Deer Season 2018 – Part 1

 

Last year I detailed my deer hunting during the 2017/18 season.  It was the best deer hunting season of my life.  I saw more deer with more consistency than ever before in my life…except for one thing; I didn’t get the deer I wanted.

This year will be much, much better…I hope.

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First, let me clarify; I did get a deer last year.  I walked up on a miserable, emaciated buck that probably wouldn’t have lived much longer.  He had stabbed himself on a broken branch running through the woods and was wracked with infection.  Rather than let him suffer until he died, I shot him and reported it to our conservation agent.

The year before that I didn’t get any deer at all, sick or not.

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As I’ve aged I’ve started putting more time and preparation into my deer hunting.  Obviously, with the trouble I had this past season, I’m going to check and double-check the sighting of my weapons.  A couple unfortunate falls last year banged the scopes on my black powder rifle and my crossbow.  The 30 plus year old scope on my favorite deer rifle, my Remington 760 pump action .30-06, gave up the ghost when I shot it the last time before the season, requiring me to fall back on another weapon.  I hated to lose such a good piece of glass but I was lucky it happened before the season.

Anyway, I’ll get the new scope on and sighted in, and re-zero the other two weapons.

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Last year I cleared my shooting lanes with a chainsaw and pole saw so they will just need a little fine-tuning.  I invested in some Ryobi one+ battery powered tools from Home Depot and have been pleased with their performance.  I also used one of their weed-whackers to help clear the path through the woods to my favorite stand.

The batteries hold a charge for a reasonable length of time and I have some extra ones that I keep charged and take with me when I work with the tools.  It uses less time to switch batteries than to refuel and I believe wildlife are less disturbed by the relatively quiet and odorless electric motors than they are by the old gas and oil motors I used in years past.

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My stand is in good, useable condition, but I’ll add some camouflage around it and put an umbrella top over it, both to protect me from the rain and to help hide me from my prey.

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I’ve also been experimenting with various baits, feed blocks, and mineral supplements to attract the deer.  Some just didn’t work for me.  The deer might eat them but it seems like they were only doing so because they are there for something else I have out.

Some of the mineral supplements were good.  As advertised, the deer do like them but, in my experience, they prefer them after they have dissolved into the ground and they doesn’t pull the critters in like I’d like.  That means, during the season the deer could live without it…so they do.

The number one attractant/bait I found was Persimmon Crush by Wildgame Innovations.  Wow!  Following the directions I poured the contents of a five pound bag out in strips.  After the deer found it, they would normally clean it up within three to four days!  No kidding!  It didn’t matter if I followed the directions or not, they almost always cleaned it up within four days.

The only problem I ever had with Persimmon Crush was that Zorro, our Burmese mountain dog mix loves it too.  I’ve got a lot of pictures on my game cams of him lapping away at the bright red pile.  The company produces other products too, like Apple Crush and Sugar Beet Crush.  I haven’t tried them yet but do plan on it.

Any type of food used as an attractant is illegal to use in Missouri within ten days before the season begins and at any time during the season.  Laws vary by state so be sure to check out your regulations.  Mineral supplements (like Deer Cane) are OK to use.

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Although baiting is illegal in Missouri, the Department of Conservation, hunters are allowed to hunt over planted crop fields, including food plots.  In other words, plants that deer like may be sown without penalty.

This year I tried planting a food plot.  I first knocked down the grass and weeds in my chosen spot with an herbicide containing glyphosate, then waited the appropriate time and spread the seed.  I chose a “throw and grow” type seed as I don’t own the equipment required to plant.  Unfortunately, due to the dry weather this summer, the seed hasn’t sprouted yet.  I’m keeping my fingers crossed.  I’ve spread fertilizer and will broadcast it again when I see the seed germinating.

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In case you hadn’t guessed it already, deer love persimmons.  The trees grow wild in our area and the fruit ripens during deer season.  So another thing I did this year was to plant persimmon trees.  I bought forty seedlings and planted most of them near the spots I prefer to hunt.  The rest I gave to my sons or friends for them to use.  It will take a few years for the trees I planted to bear fruit but nearly all I put out are growing well.  Hopefully, when they start to produce results they will draw deer within my range.

I’ll look into planting some pear trees next year.  They bear early in bow season but probably won’t pull deer in through rifle season.

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As you can tell I’ve put a lot of time and effort into pampering my favorite cloven-hoofed animal.  Many, many more deer will benefit from my efforts than I will ever harvest, but that’s fine with me.  You see, I love deer.  I love to watch them.  Every year I spend hours almost every day sitting in my deer stand, watching deer that I never intend to kill.  I love it.

But I wouldn’t do it if I didn’t have the chance to collect one for the freezer and/or to hang on the wall.  One year we needed the food so I filled my tag within the first hour of opening day.  Where we lived I could legally collect three deer with a rifle, and I did.  Despite the satisfaction of providing food for my family, that was one of my worst deer seasons ever.

I missed hunting.

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So, this fall, I’ll be hanging out in my tree stand watching deer, hoping that big one comes close enough for a shot.  But, if he doesn’t, I’ll be happy with some meat for the freezer…or nothing at all.

After all, I’ve done it before.

 

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(above) This video shows me using the Ryobi One+ pole saw to clear shooting lanes.

(below) Persimmon Crush really pulls deer in.

 

(above) How to put in a throw-and-go type feed plot.

(below) How to plant persimmon and pear trees to feed your deer.

 

(below) A reminder of how great last season was for me.