How to Incentivise Restraint

[Texasbuckeye]

I may be confused by your pist, but you are suggesting you have the ability to control multiple old bucks on a 326 acre place? On 326 acres you are simply peeing into the wind if you think you can do anything to “Grow big deer”. Why? You have neighbors. Your neighbirs have neighbors. And you have trespassers on all those areas, yours included. Your place is a destination so anything you do for the deer “on your place” is helping all your neighbors too. Conversely, nothing you do will help you anymore than it will help your neighbors. I am not trying to be mean, but it is just what it is. Perhaps if you had a property with 1000+ acres and the central 326 is the destination bean plot, then you could start to see some improvement by active management. But with only 326, thise bucks are likely not living on your spot but coming and going and any hunter around is as likely to ruin any management plan you have implemented.

If i were you, i would focus on keeping your place as the destination place and focus less on shooting a world record buck and focus more on wnjoying the property. Sounds like you have a fabulous set up with a good transient deer herd and the rut can probably he a really fun time. A winter wheat plot in your hean plot will reap huge rewards for holding deer and drawing in some late season bucks in post rut.

Maybe i am way off base and making too many assumptions, if so, just ignore what I wrote.

Edit: after looking at that deer (with the kickers) in the pic, being very generous i am only getting him in the low to mid 50’s, and that is with some very generous numbers. I am not used to KS deer and more used to OK and TX deer, so thats why i am being very generous for what i think it would be here, but is that an example of a 160 class?

Edit 2: after looking at those pics, is that the same deer? If so i didnt add in the g4 on the right, so that could get him to the high 50’s, again being very generous on the numbers, but again my comparisons may he way off for KS deer.

 

[squirrel]

I may be confused by your pist, but you are suggesting you have the ability to control multiple old bucks on a 326 acre place? On 326 acres you are simply peeing into the wind if you think you can do anything to “Grow big deer”. Why? You have neighbors. Your neighbirs have neighbors. And you have trespassers on all those areas, yours included. Your place is a destination so anything you do for the deer “on your place” is helping all your neighbors too. Conversely, nothing you do will help you anymore than it will help your neighbors. I am not trying to be mean, but it is just what it is. Perhaps if you had a property with 1000+ acres and the central 326 is the destination bean plot, then you could start to see some improvement by active management. But with only 326, thise bucks are likely not living on your spot but coming and going and any hunter around is as likely to ruin any management plan you have implemented.

If i were you, i would focus on keeping your place as the destination place and focus less on shooting a world record buck and focus more on wnjoying the property. Sounds like you have a fabulous set up with a good transient deer herd and the rut can probably he a really fun time. A winter wheat plot in your hean plot will reap huge rewards for holding deer and drawing in some late season bucks in post rut.

Maybe i am way off base and making too many assumptions, if so, just ignore what I wrote.

Edit: after looking at that deer (with the kickers) in the pic, being very generous i am only getting him in the low to mid 50’s, and that is with some very generous numbers. I am not used to KS deer and more used to OK and TX deer, so thats why i am being very generous for what i think it would be here, but is that an example of a 160 class?

Edit 2: after looking at those pics, is that the same deer? If so i didnt add in the g4 on the right, so that could get him to the high 50’s, again being very generous on the numbers, but again my comparisons may he way off for KS deer.

Calm thyself Tex... they are just deer pictures man. I would doubt that either of those deer would be much over 150. although the younger one will be something if he doesn't get whacked, which is the point of this post. Of all the people who have crawled out of the woodwork asking to hunt I would say 0.0% would let either of those deer walk under any circumstance whatsoever.

And yes I know I have neighbours, cause that is where I saw my biggest deer.

All I want to do is hunt old age class bucks, and last I checked to do that young bucks need to not get shot, this shit aint rocket science.

Of the biggest half dozen bucks I saw last fall all but one was a single sighting, leading me to believe they were simply cruising miles of the creek bottom being on my place was just an accident of timing.

The potential of the "area" was determined by a nightly spotlighting mission. High heavy, narrow, seem to dominate with no shortage of NT traits.

And gaining full enjoyment of the property is a given, The princess wants to call it PMS ranch, cause every evening when the deer come popping out and the coyotes wake up she has to "pinch my self" that it is really hers.

 

[wind gypsy]

That’s not where I thought you were going with “PMS Ranch”.

 

[KyleR1985]

Wait this is for 300 acres low no fence?

I retract my plan of holding peoples money and keeping it if they shoot small deer.

New plan: have better friends, or lighten up a little. Wanting to shoot big old deer is fine. Wanting it so much you lose sight of the scope of control you have over the dynamics, and trying to engineer control anyway, seems excessive.

I thought this was a real operation with people who need skin in the game to prevent disruption.

This is a family farm for fun…have some!

 

[Texasbuckeye]

Trust me, ii am calm. I just am trying to relay that whatever you “want” to do on your 326, the neighbors and trespassers will undo quickly.

If you want to shoot old bucks then shoot old bucks. The only thing you can actually control is you, everything else is simply a suggestion if other people are involved. The only way to prevent F&F from shooting young bucks is to not allow them to shoot anything other than doe, or not anything at all. If you allow them to make the determination of age, invariably there will be young ones shot. So, if you want to be the nice guy and allow them to hunt your place, be prepared for that mentally, it WILL happen.

Enjoy your place for the transient deer magnet it is. One caution i wouod throw out after you confirmed that is if you do allow some F&F to spoil the destination aspect of it (by overhuntijg, leaving too much scent, making too much noise and spooking deer, etc) you may lose the magnetic attraction for your place. Deer arent dumb, if they sense danger around every corner, they will find somewhere else to travel. Being mindful of that is priority number 1 to maintain what you have.

 

[bobinmi]

As someone who is always hunting someone else's property, if there are rules, I prefer the shoot does only rule. I don't need the anxiety of not knowing whether the buck I shot fits the necessary description. If I saw any of the cull bucks you posted I'd probably thump every one them because they would be the biggest buck on evert property that I hunt. I had a buddy on an expensive illinois hunt last year that passed a 164 typical 10 because he couldn't figure out if it was a buck that he was allowed to shoot. Took the fun right out of what should have been the experience of a lifetime for him.

 

[Sizthediz]

I'll gladly come for the 5 does. You can keep the buck permit

 

[ResearchinStuff]

likewise, if you want does thumped I'm more than happy to skewer a few while I'm on the way home from my annual elk hunt. Venison tastes real good, and I know there are a lot of guys like me who despise buying red meat.

Also, unless your neighbors are all anti/non-hunters and very agressive with their border security, I think you are probably going to eat a lot of buck tags while other guys put the very nice deer you are passing on into their freezers and on their walls.

 

[Btaylor]

Maybe I missed it but it doesnt sound like you have had the property very long. On 326 acres, if your goal is to only hunt old deer, you need to forget "bringing people in" and "managing the herd". You can have some influence for sure but keep it in perspective. From a hunting standpoint, I would let people know on the front end you are setting the place up for you to hunt older age class deer and that you will invite folks each year after you have killed your target deer. Invite one at a time after you have killed and have cam pics of bucks you would not mind being taken. If they can show control and either shoot target bucks or just shoot some does, then invite them back. If not go to the next person.

 

[TheWhitetailNut]

A great place to hunt has never been more valuable. I understand you may prefer a softer touch, but the carrot is they get to hunt there. Be kind, Be clear, but publicly execute the first offender and the rest will fall in line.

 

[squirrel]

A great place to hunt has never been more valuable. I understand you may prefer a softer touch, but the carrot is they get to hunt there. Be kind, Be clear, but publicly execute the first offender and the rest will fall in line.

Ah sometimes sifting thru the chaff pays off! I had not considered public execution, but it is now way up tops on the list Especially as it likely would be a blood relative.

 

[loganwayne]

Sounds like you need better friends/hunting partners. I hunt 900 acres with a buddy and his dad. Only "rule" is if you shoot it it needs to be bigger than "this buck" which was a smallish-average buck for the area. I've yet to shot one off the property and have let 3 go that I called boarder line because I want to be allowed back.

 

[KurtR]

That small of area does only and if it’s like here once the rut kicks in the bucks will go miles and the neighbor will shoot the one you wanted to live out the window of his pick up. I would concentrate on good feed and cover if deer have those they stick around. The less they are shot at they will find the sanctuaries also.

 

[Mosby]

Per KurtR, focus your piece of heaven to provide water, cover and food. I sold my hunting land last year. I tried different rules on deer with family and it simply didn't work. Neighbors were baiting w/ corn piles(illegal) and even when I asked family to only shoot does, my nephew probably shot 5 button bucks....which really...really pissed me off. The last two years I hunted it, I didn't shoot a deer. Saw one buck that might have been legal. I can get that on public land for free. One of the reasons I finally sold it. Life's too short. Used the money to buy a place at the beach.

 

[squirrel]

That small of area does only and if it’s like here once the rut kicks in the bucks will go miles and the neighbor will shoot the one you wanted to live out the window of his pick up. I would concentrate on good feed and cover if deer have those they stick around. The less they are shot at they will find the sanctuaries also.

Based on all the corn feeders set up 25 yards or less from my fence line on all sides I'm guessing the neighbours all want on my side. Its a pretty nice place, I must say. The bean eating bitches have got to go though. Very little hunting seems to take place close by, 3 medium bucks were killed and less than a dozen shots from within hearing all season long.

Still digesting the public execution thing and since I just read "killing crazy horse" have some inspired ideas from the apache and Comanche treatment of those dumb enough to fight to the last bullet.

 

[Texasbuckeye]

If there are corn feeders set up all around you, there is hunting going on.
As has been mentioned, have people out to shoot doe only. If they can not abide by that rule, then they dont get asked back out.

 

[TheWhitetailNut]

Based on all the corn feeders set up 25 yards or less from my fence line on all sides I'm guessing the neighbours all want on my side. Its a pretty nice place, I must say. The bean eating bitches have got to go though. Very little hunting seems to take place close by, 3 medium bucks were killed and less than a dozen shots from within hearing all season long.

Still digesting the public execution thing and since I just read "killing crazy horse" have some inspired ideas from the apache and Comanche treatment of those dumb enough to fight to the last bullet.

The public execution was suggested to me by a business mentor for a cancerous employee. Once I did it, the company changed 180 deg. Done well it establishes you as a strong leader and others follow, not out of fear, but respect. The key is to be resolute, reiterate the infraction, and let them know they are ineligible to stay due to their actions. Establishing core values while on the property before season would help.

 

[TSAMP]

If there are corn feeders set up all around you, there is hunting going on.
As has been mentioned, have people out to shoot doe only. If they can not abide by that rule, then they dont get asked back out.

Agreed. I've seen this in Iowa presumably to deter neighbors from hunting fence crossings on property lines. Never dug into the legality of it.

Agree with most above. If you have to worry that much your bringing the wrong people onto your property. Doe only. That is the goal anyway. Get after it and post some kill pics already.