Not everyone has a property where the bucks are massive. But there are some things you can do to improve. One thing I am a firm believer in is letting the smaller juvenile bucks walk and give them and extra year or too. Often times hunters see horns so they shoot. If you were to watch these deer and let the smaller one live an extra year or too it would increase the age of these deer giving them the potential to become something great. Plant food plots for the deer. Good nutrition helps a lot for antler growth. Mineral sites are really good for them as well some times the only food source around may be corn. They can not get all the minerals the need from this. I personally plant about 5 acres of food plots something that will grow in the fall and they can dig up in the winter. Why? Because winter in several states can be harsh on the deer. The corns cut, the apples have fallen and it doesn't leave them with a lot to eat. I also have 5 mineral sites around the property that I restore year round so I can ensure they have the minerals they need to be healthy and it helps put some inches on the bucks. Another thing is doe management, I cant stress this one enough. You need to harvest does. This is very crucial to the survival of these deer. why? because it limits the number of does eating through the food all winter long and it keeps your herd at a stabile number as one less doe will give birth which could be as many as 2 to 4 fawns that survive and make and even larger competition for food. One buck can reproduce with several does so the population of does to bucks should be about equal. Less deer means more food. More food means bigger deer. Bigger deer mean a better chance of having a trophy buck on your property. This isn't true for all places mainly just the North east which have very harsh winters. But one thing that is true in every state is if you let these bucks live to be over 3 years old its more likely for them to become trophies. One thing I didn't mention is genetics you need to take these 4 and 5 year old bucks who aren't growing big antlers out of the herd because most likely there genetics aren't great and if you can let the bucks with better genetics reproduce with more does it increase the genetics on your property which should give you better success in the future. Creating a quality hunting spot isn't something you do in one year, its something you do over time. To prove that this works ill tell you a recent hunting experience. In oct. of 2011 I had a small 8 with a drop tine walk in front of me at 15 yards and I am yet to have killed one with a drop tine so It killed me not to shoot this deer. The next fall my buddy shot this deer an 9 with a drop tine but he had put on over 20 inches of antlers and had increased in mass. this deer scored 158 and 6/8ths. That goes to show you that one more year can take that nice 120/130 class deer up into the 150's making it a true trophy.
I couldn't agree more. To grow big deer you have to let me get older. On my place a buck has to be 4.5 before I declare him legal to harvest. To get them trophy caliber which is different for everyone. It's takes time, patience, money, will power, and determination. I just had a good 8pt that was 3.5 walk away from me 5 minutes ago. I may never see him again but if I do next year he will be a shooter for sure. "Live Life at Full Draw"
Many good points that don't all translate to every property. Winters are just as harsh in Mn. and Wisc. letting bucks see a 3rd bday is important but remember less then 50% of mature bucks will ever grow 130 inches of bone and I am in the best bone growing dirt on the planet for 37 years. "culling" under achieving mature bucks to alter the genetics of a wild herd is a complete waste of time and your buck tag. mama=1/2 the genetics and forks and 6 pointers get just as much tail. BTW You realize mineral sites are illegal in NY?
What size property are you guys working with as well? I have been trying lots of things with the 70 acres my parents have, but I have yet to see any real results since the neighbors on either side won't cooperate. I would love to even get a 3 yr old deer, but between the coyotes and the neighbors, not much headway on that front.
I agree, you have to have all the neighbors in on the plan unless your placebos big enough to hold the deer.
70 acres is a lot and not passing them for sure gives over time a lot more bucks a better chance to live. If you can create some chunks of prime bedding/sanctuary type areas with hinging, plantings and such. You could easily provide a place a buck could spend 90% of their daylight time at save during prime rut which they may go anywhere for a few days/weeks.
I hunt 80 acres for the last five years. First two years dint even see a buck. Third year I passed a few small ones. Last year I passed a lot of small ones and shot a nice nine pointer. This year I've passed on 8 different bucks. Since we started letting the young ones walk we've been getting bigger ones on cam, seeing more mediocre bucks, and seeing bigger ones. Moral of the story: let them go, let them grow!!!
Many don't completely know the regulations in N.Y. minerals sights are in deed illegal if you hunt over them during the season. But when it comes to the off season they are completely legal to help the herd out
from my understanding it is not legal to feed or bait deer what so ever in NY. This is good news to me if this is true. Where did you see this because all rules and reg i have read state there is NO feeding or baiting permitted.
There is a thin line in NY. Because we are property owners and have cattle on the site it is legal. It goes through the department of Agriculture because using mineral sites for cattle is legal. This being said deer aren't the only animals using this site we have cows that use it as well so this is where you get the slide. It states that if you create the mineral sight for deer then it becomes baiting because it attracts deer but if you put it out for say your cows or horses and deer use it, it is no longer illegal. The regulations in NY are very confusing and often times have a lot of loop holes. That being said if you are caught hunting over a mineral site it proves that you are using it to attract deer. For some reason the state thinks that the sites feed the deer when in all reality it only gives them essential minerals they need making them more healthy. If you do not have any live stock than you can not use them. We are in the middle of getting this regulation changed so mineral sites can be used in the off season as long as they are removed 21 days prior to the start of the season. So to clearly answer your question you are right if you do not have live stock you can not use them. But you can build food plots. It clearly states that food plots for deer management are legal so you may not be able to put out a mineral site but you can plant some food plots that also give them these minerals. Give your local DEC officer a call and talk to him about it just make it clear to him it will only be used in the spring and summer months and you will not hunt over it and see if he has a problem with it some of them do not.
I have been hunting these 70 acres for around 7 years, only 2 of them bowhunting. In that time I have only shot 3 bucks, which were all 2.5 year old 8 points. I have let yearlings walk every year, but have seen multiple shot by my neighbors. I am going to try to get more serious about improving my property as much as possible, it just sometimes seems like I am wasting my time when neither of my adjacent neighbors are willing to get on board with the idea of letting youngsters walk.
This is tough the only thing you can do on your 70 acres is try to make the property contain everything these bucks need so they don't need to go to adjacent properties for anything. Plant some food plots and plant some thick shrubs so the deer have food and cover this is really all you can do. If you never put high pressure on your area and the surrounding properties do and you have everything these deer need they will use it as a sanctuary. put posted signs up all around your property so other hunters don't infringe on your area and eventually the deer will avoid those high pressured areas.
