Ranch Dog
08-23-2004, 06:37 PM
August is deer survey month for managed lands in Texas so to help the lady I leased my hog ranch from, I've been doing the deer count everyday I'm home. The place is an odd shape, 250 yards wide but a mile and a half long. I drive through to the back which meets the Guadalupe River. I just drive and count them on the way in.
To make the looking easier, a couple of weeks ago I started feeding the road on the way in with the tailgate feeder on my Jeep. The Jeep is yellow so I think they think it's a kurnel of corn!
Went in today just after a heavy thunderstorm and it was best day yet. I saw 11 does, 8 fawns, and 6 bucks. I saw four bucks as I went through the gate, they where laying under some mesquite trees and they stood up when they saw me. I couldn't quite see their horns so I just waited them out. FOUR TEN-POINTERS! The smallest was about 14" inside and the largest 19" inside but he was a bit special. He had a 5" drop tine!
The other two bucks I saw have become my buds... a 3 and and a very small 8-point. I stop and feed them. Got the 3-pointer to the point that he will just about take it out of my hand. The 8-point will let me set corn on the ground and then let back off about 10 yards.
All this has a purpose... trying to hunt hogs with all these deer around you is tough. Constantly spooking and running everywhere. The last evening I hunted, these two bucks pretty much stayed within 15-yards of me... didn't let any of the does eat any of my hog corn and pretty much kept things in order. Deer always let you know when hogs are coming.
Unfortunately, I won't be able to continue to develop these two guys into hog hunters as I loose this place on Sep 1st to the deer hunters and won't be back until Feb 1st. Fortunately, my two trainees aren't in a heap of trouble as you have to shoot 10-pointers with a spread outside the ears as part of the management plan.
I'm going to miss this place over the winter, even stopped by the lady's place and offered to buy it. No dice.
Michael
To make the looking easier, a couple of weeks ago I started feeding the road on the way in with the tailgate feeder on my Jeep. The Jeep is yellow so I think they think it's a kurnel of corn!
Went in today just after a heavy thunderstorm and it was best day yet. I saw 11 does, 8 fawns, and 6 bucks. I saw four bucks as I went through the gate, they where laying under some mesquite trees and they stood up when they saw me. I couldn't quite see their horns so I just waited them out. FOUR TEN-POINTERS! The smallest was about 14" inside and the largest 19" inside but he was a bit special. He had a 5" drop tine!
The other two bucks I saw have become my buds... a 3 and and a very small 8-point. I stop and feed them. Got the 3-pointer to the point that he will just about take it out of my hand. The 8-point will let me set corn on the ground and then let back off about 10 yards.
All this has a purpose... trying to hunt hogs with all these deer around you is tough. Constantly spooking and running everywhere. The last evening I hunted, these two bucks pretty much stayed within 15-yards of me... didn't let any of the does eat any of my hog corn and pretty much kept things in order. Deer always let you know when hogs are coming.
Unfortunately, I won't be able to continue to develop these two guys into hog hunters as I loose this place on Sep 1st to the deer hunters and won't be back until Feb 1st. Fortunately, my two trainees aren't in a heap of trouble as you have to shoot 10-pointers with a spread outside the ears as part of the management plan.
I'm going to miss this place over the winter, even stopped by the lady's place and offered to buy it. No dice.
Michael