Loving the content more than ever Bill because we'll get the opportunity to see the full life cycle of the dream farm (Winke willing of course!). Have a nice break and trip if you make any!
We will keep doing this for at least a couple more years. Not sure how long, I just take it one year at a time now! Have a great day and thanks for the comment.
It’s probably painful for you after previously having world class hunting. Some people probably have a greater appreciation for you and the hunting stories now - you’re a mere mortal like the rest of us and we can relate better. None of us were seeing a dozen 175” deer in a season. Most of us have never seen one.
I appreciate that. My goal is to make this farm as good as it can be so please don't hold it against me if i someday drag a few giants out of here! Thanks for the support and I hope you have a great day.
I definitely feel you Bill. This has been an incredibly tough season here in SC Iowa. Reading the comments it seems many followers of your channel have also experienced the same season with drought, warm temperatures and deer diseases wreaking havoc throughput their deer herds. I spent way too many days chasing my biggest shooters only to come to the conclusion, through lack of sightings and no trail cam pics-that they were most likely dead already and then, “poof”…the season was over. Like you, I did have some good sits but more empty woods hunts than anything. But, it’s still hunting and that is still pretty good. On to late season now and warming up the arm to throw the all to familiar Hail Mary. We got this! Looking forward to the Christmas message. Peace.
Thanks Steven. Some years are better than others. I have always held to the belief that if you are hunting as carefully as you can and making good decisions, the luck eventually evens out. That means that good luck is coming - whether this late season or next year. I am looking forward to the Christmas episode too. It is my favorite of the year. Have a great day.
Can’t wait to see you tag that Jordan buck. U will get him eventually. Plus you have several 2.5 to 3.5 bucks that look like future slammers. I think this farm will give you some great bow seasons moving forward.
I think so too, Steve. It is still a couple of years from being where it needs to be but then it should get interesting. Have a great day and thanks for the comment.
Thanks for another great update! You didn’t have to share any of that but we appreciate it, especially the parts leaving yourself open to criticism from the “experts”. I heard Levi Morgan mention the same thing you said about 40 yard shots and how he always compensates on the meat eater podcast where Steve Rinella introduced him as the greatest archer in the world. Yesterday he posted a video spine shooting a buck at 40. It’s hunting and it happens to the best, we all know. Oh well habitat improvement season is just around the corner and I’m looking forward to more great content! Speaking of great content you on the meat eater podcast sharing your story and knowledge would be phenomenal!!! Maybe after the southern excursion??🤞
Chad, I have to admit that I do get tired of the criticism. It is hard to bite my tongue every day. I could just ignore the comments as a whole, but there are people here asking legitimate questions so I feel the responsibility to try to address most of them. This farm is still taking shape and the deer on it will become easier to hunt when there are more mature bucks on other parts of the property allowing me to spread my efforts. I hope I don't look quite so foolish then! I could hunt other farms in the meantime but I know everyone up here and if I start hunting other areas I will be pushing out someone already hunting there or shooting a buck someone is hunting on the other side of the fence. If I find a situation where I am not doing either of those, I will try some new areas to keep the pressure off this farm in the short-term. Thanks for the comment and the support. Have a great day.
Looking forward to the Christmas episode! It’s been a rough year where I hunt in here in MI and Ohio also. Season’s not over yet…quite a bit of time left.
Bingo ...I said the same thing several shows ago after the doe shooting with the big buck in the area .It can poison your best spots especially after repeated hunts . Also do not understand not gun hunting its just part of the outdoors and deer hunting.Iget having harvest goals and such but when you have so few fawns making it and lower herd numbers shooting more doe's is really not a good Idea. It also lowers your buck activity and numbers over time in lower number of fawn recruitment .
Bill, I dont think your farm is bad.....I think its normal😂 If we bought a farm and started started killing booners on day one we'd let off the throttle and quit improving and learning.
Bill. It’s been the same here in northern WV. Records high temperatures, extreme drought, and lack of mast crop made this year horrible. All of the hunters here have said the same thing. It’s just been a bad season all the way around.
Bill you seem to have experienced what a lot of Midwest guys have this year, very few sightings of mature bucks, and really slim Pickens on deer overall. In regards to on stand coming within range. What do you think caused this phenomenon this year. Warm weather, drought, food source change, the election? 😆😆 I’m perplexed really
What would you estimate the shot distance was on the string jumping doe? Looked like she dropped a good half of her chest height before impact. You're shooting roughly 300fps, correct? Amazing reaction, they are wired so tight! Thank you.
She was exactly 30 yards. I ranged her before I drew and she was 32, but she took a couple steps toward me before I shot. I just failed to read the situation right and aim low.
Think you were correct in stating lower deer density numbers leads to fewer daylight sightings, especially non rut time periods. Less deer with plenty of habitat and food means less stress. Competition for resources is good to a certain point, but tough part is finding the happy medium. Think your past farm was one end of the spectrum and your new farm is the other for deer numbers and will be interesting to follow your journey. Past farm you had to knock numbers back, this farm build the numbers up. Classic example what worked in one area does not hold true in the other. Great series, never miss an episode!
The next couple years will be interesting for sure. The goal is a moderate number of really healthy deer, so in the end they will have the upper hand as super healthy deer are low stress deer and that means they will be tougher to hunt, but it will fun to see what can be done and what kind of bucks I can grow here. When I started buying the southern Iowa farm, there were already tons of deer in that neighborhood so the challenge was always one of trying to control them. This is the first time I have had the opportunity to grow the herd as I develop the habitat. Two years from now will be start of the real test of this "experiment" as that will be five years in and there should be a decent number of five year old bucks here. Will be interesting to see how the farm hunts then. Have a great day.
South isn't much better Bill. A heat wave that lasted well into mid-November along with drought and then storms, have made this year's season a bust. Never seen deer moving or behaving this way in 20 years of bowhunting. The rut may as well have not happened at all and second rut seems to be a dud too. I'm going out a few more times but have chalked this year up to learning and scouting. First time I've eaten tag soup in a while not even a doe in the freezer. Some years are just better than others
Yes, I am starting to think that a break from hunting might be good for me. I have been going solid for a couple months. Jordan loves visiting national parks. Maybe checking off another couple parks and a bit of hiking might get me fired back up. Have a great day.
Bottom line is some years are far better than other years. I hunt in middle of Michigan and thankfully have good luck because of the farm access. This year I have found that once the corn got combined the deer were gone, so I thankfully got permission from a farmer who was still harvesting corn to hunt. I am now hunt corn with a shotgun to shoot the deer I couldn't get with the bow during archery season. I hunt for meat but I do not shoot young females or bucks.
Bottom line is years after years I've been watching the same property sometimes the deer do the same thing sometimes they do something completely different. Sometimes you have to hunt the same spot several times in a row or sometimes you have to switch it up and do something completely different.
Nothing wrong with bowhunting, I did it exclusively for over 20 years. Now I am blessed to have great seasons in VA and I absolutely love being able to rifle hunt (with a can) on my own small parcel. I can manage the heard exactly like I want and have to date had zero un-recovered deer. Honestly wish they would open up the season to any weapon, and still have limited tags.
I get trying to challenge ones self but deer hunting and deer management is more than just bowhunting .Gun hunting is a great way to enjoy longer seasons, manage the herd and most of all bond with and enjoy a deer camp or family hunting . Congrats on the enjoyment of your hunts
Even hunting gun during (public) wisconsin late season is tough. People think just because it's gun its easy but I find that totally false. During late season, the deers are like nocturnal. Very wary, very smart, seldom come out, and I feel the deers been pushed out since wis 9 day gun hunt.
If everyone in the woods was chasing you with a gun where would you hide? The deer don’t disappear they find a secluded spot on a ridge with everything to their advantage or a dry patch in a marsh surrounded by water where people don’t want to go, think like you are the one being hunted and where nobody else goes
I'm lucky in my spot in michigan. The last 2 years I scout 2 times hunt 1 so on. It has been a game changer for me. I hunt a section were I see 70+ deer each evening many being bucks. Myself and the Neighboring properties are very selective on what bucks we shoot we don't Collaborate on this It is just a lucky coincidence! I've passed more bucks in the last 2 years than probably have seen in my 35 years of hunting nice 3-4 year old bucks. A wise man once told me you can not kill big mature bucks if you kill young ones. I can't even count how many times after passing a young buck that a more mature buck came in up to a hour or more after. I'm 44 years old have hunted deer my whole life. I've learned more in the last 2 years just watching deer than all the time before.
@@joebuck120ok well if they cross your property line this advice doesn’t matter, deer don’t care about property lines so if you pressure them too much you are out of luck
@ I agree completely or they went to another part of your property you never go to bottom line is they find a place they feel secure and if they don’t they won’t stick around those deer will sit and watch hunter access areas and watch them walk by or their gone before you even knew the where there I know the walk sucks but I never knew a mature buck who liked to hear 4 wheelers
Normally, they have no problem jumping it, but he was injured. There is a gate in the far east end of the plot where they can get through. He just didn't get that far before he gave up.
Hey Bill- I am quite sure that if u leave to hunt in the south poor Thor will b depressed. Thus, I have started a go fund me page to raise $$ to pay for airfare n travel expenses so that Thor can tag along. Just call it an early Christmas present lol! Good luck if you go! Milo
I’ve been bowhunting for 28 years and have killed a bunch. Last few years I have been struggling terribly with what I guess is target panic. Have wounded 6 bucks in the last 3 seasons hitting them mostly high in the backstraps. Terrible feeling, working hard to try to overcome the mental battle but its tough to practice something you can’t actually replicate in reality with a live deer. Any good advice or have you ever struggled this way?
Gun hunters are having a hard time in Ohio with the giants. Cross bows are taking out a lot of the giants during the rut. Bow kills and gun kills are equal in numbers. That used to never happen
I think the bottom line is that farm had no bruisers living on it due to cows. Only been 2 seasons without cows? Like you said, some of the ones you've seen need more years. Maybe a rut crazed bruiser might go out of its range to your place the next season or two. I don't recall you hunting within range of a water source.
It is sure easier for them to get the wounded and injured ones. But, I have seen deer recover from some really bad injuries. So, I guess it is kind of a coin toss - not sure which way it would go. But congrats on the hunt.
Big mature bucks are becoming harder and harder to see every year now all over the Midwest..Technology has made things too easy..We've heard it before, but its true..Cell cams, crossbows, and 600 yard muzzle loaders, Couple that with outfitters every where, almost every midwest farm is hunted hard, and EHD. It's a perfect storm to really limit older age class bucks(especially good genetic bucks). Bill, maybe hunting pressure around your farm is light enough to allow your up and comers to get some age on them, but in Southern Iowa they would be shot before reaching maturity almost every where. .
I agree. It is now much easier to kill them - other than the two on my farm, of course! The only real answer is to either buy land in (or near) great neighborhoods already established where they pass up all the good younger bucks (there are several neighborhoods like this in Iowa right now and probably in other states too) or try to form some kind of co-op of like-minded neighbors. Both are super hard to do. Good luck and thanks for the comment.
This past Saturday I missed a doe at 25 yards. Had a big for blowing in my direction, she caught my wind with her fawns. She was actually with another doe so one of those fawns could have been its fawn. They caught my wind and to my surprise ran up closer to me. The biggest doe was blowing at me and plus I was hunting off the ground, at the moment I was standing up. I could have shot her at 15 yards but she was blowing at me and it was making me get doe fever lol. Anyway she was blowing hard and I couldn’t draw my Hoyt back. Even if I could though I don’t think I would have taken that shot. She was quartering to me pretty hard. She stomped again and blew a few more times before trotting behind a bush. When she trotted back behind that bush I decided to pull my bow back. There was a gap in the bush about the size of a basketball, she was standing pretty much broad side at this point. Now what I didn’t see at the time vine swinging back and forth as if George of the Jungle was on it. I released the arrow and the vine swinging by just perfectly and the arrow went low and went under her. Which was okay cause I don’t want to wound a deer. After all the blowing that doe did and my miss about ten minutes later my target buck showed up. I named this buck Urlacher after the Chicago Bears LineBacker Brian Urlacher. I threw out a couple doe bleats and then a snort wheeze and he came running. I think the late rut is still hopping in Southwest Indiana. Anyways he came in but I ran out of light. Stayed there for about another hour cause he was in a cut bean field at 60 yards. Mr. Winke I could have used you to scare him out of the field for me. 😂 It was a good evening hunt either way. Hope the fire arm season goes fast for you and Carson.
I think it was just one of those years unfortunately for you Bill. Especially as carful as you are in all aspects. For us views it just goes to show one of the best can even fall on hard times in the deer woods. Good luck and God bless always going forward.
Had my #1 buck daylight three days in a row end of October I sat right spot for wind each of those days and he showed up at other spots. Ended up disappearing for couple weeks and I settled on another buck. Next evening he showed back up neighbor shot him the next evening. Was happy for him but would of loved to be the one getting him. End of the day cell cams can be frustrating knowing what’s going on in real time at other spots.
No Idea what your doe to buck ratio is on your farm but coming close to second rut would you not want keep those Does feeding in that food plot ? I often don’t like shooting does late season only because most are bread I prefer young buck like 2 year old if I can’t bow my target buck .Now the hunting regulations are little different up here in Ontario 🇨🇦with only one Tag unless your in surplus tag area not many of those areas around
I never try to think beyond the fact that I know I need to take a certain number of does to keep the herd from growing too fast. I take them whenever I can even if that means my buck hunting suffers as a result. I have done it that way since 2002 and yes, there is a tradeoff, but in the end, my long-term goal for a balanced herd outweighs my short-term goal of killing a nice buck this winter. As you say, things are a lot different here. The deer can populate a lot faster here if you don't keep up with doe shooting than they do in your area. Good luck and thanks for the comment.
Based on the light around Carson, i thought he was in the process of teleporting somewhere when you started filming. Lol.. it was a down year for everyone in a lot of states. "Very disappointing" has been the word from most i've heard from. I don't think you over hunted your stands. Your issue is low deer density. You need to stop shooting does for certain. During early season, i move around my 32 acre aproperty to keep the stands fresh and just for the variety, but once the leaves are down, post first rut, i hunt one stand that is in better cover. I've been in that same stand 10 days straight and the deer keep coming. Deer move on and off the property and even the ones that do get "spooked" return to the property pretty quickly. Taking care entering and exiting the stand, be scent free and the deer dont mind a little intrusion. Heck, i even drove my tractor out to my stand last week and several does stood 10 yards away and watched me drive by. They are more locationally resilent than people want to believe. You just need lots more does to make lots more bucks. It may take a long time to get there based on your neighbors hunting habits, coyotes, etc. So you may need some other options for the next several years in order to grow a healthy herd size, if the outside factors don't continue to keep the deer population low. Outside influences can make things really difficult. I'm still hopeful the next several days will show some second rut action and bring in some of the nice bucks i had in early november. Good luck. Hunt safe. Respect the game. Honor the tradition. ..... and stop shooting does..... lol..
plus he is over hunting the same stands over and over and expecting the deer on this farm with much lower numbers to be ok with it and react the same as the over populated places he hunted before because you see many different deer on many hunting trips when over population is the norm. .
Hey Bill, food for thought. Potentially, the lack of daylight movement could be due to the deer living farther away from your farm than you realize. There may be a lack of high stem count browse locations on your farm. Maybe converting some of your food into upland switch grass and browse shrubs could have a huge impact on daylight activity near you.
Thanks for the comment. Stem count shouldn't be the problem here! I am doing tons of TSI on this place and we have planted 30 acres to acorns and the young oaks are now about 18 inches tall and 11 acres of shrubs and small trees (plum, ninebark, hazelnut, chokecherry). Last year was the first year for TSI and we cut roughly 10,000 to 12,000 trees on the first 78 acres of this steep ground. It took us a full month cutting every day. I have three more years on the first CSP contract and then I will be through all 405 acres of our original purchase. Then I will start on the other end of the farm (the 220 acres we bought most recently). I should say, I will start if I am still able! After all this TSI is completed along with a few fires along the way to clean out the junk, the stem count will be through the roof. I am doing all this habitat work mostly for the deer, but it will also aid ruffed grouse. This area used to be full of grouse when I was boy. Now we have maybe two nesting pairs on the entire farm. This farm in still in the early years of its development so it will be interesting to see what it looks like (and hunts like) a few years from now. Have a great day.
@usernamehere6061 ? You are aware that browse and stem count are the most important thing for whitetail deer. I know of and killed many deer above 150inches in places that have absolutely 0 agriculture. This is evidenfe thag deer can thrive without food plots or corn fields. I have also found that the mature male whitetail deer, absent even hunting pressure, prefer browse over a crop such as corn. A buck likely will spend 8 hours a day or more browsing as opposed to 2-4 hours in a high calorie food source. In locations like iowa, where corn and beans are not hard to find. It is often the thickest browse patches that will attract and hold the largest deer in the area. If Bill has more food than the deer can eat, then there may be benefit in an attempt to have the best browse around. On top of that narrowing the food sources to more select location can aid in hunting strategy as the deer will be in a more predictable pattern. As opposed to changing food sources any given day.
I think your property is going to be hard to hunt. You mainly have two ridges with an entrance going up a valley. The deer are up on the ridges watching you come through the valley. It is also bad for scent control. Your scent is blowing everywhere. I also think you are shooting your does to early, hurting the rut.
John, you have only seen part of it because that is where the two bucks I was hunting were living. Some areas will be a lot easier to hunt once a decent target shows up there. I do have top access to the entire farm. When the time comes, I will hunt it differently. Thanks for the comment.
I am always torn why mature bucks after the rut act the way the do. Just when you think food is on their mind the go nocturnal. Then You catch pic of one in daylight in your food plot. Mature bucks are what they are in late season - unpredictable. With the attention to detail that you do each time coming and goin to your sets doesn’t seem like over hunting. I think it’s other factors that you can’t control. It happens. It’s hunting. Always enjoy your vids. Good luck down south!
The way I set up my bows I can shoot through them lengthwise. That's why I still shoot heavy draw weight. I suppose I should say something about it when I take those shots on camera.
This year sucked ! Almost everyone i know says the same. First drought then hot weather then high winds after an early rut during 70° temperatures. All the msture bucks went nocturnal in early November.
Loving the content more than ever Bill because we'll get the opportunity to see the full life cycle of the dream farm (Winke willing of course!). Have a nice break and trip if you make any!
We will keep doing this for at least a couple more years. Not sure how long, I just take it one year at a time now! Have a great day and thanks for the comment.
It’s probably painful for you after previously having world class hunting. Some people probably have a greater appreciation for you and the hunting stories now - you’re a mere mortal like the rest of us and we can relate better. None of us were seeing a dozen 175” deer in a season. Most of us have never seen one.
I appreciate that. My goal is to make this farm as good as it can be so please don't hold it against me if i someday drag a few giants out of here! Thanks for the support and I hope you have a great day.
Great video Bill, love seeing you and Carson out there!!
What I love about your videos is the REALITY of it!
And this is what gives us all hope, and to keep dreaming BIG!
I definitely feel you Bill. This has been an incredibly tough season here in SC Iowa. Reading the comments it seems many followers of your channel have also experienced the same season with drought, warm temperatures and deer diseases wreaking havoc throughput their deer herds. I spent way too many days chasing my biggest shooters only to come to the conclusion, through lack of sightings and no trail cam pics-that they were most likely dead already and then, “poof”…the season was over. Like you, I did have some good sits but more empty woods hunts than anything. But, it’s still hunting and that is still pretty good. On to late season now and warming up the arm to throw the all to familiar Hail Mary. We got this! Looking forward to the Christmas message. Peace.
Thanks Steven. Some years are better than others. I have always held to the belief that if you are hunting as carefully as you can and making good decisions, the luck eventually evens out. That means that good luck is coming - whether this late season or next year. I am looking forward to the Christmas episode too. It is my favorite of the year. Have a great day.
Can’t wait to see you tag that Jordan buck. U will get him eventually. Plus you have several 2.5 to 3.5 bucks that look like future slammers. I think this farm will give you some great bow seasons moving forward.
I think so too, Steve. It is still a couple of years from being where it needs to be but then it should get interesting. Have a great day and thanks for the comment.
@ U2 Bill, love the content and as an older hunter (55), have followed you for years. Looking to buy my first piece of property this year.
Thanks for another great update! You didn’t have to share any of that but we appreciate it, especially the parts leaving yourself open to criticism from the “experts”. I heard Levi Morgan mention the same thing you said about 40 yard shots and how he always compensates on the meat eater podcast where Steve Rinella introduced him as the greatest archer in the world. Yesterday he posted a video spine shooting a buck at 40. It’s hunting and it happens to the best, we all know. Oh well habitat improvement season is just around the corner and I’m looking forward to more great content! Speaking of great content you on the meat eater podcast sharing your story and knowledge would be phenomenal!!! Maybe after the southern excursion??🤞
Chad, I have to admit that I do get tired of the criticism. It is hard to bite my tongue every day. I could just ignore the comments as a whole, but there are people here asking legitimate questions so I feel the responsibility to try to address most of them. This farm is still taking shape and the deer on it will become easier to hunt when there are more mature bucks on other parts of the property allowing me to spread my efforts. I hope I don't look quite so foolish then! I could hunt other farms in the meantime but I know everyone up here and if I start hunting other areas I will be pushing out someone already hunting there or shooting a buck someone is hunting on the other side of the fence. If I find a situation where I am not doing either of those, I will try some new areas to keep the pressure off this farm in the short-term. Thanks for the comment and the support. Have a great day.
Looking forward to the Christmas episode! It’s been a rough year where I hunt in here in MI and Ohio also. Season’s not over yet…quite a bit of time left.
I am looking forward to it also. It is my favorite episode of the year. Have a great day and thanks for the support.
I’ve wanted to say this all season. (They are patterning YOU!) Still great show though- And we always learn from experiences.
Bingo ...I said the same thing several shows ago after the doe shooting with the big buck in the area .It can poison your best spots especially after repeated hunts . Also do not understand not gun hunting its just part of the outdoors and deer hunting.Iget having harvest goals and such but when you have so few fawns making it and lower herd numbers shooting more doe's is really not a good Idea. It also lowers your buck activity and numbers over time in lower number of fawn recruitment .
The Jordan buck offering a daylight pic at a different stand on the final day of the season... talk about rubbing the salt in.
Kind of the way I thought. He has been disrespecting me all season!
@bill-winke I think he respects you, so much he gives a wide berth.
It's tough. I know the feeling. Sat 16 times saw 2 spikes. JUST NO DEER IN MY AREA. UP of Mi.
Great video thanks for bringing us along. Better luck down south.
Thanks Keith. I appreciate it. Have a great day.
Bill, I dont think your farm is bad.....I think its normal😂
If we bought a farm and started started killing booners on day one we'd let off the throttle and quit improving and learning.
Looking forward to the Christmas message again this year Bill.
Yes, I will do it. My favorite video of the year. Thanks for the support.
I second this!
Same here!
That’s a bummer about that buck being hurt I hate to see that especially nice bucks.
Bill. It’s been the same here in northern WV. Records high temperatures, extreme drought, and lack of mast crop made this year horrible. All of the hunters here have said the same thing. It’s just been a bad season all the way around.
You’re the man bill!
Bill you seem to have experienced what a lot of Midwest guys have this year, very few sightings of mature bucks, and really slim Pickens on deer overall. In regards to on stand coming within range. What do you think caused this phenomenon this year. Warm weather, drought, food source change, the election? 😆😆 I’m perplexed really
Man, those does are big! They dwarf a typical doe here in NC.
Agreed. This farm has the biggest does I have ever seen in Iowa. They eat good too!
What would you estimate the shot distance was on the string jumping doe? Looked like she dropped a good half of her chest height before impact. You're shooting roughly 300fps, correct? Amazing reaction, they are wired so tight! Thank you.
She was exactly 30 yards. I ranged her before I drew and she was 32, but she took a couple steps toward me before I shot. I just failed to read the situation right and aim low.
Think you were correct in stating lower deer density numbers leads to fewer daylight sightings, especially non rut time periods. Less deer with plenty of habitat and food means less stress. Competition for resources is good to a certain point, but tough part is finding the happy medium. Think your past farm was one end of the spectrum and your new farm is the other for deer numbers and will be interesting to follow your journey. Past farm you had to knock numbers back, this farm build the numbers up. Classic example what worked in one area does not hold true in the other. Great series, never miss an episode!
The next couple years will be interesting for sure. The goal is a moderate number of really healthy deer, so in the end they will have the upper hand as super healthy deer are low stress deer and that means they will be tougher to hunt, but it will fun to see what can be done and what kind of bucks I can grow here. When I started buying the southern Iowa farm, there were already tons of deer in that neighborhood so the challenge was always one of trying to control them. This is the first time I have had the opportunity to grow the herd as I develop the habitat. Two years from now will be start of the real test of this "experiment" as that will be five years in and there should be a decent number of five year old bucks here. Will be interesting to see how the farm hunts then. Have a great day.
South isn't much better Bill. A heat wave that lasted well into mid-November along with drought and then storms, have made this year's season a bust. Never seen deer moving or behaving this way in 20 years of bowhunting. The rut may as well have not happened at all and second rut seems to be a dud too. I'm going out a few more times but have chalked this year up to learning and scouting. First time I've eaten tag soup in a while not even a doe in the freezer. Some years are just better than others
This is the most rut activity I have ever seen in north Texas..
Yes, I am starting to think that a break from hunting might be good for me. I have been going solid for a couple months. Jordan loves visiting national parks. Maybe checking off another couple parks and a bit of hiking might get me fired back up. Have a great day.
Bottom line is some years are far better than other years. I hunt in middle of Michigan and thankfully have good luck because of the farm access. This year I have found that once the corn got combined the deer were gone, so I thankfully got permission from a farmer who was still harvesting corn to hunt. I am now hunt corn with a shotgun to shoot the deer I couldn't get with the bow during archery season. I hunt for meat but I do not shoot young females or bucks.
Bottom line is years after years I've been watching the same property sometimes the deer do the same thing sometimes they do something completely different. Sometimes you have to hunt the same spot several times in a row or sometimes you have to switch it up and do something completely different.
Nothing wrong with bowhunting, I did it exclusively for over 20 years. Now I am blessed to have great seasons in VA and I absolutely love being able to rifle hunt (with a can) on my own small parcel. I can manage the heard exactly like I want and have to date had zero un-recovered deer. Honestly wish they would open up the season to any weapon, and still have limited tags.
I get trying to challenge ones self but deer hunting and deer management is more than just bowhunting .Gun hunting is a great way to enjoy longer seasons, manage the herd and most of all bond with and enjoy a deer camp or family hunting . Congrats on the enjoyment of your hunts
I just like bowhunting. Once I started I got hooked immediately. I agree with you though. I grew up a gun hunter. Have a great day.
Even hunting gun during (public) wisconsin late season is tough. People think just because it's gun its easy but I find that totally false. During late season, the deers are like nocturnal. Very wary, very smart, seldom come out, and I feel the deers been pushed out since wis 9 day gun hunt.
It is really tough. You also need wind and then some luck to sneak into their bedding areas. Very tough hunting. Good luck.
If everyone in the woods was chasing you with a gun where would you hide? The deer don’t disappear they find a secluded spot on a ridge with everything to their advantage or a dry patch in a marsh surrounded by water where people don’t want to go, think like you are the one being hunted and where nobody else goes
I'm lucky in my spot in michigan. The last 2 years I scout 2 times hunt 1 so on. It has been a game changer for me. I hunt a section were I see 70+ deer each evening many being bucks. Myself and the Neighboring properties are very selective on what bucks we shoot we don't Collaborate on this It is just a lucky coincidence! I've passed more bucks in the last 2 years than probably have seen in my 35 years of hunting nice 3-4 year old bucks. A wise man once told me you can not kill big mature bucks if you kill young ones. I can't even count how many times after passing a young buck that a more mature buck came in up to a hour or more after. I'm 44 years old have hunted deer my whole life. I've learned more in the last 2 years just watching deer than all the time before.
@@joebuck120ok well if they cross your property line this advice doesn’t matter, deer don’t care about property lines so if you pressure them too much you are out of luck
@ I agree completely or they went to another part of your property you never go to bottom line is they find a place they feel secure and if they don’t they won’t stick around those deer will sit and watch hunter access areas and watch them walk by or their gone before you even knew the where there I know the walk sucks but I never knew a mature buck who liked to hear 4 wheelers
well a clean miss is MUCH better than a wounded deer, which i thought sure was going to happen on that "shot".
Of course he’s at the other stand. Only seems right 😂
Yes, it was the ultimate disrespect after a season filled with disrespect! Thanks for the comment.
Need to open a hole in that fence so the deer can get to the food.
Normally, they have no problem jumping it, but he was injured. There is a gate in the far east end of the plot where they can get through. He just didn't get that far before he gave up.
What time I guess I'll have to take it
I would love to see you hunt with Greg Clements again at some point.
Hey Bill-
I am quite sure that if u leave to hunt in the south poor Thor will b depressed. Thus, I have started a go fund me page to raise $$ to pay for airfare n travel expenses so that Thor can tag along. Just call it an early Christmas present lol!
Good luck if you go!
Milo
I’ve been bowhunting for 28 years and have killed a bunch. Last few years I have been struggling terribly with what I guess is target panic. Have wounded 6 bucks in the last 3 seasons hitting them mostly high in the backstraps. Terrible feeling, working hard to try to overcome the mental battle but its tough to practice something you can’t actually replicate in reality with a live deer. Any good advice or have you ever struggled this way?
Gun hunters are having a hard time in Ohio with the giants. Cross bows are taking out a lot of the giants during the rut. Bow kills and gun kills are equal in numbers. That used to never happen
I think the bottom line is that farm had no bruisers living on it due to cows. Only been 2 seasons without cows? Like you said, some of the ones you've seen need more years. Maybe a rut crazed bruiser might go out of its range to your place the next season or two. I don't recall you hunting within range of a water source.
Maybe only take one doe next season
I shot a limping buck this season due to my thinking the coyotes would get him. Your thoughts ?
It is sure easier for them to get the wounded and injured ones. But, I have seen deer recover from some really bad injuries. So, I guess it is kind of a coin toss - not sure which way it would go. But congrats on the hunt.
Big mature bucks are becoming harder and harder to see every year now all over the Midwest..Technology has made things too easy..We've heard it before, but its true..Cell cams, crossbows, and 600 yard muzzle loaders, Couple that with outfitters every where, almost every midwest farm is hunted hard, and EHD. It's a perfect storm to really limit older age class bucks(especially good genetic bucks). Bill, maybe hunting pressure around your farm is light enough to allow your up and comers to get some age on them, but in Southern Iowa they would be shot before reaching maturity almost every where. .
I agree. It is now much easier to kill them - other than the two on my farm, of course! The only real answer is to either buy land in (or near) great neighborhoods already established where they pass up all the good younger bucks (there are several neighborhoods like this in Iowa right now and probably in other states too) or try to form some kind of co-op of like-minded neighbors. Both are super hard to do. Good luck and thanks for the comment.
@bill-winke Agree on the super hard to do.
This past Saturday I missed a doe at 25 yards. Had a big for blowing in my direction, she caught my wind with her fawns. She was actually with another doe so one of those fawns could have been its fawn. They caught my wind and to my surprise ran up closer to me. The biggest doe was blowing at me and plus I was hunting off the ground, at the moment I was standing up. I could have shot her at 15 yards but she was blowing at me and it was making me get doe fever lol. Anyway she was blowing hard and I couldn’t draw my Hoyt back. Even if I could though I don’t think I would have taken that shot. She was quartering to me pretty hard. She stomped again and blew a few more times before trotting behind a bush. When she trotted back behind that bush I decided to pull my bow back. There was a gap in the bush about the size of a basketball, she was standing pretty much broad side at this point. Now what I didn’t see at the time vine swinging back and forth as if George of the Jungle was on it. I released the arrow and the vine swinging by just perfectly and the arrow went low and went under her. Which was okay cause I don’t want to wound a deer.
After all the blowing that doe did and my miss about ten minutes later my target buck showed up. I named this buck Urlacher after the Chicago Bears LineBacker Brian Urlacher. I threw out a couple doe bleats and then a snort wheeze and he came running. I think the late rut is still hopping in Southwest Indiana. Anyways he came in but I ran out of light. Stayed there for about another hour cause he was in a cut bean field at 60 yards. Mr. Winke I could have used you to scare him out of the field for me. 😂
It was a good evening hunt either way. Hope the fire arm season goes fast for you and Carson.
I think it was just one of those years unfortunately for you Bill. Especially as carful as you are in all aspects. For us views it just goes to show one of the best can even fall on hard times in the deer woods. Good luck and God bless always going forward.
Dream Big brother 🙏
Had my #1 buck daylight three days in a row end of October I sat right spot for wind each of those days and he showed up at other spots. Ended up disappearing for couple weeks and I settled on another buck. Next evening he showed back up neighbor shot him the next evening. Was happy for him but would of loved to be the one getting him. End of the day cell cams can be frustrating knowing what’s going on in real time at other spots.
No Idea what your doe to buck ratio is on your farm but coming close to second rut would you not want keep those Does feeding in that food plot ?
I often don’t like shooting does late season only because most are bread I prefer young buck like 2 year old if I can’t bow my target buck .Now the hunting regulations are little different up here in Ontario 🇨🇦with only one Tag unless your in surplus tag area not many of those areas around
I never try to think beyond the fact that I know I need to take a certain number of does to keep the herd from growing too fast. I take them whenever I can even if that means my buck hunting suffers as a result. I have done it that way since 2002 and yes, there is a tradeoff, but in the end, my long-term goal for a balanced herd outweighs my short-term goal of killing a nice buck this winter. As you say, things are a lot different here. The deer can populate a lot faster here if you don't keep up with doe shooting than they do in your area. Good luck and thanks for the comment.
Based on the light around Carson, i thought he was in the process of teleporting somewhere when you started filming. Lol.. it was a down year for everyone in a lot of states. "Very disappointing" has been the word from most i've heard from.
I don't think you over hunted your stands. Your issue is low deer density. You need to stop shooting does for certain.
During early season, i move around my 32 acre aproperty to keep the stands fresh and just for the variety, but once the leaves are down, post first rut, i hunt one stand that is in better cover. I've been in that same stand 10 days straight and the deer keep coming. Deer move on and off the property and even the ones that do get "spooked" return to the property pretty quickly. Taking care entering and exiting the stand, be scent free and the deer dont mind a little intrusion. Heck, i even drove my tractor out to my stand last week and several does stood 10 yards away and watched me drive by. They are more locationally resilent than people want to believe. You just need lots more does to make lots more bucks. It may take a long time to get there based on your neighbors hunting habits, coyotes, etc. So you may need some other options for the next several years in order to grow a healthy herd size, if the outside factors don't continue to keep the deer population low. Outside influences can make things really difficult.
I'm still hopeful the next several days will show some second rut action and bring in some of the nice bucks i had in early november. Good luck. Hunt safe. Respect the game. Honor the tradition. ..... and stop shooting does..... lol..
plus he is over hunting the same stands over and over and expecting the deer on this farm with much lower numbers to be ok with it and react the same as the over populated places he hunted before because you see many different deer on many hunting trips when over population is the norm. .
Hey Bill, food for thought. Potentially, the lack of daylight movement could be due to the deer living farther away from your farm than you realize. There may be a lack of high stem count browse locations on your farm. Maybe converting some of your food into upland switch grass and browse shrubs could have a huge impact on daylight activity near you.
Buddy don't give advice we can immediately tell you don't know what you are talking about.
They don't really bed in switch grass it's often used for cover to get to and from and stand location
usernamehere6061 I bet you’re a real joy to be around
Thanks for the comment. Stem count shouldn't be the problem here! I am doing tons of TSI on this place and we have planted 30 acres to acorns and the young oaks are now about 18 inches tall and 11 acres of shrubs and small trees (plum, ninebark, hazelnut, chokecherry). Last year was the first year for TSI and we cut roughly 10,000 to 12,000 trees on the first 78 acres of this steep ground. It took us a full month cutting every day. I have three more years on the first CSP contract and then I will be through all 405 acres of our original purchase. Then I will start on the other end of the farm (the 220 acres we bought most recently). I should say, I will start if I am still able! After all this TSI is completed along with a few fires along the way to clean out the junk, the stem count will be through the roof. I am doing all this habitat work mostly for the deer, but it will also aid ruffed grouse. This area used to be full of grouse when I was boy. Now we have maybe two nesting pairs on the entire farm. This farm in still in the early years of its development so it will be interesting to see what it looks like (and hunts like) a few years from now. Have a great day.
@usernamehere6061 ? You are aware that browse and stem count are the most important thing for whitetail deer. I know of and killed many deer above 150inches in places that have absolutely 0 agriculture. This is evidenfe thag deer can thrive without food plots or corn fields. I have also found that the mature male whitetail deer, absent even hunting pressure, prefer browse over a crop such as corn. A buck likely will spend 8 hours a day or more browsing as opposed to 2-4 hours in a high calorie food source. In locations like iowa, where corn and beans are not hard to find. It is often the thickest browse patches that will attract and hold the largest deer in the area. If Bill has more food than the deer can eat, then there may be benefit in an attempt to have the best browse around. On top of that narrowing the food sources to more select location can aid in hunting strategy as the deer will be in a more predictable pattern. As opposed to changing food sources any given day.
You got a good farm. You'll kill a monster. Just get a lease in Wisconsin. Split it up
Bad shot angle
Bring back Thor!
I consider over hunted when I get tired of looking at the same trees. But that’s just me🤷🏼♂️
That is a good test. I got tired of one of those spots before we got through the first all day sit!
I always bow hunt during the CROSSBOW season.
I think your property is going to be hard to hunt. You mainly have two ridges with an entrance going up a valley. The deer are up on the ridges watching you come through the valley. It is also bad for scent control. Your scent is blowing everywhere. I also think you are shooting your does to early, hurting the rut.
John, you have only seen part of it because that is where the two bucks I was hunting were living. Some areas will be a lot easier to hunt once a decent target shows up there. I do have top access to the entire farm. When the time comes, I will hunt it differently. Thanks for the comment.
I am always torn why mature bucks after the rut act the way the do. Just when you think food is on their mind the go nocturnal. Then You catch pic of one in daylight in your food plot. Mature bucks are what they are in late season - unpredictable. With the attention to detail that you do each time coming and goin to your sets doesn’t seem like over hunting. I think it’s other factors that you can’t control. It happens. It’s hunting. Always enjoy your vids. Good luck down south!
Dang very poor choice of shot for being on film! Don’t get sloppy!
The way I set up my bows I can shoot through them lengthwise. That's why I still shoot heavy draw weight. I suppose I should say something about it when I take those shots on camera.
Come to Georgia 👊🏹
This year sucked ! Almost everyone i know says the same. First drought then hot weather then high winds after an early rut during 70° temperatures. All the msture bucks went nocturnal in early November.