Im not going to say post season just yet,,,,,,ooooops, did I say that :D cause I know some are still hunting. Just wondering how many of you have things that you are planning on doing to kick off next years hunts. For me, its going to be weilding a chain saw for some trimmming and making some more trees climable for the climber. The first thing on the list is to trim two 6" dead limbs that had broke since last season and fell and got tangled in some other limbs creating a wall in one of my lanes at my funnel stand. If I had known that before the season I would have had a shot at a very nice 140" buck Oct 2nd I also am going to take down some hangons for inspection, maby some more paint, and buy new straps for hanging them. and ALOT of scouting what are your plans?
Once I am in the post season, which won't be until mid January, I will be doing alot of the same buddy. I also am working on securing another property near home. I have the aerial photos and I soooo hope I get to scout and hunt this property.
I am getting my stands setup on on a couple small pieces by March. I finally have them all to myself next year so I can keep the pressure limited. Also I am going to take a stab at having a food plot this coming spring.
Too many things to list, LOTS of work to do at the farm this year, but I call it fun. Still in hunting mode now in Indiana until its over though.
Come Late February to march I've got about 4 new hang ons planned to put up. I am gonna plow up a few acres of brome and some alfalfa for some new plots.I also have a spot that needs an elevated blind built. I also hope to spend some time getting familiar with some of the better areas on the other side of the state. It's about time I go find out what all the fuss about this state is all about.
Scouting again. One major piece of our ground, I want to scour through, and a piece on our neighbors tract. Although we don't have permission to hunt, we can walk on their land, and I have a hunch there's a good bedding area I've been missing where my buck came out of this season, and I want to know WHERE he was living, and more importantly, what else might be in the area. I think I'm going to setup a trail cam again this post-season for some inventory.
Acquiring new land is at the top of the list.. especially that land that is closer to home. And I have A TON of scouting to do this year.. as I keep learning every year that I need to be hunting where a bigger buck lives.. in order to take him. I've already started. Public and private.. I don't care.. the biggest deer I find that I can hunt after my post-season scouting is complete.. I'm gonna hunt him next year. And of course... my second love.. shed hunting.
We still have our second shotgun season as well as the late muzzleloader season to come.... Soon as those are over I am going to start recon to find out who made it and if I have any new bucks in my area. Then I am going to concentrate on finding specific buck beds (if they are still alive) and hoping to have a great shed season.
Mike, in my haste I failed to mention shed hunting. THAT IS WORK :D but I love it! You reminded me, Im going to do alot of public ground scouting on some of the deepest nastiest places I can find in quest of a Slam Daddy Call me crazy as the land I hunt now is great, but I just want to see some new areas, and hopefully take a slammer on one of our fish and game areas. Just cause the DNR guy said I stood little chance at it :D Im out to prove him wrong <<<this makes me work harder at it Oh, and rumor has it, your gonna be a pops congrats Mike
I have those same intentions as well Scott cant wait to get started bud! best of luck to you my friend!
Right now concentrate on hunting. We have some areas to re-scout now that muzzle loading season will be ending today. Been staying out of a lot of good areas since the landowner was muzzle loading so he had his chance to shot a buck. He treats us good so we do the same for him for his hunting. After bowhunting season ends... we are going to kill some coyotes in January/Febuary. Our area is getting lousy with them and they did a number on the fawn crop this year. Otherwise... keep scouting and watch were the bucks are when they start dropping. We will be shed hunting hard again this year to see what bucks made it. Competition is getting a little worse so we will start as soon as they start dropping. Go through all my ladder stands and put a few more out in June. Find good spots for the climber. That we will do while shed hunting this spring. Scout hard starting about mid June for next fall. We will watch known bedding areas. We will see what crops are being planted were so we have a good game plan for early bow season. It never really ends for us. Tim
I'm still hunting for 2 more deer for the freezer, although if I get 1 I would consider it a small miracle. However, come mid January I have a list set out already. It includes scouting, shed hunting, and more scouting. I'm going to walk every inch of our farm, a new spot I got access to this year, but didn't have time to scout. I'm also going to take to some public land by my house, and the river bottoms in search of some big buck hide outs. If my budget allows, then I will be preparing a few small food plots on our farms, but that is about 50/50 right now.
To be honest... I'm not doing anything, except looking for more property. I'm semi burnt out on the whitetail deal right now. I'm going to get my pup on as many pheasants, quail, ducks, geese and late season doves as possible. Then I'm going to start hammering the pigs and coyotes! We're letting our lease go after this season, so I will be pulling all my stuff down after pig "season" :D
Still hunting right now, but when this season is over, I'm gonna scout this 2000 acre chunk of public ground about 10 minutes from my farm. I may do a little hunting there next year just to see some different scenery.
Well I want to completely rethink all of my stand locations and set myself early to have good spots for next season so I hope to add a few hangons as well as maybe getting permission to hunt another 30-40 acres that is behind me, bringing my total to about 150 acres. I also plan putting in a strip of corn along my woods
Scout in an ever increasing methodical manner. I am not just endlessly wandering liked I used to when I scouted. I am looking for very specific things when I scout these days based on what I have learned in the field, from you all, and from reading. I feel really good about my off-season plan this year, moreso than ever before.
Putting in another 12 acres of CRP and 4 acres of field I am just taking back and planting in a mixture of pines and hardwoods. I am going to redo my food plots next season and I need to get the chainsaw and roundup out so early next spring I can take out a bunch of honeysuckle that is trying to take over one chunk of woods. So, mostly land management stuff. Every year I find that more and more rewarding.
