Pre-Season Hunting Chores -- Share Your Approach

[Doctor_M]

I have so much dead fall across my main path that I hired some help to chop our way through... hopefully will be able to get a truck through again... that will greatly reduce drag out efforts.

 

[lazarus]

In recent years I was in the Outrider camp of limiting intrusions, but things have changed on my property considerably.

First, it was logged way back in 2009, the year before I purchased it. 13 years later, the canopy has really covered back over. I used to have hoards of wild raspberries, which are now extremely limited.

Second, my neighbor has become a problem. The husband is a good guy, I really like him. The wife is an anti hunting fruitcake. We're pretty sure they actually hate each other at this point, but stand to lose too much in a divorce. In the early years, we had issues, but it had really cooled down for many years, until last summer. The neighborhood put down stone along our common driveway to prevent wash out, and she didn't agree with it, so for some reason she focused on me and started running her fairly aggressive dogs in the woods while I was hunting. I generally take the stance of its their property, they can do what they want on it, but it really blew up when the dogs routinely came onto mine. Superbowl Sunday they ran up into the backyard while my kids were out and my wife politely told her to get her dogs out of our yard or they'd be shot. We followed up with a letter stating they were not to be on our property and fully posting our property line. So $25k later the nutjob now has a fence surrounding their entire 10 acres of woods. Im sure the dogs will be running the fenceline all season, so I have to make some changes to my set up.

The real downside of this is in the past her husband has let me access the back of my property via atv on his trails, as I have impossible ravines on my side. No big deal to walk in, buy getting deer out can be tricky. So now I'm in the process of building a bridge across the first ravine (with two more to come).

I eventually have plans next year to widen the old logging road and plant a decent food plot. I'm planning on dropping some clover seed tonight in one small patch that gets decent sun right now.

That stinks. I am sorry to hear that. I've lucked out with my neighbors and my 4.4 acres. But I know I am one bad neighbor away from shutting down bowhunting on my property. Or at least shutting down a big section of it and really limiting where I can hunt to basically a bait pile in one spot and no where else.

Unfortunately, I know people in the same situation as those neighbors. One or the other seem to be decent people and the spouse is just a nightmare and you can't figure out why they are still together. One of the reasons I want a lot more property. Ideally 10+ acres, but I'd really like to go for 20 or 30 (or heck, 100+, but I am trying to be realistic). Limits how bad a bad neighbor can actually be.

 

[BigCountry14]

That stinks. I am sorry to hear that. I've lucked out with my neighbors and my 4.4 acres. But I know I am one bad neighbor away from shutting down bowhunting on my property. Or at least shutting down a big section of it and really limiting where I can hunt to basically a bait pile in one spot and no where else.

Unfortunately, I know people in the same situation as those neighbors. One or the other seem to be decent people and the spouse is just a nightmare and you can't figure out why they are still together. One of the reasons I want a lot more property. Ideally 10+ acres, but I'd really like to go for 20 or 30 (or heck, 100+, but I am trying to be realistic). Limits how bad a bad neighbor can actually be.

My hope is that some day I can buy part or all of the neighboring farm on the other side.

 

[GSuders]

Last weekend I was finally able to spend half a day prepping for the season. I try to put out my trail cameras and trim shooting lanes, etc about a month or so before season. Luckily for me old man winter was kind and I had to cut up 4 trees than had fallen in my trails/paths.

 

[Inigoes]

Validated the sights by chucking a few bolts/arrows.

 

[Pale Ryder]

I've got a dehydrator also. I am going to try to make some jerky this season. I just need to look up some recipes. A chance I might try to make some with what I have in the freezer. I love pulled venison sandwiches and venison chili. Just never tried pressure canning it before.

Tangential, I am also playing with preserving chicken eggs this time around. My younger birds are young enough they'll probably lay some over the winter, but last year when they were still little with my older birds, no eggs from about Veteran's day until around April Fools. They are already starting to slow down a little (about 5-7 eggs a day from 11 birds, 3 are probably aged out of laying, but my wife won't let me convert them. It was 8-9 a day a couple of weeks ago). Anyway, I am trying to freeze eggs. I've heard decent things on that. I am experimenting with them shelled whole as well as lightly beaten first before freezing (I've heard best results on the later, but I am curious). More of a pain to deal with, but unlimited shelf life versus just storing them in a cool place, unwashed (or washing and liming them).

Have you tried water glassing them? Heard of it but never tried.

 

[Cuttyfunk]

I like to mow my plots, or look for sheds, or do both at the same time.....

 

[Inigoes]

View attachment 376812 I like to mow my plots, or look for sheds, or do both at the same time.....

Nice find!

 

[Doco Overboard]

View attachment 376812 I like to mow my plots, or look for sheds, or do both at the same time.....

How about it, sucks huh?
Fellow down the road more than a few weeks ago sent up some trail cameras for ones that were stolen by the bunch that leases some of his land by the river.
Told the youngins to send them back it was no big deal they didn't need to be replaced becuase they were old.
Anyway, he said no way you guys saved be a couple grand in tractor tires this spring more than likely and those guys cant kill any deer or even find horns on the ground.
I bet it was 25lbs. + of sika horns that were carried out of there, many cast off in the fields.