QDM4ME

No worries here bud. I paid $960 at auction, there was only one other person interested but he said that was not what he was there to bid on. It is 8x14x7, 108 sqft.. All the hardware was there, stainless walls locked together easily, door locks and shuts and seals properly and the cooler itself was in really good shape, no damage. I've been searching for a used walk in for several months so I had an idea of what I was prepared to bid. I basically had it set in my mind that I would only bid on the cooler itself since it was in great condition and I had no way of knowing if the refrigeration unit was in working order. I'm replacing the compressor as well, only because I know a refrigeration guy and I can get a really good deal if I get the condenser and the compressor which is rated for said condenser from his business. When it's all said and done I'm figuring I'll still have saved just over $3200 compared to what a complete 108 sqft complete set up is going for. (Not including what I paid to have a concrete floor poured)

Andddddddd the condenser is shot. This project is on hold lol. The problem with buying from auction is you have to bid accordingly. Luckily, even with buying a new condenser unit, from what I'm researching I'll still come out ahead. Rather do it now than have the thing break down while I'm not around and ruin meat. Is what it is.

Nice thanks for those links

Awesome, That's a lot of info thanks!

Thanks for the response, and yes I did one winter feeding and watering beef I'll never do it again! What a pain. I'm just going to buy calves at auction in the spring and butcher late fall.

LOL! Been a long time coming! I'll post some progress pics for ya when it's done, thanks!

Anyone know any professional butcher's, or any of you diy guys: Last week I scored a used 8x14 walk in cooler at auction. Finally finished putting it together and wired the compressor and disconnect up tonight. I'm planning on butchering 2 of my Angus calves next week (hired a professional butcher to teach me along, I've done a few with friends). This is my first year raising beef, so between my beef and venison this cooler will pay for itself, and also takes the headache out of worrying about temps too warm to hang a deer. I would like to turn the cooler on tomorrow to make sure there are no issues with compressor and such, but..... What should I set the temp to hang meat? Also, anyone else own a walk in cooler, did you modify anything on the ceiling for extra support? Worried about the weight with beef quarters hanging along with deer... Thanks

180 of my own 4a 370 private 5r 120 private 5h northern zone Adirondacks, surrounded buy thousands of state land acres.

That's awesome that your paying attention to your ratio in the area that you hunt. Well done. From what I've seen during the seek phase of the rut, if you're hunting an area where you are seeing more bucks than does, I would see more bucks on their feet during daylight hours cruising around searching for that first hot doe. The scewed radio of more bucks to doe will keep them searching for a doe coming into estrus longer, as apposed to if there were more does to bucks, a buck would not have to travel far to search out hot does because of the amount of does in the area. Just what I've noticed during this phase of the rut with a ratio that you described. To answer your question about a mature buck as you described coming into your area seeking out a hot doe, man us just never know where or when they will show up! Lots of variables too (hunting pressure, weather, number of mature bucks around you exc..) Either way, good luck to you man!

Good comparison pic very nice

I consider myself very fortunate to (finally) own my own piece of heaven.. Going on 14 years of managing my land for mature bucks and constantly striving for that healthy buck to doe ratio. I plant food plots and love learning about and creating deer and wildlife habitat. I attend as many deer management, habitat management seminars as I can to better my land. When I first purchased my land I would see 9 or 10 does to one buck, and that one buck was usually a yearling. After years of harvesting does and letting yearling bucks walk, I have noticed a stronger more intense rut, with bucks on their feet looking for hot does most years during the rut, and now I'll see 1 buck to every 3 to 4 does. I start my bow season filling my freezer buy shooting as many does as I legally can to keep the ratio in check as my neighbors do not harvest does they only hunt for horns. After I harvest does for my freezer I start horn hunting. I have absolutely nothing against any hunter who wishes to shoot the first deer they see to put meat in their freezer, as someone else said if it's legal and they are happy with it then sounds good to me! Sent from my XT1080 using Tapatalk

Yup. Work around the bush every day. Lots of MA plates this year again.

This is absolutely amazing! Do you associate with your neighbors? Perhaps they hit him last season?

100% agree. Being nice and respectful was not working for me when I first purchased my land. Only way I finally got the locals to respect my land was to go balls to the wall, immediately, no holding back. I'm "the crazy guy that owns the farm on such and such Rd", and I'm perfectly ok with that. Trespassing and poaching is a huge problem in my area, but i haven't had any issues since I started pressing charges. I work to hard and put to much time into my land to let people disrespect it. I refuse to be disrespected. I'm sure there are honest hunters out there that actually do get false information, lost or simply wonder through into private property. I would not recommend to anyone to be a complete jerk right off the bat, BUT in my case i was dealing with repeat offenders , whom i was nice and respectful to at first, and being a hard a** was the only thing that worked. My borders (180 acres) are 360 degrees heavily posted with 3 strands of barbed wire. For anyone to cross my borders, they would clearly know they are Trespassing on legally posted private property. So glad I don't have to deal with this stuff anymore, and I feel badly for those of you that do deal with trespassers. Pick and choose your battles and good luck.

Crazy late night recovery. Finally had a NW wind at my property after work tonight, snuck into my stand@ 410 pm. Was watching several does and 2 little skippers feeding in my standing soybean field just after 6pm, when I noticed this buck standing ten yards into the woods just off the edge of the bean field. He was studying the field what seemed like an eternity, then he finally committed to enter, where he ran into my 100 grain muzzy. I run a ton of cameras, but I've never seen this buck before. I'm guessing he's gone on an excursion from his normal home range. Bonus buck for me. He's definitely the largest bodied deer I've taken on my property. I'm anxious to age his jaw bone and see how old he is. Had to hang a block in a tree at edge of a step ravine and use 150 ft of rope and my tractor, but I finally got him up, buy myself. Sent from my XT1080 using Tapatalk

I'll guess off the one picture 3.5 yr old at the least, but it's tough aging when they're mid stride walking and neck turned that. Nice buck I like him. Also like the Cabela's camera having good luck with mine. Good luck if he's a deer you're targeting. Sent from my XT1080 using Tapatalk

I've been shooting 3 blade muzzy since day one. They have never given me a reason to change or try anything different. I won't change something that works for me. My partner who leases with me in Illinois shoots rage and I must say they seem very unforgiving and leave you some room for error with size hole it slices in those critters!

Same here Saturday morning seen 2 mature bucks feeding together in my soybean field, and they left together. They paid no attention to any of the does.. Also noticed the little guys weren't pestering any of the does yet. So for now bucks are still together in my area but soon enough they will no longer tolerate each other.

Amazing the difference a day makes. 29 degrees yesterday morning, soybean field full of deer with 2 of my shooters.... 49 degrees this morning seen one fork horn. My weather app is showing 84 degrees Tuesday! Yikes

Really hard to judge from those pics. Guessing 3.5

Looks like witch grass. Smart move mowing it. Had a section of my soybean field last year get taken over by the stuff. A pic from the net.... Sent from my XT1080 using Tapatalk

Tis the season. I sat the last 2 hours after work today and watched a fork horn make a scape.

Can not stop laughing!

Bout sums it up and very well said! See it on my land and hear about it from other hunters every year about this time. The October lull. As the rut approaches I usually see a decrease in mature buck activity during this part of October. Some disperse off my property for a while, some change food sources and travel routes, some even start to go nocturnal. Drives me crazy trying to figure them out often leaves me scratching head. Although easier said than done, gotta try to not pressure or burn out your favorite hunting stands. I like to key in on harvesting does and filling my freezer on the outskirts of key areas during this lull. Less intrusion the better if trying to harvest a mature buck in your area.

Excellent! Hopefully he'll make it and spread some of those genetics around. Thanks for sharing!