A year in the life of a farm

[yazoomon]

"LORD OF THE KINGS" Man Rusty, Tha tis just a super gnarly giant, at what age did he blow up. Give us some stats on him. Congrats on the young folks hunts (the future) and that great south of the border brute. God's been good to us this year. Ya'll stay safe and Merry Christmas.

[yazoomon]

I wanted to thank everyone on this thread for sharing your knowledge and experiences. I took most of your suggestions and methods and along with my years of full time protein at 5 stations, the results are exceptionally better in all areas for the first time. The deer are very healthy and weight is up a lot. The 4 and older bucks made tremendous improvements in headgear inches, heaviness and little explosions of horns, I even noticed some extra main beams. I will try to get my son to help me load some pictures. I apologize for this being so long but it's important to me that ya'll know what was going on with me before this thread got my attention. At 65, I was having some health issues last year that for the first time in my life took me away from me and everyone and everything I cared about. I have been blessed more than I deserve with my family, friends and my business but I was still stuck Then I found this website and this particular thread about receiving so much from everyone and felt it was time to give back and share in some way. And give back, Rusty and other did with joy. It's a interesting read with real information and great member participation and I was enjoying the logic and back and forth when a light went off in my head (not a real one). I saw in this particular thread, people sharing in their love of hunting, their stewardship of improving the land (ecology,biology), the plants and trees, the conservation for the wildlife under their care and the hard work, money and sacrifices made memories made with family and friends, the evolving methods and ideas, all the time sharing your friendships and some hardships and caring about one another while life goes on. You never know what affect your actions and words can do for someone that you don't even know is there. I don't think I have met any of you but I feel like I know many of you. If you were to ever find yourself in the Mississippi Delta and you need help, just give me a call. Thanks again and Merry Christmas to all.

[Backwoods101]

Good gawd!!! Dream buck for sure

[Backwoods101]

Originally Posted by yazoomon

I wanted to thank everyone on this thread for sharing your knowledge and experiences. Thanks again and Merry Christmas to all.

Thanks for sharing and Merry Christmas to you and your loved ones

[wdtorque]

Great Bucks Rusty! Really enjoy this thread and what you do with your property. I should have bought property when I was young, but alas.... Pretty women and poor choices. I've got folks up in Inverness Yazoomon, big deer to be had up in your part of the world.
Merry Christmas and thanks for sharing,

[elgato]

Oh my! It seems I have some catching up to do. I'm just back from the ranch and learning the power of social media.

First; Yazooman, thank you for your post. I'm 63 not very 'techie' and this thread is the first time I have ever attempted such a thing. It means a lot to learn that sharing in this way connects and contributes in ways I never understood. I appreciate your story and hope our paths cross personally some day.

Blessings to all always and thanks to each of you for your kind words.

[elgato]

Now, for the deer. I'm rather astounded at how pics of that buck have circulated. The particular pic I see circulating was taken by my buddy hunting with me and I didn't know he even sent it to anyone.Now I've even seen it advertising ranches for folks I've never heard of. At least here is one with me smiling. It was a very exciting hunt.

Some details on the deer. He was a 7 yr old. I first noticed him at 4 when I 'accidentally ' videod him while trying to get on a bigger buck. He was an average 145-150" 10 pt. At 5 he blew up to a high 190's maybe 200" 10 pt. Very magnificent and obviously special. I had several buddies telling me I was nuts for not hunting him.I don't shoot 5 yr olds. At 6 he dropped back to an 8 pt scoring around 170. Beautiful frame with lots of mass.

I don't run cameras much on the ranch so I had no idea what he looked like this year. I showed up at the ranch looking for an 8 yr old [ which I still haven't found ] and actually bumped this a couple of times before I got a good look at him. Then one afternoon me and a couple of buddies were out and I caught him up close with some terrific video. Change of plans as I knew at 7 he was the one to chase.

He scored 199 5/8. His main 8 pt frame was 177". Cool buck. Here is a pic of him at 5.

[elgato]

Here he is in one of his previous incarnations at 5.

[texasdeerhunter]

Wow. What a deer!

[ethic1]

Awesome buck!


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[timoub007]

Wow! It looks like he has a drop off his drop. Congrats on an awesome deer. Thanks for sharing the story.

T

[JeffK]

Congrats. The frame on that deer is awesome.

[chase15]

Gorgeous buck. Congrats!


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[Old Blue]

Nice deer Rusty. Growing some big ones over there.

[JLivi1224]

WOOOOOOOW!!! That's all I got. Congrats Rusty!!

[bukkskin]

Originally Posted by elgato

Thought some of you might find this interesting. This buck has an antler growing out of his eye! I've been watching him all summer wondering if/when he might die. My best guess is that he damaged his pedicle last year...probably fighting..and a part of antler has grown down and out through his eye. He also had a 5-6" drop tine growing from his left base which he has broken off.

Open to any other theories???

Ouch!!!
Yep, either fighting or they get hung up in something and freak out. They break the antler out with a big chunk of pedicle attached to it. They will usually always be abnormal on that side from then on. I see it a lot.
And congrats on that beautiful Mexico buck.

[bukkskin]

Rusty,
Here is what I am talking about.
In these pics, I set the torn out antler next to a regular shed antler.
But, come to think of it, I have never seen it happen to a deer older than a yearling.
Could be what GarGuy said too

[Blackmouth]

I was at a SE Deer Study group a few years ago and listened to a talk about Arcanobacter pyogenes, now called Trueperella pyogenes. It is a bacteria that enters the meninges of the brain through wounds near the pedicle. A lot of the symptoms that weren't fatal were the extra bone attached to sheds just like the pics above.

[Rwc]

Mr. elgato,
That is one fine animal you killed.

Congrats

Rwc

[Booner Sooner]

Tag

[elgato]

Shed hunting time. They are just starting here in La. Pays to have a great helper.

[elgato]

Here's what the top shed looked like stuck on a deers head. The shed was 80". 5 yr old I believe

[ethic1]

I bet it’s just as awesome finding sheds! Pretty good start right there!


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[lovemylegacy]

I cant remember such an early shed time. Bucks have been dropping for a couple of weeks now.

[elgato]

This buck is hanging around same feeder. Will spend a lot of time looking around here.

[elgato]

Originally Posted by lovemylegacy

I cant remember such an early shed time. Bucks have been dropping for a couple of weeks now.

Just starting here. Most of the bucks we are seeing still carry both antlers. But it will start changing fast now.Normal time for here.

[GarGuy]

A few of my deer shed right after Christmas. the rest just threw horns off suddenly Friday and saturday. i had pics of Kicker3 and a big nine with both horns and an hour later they came back.. the nine only had one horn and kicker3 was bald.

I flat ruined a bone spur on my heel walking the thickets around that corn pile. never did find his horns and i know darn well they are close!

[elgato]

Found a couple more today.

[Encinal]

This thread has been going on 4 years... shouldnt you rename it?

[lovemylegacy]

Originally Posted by Encinal

This thread has been going on 4 years... shouldnt you rename it?

Not until he sales the farm

[Encinal]

Originally Posted by lovemylegacy

Not until he sales the farm

Well that ain’t happening...

I think it should be a life of years at the farm.

[lovemylegacy]

Originally Posted by Encinal

Well that ain’t happening...

I think it should be a life of years at the farm.

The never ending farm life thread that will never end and lives on and on

[Bowhuntinonly]

And i am glad it lives on and on!

[triple_duece]

This thread was the main reason I joined up. One of the best threads going. Thanks for sharing your knowledge with us.

[lovemylegacy]

Probably the best thread on TBH

[Dushon]

Originally Posted by lovemylegacy

Probably the best thread on TBH

Absolutely


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[Dushon]

I actually based my food plots off el gatos at the ranch I take care off and my boss loves them haha. So thanks for that


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[gingib]

Originally Posted by lovemylegacy

Probably the best thread on TBH

I would have to agree!

Most beneficial to people like us who like to manage deer, grow deer, and do our best to help feed the deer

[elgato]

Gentlemen,

I'm not quite sure what to say. Thanks for your comments.I've tried to let this thread die a couple of times but it seems to have a life of its own. When I started it the goal was simply to follow activities thru the year on the farm. Stuff we do that might make sense or be interesting to others. While it does evolve over time the basic principles stay the same.And here we are 4 years later. Never dreamed it would still be going.

So Marko , looks like I named it incorrectly from the very beginning. Not only the title but ranch stuff has creeped in as well . While the management principles are the same ranch or farm there is more variety I can do on the farm thus more to report.

So, unless the mods take umbrage with a misleading title , I'll try to do more this year to report on specific activities and ideas we will be exploring for the new year.Welcome to:

A Year in the Life of a Farm 2018.

[Ispdnxs]

Best news I have heard all day! Been reading this for a couple years, thanks a lot for sharing. There is something just about anyone can take away from this thread no matter how knowledgeable or experienced. Thanks for letting us learn lessons from your experiences so hopefully we can avoid some costly mistakes.


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[elgato]

Accepting the above, deer season is over. We just returned from the ranch bringing home trucks, guns gear and all the stuff collected from a long season.

The deer on the farm are dropping sheds and I took the A team out hunting. Fun for everybody.

The heavy shed we found yesterday is from last year. Think the buck is 9 or 10 and we've been after him fro the last 3 years...unsuccessfully.

The 8 with forks was a bit over 160"

Will be out looking hard this week.

[ethic1]

By far my favorite thread of any forum! I look forward to your updates Rusty! Thanks for keeping this going!!!!


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[dope hunter]

Originally Posted by ethic1

By far my favorite thread of any forum! I look forward to your updates Rusty! Thanks for keeping this going!!!!


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X2

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[GarGuy]

Thank you Rusty. dad and i were driving around here in East tx last week and he was talking about how he wished for a large chunk of this area to control the hunting on and how he bet with the proper age and nutrition, we could grow World class deer.

I told him about this Rusty guy that had the same woods and deer...

[elgato]

Lots happening on the farm now. I just spread 100 lbs of magnesium sulfate on the fruit orchards scattered around the farm. May be an old wives tale but supposedly that makes fruit sweeter.At a couple cups per tree I realized how many trees I have.

Of course, had to plant a few more apple trees, thornless blackberries and blueberry bushes. Had to!

We are putting out minerals next week. I use Redmund #10 fine. Same as trophy rock but cheaper. No pic of a deer on it. I pour a pile at every feeder. Don't know if it does any good but deer use it and makes me feel like I did something.

All the rain lately has a portion of the farm under water. Flooding seems to be the new normal. As soon as the water recedes we will be putting out feed with wormer. I wait till all the feeders are completely empty. Then fill about half full. Will not refill until all empty again. With Safeguard mixed in the feed is expensive ! I want it all used up before diluted with new feed.

Just welded up a jig where we can run the roller crimper on the front end loader allowing us to run the planter on back at same time.Will allow for one trip thru the field to crimp and plant at the same time. IS an experiment....more to follow.

All the rain has made travel on the farm tricky and with flooding we are cut off from portions compromising shed hunting .Did manage to find this one though. G3 at the kicker is broken off.

[gingib]

Love the info. And the detail you put into it.

Keep it up.


Do you grain drill your peas? When do you plant?

[unclefish]

Awesome stuff....as usual Rusty!

[elgato]

Originally Posted by gingib

Love the info. And the detail you put into it.

Keep it up.


Do you grain drill your peas? When do you plant?

I no till drill everything. Generally plant summer crops some time in April. Depends on weather and how wet fields are. For mixes including sun hemp I don’t mind waiting till a little later. It loves heat and dry. Grows really fast too.

[Dustinb09]

Originally Posted by elgato

Found these today. 3 yr old

IDK how I missed this thread over the years, but I'm caught up. Just wondering have you seen this deer since?

[elgato]

Originally Posted by Dustinb09

IDK how I missed this thread over the years, but I'm caught up. Just wondering have you seen this deer since?

Hmm? without going back thru the thread I'm not sure which 3 yr old you are referring to? Which post?