Hmm, I just realized after seeing Rutin's double throat patch booner, I went back to look at the double throat patch buck I had last year I named Patches, I thought he died over winter from a carcass I found but couldn't positively ID it. Now that I look at him from last year, he had a starburst type formation on his left main beam. This could very well be the big buck I have recent pics of with the oddball big split left G4 but he would have had to developed into a ten point main frame this year if so and I don't think that's too likely. I don't have any shots of this big guy this year that shows his throat, if he has a double throat patch then it'll be clear whether it's Patches or Crossbow. (Time stamp year is wrong, was 2014)
I share after the season. It's nice to harbor a little secret hope that you could connect with that animal, but I never have in my case... here is my favorite, caught early season and then never saw him again... won't be hunting that property again.
So how do you compare deer from one year to the next if the pics are not saved for reference? Like Covey I only save the good shots and big buck pics. Probably less than 10-20 out of 2000 pics on a card.
That's easy. I don't. Either the deer is something I would kill or he isn't. Next year it's a new decision. I am hunting not farming.
Got it.. makes perfect sense from that view point. I don't think I am farming-- but I am managing from the stand point of trying to shoot mature deer. Only way I know for sure how to do that is track age by year over year pictures. I really hate to shoot the exceptional 2 1/2 year old 125 buck knowing in a year or two he might explode into something special.
I share em all - lots of big deer out there. Quite frankly, if I have a picture of a big deer in summer, I am lucky to see him once during the season..
I don't mind saying I'm farming them, basically that's correct. I'm trying to grow the healthiest and best free ranging deer I can possibly help grow and I don't have a problem admitting it. I enjoy messing with the cameras, watching the deer grow, keeping track of who's who and progression along with reproductive rates, survival rates and age structure changes in the local deer. It's not any different than the casual weekend warrior that's plotting every other weekend and running a camera....just a different scale and more intense...it's what I enjoy and frankly, I'd enjoy it even if I never shot another deer.
You may be farming, but I am not. I am being selective in the bucks I take so that I will always have that quality of buck around for seasons to come. I am not into it as deep as you it sounds Covey!
The only thing I would be worried about is someone trying to move in on my area or someone poaching. For how spread out woods lots are in the area of my lease they would be a good ways away, and poachers well there just poachers. Both the farmer and his dad live there so they keep a pretty good eye on things for me.
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/farming v. farmed, farm·ing, farms v.tr. 1. To cultivate or produce a crop on (land). 2. To cultivate, breed, or raise (plants or animals). 3. To pay a fixed sum in order to have the right to collect and retain profits from (a business, for example). 4. To turn over (a business, for example) to another in return for the payment of a fixed sum. Whether we want to admit it or not, at least two of these can arguably classify our actions of monitoring and selectively cultivating deer herds as farming. The third applies to anyone leasing land to hunt, the game is the crop or "profit". Any time one is manipulating game or plants in any other way than what is naturally occurring, they are cultivating a crop or farming.
