Ames Plantation

[7mmWSM]

How has it been hunting on Ames this year with the influx of new members? Last I had heard it was a full quota of 100 members or close to it. Is that correct or how many joined this year? With the addition of so many new members has it been a problem running into each other or not?

 

[Bone Collector]

I don't hunt there, but there are a couple on here that do. Mike Belt and Andy S are two of them for sure I think.

Mike has seen deer, but not one he wanted to shoot, but I think it has been a slow year.I also do not recall him saying he has had issues bumping into other hunters, but I could be wrong.

you'll just have to wait for him or Andy to chime in. They are the only two I can think that hunts there.

 

[Bone Collector]

Also you can look for Mike Belt's posts, because he has posted more than Andy and I think all his hunts are on Ames.

 

[fairchaser]

The added members make a difference with the felt hunting pressure but the real culprit this season was the weather at the beginning of the rut. Had we had this cold weather a month ago the outcome would be different. It's not been a good year at Ames and we might lose some members but we were due for a bad year. But it's still not over and I'm in the tree at this very moment trying to get it done on mature buck.

 

[JZ]

Good Luck!

Jim Z.

 

[megalomaniac]

IMO, way too many members per huntable acre for a trophy hunting club for an average member to have consistent success. Way too many successful members that take bucks that are not yet trophies. Price is not unreasonable, but limit should be cut to 1 buck to encourage members to be a tad more selective.

 

[fairchaser]

Good Luck!

Jim Z.

Thanks Jim Z. I saw some does and another tree stand. Lol

 

[jb357]

IMO, way too many members per huntable acre for a trophy hunting club for an average member to have consistent success. Way too many successful members that take bucks that are not yet trophies. Price is not unreasonable, but limit should be cut to 1 buck to encourage members to be a tad more selective.

Honestly, I am surprised at the lack of big deer that come off of Ames considering the number of hunters and amount of land. It would almost make more sense to take $1500 and go buy a trophy hunt in Iowa or Kansas. I don't mean that in an offensive way towards Mike or Andy. And it could be that my perception is just off and maybe the hunting is phenomenal.

I guess I just don't live in a world where $1,630 to hunt a deer is "not unreasonable". We kill some pretty nice deer off of 23 and 36 acres properties.

I've never seen anything that's impressed me considering the amount of land and management ames has. I've taken deer just as big if not bigger than what's on their trophy room at lbl with a bow. And those deer just cost me $35 to hunt

 

[JeepKuntry]

$1500 won't buy you a quality hunt in the Midwest. My guess is $1500 can't buy a quality hunt anywhere now. That being said, I think you could take $1500 and find a piece of land that you lease by yourself. You can dictate what gets killed and what you pass.

 

[rem270]

IMO, way too many members per huntable acre for a trophy hunting club for an average member to have consistent success. Way too many successful members that take bucks that are not yet trophies. Price is not unreasonable, but limit should be cut to 1 buck to encourage members to be a tad more selective.

Do you hunt there also?

 

[megalomaniac]

I guess I just don't live in a world where $1,630 to hunt a deer is "not unreasonable". We kill some pretty nice deer off of 23 and 36 acres properties.

you are probably paying that already and don't realize it if you own the land.

add up the interest costs on the property, plus taxes... probably close to that.

OR if you own the land outright, take the total value of the land and imagine if it were generating 7-8% in the stock market... prob close.

Most people don't really think just how much it really costs to hunt deer/ use land for recreation unless you are hunting on someone's land for free

 

[megalomaniac]

IMO, way too many members per huntable acre for a trophy hunting club for an average member to have consistent success. Way too many successful members that take bucks that are not yet trophies. Price is not unreasonable, but limit should be cut to 1 buck to encourage members to be a tad more selective.

Do you hunt there also?

Nope, but I honestly think the concept of a 'hunting camp' must have originated in Mississippi since there are so many here!

 

[fairchaser]

You get a lot for your money at Ames but it's not for every hunter. Where can you have that much land to explore where you have a decent chance at a 130+ every year. The odds are 1 every 3 years but even higher for dedicated veteran hunters. Unlike a small property where you more or less just have to decide which box stand or permanent ladder stand you want to sit in for that hunt, Ames provides an ever changing vast landscape of a diverse habitat to explore. For me, that is the hunt more than anything else. Sure you can do that on public land but without rules keeping it fair and safe as well as keeping young bucks from being killed. There is always that opportunity for a giant 160+ but the pressure put on by Ames hunters and the likelihood of one of those escaping the gun at an earlier age is going to be extremely rare. Personally there is no other place I'd rather be. But, it does get frustrating always running into hunters, deer stands and cameras. They are everywhere!

 

[Mike Belt]

I haven't seen that many stands where I hunt but in scouting around I've seen bookoos of cameras. Ames... I love the land and the diversity of it. Much of the hunting can be hard because we have so much cover and the deer can lay up in that stuff all day. I think we filled our membership this year. I also think that many of our newer guys (and some veterans) are so eager to shoot a buck and possibly have never bumped into 125 class deer before that they're kind of quick on the trigger. A 125 is our minimum but those 2.5 year old 125s are what we really need to survive another year. We've been under a buck management program for at least 12 years jumping from a 115 to a 120 to a 125" minimum. We do have some good bucks but not what I would have expected after that long.

 

[landman]

I guess I just don't live in a world where $1,630 to hunt a deer is "not unreasonable". We kill some pretty nice deer off of 23 and 36 acres properties.

you are probably paying that already and don't realize it if you own the land.

add up the interest costs on the property, plus taxes... probably close to that.

OR if you own the land outright, take the total value of the land and imagine if it were generating 7-8% in the stock market... prob close.

Most people don't really think just how much it really costs to hunt deer/ use land for recreation unless you are hunting on someone's land for free

Or losing in the stock market too.

 

[landman]

I haven't seen that many stands where I hunt but in scouting around I've seen bookoos of cameras. Ames... I love the land and the diversity of it. Much of the hunting can be hard because we have so much cover and the deer can lay up in that stuff all day. I think we filled our membership this year. I also think that many of our newer guys (and some veterans) are so eager to shoot a buck and possibly have never bumped into 125 class deer before that they're kind of quick on the trigger. A 125 is our minimum but those 2.5 year old 125s are what we really need to survive another year. We've been under a buck management program for at least 12 years jumping from a 115 to a 120 to a 125" minimum. We do have some good bucks but not what I would have expected after that long.

Mike how many hunt able acres is on Ames?

 

[highcountryhunter]

what is the penalty for shooting something under 125

 

[fairchaser]

Answering a few previous questions. The biggest buck ever to come off Ames is a 206 lb dressed weight my buddy shot a couple years ago. The largest rack was 168 and this year there have been two in the 140's a 146 and a 149. There are approximately 16500 huntable acres out of 18000 total give or take. Any buck aged at 4.5 or older qualifies as a good buck regardless of rack size. Any bucks younger that don't score 125 or better will be penalized depending on how big the rack is will dictate the fine. Veteran hunters get a small price break on fines.The fine could be as low as $125 and up along with possible loss of hunting time and possible loss of the antlers. The oldest buck harvested is 5.5 and there have been many over the years but none older. Hope this helps.

 

[tree_ghost]

I find it very interesting that no ones killed a deer older than 5.5...

How many years has Ames been under a management program?


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[fairchaser]

I find it very interesting that no ones killed a deer older than 5.5...

How many years has Ames been under a management program?


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They have been under QDM for 12 years. But remember there is a good reason for bucks not reaching that age. Bucks that will make the minimum score will naturally be harvested before they reach 6.5. If they don't score the minimum by 5.5 they probably never will. Thus, hunters are reluctant to kill on age alone. Many of these giant old 6 point warriors will die of old age. If a scoreable buck exists that's 6.5, he likely is nocturnal or virtually unkillable with traditional methods. There are does brought in that are older than 5.5 however.