Great Opening Weekend
03-19-2014, 11:27 AM
#1
Nontypical Buck
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Join Date: Jan 2008
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Posts: 2,186
Great Opening Weekend
Despite 1.75" of rain falling Sunday, the 4 of us that hunted this weeknd had a great time. Big fun and some good luck. Toms were gobbling their brains out every morning. One guy killed a tripple bearded, 1" spur Tom Saturday morning. Another guy killed his first ever "self called" up Tom ... a Jake ... Saturday afternoon. A nice 9" bearded Tom was taken off a food plot Sunday afternoon. And a huge double bearded Tom (11" & 9") with 1+" , hooked spurs was taken Monday morning. It was whopper of a gobbler. Weighed just a tad over 25# on our el cheapo deer scales. Me? I was skunked but had 'em all around me. Could have killed a Jake but passed. Just never got a good one in range. Headed back this weekend.
03-20-2014, 10:54 AM
#4
Nontypical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location:
Posts: 2,186
Mr. Longbeard ... I have photos of the two big birds my buddies killed and will post them as soon as I can figure out how !!
We do have a pretty good spot. A 3150 acre pine plantation with pines in age ranging from about 15 years to about 30 years old. Fortunately, the land owner left much wider than required stream side management zones as the timber was being cut. Man you should have seen it before the clear cutting! What a beautiful forest !! All of the SMZ's are loaded with big hardwood timber. Lots of acorns. Great roosting areas.
We lease the property, so we have to stay within the landowner's wishes. Fortunately, the relationship is great and as long as we are not reducing the value of the land or timber, we can do what we can afford.
A fuel cut thinning of about 500 acres 4 years back and the annual control burning programs have helped a lot, plus we maintain about 40 acres of food plots. An additional 550 acres will get a first cut thinning later this summer and another 55 +/- taht was ruined by an arson fire will be cleared and replanted in pines. Probably planted this winter. So it should soon be getting even better for the deer and turkeys down the road.
We do have a pretty good spot. A 3150 acre pine plantation with pines in age ranging from about 15 years to about 30 years old. Fortunately, the land owner left much wider than required stream side management zones as the timber was being cut. Man you should have seen it before the clear cutting! What a beautiful forest !! All of the SMZ's are loaded with big hardwood timber. Lots of acorns. Great roosting areas.
We lease the property, so we have to stay within the landowner's wishes. Fortunately, the relationship is great and as long as we are not reducing the value of the land or timber, we can do what we can afford.
A fuel cut thinning of about 500 acres 4 years back and the annual control burning programs have helped a lot, plus we maintain about 40 acres of food plots. An additional 550 acres will get a first cut thinning later this summer and another 55 +/- taht was ruined by an arson fire will be cleared and replanted in pines. Probably planted this winter. So it should soon be getting even better for the deer and turkeys down the road.
