What have you done to prep for deer season?

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Started hitting the gym a couple of times a week. The bow came out from under bed and is ready for a steady diet of practice. Located all of my cameras, camo, and painted my ladder stands. Next comes checking the climbers to make sure they are able to hold my 220# carcass. Probably plant a small food plot at the end of August and then pray for rain. I love to deer hunt.
 
Took the dogs out to the middle of nowhere. Drug a frozen deer leg through thickest, nastiest stuff I could find and then buried it behind a tree. Got them out of the car and told them to find it. They did. If they’re ready to blood trail, I’m ready to go hunting.

I hung a tree stand too, new area, kind of excited about it.

Still need to check the condition of some older stands.
 
I'm glad to see some folks still get excited about deer season. I am sort of ambivalent about it. I STILL get excited about doves and if I could physically do it, I'd get excited about ducks.

I do have to look for local outfitters for goose hunting. My buddy in Waco wants to shoot some geese this season. We haven't been in a couple of seasons. That's something I can look forward to in addition to my elk expedition this season. :D
 
Interesting to see the cultural differences here. Not trying to knock anybody, if you have the means and time, knock yourselves out. Here in MN, baiting is illegal, so that is out of the question. A large percentage of our hunters chase deer on public lands, so "deer farming" is also not widely practiced. On private property, management tends to be minimalist...cover management and perhaps a food plot or two and some game cameras. Likely due to the fact that land ownership is not very monopolized here. Large tracts tend to be either intensively farmed or in the Northern region where growing a book trophy is unlikely and cultivation of prime forage outside of intensive agriculture is problematic. Where some larger forested tracts exist in the southern portion of the state where growing a trophy is possible, productive agriculture is used in conjunction with cover and herd management, sometimes with a fee paid to leave some forage crops standing through hunting season. Interesting to me to see the lengths and expense some will go to for increasing their odds at a trophy whitetail. Hunting properties in this region tend to run in the family, leasing is uncommon and obtaining permission to hunt and manage even less so.
 
Interesting to see the cultural differences here. Not trying to knock anybody, if you have the means and time, knock yourselves out. Here in MN, baiting is illegal, so that is out of the question. A large percentage of our hunters chase deer on public lands, so "deer farming" is also not widely practiced. On private property, management tends to be minimalist...cover management and perhaps a food plot or two and some game cameras. Likely due to the fact that land ownership is not very monopolized here. Large tracts tend to be either intensively farmed or in the Northern region where growing a book trophy is unlikely and cultivation of prime forage outside of intensive agriculture is problematic. Where some larger forested tracts exist in the southern portion of the state where growing a trophy is possible, productive agriculture is used in conjunction with cover and herd management, sometimes with a fee paid to leave some forage crops standing through hunting season. Interesting to me to see the lengths and expense some will go to for increasing their odds at a trophy whitetail. Hunting properties in this region tend to run in the family, leasing is uncommon and obtaining permission to hunt and manage even less so.

That is where developing a coop would be beneficial. One guy with 20 or 30 acres can only do so much to improve habitat and affect the deer herd, but if you develop a coop of landowners in your area, 10 or 20 properties with 50 to 100 acres each gets you a large tract that you can start managing. Now every landowner hunts his or her own property, but when you get a big chunk of landowners committed to practicing the same management goals, then you start seeing big gains in a few short years.

Where my coop is, there are a lot of small acreage landowners. It's lower economic status county, with hills and woods everywhere. Everybody and their brother goes out and shoots every deer they see, including does, spikes, and basket eights. The population in the county has a whole is down and finding mature bucks in the rest of the county is very difficult. But in our 4100 acre coop, our deer population is very healthy and our age structure for bucks is getting very close to being prime. I passed on at least 7 different bucks last year and ultimately didn't take a buck at all because none met the criteria I had for harvest.

If you can get a few property owners committed to starting a coop and following the same "rules" on their property that you practice on yours, pretty soon you'll get more and more properties wanting to join your coop and you'll have a successful wildlife coop. In our coop, we do property tours in the summer so members can see what other property owners are doing on their properties in terms of management strategies and practices and then they take those ideas and implement them on their properties. We tend to share equipment with other coop member such as tractors, disks, planters, etc. We share manpower to help other members do prescribed burns, hinge cutting, TSI, etc. It really is contagious when you go to someone's property and you see how awesome it is. You immediately want to go back to your property and start doing the same.
 
Olympus, I like the idea of a coop, but it is hard to get everyone on the same page when it comes to what to cull and what pass up. We tried putting a 8 point rule on one of our properties of about 400 acres, but the neighboring farms didn't conform. If it was a legal 3 pt on one side, it got shot at. I can see where a coop would work but it would have to be a large set of properties like your 4100 acres. Plus, all owners need to think alike as to what should be harvested.
 
Olympus, I like the idea of a coop, but it is hard to get everyone on the same page when it comes to what to cull and what pass up. We tried putting a 8 point rule on one of our properties of about 400 acres, but the neighboring farms didn't conform. If it was a legal 3 pt on one side, it got shot at. I can see where a coop would work but it would have to be a large set of properties like your 4100 acres. Plus, all owners need to think alike as to what should be harvested.

That's true, but our 4100 acres did not happen overnight. We started with only a few hundred acres at first. You have to spend some time talking to your neighbors and sharing the mission and get them invested. Our coop follows QDMA principles so we go by age rather than points. If you've got a lot of public hunting land available, make the case that they can go out and shoot their "freezer filler" deer on public properties and try to maintain their own properties for larger bucks. Like I said, if you can get a couple hundred acres in a coop and then start sharing trail cam photos and other stories with property owners that are not members, eventually you'll get more people wanting to join. Our coop is not cost and we have a rule that youth hunters and beginner adults can harvest any deer they want. So that helps entice also. For me, I just don't see the fun in going out on opening morning and shooting the first deer that walks out. I get more enjoyment throughout the year with the various management activities that I do than actually hunting. Then I get a huge sense of pleasure when I see all the trail cam photos throughout the year and come fall, I would rather watch the deer than shoot them. I bought my property 5 years ago and this year I have started seeing the fruits of my management practices. I have TONS of bucks on camera right now and none of the 1.5 year old deer are spikes or forks. They are all coming out in their first rack as 6 or 8 point bucks. You really need a good salesman to be the president of your coop because you're trying to sell other property owners on the benefits of passing on bucks so they can grow bigger next year.
 
Food plots at 3 properties. Cams out at 2. Need to test a new load for .44 magnum to be used in Southern MI. Pulled out the crossbow and ordered some broadheads. I'll start shooting that soon. Need to move a treestand and repair the floor in a box blind that was destroyed by carpenter ants. 62 days until bow season.
 
Olympus, I like the idea of a coop, but it is hard to get everyone on the same page when it comes to what to cull and what pass up. We tried putting a 8 point rule on one of our properties of about 400 acres, but the neighboring farms didn't conform. If it was a legal 3 pt on one side, it got shot at. I can see where a coop would work but it would have to be a large set of properties like your 4100 acres. Plus, all owners need to think alike as to what should be harvested.
I'd just be happy to get my neighbors to shoot does instead of bucks when they poach. 2 years in a row I've had a nice buck disappear from the cameras a week or two before season following a midnight rifle shot. The guy last year got busted hard via an "anonymous" tip, so hopefully he's out of that game and the remaining poachers know that sounds carry in the woods and somebody is listening. He had backstraps from 3 different deer in his freezer with no other meat and several fresh racks hanging in his barn to cure. They threw the book at him. Think I'll start a new thread on management, etc so as not to further hijack this one.
 
All of my hunting gear is in plastic bins. I`ll start looking into that gear in September. Guns I`ll be taken to deer camp will be check in October.
I am still in fishing mode. After deer season is over it will be on to ice fishing.
 
I feed year around. When deer season comes, I've got the upper hand on anyone that doesn't. But, I think most of the small land owners around here feed deer, hear feeders going off all over the place in the AM, but few keep 'em going year 'round. Most don't live here like I do, makes it easier. Main reason to feed, though, are the pigs. I whack pigs year 'round, no rules, no seasons, whack 'em and stack 'em. :D
 
I put out mineral blocks and cut shooting lanes. Around labor day, I'll broadcast clover and brush hog the fields so it will be slightly grown up for season.
 
That's true, but our 4100 acres did not happen overnight. We started with only a few hundred acres at first. You have to spend some time talking to your neighbors and sharing the mission and get them invested. Our coop follows QDMA principles so we go by age rather than points. If you've got a lot of public hunting land available, make the case that they can go out and shoot their "freezer filler" deer on public properties and try to maintain their own properties for larger bucks. Like I said, if you can get a couple hundred acres in a coop and then start sharing trail cam photos and other stories with property owners that are not members, eventually you'll get more people wanting to join. Our coop is not cost and we have a rule that youth hunters and beginner adults can harvest any deer they want. So that helps entice also. For me, I just don't see the fun in going out on opening morning and shooting the first deer that walks out. I get more enjoyment throughout the year with the various management activities that I do than actually hunting. Then I get a huge sense of pleasure when I see all the trail cam photos throughout the year and come fall, I would rather watch the deer than shoot them. I bought my property 5 years ago and this year I have started seeing the fruits of my management practices. I have TONS of bucks on camera right now and none of the 1.5 year old deer are spikes or forks. They are all coming out in their first rack as 6 or 8 point bucks. You really need a good salesman to be the president of your coop because you're trying to sell other property owners on the benefits of passing on bucks so they can grow bigger next year.
I lucked out and got commissioned to thin deer on a local cattle farm. The owner said that he would shine his calf feeders at night and see 30 or 40 deer in them. The deer were eating $1000-$2000 worth of feed a month. With nuisance permits I took out a bunch of does and only took a couple of bucks a year. One season I passed up 4 shooter bucks in one day and took a deformed 6 point. The herd is almost under control now and we are starting to manage for quality. The genes are there. I am really looking forward to this next season.
 
I feed year around. When deer season comes, I've got the upper hand on anyone that doesn't. But, I think most of the small land owners around here feed deer, hear feeders going off all over the place in the AM, but few keep 'em going year 'round. Most don't live here like I do, makes it easier. Main reason to feed, though, are the pigs. I whack pigs year 'round, no rules, no seasons, whack 'em and stack 'em. :D
I wish I could find some hogs. We have them, but can only take them on Gov. land during deer season. I have 150,000 acre National Forest 5 miles from home and don't hunt it. The private land that I hunt doesn't have any hogs yet. One place had them pass through a couple of times, but they moved on. Then there are the bears to contend with. I had one tear the lid off of my feeder and roll it 20 yards down a hill.
 
I wish I could find some hogs. We have them, but can only take them on Gov. land during deer season. I have 150,000 acre National Forest 5 miles from home and don't hunt it. The private land that I hunt doesn't have any hogs yet. One place had them pass through a couple of times, but they moved on. Then there are the bears to contend with. I had one tear the lid off of my feeder and roll it 20 yards down a hill.


I like having hogs around because I like shooting and eating 'em, but boy, they CAN tear the heck out of a pasture.
 
I live in Western Washington, the deer hunting here SUCKS big time. Between the cougars, coyotes, wolves, killing everything off we have bobcats and bears cleaning up the deer fawns and elk calves.

The average yearly deer kill for WA. State is 26,000 deer a year.

I hunt Upstate New York, half way between New York Cith and Buffalo, close to the Pennsylvania border. About 35 to 45 miles north of Pennsylvania.
Broome, Chenango and Deleware Counties.

My three kids and brother line in Broome County. My out of State hunting license cost me a $100.
Airline ticket is usually less then $300 round trip.
I take three weks off to hunt deer and vist family.

New Yorks average yearly deer kill is over 200,000 deer and New York have less square miles then Washington State.
New York's non-resident hunting license is cheaper then a Washington resident hunting license.
It's a no brainer.

Pennsylvania non-resident hu ting license cost the same, $100 and their average deer kill is over 300,000 deer a year. If I have time to take off I hunt PA as well.

I buy a large ice chest from Walmart to bring back boned out frozen deer meat.

This year I will be useing a Remington 700 in 243 and a Rossi single shot in 243 as well.

Last year I used a Browning BAR in 30/06.
The year before I used my Ruger 77/357.
I use a different gun every trip back East.

I need to pick up my airling ticket here shortly.
I want to take my eight year old grandson back to New York for a weel & a half the end of September probably on the 26th and come back to Washington State on Ocrober 6th.
I wil get him out to do some squirrel hunting and bass fishing in the Susquahanna River.
Fall & early winter is my favorite time of the year.

Here is a first day deer from two years ago.
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Here is a first deer from last year.
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My eight year old grandson, Mason.
I started him out shooting when he was four years old. He can shoot 38/357mag, 44spl/44mag loafed down. He can shoot full house 20 gauge, 308 and 243.
I take him shooting every weekend from spring until winter.
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Biggest thing for me right now is practicing....and exercise.

Last few years we've been heading to western KS to hunt mulies on walk in areas. So although I still put in a couple food plots and run a feeder on my place, it won't have an impact on this seasons hunt. I recent put together a new deer rifle; Nosler M48 with Leupoold VX6 2-12X in .270. Completed load development and have been practicing at extended ranges (300-547) in prep for the open ares we hunt. Also tweaked a couple back-up rifles with new stocks and load development to match.

As for exercise, everyday at work a group of us (retired Army guys) put in a 3.4 mile 50 minute hike at lunch time. Soon we'll extend that on Fridays to 3.6 and add rucks. As we get closer to the season the rucks get heavier.
 
I'd just be happy to get my neighbors to shoot does instead of bucks when they poach. 2 years in a row I've had a nice buck disappear from the cameras a week or two before season following a midnight rifle shot. The guy last year got busted hard via an "anonymous" tip, so hopefully he's out of that game and the remaining poachers know that sounds carry in the woods and somebody is listening. He had backstraps from 3 different deer in his freezer with no other meat and several fresh racks hanging in his barn to cure. They threw the book at him. Think I'll start a new thread on management, etc so as not to further hijack this one.

With all the hogs around here, midnight shots are not unusual. :D
 
Think I'll start a new thread on management, etc so as not to further hijack this one.

Sounds like a good idea. Almost started one myself. Lot more to sound management than putting out feeders, not shooting does and letting small bucks walk. To do it right you don't start now, you start getting ready for next year before this year's season ends. What this season shows you is what is working and what isn't. Your results should not just benefit your freezer for a while, but overall herd health, other wildlife and your woodlot/property. There are plenty of things one can also do on public property that can enhance hunting and hard health.
 
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