A Buck I Call Eyeguard

[Wacenturion]

Now that I have owned the property for 2 1/2 years, I'm starting to recognize different bucks that use the property and name them.  One in particular that I saw earlier this spring standing in one of the food plots looking downhill, gave a good perspective on his width.  If you look at my trailer downhill from him, and use that as a measuring guide,  you'll see he's as wide as that trailer.

His moniker is "Eyeguard".  Longer that normal eyeguards seem pretty common in many of the bucks I am seeing.  Caught him again this morning in the same foodplot apparently tending a doe, or at least following her.

[boneaddict]

Cool buck.   Is that a dropper on him too

[Wacenturion]

I don't think so.  I believe it just something dark in the background that gives that appearance.

[Wacenturion]

After looking at the picture again, I think it's one of my orchard posts in the background that is slightly darker than the field behind it.  Oh, and the reason some of posts look crooked is because they are just in the holes, not set yet, except for some of the corners (12 ft. posts in 4 ft. deep holes).

[Machias]

What are you using in your food plots?  I have been doing some research for when I get moved over to Idaho.  Going to put in about a 2 acre food plot this spring.

[Wacenturion]

What are you using in your food plots?  I have been doing some research for when I get moved over to Idaho.  Going to put in about a 2 acre food plot this spring.

I'm still in the experimental stage so to speak.  I reseeded my atv grass planting, to clover last fall since they were essentially turned to powder after fire crews and trucks accessed them on my property to stop an adjacent fire.  Wouldn't you know, a summer with 89 days of no precipatation.  Clover didn't do well once it got hot.  Have tried various things and mixes in the food plots.  Have used Whitetail Institute stuff for the most part.  Chickory seems to do ok and the alfalfa was growing.  Clover, verdict still out, although Berseem clover, an annual which was in the mix, did pretty well in a plot planted with Whitetail Extreme.  That mix also has about 65% small burnett, which so far, I'm impressed with.

Annual and fall plots, still experimenting as well.  Planted a mixture of things this past spring and one being sorgum that was doing well untill I sprayed.  Was the only thing in the mixture that the Arrest Max I was using would kill.  My mistake.  Deer were nipping it off as soon as it got up around an inch.  The rest of the annual spring stuff also suffered from the lask of moisture last summer.  Replanted it to a fall mixture of turnips, radishes, rape, winter peas and oats.  Planted late due to dry conditions.  Growing, but may end up providing more early spring than through the winter.

After an infestation of Mayweed, or Dog Fennel, I did reseed the perennial plots this September with clover, small burnett and chickory.  The initial stuff was still there after being grazed to the ground.  The Dog Fennel is an annual and when it comes back in June I'll mow the plot before it flowers.  Then stay on it.  Didn't  bother the deer, as they just grazed under it.  By overseeding heavily in September and hopefully doing some frost plantings this coming March, I hope to get a jump start for spring.

Have to say, the deer hammer pretty much anything that was desirable popping out of the ground.  Got a good start and some height, but lack of moisture, heat and continued grazing put it all at ground level.

In the first picture below the upper plot was seeded to Whitetail Extreme in early spring, the second after the Mayweed infestation, and the third this fall.  As you can see continued use and still getting use even with much height.  If you compare the third picture to the one of the turkeys below, you can see the green growing and filling in.

Turkeys still hitting it as well..........picture from this morning

[kevinlisa06]

Have you tried any Chufa for the Turkey?


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[Wacenturion]

Have you tried any Chufa for the Turkey?


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Yes....didn't seem to work.  Some grew above ground, but didn't mature.  I may try some again.

[Machias]

Awesome, thanks!!!!!

[cem3434]

How many acres do you have and in what general area?

[Wacenturion]

Blues....117.5 acres.

[cem3434]

Looks like a nice spread. I wish I had the money to buy my own little get away like that.

[bearpaw]

What are you using in your food plots?  I have been doing some research for when I get moved over to Idaho.  Going to put in about a 2 acre food plot this spring.

I've been playing around with plots for a while, I've learned you need to figure out what works best for each spot. It varies depending on type of land and moisture available. Clover works great if there is enough moisture, if not clover will dry up. I put some ryegrass for new lawn this fall at my house and the deer walked past the clover to eat young ryegrass? I am convinced there is no one single best thing for all times of the year, you need multiple types of plants for the best attraction over the longest time frame. It's definitely a lot of fun messing around with it!

[Wacenturion]

I know that with the large number of turkeys on the place and surrounding area, as well as a couple coveys of quail and the occasional pheasant that I hear crowing in the spring, I'll be putting in a new plot with primarily sorgum with sunflowers.  I know the sorgum grew well until I sprayed it thinking it wouldn't be affected.  Sunflowers should do well if the deer don't hammer the emerging growth.  May reap some additional benefits dove wise first of September.

Photo shows a sorgum plant squared off on the end from deer browsing.  If you looked at 10 sorgum plants, 8 were nipped as shown in picture.

[bearpaw]

I haven't tried sorghum, maybe I'll have to try some.