Ames Plantation?

[MBarrons]

I hear there was a good buck taken yesterday at Ames. Does anyone know how the season has gone thus far?

 

[Andy S.]

Only three does checked in yesterday that were harvested on Ames property, however, an Ames employee did score a buck taken off private land near Fisherville that grossed 147", main frame 10 pt with 3 extra points.

Ames' members have harvested three respectable bucks thus far, all were mid/high 120s class and 3.5 to my knowledge.

 

[BSK]

Ames' members have harvested three respectable bucks thus far, all were mid/high 120s class and 3.5 to my knowledge.

Holy crap, on how many acres?

We've got two 3 1/2+ 120s so far off 488 acres.

 

[Cache]

Well Id say you have a better percentage harvested per acre then BSK. Ames is over 18,000 acres! LOL

 

[PickettSFHunter]

18,000 acres and 3 bucks? Hmmmm lol

 

[CBU93]

With a VERY selective membership....

 

[MBarrons]

Andy, is ames membership still on a waiting list?

 

[Andy S.]

Ames' members have harvested three respectable bucks thus far, all were mid/high 120s class and 3.5 to my knowledge.

Holy crap, on how many acres?

We've got two 3 1/2+ 120s so far off 488 acres.

BSK - you could have been nicer in your gesture, however, I will be glad to compare total mature bucks harvested at the end of the 2008 season. Just messing with you, LOL!!! Question of clarification - is harvesting two mature bucks this early in the season typical of the 488 acre tract? Here is the reason I ask: If I read the graph in another post correctly, over the last seven years the 488 acre tract averages (10/7)= 1.4 bucks per year (3.5+ year olds). If this is correct, this tract has already exceeded its seven year average, right?

Lets compare apples to apples:

If my calculation of 1.4 is correct, the 488 acre tract averages 1.4 mature bucks / 488 acres hunted per year = 0.00293 mature bucks per acre hunted per year. Remember this number "0.00293," I will reference it later.

Now back to Ames. Ames Plantation encompasses 18,600 acres, however, only about 13,500 are accessible to hunt by the members. Consider last year Ames members harvested 38 bucks that were 3.5 years old or older. Now back to the math, 38 mature bucks / 13,500 acres hunted per year = 0.00281 mature bucks per acre hunted per year.

If I have not made a blunder in math and reasoning, 0.00293 is not far from 0.00281. While I do agree BSK had turned his 488 acre tract into a QDM mecca, and I commend him for that, I also see the numbers are not too far off when one compares apples to apples, thus odds of harvesting a mature buck at both locations are comparable.

A few other things to note that I think BSK has in his favor for harvesting mature bucks - no archery hunting, fewer hunters thus less human scent and less human pressure and 7 years of QDM versus 4 years of QDM.

While I am well aware that BSK has proven success that we would all like to achieve, I also know Ames is WELL on its way to similar success.

 

[Andy S.]

Andy, is ames membership still on a waiting list?

MBarrons - yes, there are people still on the waiting list, however, that does not mean you cannot get in. The reason I say this is because people have there name on the waiting list but they decline when called because they have already committed their money to another hunting venue.

If you are interested, please give Beth a call at 901.878.1067. She is very nice and a pleasure to deal with.

 

[megalomaniac]

Biggest difference btw Ames and middle TN...

Rut is 2 weeks later; meaning they didn't get much if any seeking during ML season like those of us in Middle TN. The big boys stay nocturnal until the rut kicks in. Tough to kill them without a spotlight.

Now by the end of Nov, I suspect Ames will be racking and stacking the big deer. And my big ones will be back to the nocturnal thing as the rut is over.

The rut is THE major factor in favorably influencing the harvest of mature deer. Heck, down here in south MS, you could hunt a lifetime in November and never even see a 3.5 yr old. Because our rut isn't until the end of January, the big boys don't move in daylight until after Christmas.

Not taking anything away from what you've accomplished with your property, though BSK. Taking 2 mature deer off 500 acres in only 9 days hunting is remarkable. And you guys will probably get another one or two next week. Just think what you could do if you only had a few hundred acres down in Cherry bottom with the right habitat management!!!

 

[BSK]

Another thing Ames has is better top-end potential. Our mature bucks only average around 120. I bet they top that by 10 inches at Ames with all their agriculture.

In addition, my place isn't managed for mature bucks, only "fun" and the realistic opportunity to kill "good" bucks, which includes 100-class 2 1/2 year-olds. We average a "good" buck harvested for every 171 acres. Ames would have to kill 80 bucks per year to equal that, but they wouldn't be top-end bucks by any means.

 

[BSK]

The rut is THE major factor in favorably influencing the harvest of mature deer.

You said a mouthful there megalomaniac.

Just think what you could do if you only had a few hundred acres down in Cherry bottom with the right habitat management!!!

Don't tease me!

I have dreams about that. Heck, I would be happy with 2 acres of bottomland!

 

[Mike Belt]

The deer haven't appeared to be moving as much as in year's past compared to the same time frames. I haven't stepped foot in the woods in the last couple of weeks but I'm predicting rifle season ought to be good. Unless I'm mistaken I'm guessing that there have been several does bred already at Ames and this was done right around the opening of the first muzzleloader season. The weather was warm so there wasn't as much daylight movement but rutty does were taken and brought into the checking station. I haven't seen as much of the early rutting in the past as I saw evidence of this year.

 

[JCDEERMAN]

I know what you mean BSK! We have about the same amount of land that you do and it is all rolling hills and hollows hardwoods for the exception of food plots. I would give anything for some bottom land. 2 acres, that would definately satisfy me!

 

[W.Seay]

Ditto Mike!

 

[Half Rack]

So much depends on the location and your neighbors. I only have 46ac and see probably 4 or 5 3 1/2 year old or older bucks in the first week of gun season each year on my place. I'm careful not to put too much pressure on the deer and I absolutely do not hunt the property from the end of October until Gun opens, so the does have had a hiding place on my property for a few weeks before the rut. Also, my neighbors (most of them) have a quality program in place like I do, so most of those young bucks can roam freely without being shot. Just my two cents!!!!

 

[easy45]

My personal opinion where I hunt is that Ames is killing too many does, I don't know if that is possible but over the last couple of years especially this year, deer sightings have been down, and when I say daown we went from always seeing at least 2 or 3 deer to a lot of the time not seeing any deer. It is good to get ratios back in order buck they might be going a little over the edge

 

[baller_9]

My personal opinion where I hunt is that Ames is killing too many does, I don't know if that is possible but over the last couple of years especially this year, deer sightings have been down, and when I say daown we went from always seeing at least 2 or 3 deer to a lot of the time not seeing any deer. It is good to get ratios back in order buck they might be going a little over the edge

I would say that has a lot more to do with the disease last year than shooting does.

 

[easy45]

My personal opinion where I hunt is that Ames is killing too many does, I don't know if that is possible but over the last couple of years especially this year, deer sightings have been down, and when I say daown we went from always seeing at least 2 or 3 deer to a lot of the time not seeing any deer. It is good to get ratios back in order buck they might be going a little over the edge

I would say that has a lot more to do with the disease last year than shooting does.

Well the activity has been decreasing for a couple of years and ehd didn't seem to have a big effect on my area at least not that I could tell

 

[BSK]

Anytime you put harvest pressure on does, their daylight activity declines. But that doesn't mean they aren't there.

I'm amazed hunters expect to see deer every time out, but then that depends a great deal on how open the habitat is. But if I was hunting an area in TN and saw deer every time in the stand, or even the majority of the time, I would strongly suspect the deer density is too high.

 

[Mathews Hunter]

I have only been once when I did not see a deer this year and that was because I shot a coyote. I can only remember two maybe three instances that I hunted the past three seasons that I did not see at least one deer. That is hunting in two different counties. Deer density may be too high but I am not complaining.

 

[easy45]

Anytime you put harvest pressure on does, their daylight activity declines. But that doesn't mean they aren't there.

I'm amazed hunters expect to see deer every time out, but then that depends a great deal on how open the habitat is. But if I was hunting an area in TN and saw deer every time in the stand, or even the majority of the time, I would strongly suspect the deer density is too high.

Until a couple of years ago we almost always saw deer every time, but with this we still saw plenty of mature deer, that has been going down for the last couple of years and this years has been the worst, for total deer and mature bucks, I'm just saying maybe they should let up alittle

 

[BSK]

Anytime you put harvest pressure on does, their daylight activity declines. But that doesn't mean they aren't there.

I'm amazed hunters expect to see deer every time out, but then that depends a great deal on how open the habitat is. But if I was hunting an area in TN and saw deer every time in the stand, or even the majority of the time, I would strongly suspect the deer density is too high.

Until a couple of years ago we almost always saw deer every time, but with this we still saw plenty of mature deer, that has been going down for the last couple of years and this years has been the worst, for total deer and mature bucks, I'm just saying maybe they should let up alittle

The big question is, is the deer density down significantly or just sightings? It is really shocking how the two have little relation. I've seen properties where the deer density was INCREASING while sighting rates were continuously DECLINING.

 

[Hillbilly Hunter]

Anytime you put harvest pressure on does, their daylight activity declines. But that doesn't mean they aren't there.

I'm amazed hunters expect to see deer every time out, but then that depends a great deal on how open the habitat is. But if I was hunting an area in TN and saw deer every time in the stand, or even the majority of the time, I would strongly suspect the deer density is too high.

amazingly have been seeing almost as many bucks EVERYTIME out.

 

[easy45]

Anytime you put harvest pressure on does, their daylight activity declines. But that doesn't mean they aren't there.

I'm amazed hunters expect to see deer every time out, but then that depends a great deal on how open the habitat is. But if I was hunting an area in TN and saw deer every time in the stand, or even the majority of the time, I would strongly suspect the deer density is too high.

Until a couple of years ago we almost always saw deer every time, but with this we still saw plenty of mature deer, that has been going down for the last couple of years and this years has been the worst, for total deer and mature bucks, I'm just saying maybe they should let up alittle

The big question is, is the deer density down significantly or just sightings? It is really shocking how the two have little relation. I've seen properties where the deer density was INCREASING while sighting rates were continuously DECLINING.

not saying it ain't possible but I don't see it as being likely

 

[BSK]

Anytime you put harvest pressure on does, their daylight activity declines. But that doesn't mean they aren't there.

I'm amazed hunters expect to see deer every time out, but then that depends a great deal on how open the habitat is. But if I was hunting an area in TN and saw deer every time in the stand, or even the majority of the time, I would strongly suspect the deer density is too high.

Until a couple of years ago we almost always saw deer every time, but with this we still saw plenty of mature deer, that has been going down for the last couple of years and this years has been the worst, for total deer and mature bucks, I'm just saying maybe they should let up alittle

The big question is, is the deer density down significantly or just sightings? It is really shocking how the two have little relation. I've seen properties where the deer density was INCREASING while sighting rates were continuously DECLINING.

not saying it ain't possible but I don't see it as being likely

You would be shocked at how frequently hunter observation rates have no relation to deer density. That is the norm instead of the exception.

 

[easy45]

Ok, then they presseure that they have put on the deer herd is causing more nocturnal movement which I still don't like, it was nice knowing I would see deer almost everytime I went

 

[BSK]

Don't get me wrong Easy45. I'm not saying the density ISN'T down. I'm just saying "seeing less deer" doesn't mean the density is down. Maybe it is and maybe it isn't, but what is seen from the treestand can't tell you that. A photo census could, but hunter observations are notoriously "unlinked" to deer density and composition.

Think of all the hunters that report seeing 20 does per buck, yet that is biologically impossible. Just an example...

 

[easy45]

I was just going off seeing twice as many bucks as does which is not as good as it sounds if you haven't see many bucks either, and the results are the same on my cameras, more bucks than does, I honestly think there are not a big number of does out there anymore

 

[BSK]

I was just going off seeing twice as many bucks as does which is not as good as it sounds if you haven't see many bucks either, and the results are the same on my cameras, more bucks than does, I honestly think there are not a big number of does out there anymore

That is possible Easy45.

What are you seeing in the way of fawn recruitment (the ratio of fawns to adult does)?