The first mile was tough, dormant muscles that hadn't been used in a while. I'm sure I'll feel it in the morning.
Congrats Philip!!!treefarmer wrote: ↑Mon Jan 06, 2025 2:47 pm Been having some good late afternoon noon hunts the past week, seeing lots of deer but no legal bucks. By the actions of the younger bucks, the rut is just about to be in high gear.
Yesterday afternoon I watched a parade of deer led by a big doe move along the firebreak that parallels the canal on the south side of our remaining planted pines, about 4:30. About 4:45 a lone deer came came into the food plot from the north west corner. I watched it as it worked its way along the west edge of the field. Being focused on that deer, I failed to notice that another deer had entered the plot from the east side. When I finally saw that deer, I realized it was a buck. Didn't even look at him with my binoculars after seeing the antlers. .243 did it again! Turned out to be a deer we hadn't seen on camera, he had a normal 4 point antler on the right side and 2 unusual spikes on the left side. He will eat good.
Treefarmer
Good to see young'ns working together.
I noticed they were looking back into the pines and the other doe that had just came into the plot, wheeled around also looking at something I hadn't yet seen.
Please take no offense to the question I am going to ask.treefarmer wrote: ↑Sun Jan 12, 2025 8:13 pm I'd like to share another fantastic deer hunt from yesterday afternoon with the Outdoorsman Thread:
After a cold overcast morning, the skies cleared and gave us a cold clear afternoon. Got to the shooting house @ 3:30. Peeled a grapefruit with my Queen #49 stockman and before I started to eat it, I saw a doe and two fawns coming to the food plot from the southwest. The doe was very nervous, never did graze on the green stuff but her babies did. She left around 4pm heading back the same direction she came from.
Around 4:10, a fawn showed up coming from the northwest corner of the food plot. Soon after 3 more fawns and a doe followed it out into the plot. I'm assuming this particular bunch is a doe with 2 babies and has "adopted" the other 2. It's quite a sight to see all 4 trying to nurse at one time! They are big enough to be weaned. This group stayed on the plot until a crack from the .243 spooked them.
At 4:30, another doe and 2 fawns approached the feeder from the south, coming through the pines. This doe started eating from the elevated feeder, nocking corn to the ground where her fawns were picking up kernels. She did this for maybe 5 minutes then moved out into the plot, leaving the little ones still licking up some corn. The doe ate a few bites of greens and picked her head up, giving full attention to something east of her. Looking where she was looking, I spotted another deer and then another, both big does. I've seen those 2 before, no little ones with them.
Finally I picked up movement back in the pines with my binoculars, I saw antlers! The buck kept coming, now all 10 of the deer still in the plot were watching him.
The old Remington 700 .243 did it again!
1000001052.jpg1000001054.jpg1000001056.jpg
Treefarmer
edge213 wrote: ↑Sun Jan 12, 2025 8:27 pmPlease take no offense to the question I am going to ask.treefarmer wrote: ↑Sun Jan 12, 2025 8:13 pm I'd like to share another fantastic deer hunt from yesterday afternoon with the Outdoorsman Thread:
After a cold overcast morning, the skies cleared and gave us a cold clear afternoon. Got to the shooting house @ 3:30. Peeled a grapefruit with my Queen #49 stockman and before I started to eat it, I saw a doe and two fawns coming to the food plot from the southwest. The doe was very nervous, never did graze on the green stuff but her babies did. She left around 4pm heading back the same direction she came from.
Around 4:10, a fawn showed up coming from the northwest corner of the food plot. Soon after 3 more fawns and a doe followed it out into the plot. I'm assuming this particular bunch is a doe with 2 babies and has "adopted" the other 2. It's quite a sight to see all 4 trying to nurse at one time! They are big enough to be weaned. This group stayed on the plot until a crack from the .243 spooked them.
At 4:30, another doe and 2 fawns approached the feeder from the south, coming through the pines. This doe started eating from the elevated feeder, nocking corn to the ground where her fawns were picking up kernels. She did this for maybe 5 minutes then moved out into the plot, leaving the little ones still licking up some corn. The doe ate a few bites of greens and picked her head up, giving full attention to something east of her. Looking where she was looking, I spotted another deer and then another, both big does. I've seen those 2 before, no little ones with them.
Finally I picked up movement back in the pines with my binoculars, I saw antlers! The buck kept coming, now all 10 of the deer still in the plot were watching him.
The old Remington 700 .243 did it again!
1000001052.jpg1000001054.jpg1000001056.jpg
Treefarmer
I am a gun guy, but not a hunter. I shoot frequently, but haven't hunted in years. I've never hunted deer.
I am a Benafactor Life Member of the NRA. Also a member of the United States Concealed Carry Asso.
This is for my education.
When you mention feed plot. Does that mean you sit in a blind and bait deer to feed. Then shoot them while they are eating or am I misunderstanding? Please explain.
[/quote
No offence taken,edge213. I too am a Life Member of the NRA, since 1971 and I do carry concealed with a permit even though Florida recently ruled concealed carry permits are not necessary any more but may be beneficial considering travel to other states.
The question you asked is discussed quite often on lots of hunting forums, food plots, baiting, blinds, etc. Individuals inclined to think it is non-sporting to hunt this way usually are in states where these practices are illegal. Some folks even say that sitting on a known deer path is not fair.
The subspecies of whitetail found in Florida are not nearly as large as those found further north. I feel this is all part of God's plan in creating wildlife that were suited to the part of the earth they were placed in.
Each state has rules governing the taking of whitetail deer. Florida has a limit on private land of 5 deer per season, in our zone, 2 of the 5 can be antlerless (does). Private land food plots are legal, that is, planted crops just for the purpose of attracting, maintaining and harvesting deer. This is similar to hunting near or over a "natural food source", acorns, etc. Harvested soybean fields, cut corn fields are most often hunted over where food plots are illegal.
Feeders are allowed on private property in some zones of Florida. A feeder, to be legal, must be put out and maintained 6 months prior to opening of deer season, again depending on the zone. In the south end of the state archery starts at the end of July or 1st of August so 6 months prior, a feeding station can be established. The opening dates progress northward and then westward into the Panhandle, we still have 7 weeks to go in Zone D. We maintain a deer feeding station year around on our place and yes we can and do hunt over them. The green food plots seem to be of more interest to the deer than the corn feeders during this time of the year. For example, yesterday there were 5 different appearances of deer that were observed from the shooting house, only one group paid the feeder a visit. On the other hand, turkeys and doves can not be hunted within 100 yards of feeders but are hunted over any crop planted for harvest or "Bait".
The big advantage with food plots is tied to the rut. Deer need to eat, they supplement their woods browsing by visiting food plots of rye grain, oats, wheat and greens such as turnips, cool weather crops, etc. The does come to the plots with some times 2 generations of family, fawns and yearlings. When the rut gets going, the does still need nourishment, the bucks are looking for a receptive doe and if it all comes together there is venison in the freezer.
Hope this explains how we do things here at Starvation Plantation.
Treefarmer
treefarmer wrote: ↑Sun Jan 12, 2025 10:56 pmThank you for such a detailed explanation.edge213 wrote: ↑Sun Jan 12, 2025 8:27 pmPlease take no offense to the question I am going to ask.treefarmer wrote: ↑Sun Jan 12, 2025 8:13 pm I'd like to share another fantastic deer hunt from yesterday afternoon with the Outdoorsman Thread:
After a cold overcast morning, the skies cleared and gave us a cold clear afternoon. Got to the shooting house @ 3:30. Peeled a grapefruit with my Queen #49 stockman and before I started to eat it, I saw a doe and two fawns coming to the food plot from the southwest. The doe was very nervous, never did graze on the green stuff but her babies did. She left around 4pm heading back the same direction she came from.
Around 4:10, a fawn showed up coming from the northwest corner of the food plot. Soon after 3 more fawns and a doe followed it out into the plot. I'm assuming this particular bunch is a doe with 2 babies and has "adopted" the other 2. It's quite a sight to see all 4 trying to nurse at one time! They are big enough to be weaned. This group stayed on the plot until a crack from the .243 spooked them.
At 4:30, another doe and 2 fawns approached the feeder from the south, coming through the pines. This doe started eating from the elevated feeder, nocking corn to the ground where her fawns were picking up kernels. She did this for maybe 5 minutes then moved out into the plot, leaving the little ones still licking up some corn. The doe ate a few bites of greens and picked her head up, giving full attention to something east of her. Looking where she was looking, I spotted another deer and then another, both big does. I've seen those 2 before, no little ones with them.
Finally I picked up movement back in the pines with my binoculars, I saw antlers! The buck kept coming, now all 10 of the deer still in the plot were watching him.
The old Remington 700 .243 did it again!
1000001052.jpg1000001054.jpg1000001056.jpg
Treefarmer
I am a gun guy, but not a hunter. I shoot frequently, but haven't hunted in years. I've never hunted deer.
I am a Benafactor Life Member of the NRA. Also a member of the United States Concealed Carry Asso.
This is for my education.
When you mention feed plot. Does that mean you sit in a blind and bait deer to feed. Then shoot them while they are eating or am I misunderstanding? Please explain.
[/quote
No offence taken,edge213. I too am a Life Member of the NRA, since 1971 and I do carry concealed with a permit even though Florida recently ruled concealed carry permits are not necessary any more but may be beneficial considering travel to other states.
The question you asked is discussed quite often on lots of hunting forums, food plots, baiting, blinds, etc. Individuals inclined to think it is non-sporting to hunt this way usually are in states where these practices are illegal. Some folks even say that sitting on a known deer path is not fair.
The subspecies of whitetail found in Florida are not nearly as large as those found further north. I feel this is all part of God's plan in creating wildlife that were suited to the part of the earth they were placed in.
Each state has rules governing the taking of whitetail deer. Florida has a limit on private land of 5 deer per season, in our zone, 2 of the 5 can be antlerless (does). Private land food plots are legal, that is, planted crops just for the purpose of attracting, maintaining and harvesting deer. This is similar to hunting near or over a "natural food source", acorns, etc. Harvested soybean fields, cut corn fields are most often hunted over where food plots are illegal.
Feeders are allowed on private property in some zones of Florida. A feeder, to be legal, must be put out and maintained 6 months prior to opening of deer season, again depending on the zone. In the south end of the state archery starts at the end of July or 1st of August so 6 months prior, a feeding station can be established. The opening dates progress northward and then westward into the Panhandle, we still have 7 weeks to go in Zone D. We maintain a deer feeding station year around on our place and yes we can and do hunt over them. The green food plots seem to be of more interest to the deer than the corn feeders during this time of the year. For example, yesterday there were 5 different appearances of deer that were observed from the shooting house, only one group paid the feeder a visit. On the other hand, turkeys and doves can not be hunted within 100 yards of feeders but are hunted over any crop planted for harvest or "Bait".
The big advantage with food plots is tied to the rut. Deer need to eat, they supplement their woods browsing by visiting food plots of rye grain, oats, wheat and greens such as turnips, cool weather crops, etc. The does come to the plots with some times 2 generations of family, fawns and yearlings. When the rut gets going, the does still need nourishment, the bucks are looking for a receptive doe and if it all comes together there is venison in the freezer.
Hope this explains how we do things here at Starvation Plantation.
Treefarmer
