What habitat improvements are you planning for the offseason?

[Sippy]

I have already moved a few feeder locations, and am experimenting with different feeds. Right now i have Red Chain 17% in one feeder and Antler's Plus 20% in another.

I will be spraying some mesquite, disking areas for forb growth, and prepping for the possibility of spring plots if it looks like we may get some rain.

[Daniel75]

just purchased 20 persimmon,4 deer pear seedlings w/ protective tubes and plan on planting honeysuckle and east tx beauty berries.

This^^^^^

I'm starting with 20 trees, deer pear, crabapple and perimmon and creating an orchard on one side and a food plot.

Adding a Krivoman blind and putting hog panels around the feeder I have. That's for starters.

[Aggieivy06]

We plan to move several blinds, fix road washouts, widen some senderos, and double our cottonseed feed stations.

[Gom]

Going to increase 10 panel feed pen to 15 panels feeder pen, suppliment with protien and spring food plot. Work with lease holder for fall plots. Clean up a lot of fallen trees and branches dead trees and dangerous limbs come down every day and it is dangerous), make a couple of atv paths for new stand placements and most of all, try to cut down on the hog numbers. We got on our lease late this year. It was deer: 0, hogs:2 . Already excited about next year!

[XBowHunter]

My BIL wants to build a rope/plank bridge across the creek on our property. Forgot about that one...

[Peyton]

Where are you getting it and for how much? Not as easy to find as in years past and price has gone up

Our local feed store has bagged cottonseed. It's not the cheapest way at around $13.50 a 50# bag, but it's a lot more convenient and reliable than dealing with bulk seed.

[Peyton]

120 tons! ****. How many acres are you feedeing?

3300 acres from Feb to Nov. we have about 300 total deer, so each deer ate about 800 pounds each during that period, or 3 pounds per day.

[Peyton]

Peyton



Why the addition of cottonseed? Give us some insight on your thinking. I'm sure you have a good reason with some info to back it up with. I'm interested.



Tyler

Why not?

Cottonseed has about 20% protein and 20% fat on average. Deer benefit by having better body condition which helps them make it through hard times. Less stress on their body equals better antler growth and better fawn production.

[Gunnyart]

My plan is to get a bit of habitat of my own.

[unclefish]

Why not?

Cottonseed has about 20% protein and 20% fat on average. Deer benefit by having better body condition which helps them make it through hard times. Less stress on their body equals better antler growth and better fawn production.

So protein pellets don't really provide this as well as cottonseed?

Are you considering switching to just cottonseed only?
Thanks.

[LostHawg]

I think we're going to get the windmill running and build a catch tank for it.

[AggieVan]

Cutting re-growth cedar and cutting and cutting and cutting..... I wish grandad wasnt so fire skitish. He had a burn get a little outta control a long time ago. Probably trim some trees for new stand locations. I dont have the courage to plant a food plot in the Hill Country. My rain dancing abilities arent very good apparently.

[AggieVan]

I think we're going to get the windmill running and build a catch tank for it.

Good Idea! Gotta have water.

[Peyton]

So protein pellets don't really provide this as well as cottonseed?



Are you considering switching to just cottonseed only?

Thanks.

We will still feed protein, I'm adding cottonseed because of the fat content.

[JDC]

This was the first year for me on a new lease. Now that I've got an idea how the deer move, I need to change several of my setups. They are in okay spots this year, but most need to be concealed much better.