Land Management - Food Plots or Tree Plots?

The last couple days I have been discussing different things that go into land management for maintaining a healthy whitetail deer population.  Today I want to discuss a topic that is not so well known, but just as effective.

Ever thought about planting trees to help maintain the quality of your deer population, and even attract more deer to your property?  I bet most of you probably just laughed and said, “Yeah right, what is this guy talking about?”  Well let me tell you something, certain trees can provide an excellent food source for deer.  For instance, apple, crabapple, and pear trees would all make great food sources.  Fruit is to deer what candy is to humans, it’s sweet and something that they don’t get all the time.  The good thing about trees as food plots is that they are low-maintenance and somewhat cheap to plant.  One drawback of these trees, however, is that they don’t usually produce fruit until they get to be about 4-5 feet in height.  The size of the tree you buy will determine how long it will be before it starts producing fruit.  Another good tree to plant would be any tree from the oak family.  Oak trees naturally produce acorns, which deer are known to snack on from time to time. 

Now that you know that facts you may want to reconsider planting a few trees along with your food plot.  I mean really, what could it hurt?

Land Management - Balance is Key

The two most stressful times for deer, in terms of feeding, are in the summer and winter months.  In a perfect world, spring would provide deer with leftover grain and an early green-up of winter wheat.  As times goes by the deer would shift to eating more high protein foods such as clover.  During the hot summer months your herd would begin to feed on soybeans, and then switch over to sorghum seed in the early fall.  Finally, in the harsh winter conditions, the deer would hammer any corn left standing.  This, however, would be very difficult and time consuming for the average hunter.  A good solution would be to plant a one and a half acre plot (about the size of a football field) with clover on one half and corn on the other half.  This combination would provide food for all seasons (clover in the spring and summer and corn in the fall and winter).  Even though it would be a small plot, it is a step in the right direction because even the slightest effort can pan out, resulting in a healthier deer population.

FREAK!!

Its that time of the week again!  Take a look at this week's FREAK!

Picture taken from: http://therealoutdoors.wordpress.com/2008/11/02/whitetail-vs-mule-deer/

This is another typical 10 pointer, but the thing about this buck is the width and heigth of his rack.  To complement his rack this buck has a big body, indicating that he is a mature whitetail ready to be harvested.   I don't know about you, but this would be a definite shooter for me.  Maybe someday that little spike buck I have running around my farm will transform into a FREAK like this guy!!  Wishful thinking anyways.  I'd like to take this moment to wish all the hunters out there the best of luck this season, and remember, the patient hunter is the successful hunter. 

Land Management - Minerals

I hope everyone saw and read about how easy creating a food plot for your hunting lands can be.   Today I want to touch on the topic of minerals and mineral licks.  Minerals, and food plots for that matter, have gained much popularity in recent years.  In fact, they go hand in hand.  Minerals come in different types also, such as powder form, rock form, or block form.  No matter the consistency, they all claim to produce the same outcome: whitetail bucks with larger racks. 

With so many different brands of mineral out there on the market, how do you decide which is best for you?  Well let me tell you what, it’s a matter of personal opinion.  All deer minerals are comprised mostly of sodium, with a few other minerals added in.  Make sure, though, that you get a brand specifically designed for deer because other brands may not have the extra supplements that deer need to maintain a healthy diet.  Go ahead and get different kinds to try around your hunting area.  Take notes on how fast the minerals were eaten, how much traffic has been to the site, how big the hole around the mineral has gotten, etc.  If you find that one works better than the others then stick with that specific brand.  Deer are like humans, they continue to eat things they like!  Now is your time to act.  Get some minerals, set them out (in the spring/summer for the best results) and watch your average buck turn into a FREAK!

5 steps to growing a food plot

Last week we talked a little bit in general about land management and planting food plots.  Today I have a short video that I want you all to watch.  It covers five simple steps to successfully planting a food plot.  Go ahead and take a look because once you see this video you will realize that creating your own food plot is not too difficult!

Land Managment - A Good Start

Land management.  What comes to mind when you think of land management?  For me, this could be anything from mowing the grass to picking up sticks.  In this case we are going to talk about managing your land to sustain a healthy, whitetail deer population.

I’m only going to touch on a few things today, but they are things that we can all do to help increase the number and health of our herd.  The first thing we can all do, given a little time and labor, is create a food plot that will give the deer something to eat when the winter months come.  There are many different crops to choose from when planting a food plot, but some easy ones are clover, soybeans, grain sorghum/milo, and wheat.  I know this because I planted all of these on my farm, and it wasn’t much work at all.  All of these crops can be broadcasted, meaning you don’t need a planter, and they provide a wide array of choices for the deer to pick from.

Along with choosing which crops you want to plant, equally important or more important, is site placement.  Choosing a good site is critical in getting deer to come to your plot, and hopefully stay in the area.  A good way to choose a site is to first use Google Maps to get an aerial view of your property.  Pick a few different spots that you think would be ideal for the plot then go inspect those areas in person.  Look for any signs of wildlife, such as trails, scrapes, rubs, droppings, or even the deer themselves!  If there are deer in the area they will more than likely find and use your plot.  Also, be sure to locate the nearest water source and bedding areas, such as CRP fields and timbers. 

Once you have a spot picked out consult your local wildlife biologist to make sure everything you plan to do is within conservation guidelines.  Oh and here’s a little tip – some conservation departments give away free seed each year to hunters who are looking to create food plots, so be sure to ask your biologist if there are any available.   

First ever Friday Freak!!

Picture taken from http://www.thecrush.tv/gallery/11/media/94/photo-5-friday-september-11-2009.html

This is the first installment of what I have dubbed "Freak Friday," and what better way to start off than with this beautiful 10 point buck?  Judging by his size, this buck is probably somewhere from 3-4 1/2 years old.  He might not be a shooter for professionals, but I bet any average Joe would be proud to mount this guy above their fireplace.  Stop by next week to see the second of many more eye-popping freaks!!

The First Kill

I woke up that morning to my brother pounding on my bedroom door. After finally getting out of bed I checked the clock, 5:15 AM. I quickly threw on a few layers of clothes, grabbed my rifle, and walked outside to find my brother waiting on me in the truck. As I got in he said, “Time to get us a big one.”


The fifteen minute drive to our farm seemed like it took forever. When we finally arrived, I grabbed my trusty rifle and walked to the stand. After about thirty minutes of sitting in the stand I could barely feel my toes, and I was kicking myself for not putting on that third pair of socks. All I had to do now was wait for first light so I could spot a big one.

The sun had been up for about forty-five min. before I saw it. I snatched up my binoculars and took a look at the deer, it was a dandy. I waited for it to look away before I grabbed my rifle. Resting my gun on the rail I put the deer in the crosshairs, this was the moment I had been waiting for. With a squeeze of the trigger the gun fired and the bullet found its way home. Dropped in its tracks I had killed my first trophy, a mature whitetail doe.

Ever since that first kill I have been hooked. Deer hunting is one of my favorite hobbies, and I love spending time in the woods learning as much as I can about the deer. My hope is that I will be able to spark your interest in hunting whitetails if you are a beginner like I was that cold November morning, and/or give you tips that will help you harvest that mature, trophy buck. Enjoy!

Getting Started!

Hi everyone!!  I hope that you enjoy this blog.  My plan is to cover everything (or almost everything) about hunting whitetail deer.  This ranges from land management (i.e food plots, water sources, etc.) to stand placements, feeding, scouting, and lastly, hunting techniques.  Many times you will catch me giving examples from the 1500+ acres I hunt in northwest Missouri.  I have come up with the idea that Friday will be called "Freak Friday."  This means I will post a picture of a "Whitetail Freak!"  Along with pictures, I plan to find useful videos that will help enhance your hunting experience.  There is a fair amount of luck involved in hunting a giant whitetail buck, but there are things a hunter can do to increase his/her chances of downing a trophy.  I hope that this blog will be useful to all those who are interested, and feel free to leave comments and/or suggestions to help make this page a success!