Big_Holla
Senior Member
There you go, post up signs saying it's a "live fire" gun range and owner will not be responsible for trespassers shot........ :smiley_bond:
The 65 Project
- Thread starter hickslawns
- Start date
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There you go, post up signs saying it's a "live fire" gun range and owner will not be responsible for trespassers shot........ :smiley_bond:
Been awhile since I have visited this thread. Main reason being I haven't had time to do anything but work. Lucky to get the lawn mowed on this property, let alone accomplish anything.
Took the boys over there this evening. We gathered up any apples on the ground and took them back by the tree house and camera.
Amazingly, the two peach trees which lived are producing fruit. I cannot believe it! First year planted and they have peaches. These were simply $22 Walmart peach trees. I bought 4 of the $12 trees at Tractor Supply and neither the peach nor the pear trees survived. The 4 apple trees which were on the property when we bought it are looking pretty good as well.
This is no monster but it is the biggest buck I have ever gotten on camera at this property. I would be tickled to see Garrett get a shot at him or even my wife's cousins. Be a great first buck!
Here are the peaches. I have since staked these trees much more secure and added more compost around them.
Here is what is probably most exciting. Yes, there are 5 fawns in this picture! I believe one of the does has a set of triplets and there appear to be a couple different does with twins. Must have been one momma doe who decided to be camera shy. She was probably nibbling on the clover out of view.
And a couple more buck pictures. Most bucks I have ever captured on camera on this property. Probably 3-5 different bucks. I didn't really study the pictures to see if they were different or not. No shooters for me so I didn't really care. The kids on the other hand. . . .they can shoot whatever they want to.
Took the boys over there this evening. We gathered up any apples on the ground and took them back by the tree house and camera.
Amazingly, the two peach trees which lived are producing fruit. I cannot believe it! First year planted and they have peaches. These were simply $22 Walmart peach trees. I bought 4 of the $12 trees at Tractor Supply and neither the peach nor the pear trees survived. The 4 apple trees which were on the property when we bought it are looking pretty good as well.
This is no monster but it is the biggest buck I have ever gotten on camera at this property. I would be tickled to see Garrett get a shot at him or even my wife's cousins. Be a great first buck!
Here are the peaches. I have since staked these trees much more secure and added more compost around them.
Here is what is probably most exciting. Yes, there are 5 fawns in this picture! I believe one of the does has a set of triplets and there appear to be a couple different does with twins. Must have been one momma doe who decided to be camera shy. She was probably nibbling on the clover out of view.
And a couple more buck pictures. Most bucks I have ever captured on camera on this property. Probably 3-5 different bucks. I didn't really study the pictures to see if they were different or not. No shooters for me so I didn't really care. The kids on the other hand. . . .they can shoot whatever they want to.
Giggity giggity! It is in some respects. Others it is still frustrating. What will be interesting is the long term changes. When I started this thread I mentioned one of the things I was curious to see is if small changes to small properties can indeed turn them into nice deer hunting grounds. For what I paid for the property, the building in itself is a good return on my investment. I couldn't rent a 30x40 storage building as cheap as I am buying this sub 8 acre property WITH the building already there.
This brings me to the question: Is the increased traffic of young bucks a direct result of the minor changes I have done to the property? Or. . . is it simply a matter of crop changes and a bit of luck? Time will tell. If I continue to draw in some more bucks or if I start to see a more mature class of bucks start using the property then I will know my changes have benefited the property. On the flipside, once the season draws near and people begin to wander the surrounding properties I may see everything go nocturnal again. Be interesting to watch.
One of my pear trees came back. That makes a 50% survival rate with 2/3 survivors thriving. Makes me happy. Kids ate the good peaches off them and said they were a delicious 3 bites per peach.
Erin and the kids went to pick apples for cooking. Took one of her friends along and two of her kids. Erin thought it would be cool to drag 2 adults and 5 kids back to the tree house. 1/3 mile walk thru the woods and back frustrated me but I can't really complain. She had been busting her butt on those apples and she should have some right to use the woods on occasion I suppose. lol Didn't seem to affect the deer movement.
I dropped some apples which were unsuitable for cooking there August 18.
They were eating them the next night.
Here is Garrett on their walk in the woods.
Here we are on August 25 with them all gone.
I don't know how you guys afford to feed these deer year round. I am just fitting it in as my schedule allows and as we have excess apples on the ground. Stopped in today again after Graci's volleyball game and dropped some more. Kids took turns steering the golf cart. That was scary yet entertaining.
We took all the necessary scent control precautions. lmao
Erin and the kids went to pick apples for cooking. Took one of her friends along and two of her kids. Erin thought it would be cool to drag 2 adults and 5 kids back to the tree house. 1/3 mile walk thru the woods and back frustrated me but I can't really complain. She had been busting her butt on those apples and she should have some right to use the woods on occasion I suppose. lol Didn't seem to affect the deer movement.
I dropped some apples which were unsuitable for cooking there August 18.
They were eating them the next night.
Here is Garrett on their walk in the woods.
Here we are on August 25 with them all gone.
I don't know how you guys afford to feed these deer year round. I am just fitting it in as my schedule allows and as we have excess apples on the ground. Stopped in today again after Graci's volleyball game and dropped some more. Kids took turns steering the golf cart. That was scary yet entertaining.
We took all the necessary scent control precautions. lmao
Big_Holla
Senior Member
Headed out again tonight. Picked apples. Some for cooking, some for cider, the rest for the deer. Changed my camera card. Looks like the apples lasted 2 weeks this time. I dropped the same amount of apples tonight so hopefully they last a couple weeks again. I may try an all day sit for a doe to start my season. Still undecided at this point. Not seeing a ton of deer activity but for a small property I am satisfied. There is some consistency. I mostly fear seeing what other dipsticks decide to hunt the neighboring properties this year. This is what will determine how the deer movement remains or changes. Last year a guy showed up at the start of the season, hung a stand and wandered in and out a couple times per day. The deer quickly changed their patterns and disappeared or became nocturnal. Quite frustrating.
Boone
*Supporting Member*
Getting in their early before someone else screws the area up sounds like a good idea. Seems like the opener is going to be pretty warm, but it should be manageable for you in the shade there. Good luck!
Appreciate the suggestion Boone. Sadly, I think it is too late. I witnessed two douche bags in there this weekend already. That said, i suppose I was in there as well on the golf cart dropping apples. Then again, they are sorta used to my presence in/out once a month or so. These guys wandering in dragging stands and such all over the neighbor's portion of the woods is not a normal activity there.
It has been 2 months since update. I have hunted this minimally. The apples from 2 months ago are still sitting. Only to be nibbled on randomly. Deer activity is almost all at night. Neighbor continues to ride his three wheeler thru the area. Time to shut him down. I didn't buy a property so his old, fat, retired ass can go looking like a bear riding a tricycle thru my woods.
BUT. . . I did get pictures of the largest buck I have ever seen on camera in the last month. Not a monster. I don't care. It is a nice deer. It is on my property. I would kill him dead just for the memory.
I realize these are 11 day old pictures. I have more on the 18th and 20th. They were just in the background type pictures or blurry "on the move" pictures. I think he is hanging around and finally warming up to the camera. Either this or maybe just some hot doe hanging around he doesn't care.
BUT. . . I did get pictures of the largest buck I have ever seen on camera in the last month. Not a monster. I don't care. It is a nice deer. It is on my property. I would kill him dead just for the memory.
I realize these are 11 day old pictures. I have more on the 18th and 20th. They were just in the background type pictures or blurry "on the move" pictures. I think he is hanging around and finally warming up to the camera. Either this or maybe just some hot doe hanging around he doesn't care.
badger
*Supporting Member*
Big_Holla
Senior Member
Yep, time to shut the neighbor down if you really wanted to hunt him. Good luck and yes, I'd shoot him too!
Wonder how the neighbor would react to cable across the trail? I shouldn't care what he would think since it is my property but that is simply how I am. Try to keep the peace in the neighborhood. Good neighbors are tough to find. They keep an eye on the building when I am not around. Tough situation but it is getting addressed.
The deer? He isn't a monster. Maybe 120" tops I am guessing. Still be a trophy harvested on my own ground though.
You'll never have it the way you want it if you continue to let him get away with it.
Cable????? Try piano wire and a shovel.... Just sayin lol.....
Good luck with your conversation with him....
Good luck with your conversation with him....
Big_Holla
Senior Member
Our one neighbor loves to walk his dog and even take walks on our property down there as well. He's always helped my uncle out when needed so it's tough for me as the 'new owner' to put my foot down on something he's done since he lived there. However last year when he stalked up on my buck decoy trying to run it off was my last straw and this year I just explained to him that I didn't mind him using the property most of the year but when deer season was in I appreciated it if he would not. So far he has understood and I don't think there are any hard feelings.
Hortontoter
Senior Member
Set the ground rules, be firm, but don't come off as a tough guy. Your neighbors should be your best allies on property that is vacant.