Berrien county Alapaha river

[Whitetailer]

Way to go spearjunkie

Was the Doe feeding on seed???

Nice. What was in the mix? Is the seed small enough to spread without disking it in, like a no till?

I just have no idea when I will be able to get up. After the plots are seeded by the landowner I like to go up and broadcast more seed and fertilizer to give them a boost.

Unfortunately my ankle is not near 100% yet after my surgery and I am already doing too much trying to get back to work.


Keep the reports coming.

Russ/Whittailer

 

[spearjunky]

wheat, oat, rye, rape,clover and pea i also top shot some clover,no just goy lucky

 

[Whitetailer]

2015 season

Well, our Alapaha River property has been altered considerably since the hardwoods were cut two years ago. Those clear-cuts have not been bulldozed or burned to clear the left over limbs and debris and is all grown up with mostly Dog Fennels and all manner of weeds and growth. With virtually no hardwood to hunt and the clear cut areas providing no visibility to see game it seems we would have to depend on hunting our eight food plots, BUT the landowner has not planted them [as of 10/23]. As an example, the clear cut where I took that nice 10 point last year is so grown up with 5 to 7 foot Fennels that it would be an effort in futility to hunt the stand. Two of us did what we could to knock down some growth at two stand locations by dragging a small disc and a board drag to cut or just lay over the fennels and weeds. I broke the skid plate off of my atv hitting stumps and big branches and busted both foot rests as well in the process.

Feeling just a trifle angry and frustrated

Whitetailer.

 

[Whitetailer]

saw a bunch

Went up to hunt and work 17th through 20th. Opening morning saw 4 doe and two buck. A basket 8 pt. chased a doe out of the pines into a clear-cut and stopped and looked back to the pines. Another buck came out of the pines, a nice high four pt. They were close otherwise I could not have seen them in the tall fennels and weeds. Tuesday morning a deer snorted to my right. Wind was in my favor, so I was optimistic on seeing it later. The fennels were 3 to 7 feet tall along a slough but there was about 40 feet where I could see deer if they walked there. Later I saw what was almost cartoon like. I looked to my right and saw only antler tips moving just above the short fennels about 50 yards out. It looked like a real nice buck from what I saw. The mid day exercise was to tow my disk behind my atv and try to knock down the fennels in two spots to provide shooting from the stands. Plan on going up next Tuesday, but it seems it will be hot in the afternoons and warmish in the morning. Not happy about that.

Whitetailer...

 

[bam_bam]

Went up to hunt and work 17th through 20th. Opening morning saw 4 doe and two buck. A basket 8 pt. chased a doe out of the pines into a clear-cut and stopped and looked back to the pines. Another buck came out of the pines, a nice high four pt. They were close otherwise I could not have seen them in the tall fennels and weeds. Tuesday morning a deer snorted to my right. Wind was in my favor, so I was optimistic on seeing it later. The fennels were 3 to 7 feet tall along a slough but there was about 40 feet where I could see deer if they walked there. Later I saw what was almost cartoon like. I looked to my right and saw only antler tips moving just above the short fennels about 50 yards out. It looked like a real nice buck from what I saw. The mid day exercise was to tow my disk behind my atv and try to knock down the fennels in two spots to provide shooting from the stands. Plan on going up next Tuesday, but it seems it will be hot in the afternoons and warmish in the morning. Not happy about that.

Whitetailer...

instead of tearing up your equipment on stumps and limbs have you thought about getting the forestry dept out there with the equipment and do some work? May be cheaper in the long run than fixing your equipment.

 

[Whitetailer]

Bam Bam

Well, it was a spur of the moment situation. I have used the forestry guys with the big v blade tractors to reclaim roads and clear out a few new plots in past years. But there is the matter of money and showing them where I need work done and I am a long way from the property. I do have a tractor with a good mower, but it is not on the property and hopefully I can get it up there next season. This new landowner, son of the original owner, is.....never mind I will be polite. Lets just say, trying!!!

I was immobile the last three plus months and not yet 100% as I had joint fusion surgery on my left foot July 14th or I would have been able to get busy early on this situation.

Stay in touch.


Russ

 

[creekhunter]

10- Point killed yesterday morning

Hey guys, I haven't hunted much since opening weekend, but I did go yesterday morning and took a 10-point at 8:05 a.m. at my farm. I've tried to attach a photo, but the jpg photo is like 6.4 MB. Can someone tell me how to reduce it?

 

[Whitetailer]

Way to go Creek...........

Was he in rut? I will be up Thursday or Friday for a week or so. The weather is no to my liking ,but here I come...

As for the posting of pics. there is a tutorial on the site.???

Can't wait to see him.

Heck, email me a pic.

Whitetailer.
Russ

 

[creekhunter]

10- Point killed yesterday morning

Russ, his neck was swollen some and his tarsal glands were dark, but he did not stink like he was in full rut. He was with an 8-point and they ran off together after I shot him. The 8-point has been back to the location where I shot his friend. I know that because I have a Covert texting camera at that exact location and I have the photos to prove it. I do not believe the rut has started yet. I'll study the tutorial and try to post a photo. In the meantime, I'll email you a photo.

 

[Whitetailer]

Beautiful Buck. Is he better than your avatar deer?

Just goes to show you what a relatively small piece of property can produce when things are done right.

I would take that trail cam photo and get an oil painting made of it. It looks similar to some I've seem framed in someone's den entitled, 'decisions decisions" OR "if only I wasn't sleeping"....



Nice work Creekhunter....

 

[spearjunky]

nice i leave wed am

 

[plotthound]

Leaving in the am for a few days just east of Nashville does anyone if the rut is in full gear yet. Just checking.

 

[Whitetailer]

plothound

Timing wise it should begin soon, whether it is a 'soft" rut due to the warm weather remains to be seen. Hearing of several nice mature buck being taken nearby. Seems "something" is starting. I'll be on site Friday for a week.

Good Luck and stay in touch.


Whitetailer

 

[sghoghunter]

I have done a bunch of dirt road riding today at work and have noticed a lot more tracks crossing dirt roads since the rain Monday night. If the weather will get cooler like its suppose to maybe next week will be good

 

[Whitetailer]

Hope so sghoghunter, as I will be hunting for a week maybe more.

GOOD LUCK


Whitetailer

 

[plotthound]

Make sure you pack sunblock and a thermicell for mosquitoes. We seen deer early morning and right before dark. Just wish it was a little bit cooler it was miserable sitting and sweating your butt off. We came home early and just wait for a cold front to come through.

 

[spearjunky]

seen deer every sit my 10yr old was sitting with me had a really good 1 but couldn't shoot for a small limb ,get up there guys

 

[billy336]

Headed up in the morning

 

[spearjunky]

guy at my camp seen some chasing

 

[Whitetailer]

Pretty lousy 10 days

Got to the property Friday the 6th. Sat was hot with mosquitoes galore, bug tamer suit with the thermacell lit. Saw a button in the am. Sunday and Monday it rained and there was some flooding on the roads and sloughs. Missed one evening sit to the rain. Tue, Wed and Thurs. it was upper fifties in the am and near 80 in the evening and very humid with fog in the morning.. I saw one fork horn on Wed. Friday the wind went southwest and the front came through Sat. and made it much cooler. Sat am it was 48 degrees and Sunday am it was 43 degrees. I saw a spike in the river bottom one afternoon. I wondered what I was doing hunting and decided to hunt Monday morning til 9 and leave. I was siting in a ladder Mon am and at 8:50 decided to get down. I stood up facing the tree the stand was in and right away saw a deer bounding and it went out of sight. A few seconds later here comes running another deer that stopped with it's head right behind a tree. It was about 60 yards and I had no rest for the rifle and as I looked through the scope the deer took off and it was a nice rack buck. Gone in a second, giving me something to think about the ride home There was just incredibly little movement. The landowner did not plant the plots until the second week of the gun season and the stuff planted was 4 to 5 inches tall and sparse and had not been nipped on. Since the hardwoods had been 95% removed two years ago the clear-cuts are all 4 to 8 foot tall brush with stumps, limbs and branches scattered all over, mostly Dog Fennels and there is no visibility. I have a tractor with mower here in the Keys, I just have to find a way to get it there next year....

Hauled my boat and am waxing the hull and painting the bottom and thinking about when I will get up next.
Good Luck to all, Later Russ