability.   Size, pressure, latitude, composite, terrain features and on and on make a template style approach unusable.  Steve has designed and manipulated properties all over the Midwest and he knows what makes each area different and alters the plan…

Too many does I know overpopulation doesn't apply to a lot of you here, which is why I tackled the low deer numbers portion first. still, it no doubt does to some of you. So, here's how I try to manage the high deer numbers places. My first step in managing an overpopulated piece of ground is focusing on does. As I’ve stated earlier, I want a lot of does on…

Which doe do I shoot?   After deer get above 6.5, I don't trust my teeth aging skills at all, and I'm not going to guarantee that I'm not off by a year either way up to that point. At the same time, I do keep history on live bucks, but don't try to on does. there's one I named Hook Nose Kate that was apparently born with a birth…

Licking branches in food plots for deer Someone asked about timing. If you're going to rub/scrape route, like Big8, I can see how it's matter when you "planted" them. My route, not so much at all. If planted in April, it sticks out like a turd in a punch bowl and is located where deer are feeding that time of year, they most often are used as lick branches. Even…

IMO, I think both occur, Art. I know I have a friend that I've hunted with many times. He's had me review what he does for odor control more than once and he gets winded regularly. I can't find anything that he's doing "wrong." Then, I've seen others complain about how they got busted and you just can't beat a deer's nose, period, but they were frying bacon and eggs,…

My first step in managing an overpopulated piece of ground is focusing on does. As I’ve stated earlier, I want a lot of does on my properties. Because of the buck management end, I want a 1:2-2.5 ratio of bucks to does, and don’t even have a problem with 1:3, which is almost never exceeded in wild populations, anyway. So long as you have the food, more does generally mean…

Finally, I just don't buy the popular notion that creating doe factories is a bad thing. So long as my habitat can support them, I really, really, REALLY want good numbers of does on my properties. In fact, I want as many as I can have, without habitat degradation. The ones that bed and feed on me are my very best friends. They help keep the bucks busy there, instead…

Creating bedding for does and bucks Creating segregation of family groups is as important for them as it is for bucks. There are personality types in does as much as in bucks, but I have a hard time believing many enjoy being bullied by the more dominant family group. All else being equal, if a family group must be subordinate on your ground, but can live a social stress free…

Tree stand placement on food plots for deer In many situations, I put far more stands off the plots than on them. The way that farm lays out, setting up between bed and feed doesn't fit well/isn't low impact. Also, notice that more than one of those food plot stands are also covering in-woods movement. That isn't an accident. I try to setup a property to create stands that cover…