"the pasture"....long read and pic heavy

[686]

Great thread! I keep waiting for the payoff! Unbelievable bucks on your place, but tragic that you haven't caught up with Big yet. Hopefully you get an opportunity - are you going out this weekend?

I had worked really hard on our little place (90 ac low fence) for years, and had only seen smaller 8's, no trophies like what you see on your cameras. Our neighbors hunted a lot too, so I faced some of your same challenges.

Finally I got a nice big buck the first week of December last year. He was one of those "cruisers" - we had never seen him before, but was out looking for does one morning on our place (I had managed our habitat, protein, etc. fairly well which kept the does around). It felt great to get a nice buck off the place I had put so much work into. I wish you luck. Keep going out! Here was the "reward" for all my hard work (he's nothing compared to your Big, but was great for our place):

[jshouse]

thats a great looking buck man, very cool that it came from somewhere you put in so much work. i wont be able to hunt again till sunday but i went out there yesterday and checked cams and didnt have anything good in the last week, i have a new decent 4-5yo running around everyday but he's not legal, lol, figures.

[686]

thats a great looking buck man, very cool that it came from somewhere you put in so much work. i wont be able to hunt again till sunday but i went out there yesterday and checked cams and didnt have anything good in the last week, i have a new decent 4-5yo running around everyday but he's not legal, lol, figures.

Thanks. I hunted really hard early in the season last year with no luck and had given up on getting a good buck. I just went out that day to shoot a doe to put some meat in the fridge and then he walked up. That's hunting I guess. I'm glad to hear you're going out Sunday - good luck!

[jshouse]

i put out an exclusion cage (a plastic golf ball basket from a driving range) 2 weeks ago and the oats inside it are about 4" taller than the rest of the field, that makes me feel good.

checked cams today and was EXTREMELY happy to see this guy show back up, havent seen him he shed antlers in the spring...he BLEW UP

here are 3 years of him





this is him in the spring, 3.5yo IMO







and now, the time is slow by about 9 hours

[J&M Hamilton10]

Been keeping up with this thread for awhile and that is a beauty. You got some great and smart deer. Keep at it

[Tshelly]

Man he blew up!! Great deer. Love the history.. Is that the apple and sweet feed mix? I'm about to try the apple corn this next batch. I'm about ready to fill them

[jshouse]

yeah that feeder is apple corn, sweet feed and rice bran. i filled it up again today with apple corn, horse and mule sweet (it was cheaper) and rice bran. at this point i dont care if i am letting them eat all night long, i just want them eating on my place, if someone is gonna catch'em slippin, i want it to be me.

[jshouse]

and its weird, i have no doubt it is the same deer but his 5pt side has switched to the right side after being on the left the first two years....

[Tshelly]

yeah that feeder is apple corn, sweet feed and rice bran. i filled it up again today with apple corn, horse and mule sweet (it was cheaper) and rice bran. at this point i dont care if i am letting them eat all night long, i just want them eating on my place, if someone is gonna catch'em slippin, i want it to be me.

Thanks I'm going to try that. I've seen another deer do that switch on the 4. It was another wet year after a drought when I saw it

[unclefish]

Where were you the day before thanksgiving?...lol.

Man he really did explode. I'm the same way.....I just want them on my place as much as possible. Good luck getting him.

That big boy may show up again soon too.

[jshouse]

man i was working, the whole weekend too.

i am pretty pumped though, gained access to a couple places around me, one where the big one was possibly seen a few weeks ago. put a camera on one yesterday and will get one on the other place tomorrow, might even hunt it tomorrow afternoon.

[3DW5]

Best thread ever, dont give up youll pop him sooner or later...

[jshouse]

Thanks man, we have been without power since late Thursday night so my hunting has been put on hold till Thursday morning. I will be able to go out and check cams tomorrow though, don't know what I'll do if he has shown up, I am hoping the weather has pushed him to food.

[jshouse]

that big 9 showed up last weekend but no good bucks since. i am putting out a camera on a new place down the road tomorrow and once again will just have to see how it goes, the big one is 3 weeks away from a 3peat. this new spot hold some promise though.

on the other hand, i am getting some great hunting done on my lease, had encounters thursday and friday morning with the 2 biggest bucks i have ever seen in person, just couldnt get them close enough, i will be out there again tomorrow morning before i go check out the new place.

i will try to get some pics of the plot tomorrow, i checked cams yesterday and didnt have much time but noticed there were munched on radishes all over the place that had been pulled up and the plot watcher showed deer all over the oats. i will move it to the wheat side tomorrow but it is getting mowed down just as much.

[3DW5]

Anything new?