What habitat improvements are you planning for the offseason?

[Peyton]

Tuned into your story! Sounds like you are having great success.



The only thing I had heard about it was it was an absolute no-go for deer based on a field day at Dr. Krolls farm. But then again cottonseed doesn't pay his bills, food plots and protein feeds do.

An absolute no-go??? What were his reasons for that opinion?

[Peyton]

Peyton,



You might want to check it Mummies in Pearsall. I have been getting it for 11.00 a bag.

I'm sure I can find it cheaper, but loyalty to our local store ain't cheap

[Reel Screamer]

I'm sure I can find it cheaper, but loyalty to our local store ain't cheap

Gotcha.

[Sneaky]

just purchased 20 persimmon,4 deer pear seedlings w/ protective tubes and plan on planting honeysuckle and east tx beauty berries.

My ranch is *covered* in beautyberries. Do deer like them?

[Peyton]

An absolute no-go??? What were his reasons for that opinion?

I've searched the internet and I can't find a published article or statement where Dr Kroll said anything negative about cottonseed. Not that I'd take much into consideration, but I wanted to read his opinion.

[dustoffer]

This:




And this:

[perfectstorm]

An absolute no-go??? What were his reasons for that opinion?

From what I remember it was a health issue for the deer.

[TexasTK]

Tuned into your story! Sounds like you are having great success.

The only thing I had heard about it was it was an absolute no-go for deer based on a field day at Dr. Krolls farm. But then again cottonseed doesn't pay his bills, food plots and protein feeds do.

I just put out cottonseed this past weekend. I have been feeding this stuff for 5 years and have no issues other than they like it to much. This time of year the deer crave carbs and fat. It really puts the weight back on them in a hurry after the rut.

[FCTrapper]

This year......
*More aggressive predator control is going to be very high on the list.
*Roller Chopping several sections in a mosaic patterns across the ranch.
*Clearing several cactus flats with dozers.
*Planting approx. 100 acres in warm season food plots. Iron Clay peas and Roundup ready soybeans.
*shredding and DEEP disking strips in our buffle grass fields.
*Switching to a more disiclpline pellet feeding program by adjusting to select pellet diets during select timeframes.
*Building a rice field levee around one of our well outputs and planting Japanese millet and other select duck forage. Area should be approx 20-25 acres. Planning on floooding the field for duck hunting.
*Root Plowing several "new growth" mesquite strips
*Cleaning up dead mesquite in areas that were aerial sprayed last summer.
*Root Plowing long strips around deer stands.

FYI This is our Third Year to put out Cottonseed on our new place, Ive been feeding it for over 7 years and I'm a believer. Its not a "COMPLETE" supplement but it compliments pefectly with a solid protein feeding program.

[JeffJ]

This year......
*More aggressive predator control is going to be very high on the list.
*Roller Chopping several sections in a mosaic patterns across the ranch.
*Clearing several cactus flats with dozers.
*Planting approx. 100 acres in warm season food plots. Iron Clay peas and Roundup ready soybeans.
*shredding and DEEP disking strips in our buffle grass fields.
*Switching to a more disiclpline pellet feeding program by adjusting to select pellet diets during select timeframes.
*Building a rice field levee around one of our well outputs and planting Japanese millet and other select duck forage. Area should be approx 20-25 acres. Planning on floooding the field for duck hunting.
*Root Plowing several "new growth" mesquite strips
*Cleaning up dead mesquite in areas that were aerial sprayed last summer.
*Root Plowing long strips around deer stands.

FYI This is our Third Year to put out Cottonseed on our new place, Ive been feeding it for over 7 years and I'm a believer. Its not a "COMPLETE" supplement but it compliments pefectly with a solid protein feeding program.

I wish I could get my hands on a roller chopper for a week!

[Capt.Bryan]

On one of my leases in the Trinity river bottom after it dries up enough I'm going to take the tractor in to repair the utv trails that we tore up through the season. While I'm in there I have a ratchet rake on the front bucket that I am going to open up about an acre and a half for a new food plot. Also may plant part of the pipeline in lablab and soybeans. At the house property I bought 12 acres 2 years ago and the area is loaded with deer. I have been under brushing the bottom end so I can plant a 2 acre summer plot and another 2 acre winter plot. Also I'm going to feed protein through summer and try to get some sort of water source so I can draw and hold deer.

[XBowHunter]

A small spring/summer food plot and planting 200 sawtooth oaks

I noticed a lot of downed limbs while hunting in December that I thought about dragging them together to make a natural ground blind....

Add that to my list...

And add to my list, painting my 8' platform that my popup sits on. Got one leg painted today, making it look kinda like bark (black and gray).

200 Sawtooth oaks are purchased... Awaiting delivery in a month or so. I have 4-5 acres that need trees, so I will be purchasing 200-400 each year until I have created new cover.

Today I did locate two different spots that would make ideal natural ground blinds. Need to bust out the chain saw to clean up under fallen limbs and add a little more timber cover and they will be good to hunt from

[BSOB]

I wish I could get my hands on a roller chopper for a week!

Can anyone elaborate on this process please?

[txhoghunter73]

Trying to get some food plots going to keep the deer on my place and away from all these neighbors moving in on me... Old Red Ranch Road is funny that way

[Dudlbugr]

I am looking for a place in Texas, but don't have it yet...

In Missippy, I need to:
bush hg around my 6 pear trees (planted 4 years ago). They're individually fenced.
Also need to put some plastic down around them to limit competition in their driplines.
After I bush hog, I plan to put a nuclear bomb round 'em (in the bush hog area) with some roundup and 2-4,D.

Would like to do some hinge cutting in a little stand of willows in our duck hole... Kind of figuring on doing it over a tractor tire filled with dirt... Top of tire would be above the normal water line of the duck hole, and possibly make a small bedding area...

Need to move a couple of stands, and improve (put a roof over) 1 of them...

Would like to build a ghost blind... and have found several good threads on here to do that...

Tough doing all of that with a weekend here, and there... 8 hours away!