Who's getting a jump on deer season already?

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Arkansas Paul

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So I'll be heading into the woods in the next week or so to do some scouting for turkey season.

Thought I'd get a jump on getting some mineral sites set up for the deer after my scouting. Late March or early April is supposedly the ideal time to get salt and minerals out in enough time to promote healthy antler growth. I'll be picking up 250 or 300 pounds of salt blocks and some other mineral supplements and get 2 or 3 sites started.

Anybody else already thinking about it?
 
We put feeders out right after season for the does carrying fawns. We have salt blocks out year round at several locations. We added 300 lbs right after season. We have opened up two new 4-wheeler trails. One to an existing stand (after having to drag my buck up out of that bottom the hard way this year) and one into an area we have never had a stand. That new stand should be an excellent rifle stand after the leaves are off the trees.
 
Like to do some scouting during Turkey up at the state forest. Found some spots last year for deer but have not looked around to much. Dealing with hikers my be a problem tho, trails from 3 states merge in that area.
A state forest not too far from me has horse and hiking trails that run through it. PITA when people come through on a horse yelling or hikers yelling. I tried turkey hunting it one time and had guys on mountain bikes come through and start yelling there are hunters over there watch.
 
A state forest not too far from me has horse and hiking trails that run through it. PITA when people come through on a horse yelling or hikers yelling. I tried turkey hunting it one time and had guys on mountain bikes come through and start yelling there are hunters over there watch.
Ya I hope to find spots of the trail some, seen one spot with large rocks where the hill slopes down to a rock wall that looked promising, a lot of tracks,
 
During February and March in Oklahoma the deer tend to "yard up" which is when several deer travel together and form groups. The doe interact and the bucks form bachelor groups. The deer are going to the winter wheat and alfalfa at night. The big bucks begin shedding their antlers around the 1st of March and the smaller bucks will shed their antlers around the 1st of April. I like to feed whole corn as a supplement in January, February and March and then begin using Antler Max before the antlers start to grow. MFDC5994.JPG MFDC5661.JPG
 
Before last season started, we put out ladder stands to "test out" different locations and see if those spots might work for permanent stands later. If the spot looked promising, we mark the tree and begin planning for permanent metal platforms, steps, or ladders. Also begin clearing shooting lanes now before things turn green, gives you a better idea what it will look like in the Fall.

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We found our first shed antler Feb 16. That's as early as I have ever found one. We weren't really looking for sheds yet,

I don't know about Illinois, but if I found that shed in Oklahoma I would say it fell in March 2019. I say that because if it was fresh I would think it would have more color around the burr where it came off the head. Good antler and a pretty lady!
 
Mineral blocks stay out year round. I'll be putting up one more stand this year and a ground blind.
I will be brush hogging trails early this year instead of waiting till August.
 
I Frost Seeded a coupla small plots with clover about a month ago. When it warms up a tad more it will be time to fertilize. Scouting and shed hunting started right after the the bow season ended the end of January. For me it a year round thing.
 
Yeah we have found two sheds this year so far. nothing too big but finding two is pretty good for us. I think we are going to try a late spring/early summer food plot or two with Whitetail Institute Power Plant mix. The last few years we have planted in early August with a mix of oats, greens and turnips and it has worked great every year but last year. Last year we planted and then only got one decent rain over the next 5 weeks. The food plots did not do much for us. We are going to try planting some earlier in the summer as a hedge against another dry fall.
 
Had a buck in the yard the other night with both antlers still intact but I'm sure they'll start dropping soon.
 
Found a few sheds so far, and a buck that "mysteriously vanished" during the hunting season.(Lost and found thread)

Didn't put much of a dent in the herd, should be strong numbers for next year. Getting material rounded up for new stands.

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I leave a few cameras out all year. I suppose that's getting ready for next year.

Got these guys a couple weeks ago running with a half rack 3 point and a half rack spike.
49671223437_880581cfcd_k.jpg 2020-03-17_06-39-44 by poofy27, on Flickr

A couple Tom's as well.
49658923161_a3a8a9703b_k.jpg 2020-03-14_01-18-50 by poofy27, on Flickr

Early in the season, I had a nice 11 point and 4 8's around but haven't seen them since Sept.
 
I will be buying my airline ticket to go humting back in New York here shortly. Tickets are right around $300 . I get paid in a week & a half so see what they are going for then.
 
I built this feeder to get an early advantage. I know feeding becomes illegal at a certain point in the year. I've been skunked 3 years here because some weekender across the road bought an automatic feeder so they can take pics and post on social media. 20200209_152828.jpg It killed me to see decent sized deer just eating off thier feeder and not moving to my land . Well, my turn.
 
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