Deer Hunting Ames Plantation

[280longshot]

I know there are several people here that are members on Ames Plantation.

I'm looking for some real input on pros and cons of someone joining and becoming a member.

I have heard some good things but also have heard some bad.

Mike, I would like to hear from you for sure!!

Thanks

 

[easy45]

The worst thing is 1600 just for deer, turkey not included

 

[Mike Belt]

Ames is a great place to hunt. I love the amount of land we have access to and the varied styles of hunting possible. Ridges, fields, grasslands, bottomland swamps, cutovers, hardwoods or pines; we have it all. After several years of management we have a good number of mature animals (4.5+). What we don't have is a great number of those bucks sporting 140+ sets of antlers...and we're not going to. That area of Tn soil just isn't conducive to growing maximum potential antlers. There are quite a few 120-130 bucks running around and with our minimum legal score of 125" it's realistically possible to kill a couple in that range yearly. We have so many mature bucks that even if some of them don't score our minimum antler-wise they are still legal because they're 4.5+ years old. I could have limited out yearly on my bucks if I wasn't so particular. Don't get me wrong you could kill a 140-150 on any given trip but it's unlikely.

There are pages of rules. Some I agree with and some I don't. Nonetheless, we all have to live by them. Access is a concern. You either have an ATV handicapped permit to get into your hunting area on "legal" roads (which are sometimes hard to distinguish) or you can use them on legal roads as far as designated parking areas or you walk or ride a bicycle in. Getting a deer out can be a chore but usually the Ames people or other members are willing to help. You should have no problem filling your freezer with the liberal doe limits.

Our land is divided into 5 Units. About twice a season 2 of those Units (4 and 5) are closed a few days at a time for the field trials so if you hunt during those periods you need to make sure you have alternative hunt sites in other areas.

I'm sure there have been minor altercations in the past but I've never seen any. All members seem to get along fairly well.

Overall, it's not a bad place to hunt. $1600+ a year isn't dirt cheap but for the amount of land we have and the potential for taking better than average bucks like we do it's not a bad deal.

 

[volsgo1]

Money is no object for 280long!!! He a man of means

 

[280longshot]

Mike
Could you elaborate more on the means of retrieving a deer.
Is a wheeler allowed in retrieving a deer??

Thanks

 

[Columbia Scott]

$1,600.00 to hunt one year??????

 

[timberjack86]

No offence to anyone who hunts there but that kind of hunting dose not intrest me. I would rather keep my money , hunt public land by my rules and kill some meat for the freezer and if antlers come along fine. But then I am just a meat hunter.

 

[Columbia Scott]

$500.00 per year:

 

[Mike Belt]

There are what are deemed "legal" roads in each of our 5 Units. Some of these roads can be driven on by ATV's to a designated parking area and from there you go by foot or bicycle into your hunting area. Some of them are also drivable through the property. If one of those roads pass through the immediate area you're hunting just park and go hunting. Otherwise the only wheelers allowed on legal roads beyond the parking areas are for those who have medical documentation deemed worthy of an ATV permit. If the road is a legal road and has a parking area with no ATV traffic beyond there you can still drive those roads to retrieve a deer but only in certain time frames (10AM-2PM and 5PM-?/8PM???) In many instances the Ames personnel will help you retrieve a deer if you have no other means. Many people use deer carts.

C Scott...Good for you if you find a decent hunting spot in your area for $500. That's not happening within an hour any direction from Memphis especially with as much land as we have.

 

[Chaneylake]

the deer that I have seen on this site basically does not differ from the deer that are killed at Chaney, in addition to deer hunting Chaney offers turkey, rabbit, squirrel, coon, ducks when the property floods and 4 oxbow lakes that has excellent fishing for bass, bream and crappie, a furnished cabin at no expense to hunter, miles of ATV trails that are never closed

$1400.00 per year with family included

3-4 year wait

 

[timberjack86]

the deer that I have seen on this site basically does not differ from the deer that are killed at Chaney, in addition to deer hunting Chaney offers turkey, rabbit, squirrel, coon, ducks when the property floods and 4 oxbow lakes that has excellent fishing for bass, bream and crappie, a furnished cabin at no expense to hunter, miles of ATV trails that are never closed

$1400.00 per year with family included

3-4 year wait

Now that sounds pretty good. But isn't chaney in west TN?

 

[Chaneylake]

the deer that I have seen on this site basically does not differ from the deer that are killed at Chaney, in addition to deer hunting Chaney offers turkey, rabbit, squirrel, coon, ducks when the property floods and 4 oxbow lakes that has excellent fishing for bass, bream and crappie, a furnished cabin at no expense to hunter, miles of ATV trails that are never closed

$1400.00 per year with family included

3-4 year wait

Now that sounds pretty good. But isn't chaney in west TN?

yes, 50 miles from Memphis, 35 miles from Jackson

 

[timberjack86]

Yep that's a little far for me but if I was closer I would jump on that!

 

[Mike Belt]

So is Ames. How many acres is Chaney and how many members do they have? When it floods how much land is deer huntable?

 

[Chaneylake]

So is Ames. How many acres is Chaney and how many members do they have? When it floods how much land is deer huntable?

2600 acres, 41 members, about 10-12 actually use property to full potential, flooding is up to mother nature, we are about 10-15 percent under water as I type

 

[Chaneylake]

basically no deer hunters since Thanksgiving weekend, 3-5 maybe, only 1 deer hunter today

 

[280longshot]

I'm just curious why do people get out at Chaneylake??

 

[timberjack86]

The variety of hunting at chaney sounds awesome!

 

[redblood]

1600.00 for ames is a steal. 1400.00 for chaney is as well. if i was closer i would join both

 

[redblood]

if they would have me- as long as i could hunt squirrel and call coyotes

 

[MarlinSlayer]

How do we get on the waiting list for Chaney?

 

[W.Seay]

You can't beat Ames. Sure I could kill a nice buck here and there for cheaper on a different property, but consistency is key!! I'm joining Ames next year.

 

[Winchester]

1600.00 for ames is a steal. 1400.00 for chaney is as well. if i was closer i would join both

I agree and if just a lil closer I too would join one if not both if I could.

 

[BHC]

41 members is crazy for 2600 acres... 10 members and there family would be about right....

 

[Planking]

41 members is crazy for 2600 acres... 10 members and there family would be about right....

That's only $5,740 per member. Good idea.

 

[Thewsus]

Leasing land in the Midwest through Base Camp leasing is a much better value than the Ames Plantation. $1600 a year is a lot of money for an area that doesn't produce a lot of quality bucks. Go on Base Camp leasing website and you find several properties that will beat what Ames can produce? If I'm spending my money on a lease it's going to be a good area for trophy bucks.

 

[G8rntn]

$500.00 per year:

Any spots open?? Would love to get my 10 year old on something like that. How many acres?

 

[Tony USMC]

How do we get on the waiting list for Chaney?

X2

 

[Mike Belt]

You may be right on the $ values but....
1)Most lease properties aren't 18,600 continuous acres
2)Most lease properties aren't as diverse as Ames
3)Most lease properties have more members/acre
4)Most lease properties don't have a high number of mature bucks
5)Most lease properties aren't within a 1 hour drive of Memphis

 

[W.Seay]

You may be right on the $ values but....
1)Most lease properties aren't 18,600 continuous acres
2)Most lease properties aren't as diverse as Ames
3)Most lease properties have more members/acre
4)Most lease properties don't have a high number of mature bucks
5)Most lease properties aren't within a 1 hour drive of Memphis

Which is exactly why I'm joining even though I have many private farms I can hunt for free.