Hope he makes it

[BSK]

That is exactly what I meant when I asked if he thought these up & coming big bucks could be attributed to years of habitat work.

I would love to say yes, but considering up until recently, we had very few residents buck who would be the result of our habitat. The vast majority of the bucks we have to hunt each year live in the bottomlands all summer and then shift up into the hills once the ag crops are harvested.

 

[BSK]

I agree with you Popcorn. I tell landowners all the time, "5 years to see noticeable improvements, 10 years to maximize improvements."

 

[Ski]

I would love to say yes, but considering up until recently, we had very few residents buck who would be the result of our habitat. The vast majority of the bucks we have to hunt each year live in the bottomlands all summer and then shift up into the hills once the ag crops are harvested.

Deer get a lot of nutrition during summer in ag fields, but that's only Jun/Jul through Aug/Sep. From then until December they have acorns. From December through spring green up there's no ag, very little natural green. For 4-5 months, almost half of the year, they're getting an enormous advantage by being on your place rather than somewhere else. That's the time span when most deer struggle to meet nutritional needs. Can't discount that.

 

[BSK]

Deer get a lot of nutrition during summer in ag fields, but that's only Jun/Jul through Aug/Sep. From then until December they have acorns. From December through spring green up there's no ag, very little natural green. For 4-5 months, almost half of the year, they're getting an enormous advantage by being on your place rather than somewhere else. That's the time span when most deer struggle to meet nutritional needs. Can't discount that.

In the last couple of years, we have definitely had a lot of natural early-stage browse for deer to feed and hide in. Now the trick will be maintaining it.