Build it and they will come

[tcook8296]

Most of you know I have been trying to enhance the habitat on my farm for better whitetail hunting. This is the 3rd season I have been managing and hunting the property here in NJ, Most of techniques I also employ on my farm in the midwest except for the feeder.(no hunting is done over the feeder)  This year I started hinge cutting and expanded my food plots, trying to improve cover and make sure I have food year round for the neighborhood whitetails. I have installed water holes run a feeder pretty much year round. Hunting strategy is keeping pressure to a minimum, setting stands with easy access in and out, passing small bucks and not shooting my resident does.

I used to hunt early season but I think by doing so, it does more harm than good educating the deer before the rut.

I can say big bucks dont live on my property. They only pass through. The hunting pressure is pretty heavy around me. The bucks that do pass through are pretty much pushed out of their core areas by the neighbors sometimes as far as a few miles away.

I never was a fan of those early doe days before the 6 day. Once the guns start blazing deer start vacating those high pressure properties and start looking for new food sources and most important safe cover.Attracting the better deer in your neighborhood is not that difficult when you provide cover 1 and food 2.

Bucks can appear anytime during the season, employing the use of trail cameras will let you know when you have a new buck in the area.

Usually you get a small window to kill the deer , could be a day, could be a couple days before they filter back where they came from.

Fast forward to the early Muzzy season, I get a pic of a buck in my food plot I never seen before.

He disappears for a few days and I get a pic day before 6 day back in the same food plot

He then disappears for the 6 day season. I get one more pic right after 6 day and hes gone. 3 weeks go by, I figured someone killed the deer after I didnt get any more pics of him. I was home eating dinner on Jan 4th and the Reconyx cell cam sends me a text. The buck is back. My wife probably thought I was crazy because I was yelling hes back lol. The next night Im in the stand with the muzzleloader. No buck. He shows an hour after I leave

I get back in the stand the next night with a dusting of snow thinking I may have a shot with it being cold but I was hoping for a little bit more snow. The buck never showed at all. Today we got about 5 or 6 inches of snow, it was colder than the previous day, I had a good feeling. I got into the stand around 2 pm, a little earlier and the snow was still coming down. The turnips and radishes were standing tall in the snow and they have been getting hammered the last couple days and I anticipated a lot of action tonight in the food plots for the frosty greens sticking out of the snow would be an easy meal

Yes I did have some corn out there, this about giving deer a variety to eat and it also helps me monitor a 5 acre field more efficiently with trail cameras

About 330 , 5 does enter the food plot and start hitting the brassicas. They only stayed out there for about 10 mins in the snow and went back into some cedars. About 15 minutes later I had 6 does come into the food plot 180 yards in front of me and start feeding towards me. They feed to about 70 yards and start looking into the cedar patch where the previous bunch walked in. Out walks one buck,2 buck,3 buck 4 buck. 5 th buck was the buck I was looking for. I never seen him before this evening. He fed out of the cedars into the food plot towards the other deer. I put The 220 just behind the shoulder and squeezed off the accutip at around 70 yards. He took off to my amazement across the field, I shot at him 2 more times but he was a dead der running. I saw him go down before he could make it out of the field. It was an awesome night to harvest this buck and the snow made it even better. I have a feeling my NJ season is over now, but you never know what can show up. 

Edited January 8, 2017 by tcook8296

[LPJR]

Great buck congrats!  

[Merkel]

Congrats!

[NorthNJHunter]

Awesome buck! Congrats!

[Bowhunter2004]

Congrats!

[_X7]

Good one, Tom! Congrats. Nice write up. They have been only showing here at night. The doe don't even risk daylight. Then again I really don't put anything out but some corn for pics. But you are right you never know. You have to be there.

[jerseyhunter]

Congratulations on the hunt, the pics and the story.  

[Rusty]

Wow tcook, great post and great deer.  Congratulations!!    

 

The pictures are great.       

[Zipper]

Congratulations on your hard work paying off. By working Smart and putting your passion and knowledge to use here in nj you got the job done! Beautiful buck and story.

[Thunderchicken]

Congrats Tom!! Your results speak for themselves!!

[hammer4reel]

congrats 

[Live to Hunt]

Great post and story. Congrats. Keep up the hard work it's paying off

[rackemup]

I always enjoy reading your posts about your property management, the hard work always seems to pay off for you! Congrats on a Great Buck!!

[tcook8296]

I always enjoy reading your posts about your property management, the hard work always seems to pay off for you! Congrats on a Great Buck!!

I really enjoy the work. I also enjoy being able to share the results.  A lot of guys want to hunt better deer but are afraid or dont know how to take that first step. Good results can be achieved in one season by changing your habits and making a few improvements. By not shooting every deer, it does give you a lot more time observing their habits

[nmc02]

Great deer