NEW! Articles about managing your land for more and bigger deer   HOME HUNTING FISHING CAMPING SHOOTING ATV'S ORGANIZATIONS LAND OWNERS LINKS LAND FOR LEASE   MDC'S LAND OWNER TIPS

Forest nursery has quail cover bundles Plants that provide food and habitat for quail are among the wide variety of native trees and shrubs available from MDC nursery. LICKING, Mo. –This year's bumper crop at the Missouri Department of Conservation George O. White Nursery provides state residents with endless land management opportunities. Nursery Supervisor Greg Hoss says 2001 has been a very productive year for virtually everything the nursery planted.  "The number of trees and shrubs available are as high as I have ever seen produced in a single year," says Hoss. "We have lots of oaks, pines, plums and many of the other popular species that are produced annually, as well as new species that can be used for everything from windbreaks to wildlife cover." The new offerings include a Quail Cover Bundle. Each bundle contains 10 wild plum seedlings, 10 fragrant sumac seedlings and 10 silky dogwood seedlings, 10 rough-leaf dogwood seedlings and 10 false indigo seedlings. Quail Cover Bundles also come with planting tips for maximum benefit to quail.  Another new species available this year is the Norway spruce, an evergreen that makes great windbreaks and shelter belts for wildlife. One of the Norway spruce's most attractive features is that it is less attractive to deer than other evergreens. Those interested in wildlife management also may consider ordering roundheaded bush clover and slender bush clover. The species provide food and cover for turkeys and small game species.  Landowners who have lost oak trees to oak wilt or oak decline have many options for replacing trees. The nursery has an abundance of several varieties of oaks.  Most are sold in bundles of 25 that cost $3 to $10. Order forms, including lists of available seedlings and bundles will be available November 15 at Conservation Department offices throughout the state, or online at www.missouriconservation.org. Use the keyword seedlings to access the seedling order form.  If you would like to be placed on the mailing list for an order form call the George O. White Nursery at 573/674-3229.  Orders are filled on a first-come, first-served basis, so it's best to order early.  In addition to spelling out which plants you want, the order form allows you to specify when you want the plants delivered by mail, or whether you prefer to pick them up at the nursery.  MDC sends you a notice two weeks before the delivery date stating what plants it can furnish.  This notice also serves as a billing statement.  Seedlings are shipped after payment is received.  Deliveries take place from February through May. - Arleasha Mays  -      Here is a good link to a story on the MDC page about how to grow minows.  Why would you want to grow minnows?  Bass like to eat em!  MINNOWS WHY USE MINERAL SUPPLEMENTS

Allen Morris Land Management Editor for the North Missouri Sportsmen's Information Network About the Author Allen is a 21 year deer hunting veteran who has spent most of his hunting time in the Missouri Ozarks.  He hunts on a piece of land called the Turkey Buzzard Inn.  He has studied deer management and increasing deer populations and has improved this piece of ozark wilderness to a point where seeing deer is not a problem any more.  He has been published in a variety of deer hunting magazines with several articles about deer management and deer hunting. We figured if he can turn around a piece of Ozark rock and clay just think what his methods could do for your North Missouri property. Articles by Allen:  Staying Scent Free  WHAT MISSOURI CAN DO FOR YOU? WHITETAIL DEER HOMEMADE MINERAL MIX RECIPE

HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS

The first question each landowner has to ask him or herself. What is going to be the main animal they are going to manage the land for? This is where the human relationship and one of the first and most influential driving factors starts.

This human relationship even has different driving factors inside this most influential driving factor. What the person enjoys watching, hunting, or even has decided to try to make the almighty dollar on some type of wildlife and wildlife management, which entails land management and manipulation of the current situation.

The human relationship and it’s manipulation of the land and wildlife is like dropping a rock into water the ripples or what we call affects and the land and it’s wildlife constantly move outward and onward. Never returning back to the source.

HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS - VIEWING WILDLIFE

This part of the human relationship with land and the animals takes the least amount of manipulation to the land, and requires the maximum manipulation of the wildlife itself, which could cause the most negative impact on the wildlife if not monitored.

With the main purpose of viewing wildlife being the driving factor in the person’s mind. A central location, such as a salt lick, feeding station, or water source will be all that is required. This type of manipulation can make the lowest of population of animals seem like a huge population. By bringing all the animals to on central location for viewing. Other than free access to the central location no other manipulation of the land is necessary.

This can be seen with every bird feeder in the world. Which give bird watchers, something to enjoy and even bring a little of the natural heritage of enjoying nature back in to their lives. That may have been buried in the modern day times of computers and work environments. This central location of a feeding station can be enjoyed from the big city to the small farm.

The more rural the location, the more wildlife that will be viewed from a feeding station, salt lick, and watering hole, but with a cost. This type central location is the most covenant for the person, but is the most un-natural state in which all wildlife can exist. This type central location can increase population to an un-natural state by providing food when no food may be available. Can make wildlife dependent if not other food source is as easy to consume. Can condense existing population in smaller areas to obtain this food source.

This type of human manipulation must be monitored to keep a balance, even if a natural state can never be obtained, it still needs to be monitored to keep negative effects from occurring.

HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS – HUNTING

Every highway, road, city, building, school, subdivision and house in this modern day has had an affect on the wildlife. The wildlife today has either been eliminated because of social un-acceptance like large predators or has been condense to smaller ranges.

Hunting may be the closest thing to a natural state and the manipulation of the land and its wildlife.

With humans taking place of the natural large predators that have been eliminated keep the current wildlife population in check.

Hunting organization, license, and fees put money back into improving habitat for wildlife which has manipulated some of the current wildlife population like White-tailed Deer and Wild Turkey to populations over and beyond what biologist believe ever existed.

The effects that have to be monitored in hunting are age structures, sex ratio’s and harvest totals of different wildlife species to make sure that they are in balance with the current habitat.

HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS – ECONOMICS

When land and wildlife managers use the current resources as a source of income. This is when it becomes the most natural or un-natural state. Both the land and the wildlife can be manipulated to an age structure, sex ratio or population that is the most economically profitable. This may or may not be the ideal situation for the wildlife or the land. With money being the driving factor, the wildlife population can be made to surpass the habitat. The age structure can be skewed to the majority of mature adults. Age structure can be adjusted that is the most beneficial to the owners.

With a monitored system that is in tune with the current habitat and the biologist best guess at a natural state the wildlife and it’s land can be brought to the closest natural state of age structure, sex ratio, and population. With money still being the driving factor, and with ethics as an secondary driving factor coming into play for a true wild state of existence. The human relationship can in this case, be the best or worse and is a narrow road to follow.

ENVIRONMENT, ATTITUDES AND BEHAVIORS

Manipulation of habitat to bring the highest population of animals in front of the hunter in the shortest amount of time, take a certain type of management tactics that also has to be accomplished on weekends.

The NO. 1 question the hunter/wildlife/land manager must ask him or herself is. Why does the wildlife need and want to be on their land? This question needs to answered and ask multiple times. Until multiple food sources, mineral requirements, water sources and cover are all in the answers. The objective will always be just out of your reach, because every time you change something to the habitat, the wildlife will adjust and then you will have to adjust. Along with education of what the habitat will require.

In today’s modern times most don't have a lot of free time due to family and work.

Taking books to work and reading over a lunch hour is the first part of educating one’s self to what and the habitat will require. Most will be amazed how much can be read and learned over time. These are some of the better resource for food plots that will be required to bring in the most wildlife like deer for the weekends when in today’s environment the hunter will be hunting.

GUIDE TO ABUNDANT WILDLIFE, by Randall Rogers

QUALITY WHITETAILS by Karl Miller and Larry Marchinton

WHITE-TAILED DEER ECOLOGY and MANAGEMENT by Lowell Halls

FOOD FOR GAME by Dan Moultrie and Tony Kinton

HOW TO ATTRACT WHITETAILS by Larrry Weishuhn

GAME MANAGEMENT by Aldo Leopold

Also Wildlife Organization like National Wild Turkey Federation, Quail Unlimited, Quality Whitetails and the tons of other organization that are out there. All have tons of free brochures on improving habitat.

Also in today’s world there are ton’s of video’s on starting food plots, and they will provide base to start with.

Along with the Internet, which is a modern day biologist on-line. You can find unlimited amount of information from, states game and fish agency including all the other great Internet hunting and hunting organization sites.

MANAGEMENT TACTICS - LOCATION OF FOOD PLOTS

Which leads us to the first step as a hunter/wildlife/land manager all wrapped up into a weekend warrior. Food plots are by no means an over night fix but after a just one year, most will probably start noticing a difference.

This will improve weekend hunter chances when they get to hunt by concentrating deer and turkey around a central location and improve the habitat by improving the quality and quantity of the wildlife.

Late Winter or Early Spring is a great time of the year. No leaves on the trees, no ticks or chiggers to worry about and you can see a long ways through the woods. Of course depending on what part of the country the landowner is in they will have to adjust to the month that is best for them.

One thing to look for are trails if you haven't seen the deer travel through your area you should be able to find trails a little easier this time of year. Due to the fact that leaves have been off of the trees for good amount of time, which makes them, lay down more on the forest floor, so the paths are little easier to find.

Taking color-marking tape, which is used when tracking deer during the hunting seasons. Find that area in the woods that is not to steep, and you believe to be next to game trails. Don't make the trail part of your food plot make it next to it find two parallel trails try to make it between them. Also rake the leaves away to see if you have some soil to work with or rock not to.

Before marking off the food plot. Now is time to decide how to remove the trees. The best way is with a bulldozer, it removes the stumps, and is the fastest but cost the most, shop around find out how much they charge per hour and their minimum amount.

If this works for you can have a little bigger food plot.

The next way is with chain saws and limb saws. This is labor intensive and may take a few of addition individuals to help. Small plots and may take a few weekends to be ready to plant, one weekend to cut and remove trees, one weekend to rake leaves to have to soil exposed to plant.

Either way now it is time to mark off the trees, mark off the big one's to keep. Then step two the next big tree to keep, the area that is going to be cleared, try to keep the small trees in that area. Making a circle, semi-circle, figure eight, L-shape and Boomerang shapes just always keep the orange markers in site which will allow them to end where it started.

Stranger the shape, better the deer like it. Also by keeping the bigger trees, that produce acorns; will produce better due to less competition for water and light.

When cutting trees down or bulldozing. Make like a fence around the clearing, leaving opening in place you would like to hunt or fences that guide them to narrows on food plots for shooting lanes. These areas the first year will be like funnels into the food plots. The piles will also providing cover for the deer, turkey, rabbits and any other wildlife that needs cover. Why manage for one when you can manage for all in a good wildlife plan.

MANAGEMENT TACTICS - FOOD PLOT

Now its time to plant, we plant around the end of February. Things like red clover, which can take the heat and cost less. Ladino clover which the deer and turkey prefer but cost more and does not like dry areas.

Planting different seeds like Whitetail Clover, No – Plow, Red Clover, Ladino Clover, White Dutch Clover, Corn, Soybeans, Wheat, Milo, Sunflowers, Turnips, Winter Peas, Biologic, Alfalfa, Lespedeza, Mr. Whitetail Products and Tecomate seed. Each weekend hunter/wildlife/land manager – weekend warrior will have to decide what works best for the area.

Helpful hints ask some farmers if they have any seed left over, might just get some cheap or free. Even if the seed is a last years or older, who cares most are not trying to grow it for harvest, they are trying to draw in the wildlife to your area. Also, you can get free seed from your Conservation Agents. Most of the time it is first come first served. Along with Wildlife Organization have some great seed prices.

 Everyone recommends testing the soil. But, sometimes only having the weekend to plant, and don't have time to send off for test. Buying your own testers at local lawn and garden stores.

Most will not able to put as much lime or fertilizer as need but at least they know if you need to add some. Lawn and Garden stores sell Pellitized lime that works great. If you find an old metal bed frame that you can drag after seeding, that will give just enough to cover for the seed to take hold. Don’t worry about over planting between the birds and the turkey they will start thinning it out. Then the deer will start eating as soon as it comes out of the ground.

Small food plot under an acre, plant heavy the deer will and turkey will concentrate on a small area food source.

Other things that can be planted like, Dwarf Apple trees in area without can provide additional food sources. Sooner they are planted then the sooner the wildlife will have another food source in a couple of years. Don't forget to put chicken wire around them or the rabbits and deer will eat the trees. Mulch will help the trees from drying out during the summer.

WEEKEND WARRIOR EQUIPMENT

What I use to do by hand that took several weekends to accomplish can be done in just a weekend, with today ATV’s and ATV Equipment. Seeder that goes around your neck and crank is can be replaced by the ATV seeder can now make planting even faster. One of the most impressive pieces of equipment for ATV’s is the Heavy Duty 64” inch Tandem Disc with Electric Actuator which is a must. With one pass the ground is now something you can work with.

ATV and equipment has gone beyond the weekend warrior dreams. Just to list a few, Tandem Disc, 60” Rear Blade, 60 inch Cultivator, Trailer Sprayer, Spreader, Utility Trailer, and Brush Cut Mowers. Most local area store’s do not carry these items. So I will give you a place to get your start looking for what you might need. WEEKEND WARRIOR www.weekend-warrior.com or call 1-866-539-8944. I suggest you get a catalog

MANAGEMENT TACTICS - THE OASIS

Also if you don't have any pine trees in the area which deer prefer to rub because of holding their scent better. You can get them from the forestry division of the conservation department for little to nothing.

Just like apple trees if every year you say I need to plant these and don’t that is one more growing season you have missed.

Adding a water source in your area will be the best thing you could ever do after establishing food plots.

Remember a good watershed is needed to keep it filled and use sakcrete concrete to make a little spillway. Then planting clover around it will be an added benefit.

This watering holes become a drive through for most of the deer and turkey in the area. This is even with Rivers a ½ mile away and a large pond ½ mile away in the other direction. All this does is putting this in is now the deer and turkey don’t have to travel that ½ mile to get a drink. Instead they come to a little oasis. Just think about it this way, if gas is the same price would you fill up next door or around the block if you had that choice.

This will give the deer and turkey a reason to be in that area, something they can't live without, food and water.

MANAGEMENT TACTICS - FINAL THOUGHT

Food plots are a trial and error project and it depends on the area of the country. By getting a surveillance game camera, will tell if things are improving and can hunt the 5 days most don’t get to. But if weekend hunter/wildlife/land manager – weekend warrior don't try then they won’t succeed.

With success will come the only weekend most have to hunt and most will get to watch just one deer or turkey eat or drink the hard work within bow range will be the most gratifying feel they will have as an weekend hunter/wildlife/land manager – weekend warrior

ETHICS IN MODERN DAY MANAGEMENT

Since there is no turning back time and there is no true natural state of wildlife or land because of human factors. Everything we do has to be driving by what we see in the mirror. That is the draw to hunting and management of wildlife. It is not a sport with fans cheering or booing, it is a heritage that is only celebrate by what you don’t do or do when we as hunters/wildlife/land managers and human care takers of the land do when stand alone in the woods.

Ethics in management can not be forced, or in-forced with laws, it can only be taught by example by one’s own actions. When one landowner shows improvement most will follow. That is way it so important to start. 

The human relationship and it’s manipulation of the land and wildlife and the ethics involved in doing so, is like dropping a rock into water the ripples or what we call affects and the land and it’s wildlife constantly move outward and onward. Never returning back to the source.

Hope to see you in the woods or on the water. Horntagger.

 Back to Top

When Should You Order Tree Seedlings?
Conservation Department nursery encourages Missourians to go nuts.

LICKING, Mo.--Each year the Conservation Department's George O. White Nursery near Licking offers approximately 60 species of trees and shrubs for reforestation, wildlife habitat improvement, windbreaks, erosion control and other environmental uses.

Large-growing tree species available this year include 12 species of oak, black walnut, pecan, hickory, green and white ash, bald cypress and many more. The nursery also grows a variety of small trees and shrubs, including three species of dogwood, wild plum, redbud, aromatic and smooth sumac and hawthorn.

In addition, they offer three special bundles, each containing several species. This year, the nursery is offering a bundle of extra-large nut trees. This bundle includes 15 pecan seedlings two feet and taller, and 15 black walnut seedlings measuring three feet or more.

Missourians can order seedlings from November through May 1. Most are sold in bundles of 25 that are very reasonably priced. Order forms, including lists of available seedlings and bundles, are available from Missouri Department of Conservation, 14027 Shafer Road, Licking, MO 65542, 573/674-3229, or you can order on line at http://www.mdc.mo.gov/forest/nursery/seedling/ starting November 15.

Orders are filled on a first-come, first-served basis, so it's best to order early. In addition to spelling out which plants you want, the order form allows you to specify when you want the plants delivered. The trees will be shipped to you or you may prefer to pick them up at the nursery from February through May.

-Jim Low -

WHAT MISSOURI CAN DO FOR YOU?
Private Land Ownership Program
By Allen "horntagger" Morris

  My Best Guess

  For the last several years' family and friends have helped me cut in food plots with limbs saws, chain saws, bulldozers. Then we started planting food plots with everything from Imperial Whitetail Clover, Suchtash, Mossy Oak Biologic, Alfalfa, Wheat, Sunflowers, Soybeans, Corn, Milo, Regal White Clover, and Medium Red Top Clover. Also added 8 apple trees and pine trees along with 3 salt licks, 30-06 licks, and Deer Cane licks. Two years ago we added an isolated watering hole and started supplement feeding during fawning and antler growth periods of the year. All this is on my Grandma's farm of 47 acres in Ripley County, Missouri.
All this was accomplished with the help of reading numerous books, my best guess, camtrakker surveillance camera to see how many and quality of whitetails using the area, a lot of trial and error, which cost me money and valuable time in the long run.

  A New Program

  In 2000 the Missouri Department of Conservation announced the Private Landowners Assistance Program. This peaked my interest.
So a few months into the year I e-mailed MDC and with a very prompt reply they forward my name and number to Brad Mckee a Private Land Conservationist who would be getting in contact with me in a short time.

  Just before turkey season Brad called and we had a very nice talk over the phone about the MDC program and the farm in Ripley County and what my goals are for the wildlife. Brad noted that they had a few more weeks of training to do and of course a small break for Spring Turkey Season. I always appreciate a man with my same priorities. Brad said he would give me a call back as soon as possible so we could set an appointment. So in June, Brad called and we set July 8th at 9:00 a.m. as our first meeting.

  Walking the Land

  I did not know what to expect. But at 9:00 a.m. right on time he showed up. Giving Brad a few general introductions of the history and lay of the land and the surrounding the farm. We started the tour.
We walk to our food plot on the ridge, then to the food plot in the valley that is now planted with white and red clover. Then we went by the watering hole, pine trees, and apple tress and the supplement feeding area. He asked a few general questions about our up keep and planting, fertilizer and feeding routines.
He noted how well the food plots look and gave me the suggestion of keeping the ph, potash, and phosphorous up to the needed levels and not allowing other plants to compete to much. He also stated how some of the Missouri Biologist recommend, instead of trying some marketed products,  mixed white and red clover works well in Missouri food plots.  Something that had taken me several years to figure out, he told me in about a minute.
Also, one part of the habitat I have known about but did not have any experience in (and more than likely never will) is timber management. Brad showed me an example in one part of the woods on how the small whiteoaks are competing with other small trees and what could be done.
After about two to three hours of showing him the farm, pictures from the camtrakker and meeting the adjacent landowner we parted ways. But before Brad left he told me that he would gather some information together and get it in the mail to me.

  Follow Up

  A few weeks later, I received a very nice letter and three Missouri landowner management books that I had never seen before. I have read all three and learned something from all of them. About a week after that he sent a Deer Mineral Recipe from a Missouri Biologist which I have tried and have had some outstanding results with the use of since August.
Also after the letter Brad dropped off a couple of bags of wheat, mixed clover and lespedeza.
Also he has offered three times to come back over in the beginning of 2001 and help with the marking of  timber to cut, to help the white oaks.
We have also talked on the phone a few times and have exchanged a few letters and e-mail back and fourth. To the point I believe I have found someone I can trust and call a new friend.

  High Marks

  I believe with people like Brad Mckee along with the Missouri Private Land Assistants Program that Missouri Landowners and Missouri Wildlife can do nothing but benefit from this program.
What I believe the Missouri Department of Conservation is going to do for the landowner, is to cut the time and wasted money we all spend by using their concentrated experience from their Conservationist, Biologist, and other resources which we can not afford or do not have the time to acquire.

  Bonus (Deer Mineral Information from Don Smith to Brad Mckee to Allen Morris and now to my friends Missouri Deer Hunters)

  Here is a little information I put together on this deer mineral and minerals in general. This recipe mix was given to me by Don Smith, Wildlife Management Biologist out of West Plains. As for credit, I'm not sure who came up with this first since I've seen this recipe on the web since we started talking about this. I guess what I'm saying is don't give us credit in the article for coming up with this mix, were just passing on the info.

  Thanks,

DESK HUNTING

YEARS PAST

Full Moon – 19%
First Quarter – 29%
Last Quarter – 33%

Now if we add the year 2000 to the percentages of the daytime movements the percentages change but the moon phase don’t.

New Moon – 14 %
Full Moon – 16%
First Quarter – 33%
Last Quarter – 39%

Now what I find interesting about the numbers above is that 188 deer sighted only account for 20% of the deer movement. The other 80% occur at night. When firearms season starts the daytime movement goes down to 10%.

HOURS SPENT HUNTING

Chufa is a sedge, a native of Africa and Southern Europe. Its leaves are grass-like and grow 18-24 inches high.Chufa produces small, sweet, underground tubers, commonly called nuts, usually not over ½ inch in diameter and one inch in length.They weigh 44 pounds per bushel.Yields vary from 1,000 to, rarely 5000 pounds per acre.

Varieties: There is only one commercially available.

Uses: Wildlife. Tubers are a choice of geese, and ducks, wild turkey, deer, raccoon, and squirrels.The seeds have little or no value as wildlife food.

Soil adaptation: Well drained to poorly drained soils.

Cultural Specifications:

Methods of establishments:By planting the tubers.

Fertility requirements: Moderate, chiefly nitrogen.Fertilize with 200-300lbs. 13-13-13.

Calcium need: Low

Best Planting Time: May-August.

Rate and spacing to plant:30 to 40 pounds per acre, in rows 2 ½ to three feet apart at six to 11 inch spacing in the row, or wider, with several tubers per hill. If broadcast, plant 40-60 pounds per acre.

Cultivation: Keep clean as for any row crop. Land may be rotated with other crops.

Maintenance of planting: Some volunteering will take place on larger planting for one or more years but replanting is advised for continual crops. Rotate to new site after three to four years.

Size of planting for wildlife: Plantings less that three acres in size are often destroyed by raccoons. Turkey, deer, and other wildlife dig the tubers. Chufa planting is not recommended near large raccoon populations unless control programs are carried out unless your are managing for raccoons.

Chufa are highly used by turkeys, but Chufa are usually eaten by the time the spring turkey season rolls around.

MOST SIGNIFICANT CHANGE IN HUNTING

YOUR OWN PROFESSIONAL GUIDE

The service a professional guide provides us is the fact that he scouts the land and the animals before we arrive in a place we have never hunted before or cannot scout before we hunt. That now has become the job of the surveillance game cameras on our own land.

Another purpose for this tool and it’s original purpose was to help biologist across the world keep track of animals without become to intrusive to the animal surroundings and daily routine.

What this has done for the hunter and land owner trying to create habitat for local wildlife such as deer is to give all of us an idea what kind of deer are passing through the land. Along with what deer have made it’s home range on your land and how healthy they look.

As a game management tool there is not one single thing that can help us solve the life long question. What works and what does not work? 

When it come to planting food plots, cutting timber, putting in watering holes, mineral licks and in general the habitat we have provided for the deer on our land. Time and money can be wasted. These surveillance game cameras can help reduce the time on things that don’t work and can help by spending money on things that do.

They can also show the main direction of deer travel through your land and allow you to place food plots in areas you may have never thought of.

Basically you can become your own type of wildlife biologist on your own land.

NOT JUST FOR DEER

Surveillance game cameras are just not for deer. They can also tell you how many and what size of wild turkey’s consist in the flock you have in your own little hunter’s paradise.

You don’t have to wait until you’re local game and fish biologist tells you how the state or regional spring hatchwas for turkey. It might be completely different once you have looked at your pictures.

In the fall I have found that you can pattern wild turkey travel time in an area, if you have watering holes on your land and a surveillance game camera. Those two things during a dry season can make you buy film by the bags full.

Along with hundreds of deer and turkey pictures the surveillance game camera has taken in Southern Missouri they have also taken pictures of armadillos, coyotes, bobcats, grey foxes, dogs, raccoons, grey and fox squirrels, and rabbits.

Which can also be a valuable tool when trying to determine the amount and type of predators you may be competing with.

NO LIMIT

It basically comes down to, that there is no limit to the use of these surveillance game cameras. With some surveillance game cameras imprinting time and date.

They can show what time deer and turkey travel. Which with keeping track of what type of weather they move the most in, which moon phases effect the deer the most, the temperature that increase movement and how hunting pressure, pre-rut and rut affects the movement of free ranging deer on your land.

Along with introducing you kids on what type of local wildlife roams around the farm or the woods they may be hunting that day.

Instead of looking at tracks guessing if it was a buck, when you look at the track in front of a camera and then look at your pictures you can know for sure and in turn makes the hunter want to stay longer and hunt.

Plus it is just like Christmas every time you get a roll of film developed. First you can’t wait and in turn you will find the closet 1-hour photo service and you never know what will be inside that next stack of pictures.

Hope to see you in the woods. horntagger

TRADITIONAL VS QUALITY

Missouri has been TRADITIONAL DEER MANAGEMENT which means we have protected the does and have unlimited harvest of bucks in all age class. The younger bucks have taken the majority of harvest by Missouri Hunters.

What does this mean to the deer population and you? Well let’s take a look in areas that have been study, that have been TRADITIONAL DEER MANAGEMENT over the years.

DOES = 85% of the deer population

BUCKS 2 ½ years old or less = 10% of the deer population.

BUCKS 2 ½ years old to 4 ½ years old = 5% of the deer population.

BUCKS 4 ½ years old and up = 1% of the deer population.

Remember it takes around 3 ½ years old before a Buck is even consider a mature whitetail. Also when a buck reaches 3 ½ years of age with the correct nutrition the buck has reached 80% potential of its antler growth compared to a 1 ½ year old only has 10% of its antler growth. If a buck reaches 4 ½ years of age it has reached 90% of its potential antler growth. The traditional deer population is considered un-natural since does have been protected.

When a shift is made and does are no longer protected then the quality of the entire herd benefits but the bucks end up with the biggest benefit.

Study’s that have what is called QUALITY DEER MANAGEMENT the population changes for the better.

DOES = 50% of the deer population

BUCKS 2 ½ years old or less = 12.5 % of the deer population

BUCKS 2 ½ years old to 4 ½ years old = 25% of the deer population

BUCKS 4 ½ years old and up = 12.5 % of the deer population

If you look at the numbers you have a 1 to 1 ratio between bucks and does and you can then see a visible rut and now have a more natural deer population.

Missouri for the first time last year is headed in that direction when more does where harvested than bucks.

TAKE MORE DOES AND TAKE THEM EARLY.

Here are 5 main reasons to take more does off your property and why each bow hunter should take as many doe as possible. Plus with even more reasons inside of each main reason to take more does.

Like in my area I still have a limit of two deer with my bow. But the first tag will be for a doe the very first time she pops her head out. The other tag will be for a Trophy Class buck if one presents it self. If I could buy more bow tags early in my area I would just to take more does.

BALANCE

To balance out the buck to doe ratio, if you take a doe early in the season by the time the rut comes around there are less doe deer in the woods and that makes the big boys want to roam more and you have the chance to see the trophy deer.

If you don’t then the big bucks don’t have to roam as far when they have a harem of does. Also remember this year fawn doe will be able to breed and have one fawn next year. So this year fawn doe harvest will make a difference.

But the mature doe harvest will even do more. In captivity it has been found that a mature doe of 17 ½ years was still having twins. So just because a doe is old it is not barren.

Basically you can start to get a visible rut in which everyone wants to see. Plus you will see more competition between bucks if fewer does are available in which case the dominate genetics which is what nature wants will be passed.

Plus if you are going to harvest a doe late in the season all you have done is waste the buck’s energy in chasing does that will no longer exists. So if taken early then the bucks will get his breeding done on time and save energy, which is weight and health, and start the next year even better.

Also when breeding season gets here you don’t have young buc