NEW! Articles about managing your land for more and bigger deer   HOME HUNTING FISHING CAMPING SHOOTING ATV'S ORGANIZATIONS LAND OWNERS LINKS LAND FOR LEASE   MDC'S LAND OWNER TIPS

Forest nursery has quail cover bundles Plants that provide food and habitat for quail are among the wide variety of native trees and shrubs available from MDC nursery. LICKING, Mo. –This year's bumper crop at the Missouri Department of Conservation George O. White Nursery provides state residents with endless land management opportunities. Nursery Supervisor Greg Hoss says 2001 has been a very productive year for virtually everything the nursery planted.  "The number of trees and shrubs available are as high as I have ever seen produced in a single year," says Hoss. "We have lots of oaks, pines, plums and many of the other popular species that are produced annually, as well as new species that can be used for everything from windbreaks to wildlife cover." The new offerings include a Quail Cover Bundle. Each bundle contains 10 wild plum seedlings, 10 fragrant sumac seedlings and 10 silky dogwood seedlings, 10 rough-leaf dogwood seedlings and 10 false indigo seedlings. Quail Cover Bundles also come with planting tips for maximum benefit to quail.  Another new species available this year is the Norway spruce, an evergreen that makes great windbreaks and shelter belts for wildlife. One of the Norway spruce's most attractive features is that it is less attractive to deer than other evergreens. Those interested in wildlife management also may consider ordering roundheaded bush clover and slender bush clover. The species provide food and cover for turkeys and small game species.  Landowners who have lost oak trees to oak wilt or oak decline have many options for replacing trees. The nursery has an abundance of several varieties of oaks.  Most are sold in bundles of 25 that cost $3 to $10. Order forms, including lists of available seedlings and bundles will be available November 15 at Conservation Department offices throughout the state, or online at www.missouriconservation.org. Use the keyword seedlings to access the seedling order form.  If you would like to be placed on the mailing list for an order form call the George O. White Nursery at 573/674-3229.  Orders are filled on a first-come, first-served basis, so it's best to order early.  In addition to spelling out which plants you want, the order form allows you to specify when you want the plants delivered by mail, or whether you prefer to pick them up at the nursery.  MDC sends you a notice two weeks before the delivery date stating what plants it can furnish.  This notice also serves as a billing statement.  Seedlings are shipped after payment is received.  Deliveries take place from February through May. - Arleasha Mays  -      Here is a good link to a story on the MDC page about how to grow minows.  Why would you want to grow minnows?  Bass like to eat em!  MINNOWS WHY USE MINERAL SUPPLEMENTS

Allen Morris Land Management Editor for the North Missouri Sportsmen's Information Network About the Author Allen is a 21 year deer hunting veteran who has spent most of his hunting time in the Missouri Ozarks.  He hunts on a piece of land called the Turkey Buzzard Inn.  He has studied deer management and increasing deer populations and has improved this piece of ozark wilderness to a point where seeing deer is not a problem any more.  He has been published in a variety of deer hunting magazines with several articles about deer management and deer hunting. We figured if he can turn around a piece of Ozark rock and clay just think what his methods could do for your North Missouri property. Articles by Allen:  Staying Scent Free  WHAT MISSOURI CAN DO FOR YOU? WHITETAIL DEER HOMEMADE MINERAL MIX RECIPE

HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS

The first question each landowner has to ask him or herself. What is going to be the main animal they are going to manage the land for? This is where the human relationship and one of the first and most influential driving factors starts.

This human relationship even has different driving factors inside this most influential driving factor. What the person enjoys watching, hunting, or even has decided to try to make the almighty dollar on some type of wildlife and wildlife management, which entails land management and manipulation of the current situation.

The human relationship and it’s manipulation of the land and wildlife is like dropping a rock into water the ripples or what we call affects and the land and it’s wildlife constantly move outward and onward. Never returning back to the source.

HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS - VIEWING WILDLIFE

This part of the human relationship with land and the animals takes the least amount of manipulation to the land, and requires the maximum manipulation of the wildlife itself, which could cause the most negative impact on the wildlife if not monitored.

With the main purpose of viewing wildlife being the driving factor in the person’s mind. A central location, such as a salt lick, feeding station, or water source will be all that is required. This type of manipulation can make the lowest of population of animals seem like a huge population. By bringing all the animals to on central location for viewing. Other than free access to the central location no other manipulation of the land is necessary.

This can be seen with every bird feeder in the world. Which give bird watchers, something to enjoy and even bring a little of the natural heritage of enjoying nature back in to their lives. That may have been buried in the modern day times of computers and work environments. This central location of a feeding station can be enjoyed from the big city to the small farm.

The more rural the location, the more wildlife that will be viewed from a feeding station, salt lick, and watering hole, but with a cost. This type central location is the most covenant for the person, but is the most un-natural state in which all wildlife can exist. This type central location can increase population to an un-natural state by providing food when no food may be available. Can make wildlife dependent if not other food source is as easy to consume. Can condense existing population in smaller areas to obtain this food source.

This type of human manipulation must be monitored to keep a balance, even if a natural state can never be obtained, it still needs to be monitored to keep negative effects from occurring.

HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS – HUNTING

Every highway, road, city, building, school, subdivision and house in this modern day has had an affect on the wildlife. The wildlife today has either been eliminated because of social un-acceptance like large predators or has been condense to smaller ranges.

Hunting may be the closest thing to a natural state and the manipulation of the land and its wildlife.

With humans taking place of the natural large predators that have been eliminated keep the current wildlife population in check.

Hunting organization, license, and fees put money back into improving habitat for wildlife which has manipulated some of the current wildlife population like White-tailed Deer and Wild Turkey to populations over and beyond what biologist believe ever existed.

The effects that have to be monitored in hunting are age structures, sex ratio’s and harvest totals of different wildlife species to make sure that they are in balance with the current habitat.

HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS – ECONOMICS

When land and wildlife managers use the current resources as a source of income. This is when it becomes the most natural or un-natural state. Both the land and the wildlife can be manipulated to an age structure, sex ratio or population that is the most economically profitable. This may or may not be the ideal situation for the wildlife or the land. With money being the driving factor, the wildlife population can be made to surpass the habitat. The age structure can be skewed to the majority of mature adults. Age structure can be adjusted that is the most beneficial to the owners.

With a monitored system that is in tune with the current habitat and the biologist best guess at a natural state the wildlife and it’s land can be brought to the closest natural state of age structure, sex ratio, and population. With money still being the driving factor, and with ethics as an secondary driving factor coming into play for a true wild state of existence. The human relationship can in this case, be the best or worse and is a narrow road to follow.

ENVIRONMENT, ATTITUDES AND BEHAVIORS

Manipulation of habitat to bring the highest population of animals in front of the hunter in the shortest amount of time, take a certain type of management tactics that also has to be accomplished on weekends.

The NO. 1 question the hunter/wildlife/land manager must ask him or herself is. Why does the wildlife need and want to be on their land? This question needs to answered and ask multiple times. Until multiple food sources, mineral requirements, water sources and cover are all in the answers. The objective will always be just out of your reach, because every time you change something to the habitat, the wildlife will adjust and then you will have to adjust. Along with education of what the habitat will require.

In today’s modern times most don't have a lot of free time due to family and work.

Taking books to work and reading over a lunch hour is the first part of educating one’s self to what and the habitat will require. Most will be amazed how much can be read and learned over time. These are some of the better resource for food plots that will be required to bring in the most wildlife like deer for the weekends when in today’s environment the hunter will be hunting.

GUIDE TO ABUNDANT WILDLIFE, by Randall Rogers

QUALITY WHITETAILS by Karl Miller and Larry Marchinton

WHITE-TAILED DEER ECOLOGY and MANAGEMENT by Lowell Halls

FOOD FOR GAME by Dan Moultrie and Tony Kinton

HOW TO ATTRACT WHITETAILS by Larrry Weishuhn

GAME MANAGEMENT by Aldo Leopold

Also Wildlife Organization like National Wild Turkey Federation, Quail Unlimited, Quality Whitetails and the tons of other organization that are out there. All have tons of free brochures on improving habitat.

Also in today’s world there are ton’s of video’s on starting food plots, and they will provide base to start with.

Along with the Internet, which is a modern day biologist on-line. You can find unlimited amount of information from, states game and fish agency including all the other great Internet hunting and hunting organization sites.

MANAGEMENT TACTICS - LOCATION OF FOOD PLOTS

Which leads us to the first step as a hunter/wildlife/land manager all wrapped up into a weekend warrior. Food plots are by no means an over night fix but after a just one year, most will probably start noticing a difference.

This will improve weekend hunter chances when they get to hunt by concentrating deer and turkey around a central location and improve the habitat by improving the quality and quantity of the wildlife.

Late Winter or Early Spring is a great time of the year. No leaves on the trees, no ticks or chiggers to worry about and you can see a long ways through the woods. Of course depending on what part of the country the landowner is in they will have to adjust to the month that is best for them.

One thing to look for are trails if you haven't seen the deer travel through your area you should be able to find trails a little easier this time of year. Due to the fact that leaves have been off of the trees for good amount of time, which makes them, lay down more on the forest floor, so the paths are little easier to find.

Taking color-marking tape, which is used when tracking deer during the hunting seasons. Find that area in the woods that is not to steep, and you believe to be next to game trails. Don't make the trail part of your food plot make it next to it find two parallel trails try to make it between them. Also rake the leaves away to see if you have some soil to work with or rock not to.

Before marking off the food plot. Now is time to decide how to remove the trees. The best way is with a bulldozer, it removes the stumps, and is the fastest but cost the most, shop around find out how much they charge per hour and their minimum amount.

If this works for you can have a little bigger food plot.

The next way is with chain saws and limb saws. This is labor intensive and may take a few of addition individuals to help. Small plots and may take a few weekends to be ready to plant, one weekend to cut and remove trees, one weekend to rake leaves to have to soil exposed to plant.

Either way now it is time to mark off the trees, mark off the big one's to keep. Then step two the next big tree to keep, the area that is going to be cleared, try to keep the small trees in that area. Making a circle, semi-circle, figure eight, L-shape and Boomerang shapes just always keep the orange markers in site which will allow them to end where it started.

Stranger the shape, better the deer like it. Also by keeping the bigger trees, that produce acorns; will produce better due to less competition for water and light.

When cutting trees down or bulldozing. Make like a fence around the clearing, leaving opening in place you would like to hunt or fences that guide them to narrows on food plots for shooting lanes. These areas the first year will be like funnels into the food plots. The piles will also providing cover for the deer, turkey, rabbits and any other wildlife that needs cover. Why manage for one when you can manage for all in a good wildlife plan.

MANAGEMENT TACTICS - FOOD PLOT

Now its time to plant, we plant around the end of February. Things like red clover, which can take the heat and cost less. Ladino clover which the deer and turkey prefer but cost more and does not like dry areas.

Planting different seeds like Whitetail Clover, No – Plow, Red Clover, Ladino Clover, White Dutch Clover, Corn, Soybeans, Wheat, Milo, Sunflowers, Turnips, Winter Peas, Biologic, Alfalfa, Lespedeza, Mr. Whitetail Products and Tecomate seed. Each weekend hunter/wildlife/land manager – weekend warrior will have to decide what works best for the area.

Helpful hints ask some farmers if they have any seed left over, might just get some cheap or free. Even if the seed is a last years or older, who cares most are not trying to grow it for harvest, they are trying to draw in the wildlife to your area. Also, you can get free seed from your Conservation Agents. Most of the time it is first come first served. Along with Wildlife Organization have some great seed prices.

 Everyone recommends testing the soil. But, sometimes only having the weekend to plant, and don't have time to send off for test. Buying your own testers at local lawn and garden stores.

Most will not able to put as much lime or fertilizer as need but at least they know if you need to add some. Lawn and Garden stores sell Pellitized lime that works great. If you find an old metal bed frame that you can drag after seeding, that will give just enough to cover for the seed to take hold. Don’t worry about over planting between the birds and the turkey they will start thinning it out. Then the deer will start eating as soon as it comes out of the ground.

Small food plot under an acre, plant heavy the deer will and turkey will concentrate on a small area food source.

Other things that can be planted like, Dwarf Apple trees in area without can provide additional food sources. Sooner they are planted then the sooner the wildlife will have another food source in a couple of years. Don't forget to put chicken wire around them or the rabbits and deer will eat the trees. Mulch will help the trees from drying out during the summer.

WEEKEND WARRIOR EQUIPMENT

What I use to do by hand that took several weekends to accomplish can be done in just a weekend, with today ATV’s and ATV Equipment. Seeder that goes around your neck and crank is can be replaced by the ATV seeder can now make planting even faster. One of the most impressive pieces of equipment for ATV’s is the Heavy Duty 64” inch Tandem Disc with Electric Actuator which is a must. With one pass the ground is now something you can work with.

ATV and equipment has gone beyond the weekend warrior dreams. Just to list a few, Tandem Disc, 60” Rear Blade, 60 inch Cultivator, Trailer Sprayer, Spreader, Utility Trailer, and Brush Cut Mowers. Most local area store’s do not carry these items. So I will give you a place to get your start looking for what you might need. WEEKEND WARRIOR www.weekend-warrior.com or call 1-866-539-8944. I suggest you get a catalog

MANAGEMENT TACTICS - THE OASIS

Also if you don't have any pine trees in the area which deer prefer to rub because of holding their scent better. You can get them from the forestry division of the conservation department for little to nothing.

Just like apple trees if every year you say I need to plant these and don’t that is one more growing season you have missed.

Adding a water source in your area will be the best thing you could ever do after establishing food plots.

Remember a good watershed is needed to keep it filled and use sakcrete concrete to make a little spillway. Then planting clover around it will be an added benefit.

This watering holes become a drive through for most of the deer and turkey in the area. This is even with Rivers a ½ mile away and a large pond ½ mile away in the other direction. All this does is putting this in is now the deer and turkey don’t have to travel that ½ mile to get a drink. Instead they come to a little oasis. Just think about it this way, if gas is the same price would you fill up next door or around the block if you had that choice.

This will give the deer and turkey a reason to be in that area, something they can't live without, food and water.

MANAGEMENT TACTICS - FINAL THOUGHT

Food plots are a trial and error project and it depends on the area of the country. By getting a surveillance game camera, will tell if things are improving and can hunt the 5 days most don’t get to. But if weekend hunter/wildlife/land manager – weekend warrior don't try then they won’t succeed.

With success will come the only weekend most have to hunt and most will get to watch just one deer or turkey eat or drink the hard work within bow range will be the most gratifying feel they will have as an weekend hunter/wildlife/land manager – weekend warrior

ETHICS IN MODERN DAY MANAGEMENT

Since there is no turning back time and there is no true natural state of wildlife or land because of human factors. Everything we do has to be driving by what we see in the mirror. That is the draw to hunting and management of wildlife. It is not a sport with fans cheering or booing, it is a heritage that is only celebrate by what you don’t do or do when we as hunters/wildlife/land managers and human care takers of the land do when stand alone in the woods.

Ethics in management can not be forced, or in-forced with laws, it can only be taught by example by one’s own actions. When one landowner shows improvement most will follow. That is way it so important to start. 

The human relationship and it’s manipulation of the land and wildlife and the ethics involved in doing so, is like dropping a rock into water the ripples or what we call affects and the land and it’s wildlife constantly move outward and onward. Never returning back to the source.

Hope to see you in the woods or on the water. Horntagger.

 Back to Top

When Should You Order Tree Seedlings?
Conservation Department nursery encourages Missourians to go nuts.

LICKING, Mo.--Each year the Conservation Department's George O. White Nursery near Licking offers approximately 60 species of trees and shrubs for reforestation, wildlife habitat improvement, windbreaks, erosion control and other environmental uses.

Large-growing tree species available this year include 12 species of oak, black walnut, pecan, hickory, green and white ash, bald cypress and many more. The nursery also grows a variety of small trees and shrubs, including three species of dogwood, wild plum, redbud, aromatic and smooth sumac and hawthorn.

In addition, they offer three special bundles, each containing several species. This year, the nursery is offering a bundle of extra-large nut trees. This bundle includes 15 pecan seedlings two feet and taller, and 15 black walnut seedlings measuring three feet or more.

Missourians can order seedlings from November through May 1. Most are sold in bundles of 25 that are very reasonably priced. Order forms, including lists of available seedlings and bundles, are available from Missouri Department of Conservation, 14027 Shafer Road, Licking, MO 65542, 573/674-3229, or you can order on line at http://www.mdc.mo.gov/forest/nursery/seedling/ starting November 15.

Orders are filled on a first-come, first-served basis, so it's best to order early. In addition to spelling out which plants you want, the order form allows you to specify when you want the plants delivered. The trees will be shipped to you or you may prefer to pick them up at the nursery from February through May.

-Jim Low -

WHAT MISSOURI CAN DO FOR YOU?
Private Land Ownership Program
By Allen "horntagger" Morris

  My Best Guess

  For the last several years' family and friends have helped me cut in food plots with limbs saws, chain saws, bulldozers. Then we started planting food plots with everything from Imperial Whitetail Clover, Suchtash, Mossy Oak Biologic, Alfalfa, Wheat, Sunflowers, Soybeans, Corn, Milo, Regal White Clover, and Medium Red Top Clover. Also added 8 apple trees and pine trees along with 3 salt licks, 30-06 licks, and Deer Cane licks. Two years ago we added an isolated watering hole and started supplement feeding during fawning and antler growth periods of the year. All this is on my Grandma's farm of 47 acres in Ripley County, Missouri.
All this was accomplished with the help of reading numerous books, my best guess, camtrakker surveillance camera to see how many and quality of whitetails using the area, a lot of trial and error, which cost me money and valuable time in the long run.

  A New Program

  In 2000 the Missouri Department of Conservation announced the Private Landowners Assistance Program. This peaked my interest.
So a few months into the year I e-mailed MDC and with a very prompt reply they forward my name and number to Brad Mckee a Private Land Conservationist who would be getting in contact with me in a short time.

  Just before turkey season Brad called and we had a very nice talk over the phone about the MDC program and the farm in Ripley County and what my goals are for the wildlife. Brad noted that they had a few more weeks of training to do and of course a small break for Spring Turkey Season. I always appreciate a man with my same priorities. Brad said he would give me a call back as soon as possible so we could set an appointment. So in June, Brad called and we set July 8th at 9:00 a.m. as our first meeting.

  Walking the Land

  I did not know what to expect. But at 9:00 a.m. right on time he showed up. Giving Brad a few general introductions of the history and lay of the land and the surrounding the farm. We started the tour.
We walk to our food plot on the ridge, then to the food plot in the valley that is now planted with white and red clover. Then we went by the watering hole, pine trees, and apple tress and the supplement feeding area. He asked a few general questions about our up keep and planting, fertilizer and feeding routines.
He noted how well the food plots look and gave me the suggestion of keeping the ph, potash, and phosphorous up to the needed levels and not allowing other plants to compete to much. He also stated how some of the Missouri Biologist recommend, instead of trying some marketed products,  mixed white and red clover works well in Missouri food plots.  Something that had taken me several years to figure out, he told me in about a minute.
Also, one part of the habitat I have known about but did not have any experience in (and more than likely never will) is timber management. Brad showed me an example in one part of the woods on how the small whiteoaks are competing with other small trees and what could be done.
After about two to three hours of showing him the farm, pictures from the camtrakker and meeting the adjacent landowner we parted ways. But before Brad left he told me that he would gather some information together and get it in the mail to me.

  Follow Up

  A few weeks later, I received a very nice letter and three Missouri landowner management books that I had never seen before. I have read all three and learned something from all of them. About a week after that he sent a Deer Mineral Recipe from a Missouri Biologist which I have tried and have had some outstanding results with the use of since August.
Also after the letter Brad dropped off a couple of bags of wheat, mixed clover and lespedeza.
Also he has offered three times to come back over in the beginning of 2001 and help with the marking of  timber to cut, to help the white oaks.
We have also talked on the phone a few times and have exchanged a few letters and e-mail back and fourth. To the point I believe I have found someone I can trust and call a new friend.

  High Marks

  I believe with people like Brad Mckee along with the Missouri Private Land Assistants Program that Missouri Landowners and Missouri Wildlife can do nothing but benefit from this program.
What I believe the Missouri Department of Conservation is going to do for the landowner, is to cut the time and wasted money we all spend by using their concentrated experience from their Conservationist, Biologist, and other resources which we can not afford or do not have the time to acquire.

  Bonus (Deer Mineral Information from Don Smith to Brad Mckee to Allen Morris and now to my friends Missouri Deer Hunters)

  Here is a little information I put together on this deer mineral and minerals in general. This recipe mix was given to me by Don Smith, Wildlife Management Biologist out of West Plains. As for credit, I'm not sure who came up with this first since I've seen this recipe on the web since we started talking about this. I guess what I'm saying is don't give us credit in the article for coming up with this mix, were just passing on the info.

  Thanks,

DESK HUNTING

YEARS PAST

Full Moon – 19%
First Quarter – 29%
Last Quarter – 33%

Now if we add the year 2000 to the percentages of the daytime movements the percentages change but the moon phase don’t.

New Moon – 14 %
Full Moon – 16%
First Quarter – 33%
Last Quarter – 39%

Now what I find interesting about the numbers above is that 188 deer sighted only account for 20% of the deer movement. The other 80% occur at night. When firearms season starts the daytime movement goes down to 10%.

HOURS SPENT HUNTING

Chufa is a sedge, a native of Africa and Southern Europe. Its leaves are grass-like and grow 18-24 inches high.Chufa produces small, sweet, underground tubers, commonly called nuts, usually not over ½ inch in diameter and one inch in length.They weigh 44 pounds per bushel.Yields vary from 1,000 to, rarely 5000 pounds per acre.

Varieties: There is only one commercially available.

Uses: Wildlife. Tubers are a choice of geese, and ducks, wild turkey, deer, raccoon, and squirrels.The seeds have little or no value as wildlife food.

Soil adaptation: Well drained to poorly drained soils.

Cultural Specifications:

Methods of establishments:By planting the tubers.

Fertility requirements: Moderate, chiefly nitrogen.Fertilize with 200-300lbs. 13-13-13.

Calcium need: Low

Best Planting Time: May-August.

Rate and spacing to plant:30 to 40 pounds per acre, in rows 2 ½ to three feet apart at six to 11 inch spacing in the row, or wider, with several tubers per hill. If broadcast, plant 40-60 pounds per acre.

Cultivation: Keep clean as for any row crop. Land may be rotated with other crops.

Maintenance of planting: Some volunteering will take place on larger planting for one or more years but replanting is advised for continual crops. Rotate to new site after three to four years.

Size of planting for wildlife: Plantings less that three acres in size are often destroyed by raccoons. Turkey, deer, and other wildlife dig the tubers. Chufa planting is not recommended near large raccoon populations unless control programs are carried out unless your are managing for raccoons.

Chufa are highly used by turkeys, but Chufa are usually eaten by the time the spring turkey season rolls around.

MOST SIGNIFICANT CHANGE IN HUNTING

YOUR OWN PROFESSIONAL GUIDE

The service a professional guide provides us is the fact that he scouts the land and the animals before we arrive in a place we have never hunted before or cannot scout before we hunt. That now has become the job of the surveillance game cameras on our own land.

Another purpose for this tool and it’s original purpose was to help biologist across the world keep track of animals without become to intrusive to the animal surroundings and daily routine.

What this has done for the hunter and land owner trying to create habitat for local wildlife such as deer is to give all of us an idea what kind of deer are passing through the land. Along with what deer have made it’s home range on your land and how healthy they look.

As a game management tool there is not one single thing that can help us solve the life long question. What works and what does not work? 

When it come to planting food plots, cutting timber, putting in watering holes, mineral licks and in general the habitat we have provided for the deer on our land. Time and money can be wasted. These surveillance game cameras can help reduce the time on things that don’t work and can help by spending money on things that do.

They can also show the main direction of deer travel through your land and allow you to place food plots in areas you may have never thought of.

Basically you can become your own type of wildlife biologist on your own land.

NOT JUST FOR DEER

Surveillance game cameras are just not for deer. They can also tell you how many and what size of wild turkey’s consist in the flock you have in your own little hunter’s paradise.

You don’t have to wait until you’re local game and fish biologist tells you how the state or regional spring hatchwas for turkey. It might be completely different once you have looked at your pictures.

In the fall I have found that you can pattern wild turkey travel time in an area, if you have watering holes on your land and a surveillance game camera. Those two things during a dry season can make you buy film by the bags full.

Along with hundreds of deer and turkey pictures the surveillance game camera has taken in Southern Missouri they have also taken pictures of armadillos, coyotes, bobcats, grey foxes, dogs, raccoons, grey and fox squirrels, and rabbits.

Which can also be a valuable tool when trying to determine the amount and type of predators you may be competing with.

NO LIMIT

It basically comes down to, that there is no limit to the use of these surveillance game cameras. With some surveillance game cameras imprinting time and date.

They can show what time deer and turkey travel. Which with keeping track of what type of weather they move the most in, which moon phases effect the deer the most, the temperature that increase movement and how hunting pressure, pre-rut and rut affects the movement of free ranging deer on your land.

Along with introducing you kids on what type of local wildlife roams around the farm or the woods they may be hunting that day.

Instead of looking at tracks guessing if it was a buck, when you look at the track in front of a camera and then look at your pictures you can know for sure and in turn makes the hunter want to stay longer and hunt.

Plus it is just like Christmas every time you get a roll of film developed. First you can’t wait and in turn you will find the closet 1-hour photo service and you never know what will be inside that next stack of pictures.

Hope to see you in the woods. horntagger

TRADITIONAL VS QUALITY

Missouri has been TRADITIONAL DEER MANAGEMENT which means we have protected the does and have unlimited harvest of bucks in all age class. The younger bucks have taken the majority of harvest by Missouri Hunters.

What does this mean to the deer population and you? Well let’s take a look in areas that have been study, that have been TRADITIONAL DEER MANAGEMENT over the years.

DOES = 85% of the deer population

BUCKS 2 ½ years old or less = 10% of the deer population.

BUCKS 2 ½ years old to 4 ½ years old = 5% of the deer population.

BUCKS 4 ½ years old and up = 1% of the deer population.

Remember it takes around 3 ½ years old before a Buck is even consider a mature whitetail. Also when a buck reaches 3 ½ years of age with the correct nutrition the buck has reached 80% potential of its antler growth compared to a 1 ½ year old only has 10% of its antler growth. If a buck reaches 4 ½ years of age it has reached 90% of its potential antler growth. The traditional deer population is considered un-natural since does have been protected.

When a shift is made and does are no longer protected then the quality of the entire herd benefits but the bucks end up with the biggest benefit.

Study’s that have what is called QUALITY DEER MANAGEMENT the population changes for the better.

DOES = 50% of the deer population

BUCKS 2 ½ years old or less = 12.5 % of the deer population

BUCKS 2 ½ years old to 4 ½ years old = 25% of the deer population

BUCKS 4 ½ years old and up = 12.5 % of the deer population

If you look at the numbers you have a 1 to 1 ratio between bucks and does and you can then see a visible rut and now have a more natural deer population.

Missouri for the first time last year is headed in that direction when more does where harvested than bucks.

TAKE MORE DOES AND TAKE THEM EARLY.

Here are 5 main reasons to take more does off your property and why each bow hunter should take as many doe as possible. Plus with even more reasons inside of each main reason to take more does.

Like in my area I still have a limit of two deer with my bow. But the first tag will be for a doe the very first time she pops her head out. The other tag will be for a Trophy Class buck if one presents it self. If I could buy more bow tags early in my area I would just to take more does.

BALANCE

To balance out the buck to doe ratio, if you take a doe early in the season by the time the rut comes around there are less doe deer in the woods and that makes the big boys want to roam more and you have the chance to see the trophy deer.

If you don’t then the big bucks don’t have to roam as far when they have a harem of does. Also remember this year fawn doe will be able to breed and have one fawn next year. So this year fawn doe harvest will make a difference.

But the mature doe harvest will even do more. In captivity it has been found that a mature doe of 17 ½ years was still having twins. So just because a doe is old it is not barren.

Basically you can start to get a visible rut in which everyone wants to see. Plus you will see more competition between bucks if fewer does are available in which case the dominate genetics which is what nature wants will be passed.

Plus if you are going to harvest a doe late in the season all you have done is waste the buck’s energy in chasing does that will no longer exists. So if taken early then the bucks will get his breeding done on time and save energy, which is weight and health, and start the next year even better.

Also when breeding season gets here you don’t have young bucks breeding does. Because to many are available. It has been found that 30% of twin fawns have different fathers.

When great habitat is available like Missouri the deer population runs around 20 to 25 deer per square mile and population controls are intact like hunting there are very few problems. By the way deer population will double in size in less than 3 years if the habitat exist.

YOUNG BUCKS

To protect the young bucks is a big reason. By late in the season a button buck can be close to the size of an adult doe. So by taking a doe early you cut out the chance of killing it by mistake in the late season. 

The adult does will run the young bucks out of the area, to the point of near 80% to over 5 miles away. In areas a large adult doe harvest occurs that drops to around 50%. So you save 30% of your buck population from leaving your property.

Also the old shoot theory behind shooting a spike is completely out the window, they are not longer what some consider cull bucks. Studies have show that rainfall that second year of antler growth can change the complete average of bucks with 3 points or less by over 50%.

Also studies have found that, if the young spike bucks are allowed to mature that under the Boone & Crockett Scoring system that a spike buck compared to a 4 point buck in it’s second year of antler growth some consider the spike a cull buck.  But when the spike bucks are allowed to live, when both those bucks reached maturity that only 6 inches difference has been found.

STABILIZE

To stabilize the doe reproductive rates in the area, when high population of does the “RUT or estrous cycle of each doe is out of control” Around a 100 days different on fawn being born.

 In areas with a lower doe population study shows the majority of fawns born at the same time frame.

Which means the rut or estrous in the doe population is occurring at the same time. Again back to a visible rut.

FOOD

To increase the food source for the bucks of all ages, and for the deer population that will be left that you want to feed.

By taking a doe early you save in your food plots the following.

Deer eat around 6 to 10 lbs a day of specific forage a day. But lets knock it down to 5 lbs for easy number to work with.

So if your hunting part of lets say 5 bowhunters take one doe each in October.

5 Does X 5 lbs of forage day = 25 lbs of forage a day saved.

25 lbs of forage X 30 days = 750 lbs of forage.

3000 lbs of forage in 1 to 2 acre food plot/ 750 lbs of forage = 4 months you have save an entire 1 to 2 acre food plot just in time for winter when the bucks need it and the does that are breed need it.

When population is in check the deer weight increased by 15 lbs. Does that are healthier have fawns with higher birth weights and buck have stored energy to grow their potential genetics.

APATHY

If you wait then late in the season, you may not hunt as much because you have a buck in the freezer already, it is the holiday/family season, weather not as nice. Apathy

Plus if you wait late in the season, there is more of a chance that a larger buck is following. This will not be the case early in the season.

So after reading my opinions do you agree or disagree? If so why?  

CONCLUSION

 I attended a QUALITY DEER MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION short course in Columbia, Mo. This entire program brought common sense approach to management and this is where I have noted a lot of the above information. Plus if you ever get a chance to attend a QDMA seminar do so you won't regret it. If you would like to read more about QUALITY DEER MANAGEMENT approach to your land check out www.qdma.com

Hope to see you in the woods. Horntagger

BUCK FAWN
Look for presence of developing antlers.
Head appears flatter and less rounded.
 

 DOE FAWN 
Head appears rounder
 

 FAWN DOE
Have short square bodies (look like a briefcase from a distance).
Have short necks and less muscle development
Short Nose and forehead
Ears appear larger than the head
Head is smaller and about the size of a 8 oz Coke bottle.

 ADULT DOES
Have larger, rectangular-shaped bodies look like a suitcase from a distance.
Have long necks
Often having swaying backs or sagging bellies.
Longer nose
Head is larger and about the size of 16 oz Coke bottle.

1.5 year old Bucks
Age 1.5 year old bucks = Has 11% percent of potential antler mass
Resemble does with antlers
Do not have swollen necks and muscular characteristics
Often enter feeding areas first and tend to travel with group of does early in the season
Will be found traveling alone later in the season.
  

 2.5 year old Bucks
Age 2.5 year old bucks = Has 44% of potential antler mass
Relatively thin waist and shoulders.
Limited neck swelling during the rut.

 3.5 year old Bucks
Age 3.5 year old bucks = Has 71% of potential antler mass.
Thickly muscled neck during the rut although there is still a distinct junction between the neck and shoulders.
Chest appears deeper than the hindquarters giving appearance of a well conditions racehorse.   

 4.5 year old Bucks
Age 4.5 year old bucks - Has 80% of potential antler mass
 Fully muscled neck blends into the shoulders and waistline is as deep as the chest.
Face seems to be shorter because it has filled out or has that shovel face look.

 5.5 to 6.5 year old Bucks
5.5 to 6.5 year old bucks - Has 100% of potential antler mass
(Mature Whitetail)
Neck blends completely into shoulder and front of body appears to be one large mass.
Most exhibit prominent potbelly
Face seems to be shorter because it has filled out or has that shovel face look.
(No picture)

 7.5 year old Bucks
7.5 year old and Older bucksHas 100% of potential antler mass
(Prime & past Mature age)
Loss of muscularity in neck and shoulders.
Have a swayed back and a prominent potbelly along with loose skin on the head and neck.
(No Picture)

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WHY YOU SHOULD PASS ON 1 ½ to 2 ½ YEAR OLD BUCKS
By: Allen "horntagger" Morris
 

I attended a QUALITY DEER MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION short course in Columbia, Mo. This entire program brought common sense approach to management and this is where I have noted a lot of the below information. Plus if you ever get a chance to attend a QDMA seminar do so you won't regret it. If you would like to read more about QUALITY DEER MANAGEMENT approach to your land check out. www.qdma.com

 If you have done one thing to improve the habitat on you land you have already started Quality Deer Management. But that is just one step of many.

 You can tell most hunters have not one clue to understanding age of deer. Otherwise you might here “I killed a four year old buck. Instead all you here is I killed a 6 or an 8 point buck. When I first started hunting no one ever show me. It is just in my nature to know as much as I can about a subject and to get points of view from every direction.

 The number of points is a poor measurement of a bucks or deer quality. In Missouri this is even more the case since the habitat is one of the best around for whitetails and have 4 points as a yearling is not uncommon. So point restriction in Missouri would be a disaster. However age is the most important.

 Ask yourself this question and be honest. Have you ever taken the time to educate yourself on ageing deer on the hoof. If the answer is NO. Then why not? What do you look for? If you just look at antlers then your not even close. It’s to hard to judge a buck. If you never tried how can you say that.

 QDM emphasis not solely on large antler bucks, but all deer. It also deals with habitat, hunting experience, education of the hunter with judging age.

 Specific behaviors of deer depends not only on the age and sex of the deer, but also on the age structure, sex ratio, and density of population.

 Studies have shown that heavy harvesting of 1 ½ to 2 ½ year old deer have huge impacts on deer social behavior. They often hurt the herd productivity, survival rates, and physical condition.

 “I am not going to shoot does, because they are buck magnets, or they are just as important to the genetics of the deer herd in which I am going to blast the first antler buck I see.” Well common sense is going to tell you that shooting the majority of 1 ½ year old to 2 ½ year olds you won’t have many 3 ½ to 4 ½ year olds. Will you.

 AS SOON AS WE PICKED UP A BOW OR GUN AND SET LAWS WE CHANGED NATURE AND STARTED MANAGING THE DEER HEARD. WE HAVE FOREVER CHANGED IT AND IN KNOW WAY NO MATTER WHAT WE DO CAN WE GO BACK TO THE BEGINNING WHEN IT WAS UNDER NATURALLY SELECTION. 

In my humble opinion we owe it to the what ever the game to try to get it back to what nature intended. Since the wolf, cougar, bear no longer are the main predators we skew the deer herd to the most unnatural state in modern times as the main and responsible predator in controlling the natural section. Traditional deer management does not do this again in my opinion.

 Older dominant does occupy the best habitat and have the highest fawn-rating success. If I shoot her then no bucks will come in. HMM since it is the best habitat the next doe on the ladder will more than likely take it over. In both bucks and does, physical and behaviorally mature individuals can suppress the reproductive performance of younger individuals unless the population is out of balance.

 Studies have shown when areas of 1 ½ to 2 ½ year old bucks are over harvested, doe to buck ratio is way out of balance. The breeding season at the beginning of study was around 96 days.

 In the same area within five years of management to balance to doe to buck ratio, increase the age structure of the bucks, the nutrition of the area improved the breeding season went down to 43 days.

 The rut became shorter and more intense and even started earlier in the season. This was confirmed in even more studies on this and the rut started in these area 3 weeks earlier in both cases after management balanced it out.

 More studies also showed that the earlier and more synchronized breeding increased rubs and scrapes in those areas. The abundance of rubs on a given area is directly related to the density of mature bucks.

 In one study the rubs in 1 square mile was 500 to 1,500 this is in an area that 1 ½ to 2 ½ year old buck are over harvested. Once the area was managed the same area was found to have around 5000 rubs per square mile.

 What was found that younger bucks lacked the ritualized courtship and scent marking behaviors of older bucks. Also older bucks made scrapes two months before does came breed compared to young bucks only made 15 percent as many scrapes and not until one week before does breed. Along with that young bucks only made 50 percent as many as mature bucks.

 Also studies across the milder the weather effects on deer the more impact age structure had on whitetail deer.

 Because of traditional deer management we have doe age structure of babies to great, great, great, great, great, great, great grandma does. In bucks we have nothing but 20 year old running the woods. To put in a human comparison.

 Of course Missouri weather is not really an issue since most season are mild compared to way up north. Fawns born later in these regions still have high survival rate. They tended to be small, poor-quality deer their first few years of life. In areas that had high density of deer, and late season forage, the late born bucks never achieved large bodies and antler size, regardless of their age.

  Since these fawns have lower growth rates and shorter growing season, they have higher chances of being taken by predators. Once this circle starts predator populations also increase due to the fact of an abundance of food for their young.

 And if they are doe fawns born late they will even skew the breeding season later into the year and it will become a never ending circle of late season fawns, with poor late season forage, with poor quality deer.

The question keeps coming up on if the 1 ½ to 2 ½ year old still has the genetics why worry. Well if he dead I guess he can’t pass it along. If those young bucks are doing most of the breeding before you blast him. Then the breeding is a competition among young bucks to breed the abundance of does in the area. The behavioral patterns that help to make up the genetics of the herd is discarded in exchanged for a new behavioral pattern that results in little if any selectivity for dominate traits.

 Under normal conditions, mature bucks maintain ritualized breeding and dominated the younger bucks in the area keeping them from breeding, in turn the younger bucks start to show larger body sizes need for dominance in the future. This is natures way of maintaining genetic health. The best most adapted bucks in today’s environment will contribute more to the genetic makeup of the next generation. Still some 1 ½ to 2 ½ year olds will still do some breeding but not the majority, like now.

 On and On and On. Quality Deer Management is not my idea, it’s not even the idea of the MDC, or even the idea of the QDM Association.

 It is 1000’s of biologist with 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 , 60 years of experience tying to get as close to what nature intended. Which is to have a balanced age structure of mature bucks to does. How much research is out there, that you are basing you opinions on.

 I am not asking anyone to change his or her mind on what I post. I am asking the instead of waiting the day before MDC has meetings on this issue to do your own research and come up with your own opinions.

 You just never now you might learn something.

 P.S. The same old question keeps coming up why should something be done by the MDC. Well, hard question to answer.

 What stopped people from shooting as many deer as possible in Missouri. What stopped people from Shooting as many Turkeys as Possible in Missouri. Did anyone Volunteer then?

  I would rather something be done once a problem has been pointed out, than wait until the whole thing spirals out of control into the ground. Do I agree with everything the MDC does? NO. But on this issue I will not be one that did not voice my opinions, which might be in favor of something and not with others. Will you.  

This is my best reason I have been told why you should allow the 1.5 to 2.5 year olds to walk.

This is a start. If you would like to find out more info on this subject here is another article that deals with this subject. http://www.qdma.com/articles/details.asp?id=1

Hope to see you in the woods. Horntagger.

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DON'T HUNT THE FOOD PLOTS
By: Allen "horntagger" Morris

I attended a QUALITY DEER MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION short course in Columbia, Mo. This entire program brought common sense approach to management and this is where I have noted a lot of the below information. Plus if you ever get a chance to attend a QDMA seminar do so you won't regret it. If you would like to read more about QUALITY DEER MANAGEMENT approach to your land check out. www.qdma.com

TRACKING DEER USING GPS COLLARS

New study by darting deer then putting GPS Collars on the deer and tracking Positions during LEGAL SHOOTING HOURS in or around food plots over extend period of time. It record deer location every 15 minutes. It could record within 10 feet of the deer’s location.

Could not show the graph so I put it in text form the best I could.  What comes out of this is that the deer spent less time during daylight hours in or around food plots.

FIRST STUDY - Distance from Food Plot – In the Food Plots

20% deer spent time in the food plot during daylight hours.

80% deer spent time in the food plot during nighttime hours.

 SECOND STUDY - Distance from Food Plots - 0 to 50 yards away.

 25% deer spent time in this range during daylight hours.

 75% deer spent time in this range during nighttime hours.

 THIRD STUDY - Distance from Food Plots – 50  to 100 yards away

40% deer spent time in this range during daylight hours.

60% deer spent time in this range during nighttime hours.

 FOURTH STUDY – Distance from Food Plots – 100 to 150 yards away.

 50% deer spent time in this range during daylight hours.

 50% deer spent time in this range during nighttime hours

 FIFTH STUDY – Distance from Food Plots – 150 to 200 yards away.

 60% deer spent time in this range during daylight hours

 40% deer spent time in this range during nighttime hours.

Another interesting fact that has nothing to due with this study other than the numbers have some correlation, is that using my game camera over the years which is typically located 50 yards or less from my food plots.

 Based on 394 Whitetail Deer

265 Whitetail deer or (67%) moved during the nighttime hours.

129 Whitetail deer or (33%) moved during the daylight hours.

 Hope to see you in the woods. Horntagger.

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