Whitetail Deer Hunting Gain a better understanding of the World's most popular big game animal and the techniques that will help you become a better deer hunter.

How's your offseason?

Old 07-24-2015, 09:45 AM
  #1  
Super Moderator
Thread Starter
 
Bocajnala's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Trumbull County, Ohio
Posts: 9,505
Default How's your offseason?

What's everyone up to in their offseason? I typically mow the trails 3 times a year. Usually late spring, august and end of september. But I missed the late spring cut, so this week I've been cutting trails. Have a spot I plan on putting a new ladder stand up as a "guest" stand... One I'll use for guests or if I only have a short time to get out and hunt and need a quick stand set up. I do allot of glassing in the evenings if I have nothing going on and have been seeing two nice bucks pretty regularly... Looks like both will be decent 8 points. What's everyone else up to?
-Jake
Bocajnala is offline  
Old 07-24-2015, 12:27 PM
  #2  
MZS
Typical Buck
 
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Northern WI
Posts: 853
Default

I need to do some stand touchup work soon, inspecting, clearing shooting windows, etc. ! I like to be done with this by mid-August. My winter rye plot gets seeded toward the end of August and I definitely want to be staying clear after this is planted.
MZS is offline  
Old 07-25-2015, 04:35 AM
  #3  
Nontypical Buck
 
alleyyooper's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: MICHIGAN
Posts: 2,568
Talking

I walk the over grown vacant field next door and my woods twice a day every day. Seeing lots of deer does and fawns. Saw 7 different fawns on a recent evening walk. They are hanging in my front yard a lot to keep away from the dam deer flies and mosquitos. Has 5 out there just last night.
Have one doe with triplets and they seem to be just fine. Came across a mess of cauliflower shroons a week ago. Fried lightly and covered with home made beef stew. Going to be a good squirrel season with a bunch running around in the woods, a lot of the black phase now. Only 50 more days.

Seeing a couple bucks but only close enough to see they are bucks, they also do not stand and watch us (pup) walk by like the doe's do.

Corn all around so is going to be tuff hunting till they take it off.



Al
alleyyooper is offline  
Old 07-29-2015, 04:49 AM
  #4  
Spike
 
Wesologist17's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2015
Posts: 18
Default

This year is the first year I have soybeans. Made a small 1 acre plot, fenced it off with a electric fence and its waste high and looking great! Cant wait to drop the fence and start slinging arrows!
About to climb in the stand in the next couple weeks and hang stands.
Wesologist17 is offline  
Old 07-30-2015, 08:04 AM
  #5  
Nontypical Buck
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location:
Posts: 2,186
Default

Off season has been rough.

We have had a ton of work to do at our camp due to damage from an F! tornado .... took down dozens of massive white oaks and dropped many of these blocking our internal road system. Several of us busted our rears for over a week trying to cut away this mess. We barely made a dent. Finally land owner decided to have the work done in order to mitigate possible interference with fire fighting gear making their way through the property. And a great, loud Amen when up for the club guys. Frankly, it was indeed beyond our skills and equipment ot get this many and this large a olie of trees cleared away.

In addition we took on the task of clearing what we call the "firebreaks". These are 10' - 12' wide paths between the planted pines and the hard wood bottoms (SMZ's). Over the years, brush has grown in from the sides and limbs started sagging down so much so that those of us that bush-hog these roads (about 47 miles worth .... two passes with a 6' bush-hog ... about 95 miles of mowing) in early September were being beaten up and cut up by the in-grow. Each of us had about 3 miles worth of woods road assigned tp ujs back in the spring. Took me 8 1/2 days to clear mine. I did mine in April. Some guys have yet to start .... hope they enjoy working in this heat.

Three of us did what we call Phase 1 of our fall food plot prep this past Friday through Turesday, which consisted of bush-hogging and applying herbicides to selected fields. We also did some work in our summer plots ..... high mowed some of the Sunn Hemp and sprayed selective herbicide in our clover fields. It was dang near 80F at 06:30 and the lowest "high" those 5 days was 97F. It got to 99F two days with dew points hoveing around 80. Man it was miserable, work but we got it done.

I had hoped to get a start on setting up a few of my trail cameras and moving a few of my ladder stands that have been unproductive these last 2 seasons or so, but it was just too dang hot and I was too dang pooped come Wednesday to even consider trying.

But ... "I'll be back!" Hopefully in a few days. Maybe a cool front will come through and it will be only 92F or so !!
Mojotex is offline  
Old 07-30-2015, 09:28 AM
  #6  
Nontypical Buck
 
rockport's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2010
Posts: 3,359
Default

Cleaning up after storm after storm.

Went grocery shopping this morning


Last edited by rockport; 07-30-2015 at 09:50 AM.
rockport is offline  
Old 07-30-2015, 09:40 AM
  #7  
Giant Nontypical
 
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Allegan, MI
Posts: 8,019
Default

Nice batch of Crappie fillets that will be mighty tasty!
Topgun 3006 is offline  
Old 07-30-2015, 11:32 AM
  #8  
Fork Horn
 
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: MS
Posts: 343
Default

Been trying to clear out another spot for a food plot. Had to clear a path to the spot & now I'm trying to clear out for the actual food plot ha. Thick is an understatement, but I think it's going to pay off come hunting season. On my way out the door to work Monday, I glanced out the window at our lake & there were 4 bucks grazing & drinking water. Caught me by surprise, I wasn't expecting to see deer! Two were small 8 points & the other two were yearlings. Had to get out the binoculars to get a better look at them! And yes..... I was definitely late for work. haha
BrushyPines is offline  
Old 07-31-2015, 05:18 AM
  #9  
Fork Horn
 
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: Illinois
Posts: 282
Default

I have a small clover plot that I've high-mowed a couple times to keep the weeds down. That's about all I've done so far. I have an older ladder stand that I need to sandblast and re-paint, but that particular job is fairly low on my priority list. Mostly, I'm waiting for cooler weather before I get too excited about anything. Call me lazy, but I don't get too motivated to do anything wild and crazy in the middle of summer.
cjclemens is offline  
Old 07-31-2015, 05:55 AM
  #10  
Nontypical Buck
 
olsaltydog's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Onslow County, NC
Posts: 1,856
Default

Been staying out of the woods due to time constraints but the last few times I went in had my brother in law tagging along. He wants to learn to hunt but other then that I will be playing it by ear this season as it is public land and a lot of activity going on in the areas right now.
olsaltydog is offline  

Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.