All Things Deer

[Stevenovick1]

My buddy shot a Big Buck last fall. His Ruger M-77/Scout. I decided to buy the single shotRuger No.1 Beautiful gun.

 

[Stevenovick1]

He blew the opposite shoulder clean off.

 

[Stevenovick1]

I have my lucky brand mineral bucket out in several spots. The does and Bucks hitting hard.

 

[kmcconaughey]

Spent some time Saturday working on the site prep for an elevated deer stand. The ground was very uneven here from decades of gopher mounds and some big ant hills. I had hauled the X585 with loader from the farm up to my place for a few landscaping projects and the deer stand project. Finally got to the fun project. The loader made quick work of the uneven ground. The loader also makes it easy to transport materials. I will be reusing the slide platform from the swing set/slide that I built for my daughter back in the 1990s. I built much of that out of cedar, I did use pressure treated lumber for the joists and composite deck boards so that structure is solid. I'll be replacing the support posts with pressure treated 4x4s that are taller. The platform used to be around 5' high, it will be 8' high when I finish it. For now it will just have simple 2x4 railing around it. Eventually I might build a roof and enclose it.

Nice and level

This will be the view from the stand.

Last load of 2x4s. These will be for bracing the 4x4 legs.

 

[rjruchti]

I have an metal elevated stand 8' off the ground. A plastic 4X4 box blind on top. Made camo curtains with black plastic backing so not see through if the sun is shining in. Going to move it closer to home on the neighbors ground by a creek for this season. It sits on 3 treated 1" boards and has an anchor stackl about 16" long down through the leg plate and the board. 4 steel post off each corner with guy wire from the top of the blind frame to the bottom of the post to a rachet to snug them down. Will stand about any wind as no issue with it the last 2 years. The steel elevated blinds are cheaper than buying wood right now. I got mine at an auction a few years ago for $200.

 

[kmcconaughey]

The old slide platform is 6' x 6' so plenty of room to move around, or for two people to hunt from. I might put a pop up blind on it or just add some branches to it so it blends in some. Hope to get it done soon so the deer have time to get used to it.

 

[gary noblit]

Kraig , some of the best time I've had in a stand is late summer.It's a great time to watch wildlife doing what they do and it's not cool enough to be any kind of an issue.Great time to take a thermos of coffee and just relax...beats the hell out of tv

 

[kshultz]

I thought I would try my luck with a food plot this year. I'll let you know if it brings more deer in.

 

[gary noblit]

Schultzie, Do the deer a favor and plant something that will do them some good in the winter not just bait them for a kill..Yes, I'm a serious hunter also but I do think long term.... Your tilling job looks awesome,very impressive...

 

[kshultz]

Gary,
I planted 7 card stud.

 

[gary noblit]

There's some good winter browse in that..good job !!

 

[kmcconaughey]

It took two deere but I got the deer stand stood upright last night just before the rain came, we got exactly one inch with more expected today. It's been really dry here very thankful for the rain. Now I just have to get the deck boards and railing installed. I will eventually build stairs to get up to it but this year I am planning on using the ladder from a ladder stand that I have.

 

[kshultz]

Food plot coming on strong.

 

[kmcconaughey]

Wow, that grew quick.

 

[gary noblit]

I would be pleased to have a site about 30 yds inside the woods next to that corn add in the extra deer treats it should be awesome...

 

[dschwandt]

I had some mighty fine eating just about ready to pick until these deer found it last week!!GRRRRRR

 

[kshultz]

Kraig - Yes it did grow fast. We've been getting a lot of rain here lately. Everything is growing like crazy.

Gary - My plan is to put up a stand in this tree in the next couple of weeks. I hope to get a trail camera up sometime soon too.

 

[kmcconaughey]

Some time back I added a buried plastic tub for a watering hole, aka "pond". Water does a good job of attracting all sorts of wildlife. The pond is at the base of the tree behind the fawn that's in the foreground. During the summer there are not too many bucks that frequent my property but come fall they show up looking for does. I plan to add a mock scrape near by that I can see from the stand. If you look at the last photo that I posted above of the stand, the scrape will be where I took the photo from. The licking branch will be suspended from the walnut tree that's there. I'll have to trim a bunch of branches off of it first.

Can you spot all six deer?

 

[gary noblit]

In a heartbeat...

 

[gary noblit]

Kraig,am I seeing ears or has my vision got that bad???...you win