(P) Fall Food Plots are Finished and Buck Pictures

We finally headed to the farm and finished planting our 4 fields of food plots today. I even had enough time at the end of the day to hang 2 more stands. Dad plowed all of the fields last weekend. So today he disced them while I fertilized each field and broadcast the seed. Dad is a lot older than I am, but I say he can still out work me.


The first field we worked on was a small 1 acre food plot in the middle of the woods, located to the west of a bedding area that we constructed this winter. We planted Imperial Whitetail Clover in the whole thing. This should produce for us over the next 4 years if we continue to fertilize the clover twice a year.
The second field borders CRP grass to the south. We planted 1/2 acre of Whitetail Institutes Pure Attraction and 3/4 of an acre of winter wheat. We planted them next to each other in long strips approximately 30 yards wide.

The third field and forth field were planted in 1/2 acre of Whitetail Institutes Pure Attraction. The deer hammered this stuff last year all season long. We used extra fertilizer this year to make sure it came up strong and fast.

It sure feels good to be done with the food plots. All we have left is to finish some brush hogging, cut the existing clover fields next month, and hang a couple more stands. We will definitely be ready for opening day. All we need is the rain that was promised to arrive in 4 days. Time to start shooting the bows and preparing them for broadheads next week.

Here are a couple of buck pictures on our clover food plot in the middle of the woods. It is interesting that the bucks were coming to this field when it was nothing but fresh dirt (it was plowed a couple of days earlier).



The first and second pictures are of a buck we call the Crab Claw 10. He is a 4 1/2 year old deer. If Dad or the landowner see him this fall, it might be his last.


The third picture is of a small 8 point that lives close to this field (I have tons of pictures of him). Notice the Crab Claw 10 to right in this picture. There is also a small buck in the background, to the left. However, look at the monster in the middle of this picture by the tree. We tried to zoom in on him to make out his rack but the lighting is just no good. He towers over the other bucks in the field. Definitely a mature deer.


Here is a tip for you: Position your trail cameras so as pictures are taken of deer in the foreground, you can still see what is in the background. I have positioned this camera intentionally like this for the last three years and it has paid off numerous times showing numerous bucks in the background. Two of the bucks in this picture never walked by the trail camera but it was nice to still get a picture of them.

4 weeks until opening day!

(P) Fall Field Preperation and Buck Pictures

Well, we have been back at it the last couple of days. Dad and I have been working on deer stands and preparing our fields for fall food plots. We had soooo much rain this year that I have had to trim all of our shooting lanes again because the vegetation growth has been significant. However, I only have 4 more stands to finish on our main farm with almost a month before opening day, so I feel pretty good about it.

The weeds have been so bad in our fields this year, we had to plow and disc the fields. Usually we only have to disc them a couple of times. We are planting a one acre field in Whitetail Clover and three other fields in Pure Attraction (mix of winter peas, oats, and brassicas). All of the products that we use are made by the Whitetail Institute (except when planting winter wheat, corn, milo, and soybeans). We are also going to plant an acre of winter wheat, which is seed that a local farmer gave us. The land owner made arrangements for us to get the seed for free (bonus)! After two days of work, all 4 fields are now ready for planting. It is just a timing game as we wait for some rain in the forecast and try to get the seed down prior to its arrival.

I checked my Bushnell trail cameras and was pleasantly surprised to see a couple of nice bucks on them. The first picture is of the biggest 4 point that I have ever seen. I wonder how old he his. He has great potential if he stays alive for another 3 years.

The second picture is of the Big 4 and a buck we call the Crab Claw 10. He is a mainframe 1o point with short main beams and long G2's. We have seen him for the last two years and he was always hanging with the Big 12 (pictured in the top of my blog page). I am not sure if the Big 12 made it through the winter. We have not been able to get a picture of him this year and he was a fairly old buck last year.


The last picture is of a nice mainframe 10 point that we have not seen before. It is always nice to have new bucks living on your property. That is why you need to get your trail cameras in the woods. This buck looks real similar to a buck that we call Spike. We call him that because he has spikes coming off his G-1's. Spike is a mainframe 10 with huge 8 inch brow tines (pictured in the top of my blog page). I hope he is still around. Anyways, this is still a very respectable deer. I got this picture of him walking a field edge at 2:51 in the afternoon.



Well, keep me posted on how you guys are doing out there and please send me any good trail camera pictures that you get.

(A) 14 Step Season Prep: Step 12- Trail Cameras

It is time to brush the dust off of those trail cameras and get them out in the field. A couple of weeks ago I put out 5 Bushnell trail cameras hoping to catch a snap shot of a monster buck on one of our hunting properties. This is a good practice to ensure the cameras are working correctly as we begin the season. In August, the big boys start feeding heavily and will let their guard down a bit, becoming more visible.

Cameras have became a vital part of my hunting strategy. They are especially important during August and September as I take a buck inventory of the deer currently using our properties. This will usually dictate my basic harvest goals for the season. Let me use last season as an example. I had pictures of two different mainframe 10 pointers and a twelve pointer. I was set on shooting a buck in the low 150's to 160's based on deer I had pictures of. Now, if you have read my previous articles, you know that I abandoned this strategy when I saw a buck in the 170-180" class. Some deer will come from other properties during the rut and sometimes deer are never caught on film by the trail cameras. But the point is the trail cameras give you a general idea of what a trophy is for your particular area.

There have been many times over the last 11 seasons that I elected to pass up a quality buck holding out for something bigger. However, if I would have scouted and utilized trail cameras, I would have realized that the bucks I was passing on, were the mature deer on the farm that particular year. Maybe the biggest bucks on your property are in the 120" class. If they are mature (4 years or older) than you should be proud of yourself if you harvest one. You can't kill a bigger deer if they don't exist on your property. Keep your expectations realistic to continually enjoy this sport.

Here are a couple of things to remember when using trail cameras:
1. Make sure your batteries are always fresh so you can leave them out for approximately 3 weeks (remain patient because this will keep your sent and intrusion down to a minimum).

2. Don't hang cameras in bedding areas this time of year. You will only be bumping deer out of their sanctuary. Stick to funnels, travel routes to and from feeding areas, and food plots.

3. Take wedges or shims with you to install your trail cameras. They work great when you are trying to get the right angle on the field of view. I have also recently purchased a couple of trail camera tripods for areas that don't have a good selection of trees (I will let you know how I like them). Existing fence posts work good too.

4. Keep your camera at the elevation of your waist or chest and keep the slope of the background in mind too.

5. Make sure your camera is pointed away from the sun (usually not to the south) so you don't get sun spots.

6. Wear gloves when handling your camera in the field to minimize your human sent. I prefer to use rubber gloves.

7. Keep two SD cards assigned to each camera (label them) to keep track of which one goes with which camera (if you use multiple cameras). If an SD card goes bad, you should be able to figure out which one it is.

8. Angle your camera so you can get a couple of shots of a deer as he walks to or away from the camera. Bucks are in bachelor groups this time of year and it helps to have a field or opening in the background which may show additional deer further away. If you are getting pictures of only a deer's front or hind quarters, you need to turn your camera a bit more.

I continue to utilize my trail cameras all season long and after the season is over. Throughout the season I get an idea of what bucks have moved on to the property, the time of day they are moving, and what areas are receiving the most deer traffic. This can also aid in determining the rut stages. After the season is over, I get an idea of what deer are still alive and the sheds that I should search for in the spring.

To wrap this up, I checked my trail cameras yesterday. Over the last two and a half weeks we had temperatures in the high 90's everyday. This really slowed down the big buck activity. All I had on my cameras were smaller bucks, slick heads (does) and fawns. I also managed to get pictures of thunder chickens, a bobcat, coyote, fox, and a few bandits (coons). Maybe the next three weeks will show me something more if it is not so hot (should have set up a camera on some water sources). You will never know until you get your cameras out there working for you.

(P) Back from our vacation in Wisconsin

Well, I am back from spending 3 weeks at my grandparent's cabin in Wisconsin. Liz and I took the kids up there for a good time and to make more special memories (it is an annual trip). We mostly swam at the lake, played games and fished. I have to say that this was one of our best summers for fishing and weather. We caught a limit of fish most of the time we were on the water and the temperatures peaked in the high 70's or low 80's everyday (without the Kansas humidity of course).

My oldest son, Ryder, fished off the dock every morning and evening in an attempt to set the hook on another big bass (he has no problems catching them). My oldest daughter, Ashlynn, caught a few bass and my youngest son, Gage, tore up the bluegill for the first time. I had the opportunity to fish with all three of my brothers, my cousin, my mother and grandmother, and especially my lovely bride. I really enjoy fishing with my wife because she is such a natural at fishing! Each summer she goes fishing once or twice but she can cast and set the hook on big fish like she does it everyday. She needs no instruction and I enjoy watching her be successful. Yes, she has out fished me a time or two.

I have to shout out a BIG thank you to my cousin, Steve. We elected not to buy a boat this year because I did not receive raises at my work, etc. So, Steve offered to let us use his bass boat while we were in Wisconsin on vacation. It was really nice of him and we would not have caught nearly as many fish without his boat. Thanks Steve and keep our honey hole a secret! I say that because Steve, my brother Jeff, and I went fishing one morning at a new lake. Wow! After fishing for a couple of hours, we started catching 4-5 pound smallmouth and largemouth bass. We caught 12 fish that averaged over 4 pounds. It was awesome. We returned to the lake on another day with equal success. My brothers and I fished another lake earlier in the week where we caught 32 bass in less than 3 hours. Good times!

The fishing stud of the trip though, was my son Ryder. He wanted to fish 24/7. He would fish for bass, bluegill, northern pike, even a muskie if I would let him. Ryder wanted to learn to do everything for himself. He is very good at casting and is very patient. I was extremely proud of him. This 6 year old fishing junkie reminded me of another 6 year old that fished relentlessly on my grandpa's dock. Me! I guess this is a stage in life when we watch our children grow up, doing the things that we used to do. It was special and rewarding. If Ryder's passion continues for fishing, he maybe fishing the BASS tournament circuit one day. That was once a dream of mine so I think I could help him get there, but only if that is what he would want. I know I still grind my teeth a bit when I see fishing pros like Dean Rojas and others on TV. I used to compete with those guys back in the 1990's in California. Oh well, such is life.

Here are more pictures showing some of the fish that we caught. They look a bit short due top my wife's camera lens. However, 7 of them were 19" or longer. Next week I will start cutting the clover on our food plots and brush hogging. It is time to put out the trail cameras and start preparing the fields for fall food plot planting (in the end of August). Seven weeks until opening day in Kansas!!!!