Guess I'm an exception swamp. I have let several deer walk larger than anything I have killed. Figured the kids may get a shot at it later and another rack, skull mount ot shoulder mount I don't care about taking up space is no use to me. Better to let it go and see if the kids get a shot at it later. Heck I haven't shot a deer in years but do a ton of hunting taking the boys on public land. They learn more hunting new areas instead of siting in a stand onour farm waiting for the deer we see every day to walk by and get shot. It's not hunting jus shooting at that point. So I make the drives and spend the time going to new areas and scouting with them and they pick if when and whare they want to hunt. I don't give input at this point unless they ask. Haven't in 3 years they make the calls . They are 13 and 11 now. My only intrest in a large buck is to see the kids kill it or for me to kill it would be if it's one that is so large people will offer crazy money to buy it. At that point I would sell it.

Now I don't have time or the intrest to spend targeting a specific buck. But I did I see that as a very fun activity if I did have the time.


Wb. I was only suggesting options to help reduce the heard more that would give more hunting opertunities to those with less opinions/access and experience while at the same time not making the serious paying members spend the time loading up doe they don't want to kill and spend that time hunting..
I don't have the privilege of having control of enough ground to manage the heard. 96 acres won't hold them and the neibors invite friends out and they don't have the same goals. They shoot the doe and small bucks my boys have let walk all bow seasion as soon as gun comes in. I do put out small food plots and enjoy watching the deer and other wild life use them never hunted over one yet. Jan through April I put out corn so the pregnant doe and wore out from Rut bucks have it a little easier and hopefully make it to spring and have successful pregnancy.

My probably incorrect impression of southern hunting clubs has been tower blinds food plots paid for by deep pocket individuals and managed and worked by a few hard working outdoor men. Then the money guys come climb in a stand and shoot the chosen deer the the staff did all the work so he could kill it. Then he heads back to the lodge for food and drinks while the staff guts and process the deer. That's where the " " come in. Those guys are not much of a hunter in my book but the guides and people that work the farm are the outdoorsman doing all the work and making it possible for the money man to get the trophy.

Nothing wrong with admiring a nice rack. But for me it's more about the hunting experience. I also believe antler obsession has done more harm than good for hunting access and socially. Everyone gets jealous . Got let anyone know whare you shot that 165 they won't be happy for you just jealous and will try to get you rolled out of your permission to hunt there if they also have permission to hunt the place.

I'm the opposite if I'm not hunting that day and you ask sure hunt my stands. Need help getting it out let me know.

Heck is as bad with fish. My cousin asked permission to take his 6 year old to fish a farm pond not far from his house. He has limited time 2 weekens a month and on day a week and it's close and convenient for him to take the young boy with short attention span.
Guy Says sure knock yourself out but ain't no fish in it. Cousin catches an 8.3 bass in it took a picture and put it back hoping with such a small pond his boy may get lucky and catch it. He not thinking posted the picture. He gets a call telling him he can't fish there again later that night. Guy wants it to himself now that he knows it has a decent fish in it. Me I would rather see the kid catch it and having fun trying.

Just different mind sets . Probably why I have gotten to where I prefer small game hunting more. Not as many people interested in it and no one gets jealous about someone shooting there limit of squirrel.

I found if you run into a jerk in the field 99% it will be deer hunters.

We have nothing like that here. This is “private property” but no one pays. Family or as close to family as you can get hunt it for free. Yes, the two ladder stands of the managers that I mentioned, I bought and put up for them. I know what a place like this would cost to hunt so I don’t mind spending a little money.

Before my son and I started hunting out there it was 1 buck per person (had to get it mounted) and 3 does. We saw the potential and started “hinting” to the manager about getting bigger deer. He doesn’t care about deer, his job is quail, so he put us “in charge” of sorta managing the deer herd. We would run everything by him and he would put it out. Slowly we started seeing bigger bucks taken. We also got him to agree that it won’t hurt to take a lot more does even if we have to really thin the herd some towards the end of the season. We also mentioned that a lot of older bucks with less than ideal antlers were being passed over and folks were shooting just for racks regardless of age. He agreed to allow 2 bucks, but they must be 5.5 or better.
Side note…the owner comes down and likes to see deer. He doesn’t but them, but likes to see them.

So, over the last couple of years we’ve taken a 172”, 168”, numerous 150’s, and several 140” deer off the property. And believe it or not a lot of the 140’s were older “management” bucks. He’ll have some “members” send my son and I pics of deer asking what we think. His wife sent me a pic of a nice young 10pt while she was in the stand and asked shooter? I told her she was the managers wife and could shoot what she wanted, lol. She said well, the MANAGER said to ask you. I told her the deer was young and she already had one bigger on the wall so pass. She did and 3 minutes later sent me a video of an OLD wide 8…I told her to shoot and I was on the way because I wanted to see it. She did and that joker was massive. Ended up scoring 142” as an 8pt and doesn’t have a tine over 6” long.

I enjoy when others kill bucks and send them pics of that deers life and they SEE what passing that deer has done as far as growth is concerned. Everyone out there has killed a “trophy” deer except one gentleman and this will be his year. And I’m not bragging, but I’ve “helped” in every one of the deer harvested whether it’s feeding in their area or helping with stand placement. One of the bucks the mangers stepdaughter killed was only going to be gotten if she learned how to use a climber. So she did…made all of about 10ft up and was able to shoot her buck.

Now I trap some places like you described, but I don’t hunt any of them. I’ve been offered, but that’s one thing I care nothing about…shooting someone else’s bucks. I’ll go help thin does for them or offer up services to take a kid to shoot whatever, but it ain’t for me. Now if they offer turkeys for services rendered then we have a deal, lol!!!

My passion is turkeys, but chasing a “trophy” whitetail is right below it. Last year I killed what I consider my “buck of a lifetime” and haven’t even gone yet this year. I still fed all year and still move cameras around patterning potentials, but I’ve done gone to the dark side chasing pigs and coyotes with the thermal. If I don’t shoot another buck the rest of my life I’ll be content. The deer I mentioned I’m after now will disappear right before rifle season opens if he follows his normal pattern. Then again, that may not be a bad thing. If he’s as aggressive wherever he goes during the rut as he is here, he might send some bucks our way. It’s really just watching certain bucks grow throughout the years and see their entire patterns shift as they mature that’s the thrill for me. To keep up with them and take one is just icing on the cake.

I'm fortunate to have acquired leases on over 1200 acres of local river bottom timberland. Have had 1 lease for 23 years (no members, just family/friends by invititation) and the other for 12 years (have 9 Florida LE officers as members.)

These properties are on opposite sides of the river about 1/4 mile apart. We are surrounded by about a dozen private landowners and other leasors that all together control about 4000+ contiguous wooded acres.....almost 5 miles of both sides of river. We communicate regularly..sharing deer pics and harvest results. We are all on the same general plan about mature buck harvests.

It has taken nearly 2 decades to achieve this situation and we are all benefitting. The best deer hunting in this county is in our "loose" cooperative. The locals know this and attitudes have slowly changed as others are following our lead.

Wanna be that sure sounds like a great set up. And I'm sure you trapping efforts make one heck of a positive impact for the bird hunters and your deer management is paying off. Sounds like a great set up for sure.

It's getting so crowded here and folks so inconsiderate I kick around the idea of moving west where there is more room and less people.




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Sounds like another great set up.

My boys as young as they are will let deer walk only to have the neibors with 30acres and his 4 friends hunting ther shot them make bas shots the track them across my farm all morning on opening day. Then across the street several people hunt that 100 and are brown it's down got my deer folks.
On the other side 285 just got bought by the Amish. I figure we probably won't have any deer before long may as well see the gas and drive time and let the boys fill the freezer off the farm this season..

It's great to hear you are able to have such a good set up. I have a few acres butted up to 2500 and another 240 on the other side that are managed by two different groups. So the bucks are nice there. But my inlaws live there and I leave that hunting for them.

Many deer leases in the south are exactly how you described them. Used to be sitting in a shooting house watching a greenfield. Now, it's sitting in it watching a greenfield wit a feeder in it. Just the nature of the beast.