Conservation
Silver Member
- Joined
- Dec 21, 2008
- Messages
- 228
You guys have some hum dingers for neighbors. Or had.
Good Bye Food Plots
- Thread starter woodlandfarms
- Start date
- Views: 5798
Flatheadyoungin
Veteran Member
case-in-point....
laying in bed last night about 10, watching TV.....BAM! i looked out the window to the neighbor's house that feed the deer......young boy in an older car backed up in to their driveway......got out and examined his vehicle that is now missing a headlight, and steam is coming from the radiator......you can tell he is thinking, "how am i going to afford to fix this......" his passenger walks over and shines a light on the deer laying against the mailbox......they all jump back because it's still alive.....no one bothered to put it out of it's misery.......i didn't volunteer because we've had our differences and felt best if i stayed out because i'd probably have said something.....
from the young driver's perspective, he was just driving along and one of those "rascal" deer jumped out in front of him......i'm sure he didn't notice the salt block, huge pile of corn or the nice spot light in the back yard.....
laying in bed last night about 10, watching TV.....BAM! i looked out the window to the neighbor's house that feed the deer......young boy in an older car backed up in to their driveway......got out and examined his vehicle that is now missing a headlight, and steam is coming from the radiator......you can tell he is thinking, "how am i going to afford to fix this......" his passenger walks over and shines a light on the deer laying against the mailbox......they all jump back because it's still alive.....no one bothered to put it out of it's misery.......i didn't volunteer because we've had our differences and felt best if i stayed out because i'd probably have said something.....
from the young driver's perspective, he was just driving along and one of those "rascal" deer jumped out in front of him......i'm sure he didn't notice the salt block, huge pile of corn or the nice spot light in the back yard.....
czechsonofagun
Elite Member
FLJ, great comment, could not agree more.
ampsucker
Platinum Member
totally agree with last two posts.
at one point i was contracted to maintain a 10 acre complex of senior living. they had a good variety of landscaping plants and young trees planted. couldn't figure out why the plants kept getting eaten and the residents couldn't grow tomatoes in pots, etc.
of course, there was a nice pond on the property and one resident insisted in putting out a salt block to attract the deer. i think the deer were plenty attracted by the safe, well mowed, predator free food and water source already! the salt block was just icing on the cake. i counted about 15 - 20 deer in the herd pretty regularly when i was night mowing.
and yes, the property bordered a busy road with a 45 mph speed limit.
tons of other stories just like this. and yes, every other farm in the state (kansas) grows corn in unfenced fields, winter wheat, etc. the deer can have all they want and still insist in coming into my yard and eating the hedge right in front of my house. it just happens to be convenient for them in the grazing corridor they used for generations along the creek long before our subdivision came into existence.
i would be for some type of well thought out and well researched legislation that would keep people from doing stupid things with wildlife and also allow the wildlife to access the resources they need for survival. i don't think food plots on large acreages should be affected, just problem areas where large predators come into play or roads or agricultural areas are affected by the generosity of nature lovers.
at one point i was contracted to maintain a 10 acre complex of senior living. they had a good variety of landscaping plants and young trees planted. couldn't figure out why the plants kept getting eaten and the residents couldn't grow tomatoes in pots, etc.
of course, there was a nice pond on the property and one resident insisted in putting out a salt block to attract the deer. i think the deer were plenty attracted by the safe, well mowed, predator free food and water source already! the salt block was just icing on the cake. i counted about 15 - 20 deer in the herd pretty regularly when i was night mowing.
and yes, the property bordered a busy road with a 45 mph speed limit.
tons of other stories just like this. and yes, every other farm in the state (kansas) grows corn in unfenced fields, winter wheat, etc. the deer can have all they want and still insist in coming into my yard and eating the hedge right in front of my house. it just happens to be convenient for them in the grazing corridor they used for generations along the creek long before our subdivision came into existence.
i would be for some type of well thought out and well researched legislation that would keep people from doing stupid things with wildlife and also allow the wildlife to access the resources they need for survival. i don't think food plots on large acreages should be affected, just problem areas where large predators come into play or roads or agricultural areas are affected by the generosity of nature lovers.
F.L. Jennings
Bronze Member
Deer population has increased significantly in our area over the last few years, but not due to feeding. Land management is the reason. Primarily "even aged management" - clear cutting that is. After large areas of land are clear cut - and perhaps planted back with pine, deer thrive and increase for several years as the undergrowth/brush phase of the growth in in control. As these areas of replanted pine forest (replaced the mixed hardwoods/pines) mature, the populations fall off, since there is less and less for them to eat as the pines grow larger, shading out the understory growth they depend on for food. I've been associated with and made my living from the forest industry for many years, but have never liked the practice of clearcutting. I've seen the clear/gravel bottomed mountain stream I live on turn to a muddy mess too many times from an upstream monsoon that fell on clearcut land. I'm 100% for logging, loggers, sawmillers, firewood cutters, but clearcutting in our part of the state is replacing much older growth mixed hardwoods with nothing but pine. I often wonder when and what will eventually run rampant through the pine plantations. A mono-crop anywhere year after year is asking for trouble. Sooner or later something is going to hit those millions of acres of pine trees - and those hardwoods will never be replaced.
In earlier years I hunted deer on the White River National Wildlife Refuge in the south eastern part of Arkansas. I saw trees there that I will never get to see again. White Oaks that were 60" dbh and better, with not a limb below forty feet up. I saw truckloads - yes whole truck loads - of 24" dbh Persimmon logs! When is the last time you saw a 2 ft. diameter Persimmon tree? Me too.
This boom time for populations is still reigning here and we often have to dodge deer. I've killed one with my pick up truck (damaged my left headlight and bent the bumper) and my son hit one that nuked the left front (fiberglas construction) of his car. I don't know how many close calls we've had. After an accident on our place that put a nice gash in my forehead, my wife was taking me to the emergency room for a few stitches. Our driveway is 1/4 mile long, and as we were going out the drive that night 5 deer ran directly in front of the car causing her to have to lock up the brakes. I very nearly lengthened the gash on the windshield.
recent top ten states for car/deer collisions
1) Pennsylvania
2) Michigan
3) Illinois
4) Ohio
5) Georgia
6) Minnesota
7) Virginia
8) Indiana
9) Texas
10) Wisconsin
This car vs. deer crash happened recently on I-55 in Mississippi;
What we really need around here is a good coyote thinning! During the day when I'm working our neighbor tells us that one bold fellow routinely trots right up the middle of our drive way - probably going to inspect my chickens.
I don't feed em' but they're coming anyhow! I've shot two and also a black wolf and several feral - totally wild - dogs.
Frank...
In earlier years I hunted deer on the White River National Wildlife Refuge in the south eastern part of Arkansas. I saw trees there that I will never get to see again. White Oaks that were 60" dbh and better, with not a limb below forty feet up. I saw truckloads - yes whole truck loads - of 24" dbh Persimmon logs! When is the last time you saw a 2 ft. diameter Persimmon tree? Me too.
This boom time for populations is still reigning here and we often have to dodge deer. I've killed one with my pick up truck (damaged my left headlight and bent the bumper) and my son hit one that nuked the left front (fiberglas construction) of his car. I don't know how many close calls we've had. After an accident on our place that put a nice gash in my forehead, my wife was taking me to the emergency room for a few stitches. Our driveway is 1/4 mile long, and as we were going out the drive that night 5 deer ran directly in front of the car causing her to have to lock up the brakes. I very nearly lengthened the gash on the windshield.
recent top ten states for car/deer collisions
1) Pennsylvania
2) Michigan
3) Illinois
4) Ohio
5) Georgia
6) Minnesota
7) Virginia
8) Indiana
9) Texas
10) Wisconsin
This car vs. deer crash happened recently on I-55 in Mississippi;
What we really need around here is a good coyote thinning! During the day when I'm working our neighbor tells us that one bold fellow routinely trots right up the middle of our drive way - probably going to inspect my chickens.
I don't feed em' but they're coming anyhow! I've shot two and also a black wolf and several feral - totally wild - dogs.
Frank...
Ridgewalker
Platinum Member
Great posts Frank!
I am with you on the predators, I recently walked my land after a snowfall and was amazed at the tracks I saw. Tons of deer and turkey but also lots of rabbits off in my woods.
I also saw several set of coyote tracks so I ordered a predator call from Bass Pro and plan to do my best to thin that herd.
I have two food plots and a feeder on my 50 acres. In the two years I have owned the land we have taken 4 deer. I do my best to thin that herd as well.
I am with you on the predators, I recently walked my land after a snowfall and was amazed at the tracks I saw. Tons of deer and turkey but also lots of rabbits off in my woods.
I also saw several set of coyote tracks so I ordered a predator call from Bass Pro and plan to do my best to thin that herd.
I have two food plots and a feeder on my 50 acres. In the two years I have owned the land we have taken 4 deer. I do my best to thin that herd as well.
mattman
Gold Member
The deer population here in south arkansas was not long ago nearly nothing. My dad can rember when it was something to see a deer. Now days they are everywhere. You are doing good if you don't see one. I don't have a problem with feeding wildlife, but be responsible. You rember the movie Lake Placid where the old lady was feeding the huge alligator, that is not the kind of feeding I had in mind. There is a place for feeding, as well as the type of wildlife to feed. Predators should not be feed. They will lose their fear of humans. People need to use common sense.
wedge40
Veteran Member
- Joined
- Oct 8, 2007
- Messages
- 2,196
Common Sense has been bread out of most Americans.. Just look around. We keep making laws that circumvent darwinism so lack of common sense prevails.
Here in Indiana in the Summer time you can have the DNR come out and inspect the damage the deer have done to your crops. If it's bad enough you get a special license to kill on your property. I have a friend at work who took 6 off his land. He wont shoot them unless he's going to use the meat. But he has let other people on the land to take some as well.
Wedge
