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Post by deerhunter23 on Dec 12, 2016 17:32:36 GMT -5
I went for 5 years from 2010-2014 then got a bow kill 2 year old buck last year, awesome meat and a decent feeling being a bow kill. Then this year scored on my biggest that I had waited those 5 years for. My advice, don't be too picky in Indiana unless you have just unbelievably killer turf (read: little to no pressure), this is not a state managed for mature bucks. I would agree on your point for public land but totally disagree on private land. Not states job to manage private land for trophy bucks, that is hunter's responsibility at local level. You have to let a buck get age on him which means passing on young bucks. I killed a 166" buck this season and my hunting partner a 195" non typical off of our respective farm's. We both already have trail cam pic's of several 130-150 class bucks frequenting our farms. Build them security cover and offer them plenty of food/water sources and you will have plenty of deer. Don't shoot immature bucks and they will grow. I do not understand why hunter's want to blame their lack of success on the DNR. My wife says the same thing, i should settle and kill one of the younger bucks i pass. End the drought she says. To me its not a drought, im on a damn mission, and i will eventually be successful. I do and have done just that, passed younger bucks. I lose track of how many i pass yearly. I will say this year has been my best year as far as mature buck sightings go, just couldnt capitalize, thats hunting. I hunt 4 different private farms, all to myself. All 4 i would say most people would love to have the opportunity to hunt. Im thankful i do. My downfall is i dont put in enough work prior to season. Im not afraid to admit that. By more work i mean taking the time to add in food plots, run more cameras, things of that sort. I have 2 farms that the land owners have all but gaven me a key to their house. Those 2 farms next year will have plots on them at the least. The more work i put in, the better my chances are at harvesting my goal of a 3.5 yr old yearly. I know that, and my goals prior to next season are already set. Im going into next year with the "If i build it, they will come" mentality. The rest should take care of itself. Either way at the end of season my freezer will be full of deer meat ...rather it be full of does and deer meat my wife kills, or a few does, meat my wife kills,and a mature buck ive killed...it will be full!
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Post by freedomhunter on Dec 12, 2016 17:36:31 GMT -5
I went for 5 years from 2010-2014 then got a bow kill 2 year old buck last year, awesome meat and a decent feeling being a bow kill. Then this year scored on my biggest that I had waited those 5 years for. My advice, don't be too picky in Indiana unless you have just unbelievably killer turf (read: little to no pressure), this is not a state managed for mature bucks. I would agree on your point for public land but totally disagree on private land. Not states job to manage private land for trophy bucks, that is hunter's responsibility at local level. You have to let a buck get age on him which means passing on young bucks. I killed a 166" buck this season and my hunting partner a 195" non typical off of our respective farm's. We both already have trail cam pic's of several 130-150 class bucks frequenting our farms. Build them security cover and offer them plenty of food/water sources and you will have plenty of deer. Don't shoot immature bucks and they will grow. I do not understand why hunter's want to blame their lack of success on the DNR. Not everybody has what you have, just saying. The playing field could be leveled though with better management on a state level though. I don't care i got my 168" I'm good, to heck with everybody else lol
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Post by bill9068 on Dec 12, 2016 17:41:31 GMT -5
I might get out later this week, if I see a doe close to home I'll try to take it.
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Post by Jamie Brooks 1John5:13 on Dec 12, 2016 17:51:03 GMT -5
I might get out later this week, if I see a doe close to home I'll try to take it. The fever is coming back! You did quite well this year.
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Post by freedomhunter on Dec 12, 2016 17:53:20 GMT -5
I would agree on your point for public land but totally disagree on private land. Not states job to manage private land for trophy bucks, that is hunter's responsibility at local level. You have to let a buck get age on him which means passing on young bucks. I killed a 166" buck this season and my hunting partner a 195" non typical off of our respective farm's. We both already have trail cam pic's of several 130-150 class bucks frequenting our farms. Build them security cover and offer them plenty of food/water sources and you will have plenty of deer. Don't shoot immature bucks and they will grow. I do not understand why hunter's want to blame their lack of success on the DNR. My wife says the same thing, i should settle and kill one of the younger bucks i pass. End the drought she says. To me its not a drought, im on a damn mission, and i will eventually be successful. I do and have done just that, passed younger bucks. I lose track of how many i pass yearly. I will say this year has been my best year as far as mature buck sightings go, just couldnt capitalize, thats hunting. I hunt 4 different private farms, all to myself. All 4 i would say most people would love to have the opportunity to hunt. Im thankful i do. My downfall is i dont put in enough work prior to season. Im not afraid to admit that. By more work i mean taking the time to add in food plots, run more cameras, things of that sort. I have 2 farms that the land owners have all but gaven me a key to their house. Those 2 farms next year will have plots on them at the least. The more work i put in, the better my chances are at harvesting my goal of a 3.5 yr old yearly. I know that, and my goals prior to next season are already set. Im going into next year with the "If i build it, they will come" mentality. The rest should take care of itself. Either way at the end of season my freezer will be full of deer meat ...rather it be full of does and deer meat my wife kills, or a few does, meat my wife kills,and a mature buck ive killed...it will be full! Sanctuary is more important than cams and plots.
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Post by whitetaildave24 on Dec 12, 2016 17:55:27 GMT -5
I've been wanting to get back out, but after selling our house I am now nearly 2 hours each way from where I hunt. Makes it a lot more difficult to get out there. I'm going to try on Saturday, but not real enthused about the weather.
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Post by duff on Dec 12, 2016 18:10:36 GMT -5
I would like to get a doe. May get out this weekend and one more time with hpr during doe season. If not no big deal either.
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Post by boonechaser on Dec 12, 2016 18:32:20 GMT -5
I would agree on your point for public land but totally disagree on private land. Not states job to manage private land for trophy bucks, that is hunter's responsibility at local level. You have to let a buck get age on him which means passing on young bucks. I killed a 166" buck this season and my hunting partner a 195" non typical off of our respective farm's. We both already have trail cam pic's of several 130-150 class bucks frequenting our farms. Build them security cover and offer them plenty of food/water sources and you will have plenty of deer. Don't shoot immature bucks and they will grow. I do not understand why hunter's want to blame their lack of success on the DNR. Not everybody has what you have, just saying. The playing field could be leveled though with better management on a state level though. I don't care i got my 168" I'm good, to heck with everybody else lol I can't control what DNR does or what rules they make, but I can control what I shoot and how many deer are harvested. Also Can make my property as attractive to deer as possible and help neighbors do the same.
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Post by squirrelgravy on Dec 12, 2016 18:37:34 GMT -5
I've got 5 anterless in the freezer. 4 I killed and a 5th given to me. Passed on many small bucks. May go this weekend, but really more interested in rabbit hunting. If I can get my oldest her 1st one during the late anterless season, that would make my year.
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Post by Jamie Brooks 1John5:13 on Dec 12, 2016 18:43:20 GMT -5
My wife says the same thing, i should settle and kill one of the younger bucks i pass. End the drought she says. To me its not a drought, im on a damn mission, and i will eventually be successful. I do and have done just that, passed younger bucks. I lose track of how many i pass yearly. I will say this year has been my best year as far as mature buck sightings go, just couldnt capitalize, thats hunting. I hunt 4 different private farms, all to myself. All 4 i would say most people would love to have the opportunity to hunt. Im thankful i do. My downfall is i dont put in enough work prior to season. Im not afraid to admit that. By more work i mean taking the time to add in food plots, run more cameras, things of that sort. I have 2 farms that the land owners have all but gaven me a key to their house. Those 2 farms next year will have plots on them at the least. The more work i put in, the better my chances are at harvesting my goal of a 3.5 yr old yearly. I know that, and my goals prior to next season are already set. Im going into next year with the "If i build it, they will come" mentality. The rest should take care of itself. Either way at the end of season my freezer will be full of deer meat ...rather it be full of does and deer meat my wife kills, or a few does, meat my wife kills,and a mature buck ive killed...it will be full! Sanctuary is more important than cams and plots. Absolutely!!!
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Post by poc on Dec 12, 2016 18:51:19 GMT -5
I have the next 3 days and the weekend off, so I might try to get a buck yet. I know there was a good one on my place. Probably done with does.
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Post by deerhunter23 on Dec 12, 2016 19:01:46 GMT -5
Sanctuary is more important than cams and plots. Absolutely!!! Describe yalls version of a "santuary". Can they be natural? Id assume most of its natural correct. If so i already have that. My main go to stand, most of this farm is so thick i cant walk thru it. 20 acre patch surrounded by crop fields, and a ridge thats just as thick. More thicket than anything, reminds me more of a gravel pit. The land owner prior to me hunting, used to have a main trail cut thru it. Its 20 yards wide or so, over the years its grown back up, but i can still tell where its at. At each end of the grown up trail is a clearing he made himself. Each area over an acre or so. Next year my plan is to plant the trail and clearings with food plots of some sort. Those will be surrounded by very thick cover thats already there. The deer love this place already, they bed all over. In fact its hard for me to get to my stand regardless of which way i take without jumping deer. My stand now is already in the location it needs to be to cover one of the clearings i plan on planting. With the right wind, its golden. I plan to add another stand on the north end of the property that will cover the other clearing. I think im headed in the right direction. I know its hard to picture it without a map or having boots on the ground. I love to learn though!
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Post by beermaker on Dec 12, 2016 19:13:21 GMT -5
As usual, depends on the weather and the family schedule.
It's funny how I always start thinking about the next season when the current season is in full-swing. Different land, different methods, mistakes made, etc. I then start thinking about fishing before I've given up on hunting. One of my contractors told me today about three guys he fishes with. They caught 150 KEEPER crappie at Rough River just this past weekend, from the bank and docks! That was three guys limiting out (30) Saturday and two Sunday. That doesn't count non-legal size that were returned to the water. I'd rather pan fish than anything, deer hunting included, and that story almost sent me home to grab an ultralight and my jig box.
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Post by Jamie Brooks 1John5:13 on Dec 12, 2016 19:14:17 GMT -5
Describe yalls version of a "santuary". Can they be natural? Id assume most of its natural correct. If so i already have that. My main go to stand, most of this farm is so thick i cant walk thru it. 20 acre patch surrounded by crop fields, and a ridge thats just as thick. More thicket than anything, reminds me more of a gravel pit. The land owner prior to me hunting, used to have a main trail cut thru it. Its 20 yards wide or so, over the years its grown back up, but i can still tell where its at. At each end of the grown up trail is a clearing he made himself. Each area over an acre or so. Next year my plan is to plant the trail and clearings with food plots of some sort. Those will be surrounded by very thick cover thats already there. The deer love this place already, they bed all over. In fact its hard for me to get to my stand regardless of which way i take without jumping deer. My stand now is already in the location it needs to be to cover one of the clearings i plan on planting. With the right wind, its golden. I plan to add another stand on the north end of the property that will cover the other clearing. I think im headed in the right direction. I know its hard to picture it without a map or having boots on the ground. I love to learn though! Basically it is an area where no humans go. There's about 7ac of tall grass on the adjacent property that no one ever goes in it. They don't cut it; it just grows. Some of my deer bed in here. They feel safe here as no humans enter.
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Post by boonechaser on Dec 12, 2016 19:18:45 GMT -5
Yup. Call mine the forbidden zone. Roughly 10-12 acres. Thick and nasty blow downs , briars and tall grass. Mine has a small drainage from pond overflow down middle if it. Going to hinge cut some trees in a few weeks to add additional cover.
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Post by raymar on Dec 12, 2016 22:05:00 GMT -5
I have been done since opening day of gun. Duck hunting and trapping coyotes now.
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Post by scrub-buster on Dec 12, 2016 22:23:44 GMT -5
I've been done since about an hour into the opening day of gun season. My bundle license is used up and the freezer is full.
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Post by medic22 on Dec 12, 2016 22:31:42 GMT -5
I went for 5 years from 2010-2014 then got a bow kill 2 year old buck last year, awesome meat and a decent feeling being a bow kill. Then this year scored on my biggest that I had waited those 5 years for. My advice, don't be too picky in Indiana unless you have just unbelievably killer turf (read: little to no pressure), this is not a state managed for mature bucks. I would agree on your point for public land but totally disagree on private land. Not states job to manage private land for trophy bucks, that is hunter's responsibility at local level. You have to let a buck get age on him which means passing on young bucks. I killed a 166" buck this season and my hunting partner a 195" non typical off of our respective farm's. We both already have trail cam pic's of several 130-150 class bucks frequenting our farms. Build them security cover and offer them plenty of food/water sources and you will have plenty of deer. Don't shoot immature bucks and they will grow. I do not understand why hunter's want to blame their lack of success on the DNR. Id go one step further and say that mature bucks are very possible on public land. My buddy and I were chasing 3 bucks last year 5.5 years or older. This year my main focus was 4.5, the same friend saw one that was at least 7.5 and it wasnt the 6.5 y/o from last year. They are there, but there is a reason they are there. Deer dont get to 5.5 anywhere by being stupid.
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Post by Jamie Brooks 1John5:13 on Dec 12, 2016 22:44:17 GMT -5
I would agree on your point for public land but totally disagree on private land. Not states job to manage private land for trophy bucks, that is hunter's responsibility at local level. You have to let a buck get age on him which means passing on young bucks. I killed a 166" buck this season and my hunting partner a 195" non typical off of our respective farm's. We both already have trail cam pic's of several 130-150 class bucks frequenting our farms. Build them security cover and offer them plenty of food/water sources and you will have plenty of deer. Don't shoot immature bucks and they will grow. I do not understand why hunter's want to blame their lack of success on the DNR. Id go one step further and say that mature bucks are very possible on public land. My buddy and I were chasing 3 bucks last year 5.5 years or older. This year my main focus was 4.5, the same friend saw one that was at least 7.5 and it wasnt the 6.5 y/o from last year. They are there, but there is a reason they are there. Deer dont get to 5.5 anywhere by being stupid. I can truly say that my eyes have never seen a buck at any of those ages. But of course, I wouldn't know the 7.5 from the 4.5. Anything that you'll be doing differently next year?
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Post by medic22 on Dec 13, 2016 7:19:02 GMT -5
Id go one step further and say that mature bucks are very possible on public land. My buddy and I were chasing 3 bucks last year 5.5 years or older. This year my main focus was 4.5, the same friend saw one that was at least 7.5 and it wasnt the 6.5 y/o from last year. They are there, but there is a reason they are there. Deer dont get to 5.5 anywhere by being stupid. I can truly say that my eyes have never seen a buck at any of those ages. But of course, I wouldn't know the 7.5 from the 4.5. Anything that you'll be doing differently next year? Im going back to the hard woods and spoil banks.
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