Who's getting a jump on deer season already?

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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.View attachment 900044It killed me to see decent sized deer just eating off thier feeder and not moving to my land . Well, my turn.
In some areas near here feeding is discouraged because of disease. Is feeding deer legal during deer season? It is not where I live.
 
Attended a DNR seminar on CWD that discouraged feeders. Seems the saliva gets into the feeder and spreads to the other deer. Under normal circumstances deer don't eat from communal sources (same plate) which is why game farms are usually the source for CWD.
 
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A high consintration of any spieces will spread all types of sickness. Bird feeeers are a high bacteria plate as well.
Look at china, it seams all of the flu comes from there with over 3 billion people.

I'll hunt to same old way, pick a spot & wait.
 
In some areas near here feeding is discouraged because of disease. Is feeding deer legal during deer season? It is not where I live.

It used to be in Arkansas for all counties.
Now, it is legal in the Southern part of the state where we have had no CWD. In the upper areas where they've had confirmed cases, they've done away with it. But they've also done away with things like antler restrictions to help thin the herd.

I hunt over bait regularly. My shooting lane is narrow and late season when the acorns are gone, it helps to have something out to stop them when they cross, which is usually 100 pounds of corn strewn evenly down the lane.
Oddly this past season I killed 2 and neither was over bait. When I killed my buck I had sprayed Tink's #69 lure on several trees down the trail though. He was rutting heavy.
 
For many years I was against feeding deer to attract them to my hunting area but when people on the adjoining properties began feeding the deer it gave me no choice but to do the same. I also have deer at my house that I do not hunt and it gives me a good feeling to see them happy and healthy. When I started feeding I found that deer are smart animals and they are actually picky about what they eat. For example, when the green forage comes out in the spring they will move from the corn feeders to things they like better. They will still come for the corn but consumption is less. Supplemental feeding from December through March really helps the deer herd stay healthy because during those months the don't have much of a variety to eat.
 
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We have owned the property we are managing for a bit over 6 years and between salt/mineral licks, food plots and off-season feeders (can't hunt over feeders in TN) we have seen a tremendous improvement in the health and size of our deer and turkey. We are definitely concerned with CWD but so far there has not been any in middle TN and though feeders can contribute, a strong healthy population is less likely to get and spread CWD so you have to balance those. Broadcast cast feeders can help reduce the risk by not having all the deer eating from one tray but forging for the food in the modest area around the actual feeder. My brother and I go back and forth on this. He wants free-will feeder-heads on the feeders so that deer can eat as much as they want. I like my solar powers broadcast feeders for the above reason and the turkey seem to like it better. For now we have four free-will and two broadcast out.
 
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Feeders are legal in Oklahoma. Don't get caught hunting near a feeder in turkey season. Oklahoma experienced a horrendous drought from 2010 to 2015. Our feeders saved the lives of some deer, especially fawns. The does are in much better shape at birthing time.

The feeder in my previous attachment throws three pounds of corn daily, each day 5-8 deer visit that feeder. The trough feeder is no longer used. Feeder is fenced to keep the hogs out. There is another unfenced feeder nearby that hogs frequent when it's running.
 
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I went to the grocery store yesterday and they were out of all the meats but some pork chops . I might be doing more than putting out salt blocks and feeders soon . I am not going to stave if I can help it when I see 20 deer in a field .
 
i never eat domestic pork and very seldom eat beef. The vast majority of my meat consumption is from deer and wild hogs, with a smattering of small game and game birds. That meat does not contain growth hormones or antibiotics.
 
I didn’t get a deer this year . My gun had a hangfire on a nice buck . It would have been my first buck on my new homestead . I do have about 40 frozen rabbits though .
 
Only about 4 months till bow season fires up and the antlers are growing.

Cutting shooting lanes and preparing to build a new "Cadillac" tree stand. Steel has been ordered, cut, drilled, and bent. Will be 4'X5' and seat two. Begin welding it up in the next few weeks and hauling it to the farm. Think I enjoy the preparation as much as the hunt. :)
 
Our turkey hunting is done. The feeders are getting refilled this weekend. Started spraying roundup on the food plots last weekend and will finish the rest of the food plots this weekend. Rather than just planting a fall planting in August we are going to plant a summer mix by the end of May and over seed with more in August.
 
I have 2 buck so far on my cams.
Neighbor up the street saw 4 buck together near his place a week ago ( about 6 or 700 yards away).
One of my cameras broke so I only have one cam out right now.

We have to remove any salt, mineral blocks and feeders 30 days before early archery.

My understanding is that they plan to outlaw all feeding in the near future. Hearsay at this point.

A residential buck I shot a couple years ago during the second week of rifle season ( early Dec) had a bunch of corn in it so someone is feeding them even during hunting season.
 
I'm preparing for... My first hunting season, I'm almost 36. Sad, I know. I was raised by liberals but now that I have my own kids I want to make hunting a family tradition. I mentioned my lack of property and restrictions in my state and a nice forum member took time to tell me about alternatives - hunting out of state where there's public lands and you can use a rifle. I've been trying to find a private land owner to allow me to hunt with a shotgun (in Illinois ) for years with no luck- around here public hunting land is uncommon and way over crowded from what I'm told. Never considered crossing the state line - I only live 10 miles from Wisconsin border. So I'll go a couple hours north into Wisconsin and check out a few public areas in the next couple weeks. Find one that looks good (to my inexperienced eye) and squirrel hunt it this fall while scouting around for deer. I honestly don't expect to get a deer my first time out but you never know and the only way to learn is to get out there and fail some.
But I'm preparing as well as possible and getting some things I know I'll need, too bad they don't sell beginners luck on Amazon...
 
The clover I frost seeded back in mid-March is started to come up....looks like I planted it plenty thick. Coupla more weeks and I'll have to mow the rye cover crop from last fall. For now it works to help prevent weeds and retains moisture, but at a point it starts to shade out the new clover. Once established the clover needs to be mowed to keep it spreading and to keep it tender, the way the deer like it. Summer plots will probably go in the first week of June, since the majority of the mix is forage soybeans, and I like them to mature later than the ag beans planted around me. While hunting for Morels earlier this week I spotted a few new travel lanes and bedding areas due to tress being down thanks to the wet weather and the wind storms of last year. have to make the appropriate changes in stand positions. Lots of sign, which is good. State says they are lowering the antlerless tag number this year due to being on goal with the local populations. Numbers on our property are as high as ever. I think focusing on providing food and habitat has made a positive impact.

. I mentioned my lack of property and restrictions in my state and a nice forum member took time to tell me about alternatives - hunting out of state where there's public lands and you can use a rifle. I've been trying to find a private land owner to allow me to hunt with a shotgun (in Illinois ) for years with no luck- around here public hunting land is uncommon and way over crowded from what I'm told. Never considered crossing the state line - I only live 10 miles from Wisconsin border. So I'll go a couple hours north into Wisconsin and check out a few public areas in the next couple weeks. .

Out-of state deer hunters from Illinois, has been a love/hate relationship in Wisconsin since I first started hunting deer back in the early 60s. Bars, restaurants, sporting good stores, gas stations and motels love 'em. Local folks that have to share their local public land with them, not so much. This is no reflection on you at all Obturation, but of those that have preceded you. Far too many come up for a few days and disrespect the land and disrespect the people that live in the area year round. Far too many have few too many woodsmanship/hunting skills/experience and are far too concerned about taking something home. Just don't be one of them. Don't know what areas of public land you are considering, but any small parcel will be swarming with hunters on opening day of gun deer season. Large parcels, while not nearly as bad, will be hunted most heavily anywhere where access is easy, and there are enough landmarks to make getting lost difficult. In the last few years, GPS has helped, but any spot close to a creek, loggin' road, power line or the near edges of clear cuts is hammered. Those spots closest to the road that have any sort of deer sign will be occupied, many times by several different hunters. Do your home work, spend some time in the woods and present a positive image. The state DNR website had good info on public lands. Anything close to the Illinois border is going to be hit harder than the huge areas in the northern part of the state. Areas close to large municipalities will be similar. Don't be afraid to go where you see less obvious sign that may be a bit farther back. Many times, those are the spots deer go to when the guns start going off. Over the years I have had good success on public land here in Wisconsin. I have also been frustrated and disappointed. The success came from knowing the area well and knowing where the majority of other hunters hunted. The frustration and disappointment many times came from not having a second or third back-up stand, or just from butt-hole hunters. success rates in Wisconsin are about 25%. On public land, because of very limited antlerless tags available for them, and high numbers of hunters, success rates are much lower. Hunting an area of public land with lower pressure will increase you probability of success. Public lands also quiet down significantly after opening weekend. Some are almost deserted. While natural deer movement is usually on hold because of hunting pressure, there are still deer left to be still hunted or pushed to standers. Many times, I avoid public land on opening weekend and end up with a nice buck from there later on on the week.

I wish you and your kids luck, and a positive experience. As I said, make yourself and them positive examples of a deer hunter. New hunters many times put unnecessary pressure on themselves, and do things that may not be ethical, respectful or even legal. Again, don't be one of them. Do your homework and expect to have other hunter interference when hunting public land. Give them respect and hopefully they will do the same.
 
Saw a few potential shooters while turkey hunting. Noted some new travel corridors that resulted from a number of trees downed by a bad ice storm. Lots of nature created hinge cuts made some new foraging and bedding areas that the deer are already using. It's been kinda neat watching the wildlife on the property adapted to the significant changes to the landscape.
 
On my 80 acres I run a feeder, and 2 food plots. I've also got access to my neighbors 500 acres, but so do his relatives.

I've yet to see a buck anywhere near the feeder other than after 8 Pm- 4 Am, they're just not that stupid. The feeder does do well on does and yearlings through, and I use the does as "buck-bait". My place isn't idea for deer hunting as there's a lot of open ground between me and most of the bedding/crop areas and I really don't have that much wooded, right around 20 acres. Keeping the freezer filled with does & young bucks isn't a problem though. Most times now I don't even hunt my place, but keep it for my 16 year old son and I head out west with friends to hunt public areas.

Since we bought our places I've been planting and cleaning up oaks, so that continues now. I've also planted pear, apple and crab apple trees which this year it looks like they'll be producing. Last fall we put in another 1 acre pond fed from a drainage creek that was causing issues, the pond is full and water is now backed up into a permanent creek in the woods, so water shouldn't be an issue. Last season was probably the most activity I've seen on my place; 4-10 does at a time in the food plots and some decent bucks passing through, although none were during legal hrs, except for the little 6pt my son popped. I think this year should be better as some of my oaks and fruit trees will be producing, we'll see.
 
Well, I intended to get a quicker start than I have.
I've been so busy I haven't been able to get to the woods, but if all goes to plan, I'll be there next weekend.

Went by the Tractor Supply store the other day and got loaded up.

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I got started last weekend, cleaned up a down tree that blocked the gate I go through. I've been watching my cameras for a few months now. And I setup a mineral site a few weeks ago. Took in a weed eater and knocked the grass and underbrush down on my walk in trails.

And almost stepped on a rattlesnake so that got my attention and I'll be much more careful from now on. You guys be safe out there and watch for them nope ropes and danger noodles.
 
I keep cameras out year round trying to pick up on what's happening out there. Sometimes deer change their core areas over the seasons. Sometimes I'm not the only one checking my cameras.... WGI_0657.JPG ......... WGI_0663.JPG .....Even when there's not much deer activity it's nice getting other stuff.
 
AE8BD4C9-D0F2-4AF4-94BE-877D94471006.jpeg I’ve been watching this thread longingly knowing there was so much to do but stuck in my county (essential travel only out of county), with my deer hunting grounds three counties away. This weekend we finally got the green light to travel. I fixed a stand, fixed a trail, installed a new trail to a stand (chainsaw and weed eater) and hung a new stand. I MEANT TO PUT UP A GAME CAMERA, but I was so tired I straight forgot.
It was HARD work. But now I’m really confident about the season, especially bow season (early). I seem to always do fairly well (three or four/ year) but this new place is loaded.

oh, I forgot... I finally sighted in this guy. I hope to finally get deer with a pistol. Took a while to walk it in, but then I got the two touching. If they ever open the range again I’ll be practicing often.
 
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