5 Year Blacktail Food Plot

Before Rota tilling

After

 Started my blacktail food plot a little later this year than normal.  I rota tilled and planted last week in May.  I am hoping by doing this there will be less weeds and other plants taking over the food plot.  This year I went all clover, its high in protein and does well when its wet.  I don't expect it to be as hot and dry as it was last year in Washington the el nino effect is over.  I have let my fruit trees grow for about 5 years without pruning.  That way they get above the deer and brush and now I will prune this coming year and start a good umbrella shape and hopefully produce more fruit that way.  If I was able to manage this plot more constantly I would recommend, clover, peas, one day I would like to focus on alfalfa but that seems to struggle in this area.  But the year goal would be to have a year round food plot.  Especially during the winter months when they struggle with hair loss.  I have yet to have success hunting over it but in the meantime its been a real joy to watch grow.  It's added value and has offered a great learning experience.  I still believe that natural food plots are the way to go.  Good old clearcuts.    Anyway hope you enjoy the post and would love to see you all successful this coming year.  Good Luck.

Dream Catcher-2015 Whitetail

The word I keep using is unreal.  Anyway this deer was presumably shot on the 30th of October with a crossbow; the hunter hit him low and through both front quarters and the brisket.  So the crossbow hunter tried to and find and recover the deer for the next five days. 

I arrived to hunt on Monday the 2nd of November and was glassing the area he had shot the buck unknowingly of course and saw him entered the draw looking for the buck or waiting for another opportunity.  Then a rancher pushed about 40 head of cows through the area with a 4 wheeler and that was enough for me to leave the area.  I scouted a different area observing good buck activity and verified that the rut was indeed starting.  After arriving back at the farm house I discussed with my hunting partner what deer we had seen.  He informed me that they had been getting trail camera pictures of this buck up a specific draw I initially scouted.  I couldn't believe he was back in the area.  But we had no idea at this time that this was the buck the cross bow hunter had shot and lost.  So we went to bed with the anticipation of more scouting and potentially setting up a blind and using a decoy for the following day.

I awoke in the morning and went to take a leak outside since the indoor plumbing doesn't work and this buck pops up in the tall grass by the house.  I had no idea it was "Dream Catcher" but knew it looked a lot like him and was a big buck.  I immediately went and woke up my hunting partner and we gathered our gear and we were going to make a move on this deer and relocate him.  We suspected this deer to have remained in the shelter belt of trees and shrubs but had no idea where he could have gone. 

With bows in hand we both started paralleling the trees and I took the North Side and he took the South and I was making my way along the trees and he stood up in the field to me left.  I couldn't believe that this buck was out in the open and in a field.  My heart raced as I knew he was hurt and couldn't run so it was just of matter of letting him calm down, and bed again.  He did almost immediately and I texted my hunting buddy that I found him and that he should get the camera.  All I could see was the tops of his antlers and I tried to just keep myself mentally focused on shooting this deer and not his antler size.  When he arrived he accidentally kicked up a rooster pheasant that flew right over this deer.  Luckily he stayed bedded and we were able to get closer for the video.  So I began sneaking closer to within about 40 yards and this buck already knew I was there and eventually stood up.  I put the pin on him at 40 yards and he dropped immediately I still wasn't 100% sure this was dream catcher but just knew it was a very big deer.  Walking up to this deer he was still kicking and rather than have him suffer any more I put two more arrows in him to end the suffering. 

We couldn't believe what had just happened, of all the deer that could have been shot this year this deer was last on the list of potential deer to get killed.

Rain n' Rut

 It's October 25th 2015 and I just got off the phone with my Dad.  We discussed how when it starts to rain the big bucks come out to play, especially towards the end of October.  I suggested that when he's walking around in the woods behind the house to make sure and take a gun, especially when it's raining.  Well on the visit to the Grandparents house that prediction came true when him and his wife found this stud in the garden feeding and tending a doe.  After she recovered the buck, the doe this buck was tending was taken up by another suitor a smaller two point.  I guess in football terms that would be "next man up." Sometimes you can hike all day and then come home and find what you've been looking for right in your back yard.

Rams of the Badlands

Blacktail Deer Food Plot Preparation and Scouting

Keys are in the bottom right for scale.

Pre-season scouting and preparation is essential, this gives hunters the ability to locate and find deer concentrations without disturbing their normal patterns.  My favorite activity is to look for rubs.  Finding large rubs in high concentrations is my ultimate goal.  This rub on the left is a perfect example of what I am looking for, a large rub on a 7-9" tree.  In fact I have a pretty good idea of which buck made this rub and he's aprox. 6 years old and was a 4 point last year.  When all the brush and trees have dropped their leaves and when the breeding season is over that's the perfect time to go look for rubs.  Rubs are very misleading though you may find one or two rubs and think great I should hunt this area.  Not so, many bucks rub along the boundaries of their breeding area and they will be no where near that area during the rut.  People also think that once they find a rub that they should put a stand near by to watch for the buck to come back.  That is also a bad idea, most rubs are made at night.  Rubs tell you what bucks are in the area, what path he traveled to make the rub and antler configuration.

Another activity I perform in the spring is prepare my food plot and cut brush.  I don't use fancy equipment and don't plant large acres of crops.  In the picture below I have planted some fruit trees and broken up the ground with a shovel.  I planted a biologic blend of seeds and latter on added some food attractant to get the deer accustomed to regular food drops.  To be honest I haven't had much success hunting over this plot but will continue to cultivate and plant in order to maintain a healthy herd of deer.

Code to Protect Arms

 As a taxpaying, America loving citizen, my second amendment rights are coming under fire.  I have owned and handled guns since I was a young boy.  They’ve been a part of me and have been a part of this country from the establishment of the constitution.  When our founding fathers wrote the constitution they couldn’t imagine the infringement that would be happening today.  That’s why I believe they specifically worded the 2^nd Amendment with the word infringement.

President Obama thinks that if we increase regulations on guns and are able to save but one life, it would be worth it.  How has Gun Control in the US and other countries worked at stopping violence (nytimes)?

Let’s look at Chicago where President Obama taught and practiced law, tell me how has Gun Control stopped violence and crime in that state?  Illinois has some of the strictest Gun Laws in the country (guardian).  So essentially we should be able to model the results from that state to the rest of the country, right?

Reactions to the Sandy Hook shooting are similar to a knee jerk reaction; one thing acting upon another resulting in an uncontrolled response.  Banning assault weapons and high capacity magazines will not achieve the results politicians are looking for.  I would suggest stringent background searches and a competency test to verify that individuals comprehend gun safety and security at home.  When conducting background searches officers should assess: mental health history, unrest in the family, run-ins with authorities i.e. alcohol and drug abuse, assault and battery, etc.  If an applicant fails background search the applicant should be denied current and further purchases of guns as well as removal of current guns from their possession.  Gun locks should be issued for each gun sold and inspections of gun locks to verify if they’re being used.  Punishment to violators should be jail time and large fines. 

We can’t attack the law-abiding citizens that own guns (townhall).  The real issues that need to be addressed are mending broken families.  Neglect, abuse, bad parenting all should be addressed before gun control.  What is truly right and wrong has been blurred and obscured by political agendas and media pushing the envelope.  Please let’s make this country great again by restoring family values.

References:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/29/weekinreview/29liptak.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/2011/jan/10/gun-crime-us-state

http://townhall.com/columnists/stevechapman/2013/01/17/gun-controls-potemkin-village-n1490886

2012 Blacktail Deer Food Plot Results

So here are some results of the 2012 Blacktail deer food plot and attractant study.  During the month of August I put Swamp Donkey, C'Mere Deer, Buck Jam, Trophy Rock and Purina Deer blocks out to see which would be the most effective at bringing in deer.  To my surprise it only brought in bears.  The C'Mere deer is a very strong sweet smelling attractant and the buck jam was a apples concentrate.  Once the bears found the food source it was all theirs the deer never fed here.  I also had some apples and the food plots were alfalfa and outfitters blend.  I can't say that these results are conclusive because it depends on the time of year when you place the food out.  During the months of August the bears are searching far and wide to find food and store enough fat for hibernation.  The deer on the other hand stay out of the bear’s way.  Hopefully next year I will be able to place these deer attractants in the food plot area during the optimal time for deer.  I will keep everyone posted on the results.  Hope you had a successful year in the blacktail woods.  If you have suggestions that your curious to see if it attracts deer or have known recipes for attracting deer and would like to see if it works in different areas post a comment.  Next year I will be starting fresh and we'll be planting clover.