Taken by a good friend at 20 yards with .50 cal black powder – chasing doe along the James River.
Posts Tagged whitetail deer
Food Plots for Deer – Planting Milo/Grain Sorghum
Wildlife Benefits: Milo, or Grain Sorghum, is a great crop for pheasant and upland birds as well as deer and turkey. The Milo is a great food source for birds but also provides great cover for deer and turkey. In late season deer will feed on the grain when most other crops and food sources have been consumed.
Planting Benefits and Characteristics: Milo is typically more drought resistant and heat tolerant than other grains and crops including corn. For cooler or more humid temperatures corn is more commonly planted. Most varieties of Milo are between 2-4 feet in height when fully mature, wildlife such as deer will bed in Milo because of its sturdiness and its ability to offer protection. However not all deer will seek security in this crop.
Milo is also more beneficial than other crops such as corn, having more protein than corn. When mixed with other forage crops such as soybeans, the protein potential becomes even higher.
Based on studies by the University of Minnesota and University of Wisconsin, the primary factor for growing success is attributed to heat at the right time. The study found that for maximum grain yield the average temperatures in the month of July needs to be at least 80 degrees – this a limiting factor for the Upper Midwest. In addition, to reach peak photosynthesis, day time temperatures should be at least 90 degrees. For peak grain setting, heading should be complete by early August.
When planning on getting your seed planted, soil temperatures should be at least 60-65 degrees for strong emergence. When considering planting locations, Milo can be planted in wetter soils where minor flooding can occur compared to corn.
How to Plant: For peak yield pre-treat with Round-up or Atrazine prior to planting to reduce completing foliage and weeds. Atrazine will kill soybeans, so if planting Milo and soybeans do not use Atrazine as it will remain in the soil. Many Milo seeds are safe to use with chemical weed suppressants, be sure to use the correct weed suppressant after germination.
Milo is usually planted 1” in heavier soils and up to 2” in sandier soils with no-tillage grain drills – followed by use of a cultipacker or corrugated roller. If you have access to seeding machinery for corn, this should be acceptable for grain sorghum. If soil prep is complete and nutrient levels are correct, Milo can jump ahead of the weeds and naturally suppress them.
If lacking heavy equipment, discing or tilling the soil to break it up will assist – followed by broadcasting seeds and dragging to cover.
Planting Rate: Roughly 25-30 pounds per acre, less if in more drought probable areas.
Nutrients: pH should be in a range of 6.0 to 6.5, use lime as necessary. At optimum heading, Milo can consume upwards of 100 pounds of nitrogen per acre, potassium and phosphorus are less than 15 pounds per acre each.
Since Milo loves nitrogen, tilling in 100 to 150 pounds or urea (46-0-0) prior to seeding will help to jump start the growth. A soil test will help determine the amount of potassium and phosphate needed prior to planting – soil conditions are similar to that of corn.
Resources: Alternative Field Crops Manual
P.R. Carter1, D.R. Hicks2, E.S. Oplinger1, J.D. Doll1, L.G. Bundy1, R.T. Schuler1, and B.J. Holmes1
1Depts. of Agronomy, Soil Science, and Agricultural Engineering, Cooperative Extension Service and College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, University of Wisconsin -Madison, WI 53706.
2Dept. of Agronomy and Plant Genetics, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN 55108. Nov. 1989.
Heading out to do some preseason scouting for the best places to put up a tree stand? Don’t forget your compass. Assuming you know where you’re going, you won’t need the compass to get home. But you will need it to properly place the stand so you won’t be blinded by the sun at dawn or dusk. When you find a likely spot, pull out the compass to determine east and west. This may seem obvious, but a lot of scouting is done in the middle of the day and the obvious might not occur to you—until you’re on stand, squinting into the sun.
From fieldandstream.com
So archery season is almost upon us and now is the time to make sure your archery gear is in tip top shape for this whitetail deer season. If you are like most of us, this deer season might be one where the budget is tight. So I have put together three items for this deer season that most every deer hunter could afford. Read the rest of this entry »
The Single Shot Magnum is Summit’s “man and a half” stand. Offering 50% more room than the Single Shot – it is a great stand for those looking for a little more room and a little higher weight capacity.
The most stable, durable ladder stand on the market today. Over-built with extra-heavy duty, thick gauge steel, wide welded rungs and sturdy hand rails, the Single Shot Magnum is so solid that it does not need a stabilizer bar to prevent ladder and platform wobble. With an extra thick padded seat and a spacious platform, you won’t find a more rock-solid ladder stand anywhere.
50% Larger than the Single Shot, the Magnum offers more seat and platform room and is rated to 350 lbs.
Every Summit Ladder Stand features a 4 point fall arrest system, 3 stand ratchet straps, removable bench seat, written instructions, safety / instructional DVD and a 5 year limited warranty.
A Texas motto is: “It’s like a whole other country.” Here in West Texas, it’s really “like a whole other world,” but a deer hunters paradise in every sense.
Texas is home to the largest herd of whitetail deer in the United States and is estimated at over 4.5 million deer. The Lone Star State is also known for producing some of the largest trophy whitetail bucks in the country. So how can a hunting outfitter in West Texas boast to being the best kept secret in Texas? Lets find out. Read the rest of this entry »
Aging Whitetail Deer
Aug 18
We came across a pretty interesting service that hutning clubs, wildlife managers and animal stewards would find very helpful. Here is some information on this service and we encourage you to learn a little more about them.
Deer Aging by Wildlife Analytical Laboratories
Are you ready to take the guessing game out of aging your whitetail deer?
Common sense and experience tell you that looking at the wear on the molars of a mammal’s jaw will not tell you the actual age of a deer (or elk, moose, sheep, etc.). Sure, if they are worn more, the deer was older; worn less, younger; but only if the deer were eating the same food at the same location. Read the rest of this entry »
When planning a trophy whitetail deer bowhunt, it can be a difficult task to choose the right hunting outfitter. As one searches the internet, they will find outfitters promising, even “guaranteeing” a successful whitetail deer bowhunt just to lure someone into booking a hunt. While the vast majority of outfitters are reputable, some bad apples can can turn a hunting trip into a nightmare.
There are a lot of different hunting knives out there – some made for looks and some made for work. There are also plenty of rugged, good looking production knives as well, but we set out to find some of the best looking custom hunting knives that are also capable of being workhorses. This list wasn’t meant to single out any style of hunting knife either – from gut hooks to skinning knives we included a little bit of everything. So here they are in no particular order.
There are a lot of trail cameras on the market for deer hunters these days, some inexpensive and some out of this world. Not everyone can afford the super high end cameras and if you can, most wouldn’t want to leave them for fear of theft – but that’s for a whole ‘other topic. But being able to see the whitetails on your property while you aren’t there is critical. What time of day and the temperature are components that are great to know as well.