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Thought this was a cool action shot, two does fighting in my clover plot. Time to thin out the herd..lol

Who's got a hang-up about food plots? I'm just reacting to the fact that finally someone has flat out said that they actually hunt their plots. I don't see how anything that I have said could possibly be construed as critical of food-plotting. Not only that but I am complimenting this guy on being unapologetic and straight up about using his plots for hunting. It seems that many, perhaps most, apologize for taking advantage of a resource that they have created, and I guess I really don't understand why. But anybody who has been paying attention has also noted that every time food plots are even hinted at as being similar to baiting (which they are not), we usually get a rash of comments that food plots are not for hunting (directly). Finally someone has come along and straight up says that he hunts his plots. For me there's nothing to get hung up about with that. In fact I believe I said exactly that a few replies ago on this very thread. I have said in the past that my version of hunting involves hunting the deer "as I find them" without any conditioning or pattern manipulation. That is a personal restriction that I do not put on anyone else. But I will say that if I were to put all the time and money into creating a food plot, I definitely would be hunting it and would do so openly and without apology. And that is exactly what I was complimenting NYSuperSportsman for doing. Don't try to make anymore of it than what it is.

Is your soil rocky? Mine is terrible with rocks and a tiller would not last at all here. If I could I would use a tiller, they are very slow but one pass and you have a perfect seed bed. I can ask around on brands I have several friends who have used them for years.

Cool Picture.... it is pretty normal behavior... I got this one this year of a buck and a doe

Thought I'd start a little photo journal of the bucks I see pre-season while roaming the woods or sitting a stand in the evenings. Photographic exellence isn't top priority here, so excuse the poor quality.... most of these will be loooooong shots from an observation stand, or poor light distant encounters in the timber. I've already got trail cam vids of these first two bucks, but there's always something special about seeing them live on the hoof for the first time. This first guy is a little 3pt. Next up is his bachelor buddy 6pt. And lastly, my first decent buck of the year from tonight at the corn field. I didn't get a real good look at him, but I think I may have pics of him from last year as well if that left antler is as palmated as it looks here. I'll know more next time I see him. I'll try to get a trail cam hung in this area soon.

Solar lights to create the illusion that someone is home. Then some cardboard silhouettes in the windows. Beware of dog signs. A loud door alarm will probably scare them off. A bunch of fake cameras placed where they will see them. Board it up. Use heavy screws and purposely strip the screw heads. Just bring a battery powered sawzall with you to gain entry.

Place a trailcam along the driveway such that you get the license plate number as they drive by. Do a careful job of concealing the camera or you'll have that missing too. Another possible solution is to put a gate at the entrance with plenty of signs indicating that there is no trespassing allowed and then lay down (and camo) some nail-strips across the driveway. I think that is legal as long as they are knowingly trespassing (might want to check that out). Maybe with 4 flat tires they will be stuck there long enough for someone to spot them.

I grabbed binoculars and hit the hedge row . What do I see? 2 sets of TRIPLETS 1set of twins 1doe and a fawn........total of 4 doe with 9 fawn!...I need to have the Camera on at all times now

There are so many reasons to plant plots but the big ones SHOULD be to: increase herd health or create usable movements for a hunting scenario. The idea of kill plots and 200" Booners is not conducive of reality as most of our wives dont look like Tiff and there arent 200000 acres at our disposal. There are a few guys who get it in terms of laying out a property to establish a herd or likely movement/circuit to hunt. The vast majority do not. One should build on what they lack between- food, water and bedding. The orientation of each, and social interaction components should be based on stand sites w unpressured access/egress. You will not copete with the farmer next door, Iowa has bigger bucks than NY for the nutrients in their soils. You can see county-county and town to town variance as much as state by state...so forget the idea youre going to make the lil guys you normally see into giant (age is what you need not to mention you need to build your soils which is where everyone cheaps out). Hunt a food plot itself and you will have nocturnal feeding. So plant things that fill in the gaps that nature and the neighboring farmers have, give deer the bedding (which matters WAY more than food) and water and dont beat on it with pressure and VIOLIA- you will have some bigger bucks, more fawns and happier/healthier deer.

Who said time won't stand still? Lol! Oct 1st can't come fast enough!

Here you go Ford http://www.outreachoutdoors.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=32&t=2538

Sounds like there is some future population thinning that will be required in the area.

Don't do that Elmo, then you'll have to fix said wall.

I might get to check the trailcams before season lol, but as long as the woods and wildlife are still there I'm all set.

GPS= Guys Paranoid -of- Sunset

This is EXACTLY what ive been trying to drill into my brothers head in regard to our games that we play at our annual martin family days... im team captain for the one team and my bro kinda has the idea "we cant win" i told him i would rather face the whole other team alone than with a team of people that thinks like him... i think he is starting to realize that "where there is a will there is a way"

I've about crapped my pants before walking to where I "thought" I put a cam, only to find it not there, and thinking the worst! THEN, remembering that I moved it somewhere else! PHEW!!

Back!...the farmer planted corn last year and I lost my field view...the porch sits just 50 ft off the edge of this field and I have gotten some great pics ...The deer are now hitting his clover big time and last night we had 5 doe 2 sets of twins a single fawn and two rather high racked 4pts...man if they can survive the Vermonters and my other neighbor they will be great deer in 2-3yrs years...It would be nice..if they would hang around so I can watch them mature...they were all hopping and chasing and playing ...got to within 50 yards of me and never noticed...I will switch the binoculars for the camera next time. It's also given me a chance to really see the fawn survival rates...Mr B came home to tell me there were 4 Fawns in the lower field...and these guys were up behind the house at that time...so if these make it through this winter...Boom...there will be a lot of deer around next year...we are all getting older and not taking as many as before...I have cut down On my doe takes...kids gone...Mr.B not eating red meat...I use to take 4-6 deer a year...usually 3 now (sp)

I do NOT promote making bad shot/decisions but it WILL happen to everyone at some point of another... its all part of hunting and im willing to give a fellow hunter some grace because i know that in a month or so from now i could do the EXACT same thing, not on purpose of course but still it could very well happen...

Lol .... Finally someone who admits to using their plots directly for hunting and doesn't apologize for it. Great believable response on all counts.

Most people already own an ATV, so I can see their point on just buying some implements for the back. A few ATV implements, do a half way decent job, but very few. Most lack the design and weight. An ATV mounted spreader is very handy, saves a lot of walking. They are siturations where I could take a ATV in, but not a tractor. They both have their place.

That is exactly the conclusion I came to the other evening. Next year I won't upgrade the ATV utilities but will go out and buy a used tractor. Good point G-Man.

Very nice. I love my 3pt spreader.... wash it out good after fertilizer and I spray my down with heavy amounts of wd40 to help prolong the life.

Ugh, long day but im done!! The first pic is from my dads land. We've cleared out a good 1/2 to 3/4 acres the past couple yrs. Today we cleared the overgrown plot and re planted. The other three are in my back yrd. 2nd pic is the clover, chicory & alfalfa. The 3rd is were I just planted WI winter peas and the last is my corn, sunflower and sorghums. Sorry if the pics are small I just got a new laptop and I hate it because I cant figure it out.

As much as the industry pushed atv and atv equipment , its cheaper to buy a used tractor and equipment and do it 100% more efficient.

My ex wife's name is Sharon... The Mermaid and I have two of those shrubs in our lawn... I call them " The Rose of AUUUUUGH !".... I wish the deer would eat them BOTH ..<<grin>>..

Yes, you should all be planting fields of Rose-of-Sharon bushes. That's right, that mushroom shaped bush is a rose-of-Sharon with a welded wire fence around it. The skillful pruning comes courtesy of my local freakin' deer (soon to have antlerless permits hanging from their ear).

Habitat improvement. Seasonal success improvement. Overall satisfaction of good work and return from it. Allot of time, money and pto goes into the property. So yeah I enjoy a good blood trail, so be it. I enjoy the work and feel good about it. The rest is free to be utilized by the wildlife, that often have a heck of a time through winter in the tug hill area. Maybe if I put up pictures of hillary it would scare the coyotes away.

Time for a few more shots from my observation post last night. Things started out pretty slow, but right about 7pm all heck broke loose along the field edge! I still got a mess of pics to load but I wanted to get a few outta the way for now. It was pretty crazy.... almost like peak rut in mid July! Bucks and does all chasing each other around the field 90mph like it was the 2'nd week of November. Eventually the farmer came through the field and put an end to all the fun before the sun went down. Here's a few shots of that nice 9'er I've been getting pics of..... more pics on the way later on today

I hunt the moose river Plains area, and the Big Moose lake area. Have seen a lot of sign over the years but only seen a couple of bears. I see more bears in down town Old Forge. Last year there was 3-cubs in a pine tree next to the Pancake house, mama bear was close by.