Figured I'd start a thread about what folks are doing on their hunting properties related to deer or turkey management, property enhancement, preparation for hunting, etc. Include pics if you have them.

This morning I removed a tower-type stand (made from conduit) that was a victim of Hurricane Helene last fall. It was crumpled beyond my interest in repairing. Took it to local county metal scrap bin.

Headed now to get some corn to put in a couple feeders. Getting ready to re-activate cell cameras to get an idea of what the area bucks look like b4 they rub the velvet off and disperse from their summer bachelor groups. Im a bit behind schedule on velvet buck inventory. Usually have 5 cell cams up and running by mid-July. Only have one today, but thays about to change. Buck group break-up happens completely here by mid-Sept. They'll hold together for only a few days once they're all rubbed clean.

Later.....

I used to put in food plots but all of that land has changed hands
Now I don't do anything until after hunting season has closed
If we get a decent snow I will break trails for them to the crop fields and pull down browse for them along the trails
They really don't need our help to survive except during drought and heavy snow

Nothing. In my home region we predominantly hunt in a National Forest.

i keep three corn feeders running year round for the does - not many bucks use them. Try to imprint the deer to my ground. Everyone here baits during deer season - not so much the rest of the year. Outbait they neighbor. Keep the deer on your own property as much as possible.



Corner of 8 acre food plot with clover in it. A lot of weeds right now, but that shades he clover



Apple trees - producing from mid summer until Nov



A two for one - the deer ate a bunch and we will shoot doves in a few weeks

Do some food plot work with my buddy in MO not much top soil to work with his area is like a gravel pit soil wise. We lime and fertilize the “soil” trying to build it up had soil samples done for some guidance on what’s needed. I need to open up around some treestands in the woods next month and see if that helps any.

Lots of oaks so some years the acorns are plentiful but the place lacks the true deer trails you find in most other places no real huge draw that they come and go to in the area mostly hardwoods with a few openings we maintain.

I’ve been putting corn out since we acquired the property. This year I started putting out mineral supplements and planted a box of stuff the wife brought home that was on clearance. lol

…oh yeah, I also do rain barrels for water. The bucks don’t use them much but the does frequent them.

Good stuff guys!
Here's some pics I took a few mins ago.

Put corn in only 2 feeders. Had put 50lbs in the cheap black feeder a few weeks ago, but a group of bucks cleaned that out fast. The big green hopper feeder hasn't had any corn in it since last March. The doe was watching me from about 200 yds up the hill. They pay little attention to my white truck.





A few of the pear trees are loaded this summer. One to the point of being damaged by the weight of the pears(I must have pruned it wrong).


Live oak acorns seem to be behind on their usual growth. This tree has always started dropping by Labor Day...its behind schedule. Wondering being battered by that hurricane changed things.

The river sure looked refreshing....if my knees were better Id get in it....but might not be able to get back up that 20ft bank. Water level is low....rock shoals and caverns exposed.

Rain about to start...headed home to sit down with AC....113° heat index here.


Later.....

We can't feed deer in PA we have crazy CWD regulations

I can hunt a cornfield or an orchard but I can't put corn or apples on a pile for them

… I see you got that hat on backwards…. That’s fairly gangster Uncle Swamp lol

Stopped at the one acre cypress pond on the lease and fed the bream b4 heading home...some good sized bluegill Ive fattened up....lol

I like watching them boiling the water...

… is there anything you don’t feed lol

Noice,,,,
Blacktail don’t eat corn here, so we rely of black berrys and new tree growth.
River recalls it fish to the spawning grounds

No......I even feed the anti-game warden folks all they can eat...lol

Different world on the left coast 4 sure.

We planted chufas Milo and sorghum in the about late May and it seems to be doing good after getting some much needed rain.I had some work done a couple weeks ago getting some lane pushed out due to some logging that was done last year.I put a feeder out in a new spot with some corn and protein and planted some peas.The heat has been pretty bad here in the Deep South our indexes have been in the triple digits also.

Uncle Swamp…. Tell us a game warden story about an outlaw that got over on you or something lol

No outlaw ever got over on me...lol

....but, I did get outran twice in one night....by night deer poachers. Same field, same county dirt road. Each pickup truck came from same direction, slowed and stopped same spot in road....shined spotlight on deer in field (there were about 30 in the field).

First poacher (dark colored truck) shot at a deer. But he shot and drove away around a curve in road. Road was pure sugar sand...deep ruts from log trucks. It was dry and dusty. I was close on him but I couldn't see my truck hood for dust. If he'd stopped I wouldve plowed into him. I had to slow and he gained distance. He got to the 4 lane highway well ahead of me. To the left was an immediate curve in highway. To the right was a 2 miles long straight-away. I saw taillights on the straightaway and closed the distance. It was a carload of elderly people with Pennsylvania plates.

I went back to the field, backed into same hidey-hole. Walked into field and found the deer that was shot (button buck). Before I could get the deer dragged to edge of field I saw the headlights of an approaching vehicle. This time it was a light colored truck. Stopped in same spot and shined spotlight. I was at my truck, sitting in pounce mode and took off down field edge to close the distance...my lights off and using NVGs. I got to with 100 yds of the truck, still shining their spotlight. He saw me, I cut my lights on, blue strobes and all. Truck went same way out to highway. Once again...I couldn't see for the dust and had to slow down. When I got to the highway there was a set of taillights on the long straightaway, but I went the other way, around the curve.....NOTHING. DAM! I CHOSE WRONG AGAIN!

I went back to the peanut field, back back in my spot and sat there till 4 AM. No more activity. I retrieved the button buck and went home. Gave the deer away the next morning.

I had never been outran before and got smacked twice in one night. But, what makes this night worse is I had 3 other officers out that night working night deer poaching. Two of those officers were about 60 mins & 90 mins away from my location. They both got outran that night too.

We were the joke of the next region meeting. But I stood up and told all those other officers that at least were were out there trying to catch em. There arses were at home in bed on that frosty November night.

I could write a book.....I had a fun career!

I was wondering how you were doing. Upload some pics if you can.