Plots feeding deer well.....

Jim Boyd · Apr 2, 2018

This is not meant to create an argument or debate (although some may view it that way and try to slant it in that direction) - we have 5 plots that total about 8 acres.

We also have roughly a mile or so of various breaks, cut through roads and “snake trails”.

All are clover and wheat / oats.

The warmer soil temps and rain / sun have really caused these plots to take off and they are feeding the deer well.

Deer look healthy. Should have good fawn delivery success. They have less winter stress. The fact that it helps the bucks recover from the stress of the rut is not overlooked by us either!

We also have about 4 new acres cut in to lime and plant this year.

If we get it all done in 2018, we will be approaching 6% of the land in tillable.

This is on a decent sized 240 acre tract with no agriculture and a seasonal creek.

They are in the fields most afternoons, Lord knows what they are doing at night....

These pics are from late Jan / early Feb when the plots were really mown down.

We are commmited to doing everything we can to help increase the health of the herd!

Best of luck in 2018!

.

transfixer · Apr 2, 2018

Good Deal ! I only have a couple of small plots I put in last fall, but have kept a camera on one of them ever since, the deer have frequented it daily, and still are as of this past weekend, I believe its made a difference in their health, and keeping them on our lease, we only have 366acres, no agriculture anywhere around us. Mostly planted pines, I would like to put in more plots this spring, getting my guys on the same page is the drawback, they get lazy in the off season !

01Foreman400 · Apr 2, 2018

Very nice!

Jim Boyd · Apr 2, 2018

There are only two of us on this tract, Transfixer, so keeping unity and a single purpose of mind is easy.

He and I have another 45 acre tract close to this one which also has about 8 acres that can be planted - this year we are just gonna now the fields and fertilize the native browse - that is going to be our major objective for 2019 (planting this farm also).

Again, best of luck to all in 2018.

.

glynr329 · Apr 2, 2018

No wonder half of us can't see any deer you have all of them.

Jim Boyd · Apr 2, 2018

Glynr - this tract can’t have them all.... we have 6 other tracts that will show deer exactly like this one.

We shoot does with abandon on these tracts for freezer meat but on 850 + acres - we have harvested only 3-4 bucks annually (overall) for the last several years.

With only 6 hunters - and with a zone concept in place that really makes each pair of hunters responsible for their own hunting destiny - we have reached what appears to be a stabilized plateau that can limit hunter turnover and carry us into the future.

With three groups of two hunters each - all three groups have tractors, two groups are already supplemental feeding, all are working food plots and all are on the same page from a QDM standpoint.

Not trophy hunting - but Quality Deer Management.

Looking forward to October!

.

Thunder Head · Apr 2, 2018

Almost all of our plots look the same. They are nice and green and pretty much mowed.

We definitely don't have enough food on our club. Im working towards getting 2 big loading decks that are not planted, done this year.

davidhelmly · Apr 2, 2018

Jim, those deer look very appreciative of all your hard work!! :cheers:

glynr329 · Apr 2, 2018

Jim looks great a lot of hard work pays off.

SlipperyHill Mo · Apr 2, 2018

Jim,

Thank you for posting something besides a Baiting thread!

Nice pics.

What does “zone concept” mean? Private areas?

Jim Boyd · Apr 2, 2018

Slippery -

Not private areas but private farms or tracts.

Each two man team has access to particular farms or tracts (each team has two farms or tracts except one team has three, all in an attempt to equalize the acreage).

This has driven “ownership” sky high and now, you only have two men scouting, riding atv’s, looking at stands, checking cameras, etc.

We are in our second year of this and so far, I think everyone loves it.

Each two man team has about 250-300 acres.

Thanks !

.

Jim Boyd · Apr 3, 2018

I should have said also that we have a little over 25 acres total at our disposal to plant as plots - and we are free to develop others areas as we see fit - one of the benefits of leasing from private individuals and having great relationships with the landowners.

The mtn man · Apr 3, 2018

Nice!!

Jim Boyd · Apr 9, 2018

10 tons of lime delivered today.

Would have liked to have the spreader truck come in and do it but much of it cannot be gotten to with the truck.

We just pull the 8’ lime spreader with the side x side and keep filling it up with the tractor bucket.

Think we are gonna end up with a little left over lime, which we will tarp and save.

All of our existing plots are 6.5 to 7.0 so we only need the lime for the new ones.

Man, it never ends!!!

.

BluewaterFever · Apr 10, 2018

Looks good Jim, the deer are HAMMERING the clover behind the barn. Found a nice shed in there on Saturday morning.

Jim Boyd · Apr 10, 2018

Yep Karl - that field has 15-20 in it every night.

Many times, they don’t even bother to run when I am out there banging around.

High quality forage for the herd.... a very good thing.

Thanks for the plots on this tract (I consider it our crown Jewell) and for the protein feeding.

.

Jim Boyd · Apr 10, 2018

PS

Hope u did not find the shed with a tractor or ATV tire!

Spotlite · Apr 11, 2018

Awesome! Our plots are still feeding too.

rosewood · Apr 12, 2018

Looks like a breeding ground for CWD ::ke:

Jim Boyd · Apr 12, 2018

Well, if they are gonna propagate CWD, they need to get after it.

We see them on oak flats like this, we find them in Ag fields in the same manner, they walk single file through the swamp like this ... and so on.

My guess is that you are being facetious or that you are just poking me with a stick!

Here’s to hoping everyone has a great 2018!

Plots feeding deer well.....

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