As a viewer of all your shows for a decade, my enjoyment with your most recent shows on the new farm is not predicated on you shooting monster bucks every year. It is an awesome to watch your journey trying to make this new farm into what you envision it being. I hunt in Pennsylvania, had similar deer number struggles on sits, and loved putting your strategies into practice at our property in the tough situations. If anything, I enjoy watching how you deal with the low numbers and having to grind to finally have success on a target buck more than your old shows at your old farm. I am super excited to see what you do with this in the future, and appreciate the knowledge you share, and honesty with this years struggles. I am so glad you are back to filming shows on a regular basis, and look forward to each show....deer or no deer.
There were plenty of nice deer in the photos you showed. Welcome to reality. You have been so blessed in your life to harvest some amazing deer. You have harvested deer most of us would be happy to see let alone actually harvest.
Yes, for sure. Blessed indeed. It is really fun being in a position to let some of these nice younger deer go just to see what they can become. Some blow up and some don't. Some of the ones I expected to get huge didn't. Just watching them from year to year (and seeing how their behavior changes over time) is very fascinating. Hopefully, this farm will be like that some day. Have a great day.
Great segment, I own land in N/W Illinois Mississippi River valley and we just didn’t see any shooters this year 160” class or better, to be honest we didn’t even see any 145” and we ran dozens of cellular cameras and planted 6 different plots in key locations. I feel like the bumper acorn crop really locked the deer down and they just didn’t move daylight or dark hardly at all. Even talking with neighbors and friends no one really saw a giant this year that I know of. It was very depressing to say the least, all the time money and habitat improvements with nothing to show for it in a season hurts. Here’s to hoping 2024 is a far better season for all afield.
I bought 65 acres 3 years ago, some old family land down here in Alabama. First year, I had 2 regulars… yes 2 does. No bucks. Year 2 I had 5-6 regulars, a small spike, etc. didn’t shoot anything still. After TSI and year round food plots, this year I had 10-15 regular does and and small bucks, and for the first time had 2 large shooter bucks appear. Granted it was during couple weeks of rut, but still. Just proves that sometimes it takes time, work, some years of lean. I’m talking about TINY acreage compared to most.
Great videos Bill, I learn something new every time I watch them. I did see a quick scene of you dumping something on stumps after you cut the tree down? What was that, and does that kill the stump? Look forward to the video
Thanks for the support and the comment. That was Tordon RTU (Ready to Use). It kills stumps. It is very aggressive on nearby trees too if you put on too much, so I would recommend Garlon RTU instead. It is not as likely to create "collateral damage". Good luck.
Thanks for the input. I have planted about 340 acres of switchgrass in my life. I have not seen the deer use it other than maybe some summer bedding and for travel between blocks of permanent cover. I know it serves a purpose, but for me, the time invested in planting permanent cover (trees, shrubs) pays off better in the long-run. Switch is a quick solution, in some cases, but I don't think I will plant it ever again. Have a great day.
@@bill-winkequick way for screen options. With all your timber , tsi and hinge cutting will be a great option. But to screen in some of your sets in the plots and fields, may be a quick option.
I enjoy your content a lot, and I watch nearly every episode. The fact that you felt the need to make this video with this title tells me the answer to your question. If you seen 5 Booners last season and everyone hunting your place was shooting deer, you have never titled a video this. That doesnt mean sell it and run. Pick up a lease nearby, keep improving your place, and create what you want. Time will be the only fix.
I agree Kyle. I need more options so I can rest this one and let the young bucks that are there get some age. I will definitely work on finding a few options this off-season. Thanks for the comment.
I mimic a lot of comments on here. As a viewer I am not disappointed what you did or didn’t shoot. I’m am impressed at the work you put in and gives me great ideas on how to improve the property I hunt on. So for that thank you!!
Thanks Windell. I think it will really hit its stride in year five (three more years) since there were almost no mature bucks here when I bought it. Have a great day.
I used to fish for walleyes A LOT. I’d usually head towards the lakes and spots on the rivers with a recognized high walleye population, and catch fish as expected one would. Then I shifted a lot of my energy towards lesser fished, not so walleye abundant spots. Took awhile but we figured those spots out and caught enough to keep coming back. Looking back I enjoyed those “self made spots” more. We couldn’t manipulate the environment to make more / better fishing, but we could change our tactics. Listening to you talk about your farm today reminded me of our change in fishing. I’m guessing (and hoping) your change will result in the same kind of sport satisfaction we had. It’s gonna be a fun journey thanks for bringing us along to watch.
Man Bill, this content has been so relatable and honestly some of the most helpful. The last two seasons I have dedicated myself to trying to get it done on mature deer in my home state of Florida instead of traveling up north to hunt my families place, where I know I can get it done. I have all the lessons learned but no buck to show for it. I wouldn't wish it on anyone but hearing from a legend like yourself that certain areas are just a grind really helps some of us understand we aren't crazy, sometimes it is just hard hunting. As much as killing isn't everything it is certainly frustrating when you feel you did everything as good as you could without having a body and rack to lay hands on. Best of luck in '24.
Thanks Alex. Thanks for your help and time. That interview was shot at our house down near Solon, not at the farm. There are tons of deer here near the house, but 99.9% of the ones I see are does and fawns. I hope you are doing well. Have a great day.
It's a tough farm to hunt bill. You know that though. I love all the ideas and strategy, but the farm seems like it's a tough one to get out of in certain areas, with some food low, they come down in evening, mature bucks watch you exit from above in the timber or watch you access from their vantage point or hear atv etc, they can pattern you. The area has the right deer, look at the ones you harvested in the past, and the younger up and comers. I think you will get there, but it's going to take time. Not sure of the soil ph or structure, but any way you could add alfalfa anywhere for a good summer protein plot, or would that draw and increase your herd size more than you want? Thanks for the content, have got some good ideas from you to put in place on our farm in Kansas.
Agree on all points. I need to find a few places that I can sneak into and out of without being detected and then just hunt those areas mostly. There is a way to hunt this place that takes a lot of work and time (come around from the county road and not up through the farm). I have resisted that since it will take tons of effort every day and I need to first prove to myself that I can't get away with doing it the "easy" way. This past season almost convinced me of that! I do plan to plant alfalfa on the dry ridge. That would be the perfect crop for that area, in addition probably to sorghum (another drought tolerant crop). That will be part of the plan for this spring. Good luck to you and have a great day.
@@bill-winke Going undetected is not always easy, but you know what you have to do to keep them from patterning you. A farm without good access is very tough no matter what improvements are made as you know. Alfalfa on that ridge sounds good, especially if not much around! Best of luck and thanks for keeping us along and reminding us to always dream big.
A thing we changed on our farm in PA that surprisingly made a difference was changing when we harvested our doe population... we started delaying our doe harvest until very late in the season or extended archery season.. and we concentrated on our target bucks 1st... My theory is that when we would shoot doe throughout the season usually before we had buck encounters, the older buck and doe simply left our 300 acre good mixed habitat farm to neighboring farms once they smelled the blood from the deer, yotes were more frequent in numbers on gut piles, etc.. and while the younger buck and doe stuck around, the older buck and doe left dodge for the most part... we doubled our buck harvest once we started tabling the doe harvest until the last few days of the season in conjunction with changing our ingress / egress to stands .... just a thought..
imo you should try a year where you dont shoot more than 2 does for meat limit checking cameras ? less pressure ? cell cams ? love the channel good luck !
I am going to produce an episode, I think it will go live Monday, explaining why I am shooting the does. I think it will make sense after you watch that. Thanks.
5yrs or more years , In my opinion is when you will see the big changes. I hunt most state land some 35 or more year. Several time the state would cull deers. The next 3 4 or even 5 years I would always see doe with 2 or 3 fawn. As the herd would recover they typically a single fawn. Everyone would blame culling, too much acorns or not enough. You now have the food, Nov 9 proved it to have quality! Going from a great farm, to a cattle farm, is going to take time. Going to take patience and time. Mentally and physically Good luck, stay positive.
Robert, that is interesting information about the does producing more fawns when the population was lower and the deer were healthiest. I appreciate the comment and the vote of confidence. Have a great day.
The acorn crop here absolutely killed our hunting seasons. I actually gave up hunting my 200 acre farm and bought an ebike and found a large area on public with few oak trees/and a fresh logging cut and managed to find several good bucks there.
That's what I thought too. No deer movement other than deep in the timber and as I have stated many times, going in after them is pretty risky. Good luck and have a great off-season. Thanks for the comment.
Last I saw of you was on Midwest Whitetails, lost track for several years, when I searched Midwest Whitetails again I could not find you. Now I'm back and I still love watching your videos!!!!
Don't worry Bill..... As smart as you are and with your knowledge in two or three more years you'll have that place pretty much whipped into shape or fairly close. And I can't wait to see it! Hope all goes well and be safe out there.
I appreciate your videos Bill and have learned a ton. This was an odd season here in west TN as well and I never saw a mature buck. I got some good ones on camera during the week of the 8" snowfall and 0 degree. Unfortunately, I was sick with a cold and couldn't get out during that time. But, there's always next season to anticipate and plan for. Thanks again
The only good hunting we had here, outside of the rut, was during that cold snap. I wasn't hunting by then as I had to get office work done prior to the ATA Show, so I missed those days. Good luck.
Hi Bill, Wanted to let you know that though you were disappointed in the hunting, I was not at all! Knowing it’s a work in progress, the quality of your process and presentations were always informative and enjoyable. And your Christmas story was incredible! Thanks for sharing the Good News of Jesus so boldly, and be encouraged brother! Happy New Year! Ted
Thanks Bill, love the content, so glad I caught this video, knowledge of knowing and doing will bring success, patience might be the most important trait in Whitetail hunting or in the setup, looking forward to watching the series! Thank you for a great year! be safe, God bless!
Thanks for the great channel. I look forward to seeing the changes on your farm in the coming seasons; terrific changes already evident in 2 seasons of viewing.
Thanks Chris. Much appreciated. I get impatient because I have a vision for what this can be someday, but it sure takes a long time to get there! Have a great day.
Enjoyed watching the show this year! Not sure if you noticed, but at minute 11:15 on this video, 3 deer are running through the woods in the background over your right shoulder!
Kyler, I do appreciate it. Yes, that is the thing we love most about it. It just feels good sitting on stand here with all the great views - even if I don't see many deer! Thanks for the comment.
I love how you're introducing the slightest hints of doubt on if you can do it again. So excited to see your farm flourish while being able to implement similar improvements albeit on a smaller farm!
It will be interesting to see how my neighbors react to seeing more mature deer. That will be the ultimate test of whether or not this will work long-term.
I bought a large farm along a major creek in 2006 that has it all; cedar thickets, oak patches, little strips of hardwoods in between cedar & Osage orange thickets, CRP, ridge top fields, bottom fields, logging roads, small creeks & two ponds. From an aerial view & a walk through you’d think the farm is as good as any place out there. I went in & added corn & soybeans & clover plus the brassicas & cereal grains like oats in the fall. I did a select cut logging of it in 2007 & again in 2018. I’ve never shot a buck on the farm, rarely does it ever have a mature buck on it. The largest buck I’ve had is a ten point that at his peak was 135” & this farm is in north central KY, big rack bucks do reside in this region. This particular farm just does not hold big bucks, neither do the neighboring farms. I made a rush decision when I saw it for sale & bought it, I didn’t do enough research & didn’t talk to the feed store owner, the farmers & the local taxidermist like I should have. I should’ve checked to see how many Amish people had farms in the area bc there are a good deal & they will do a tremendous number on an area’s deer herd, & I do mean they will put a hurting on the deer herd. I’m in my 18th year with it & all it has done has produced some income from the logging, increased in value & I’ve had some decent turkey hunts on it. I’ve since learned that the areas that produce the larger bucks are about 6-8 miles to the north northeast of my farm & the other is 10-15 miles to the southwest of me. I’ve been lucky enough to have a shooter or two on the back of my cattle farm to hunt all these years, it does not look like a good place to hold big bucks or deer at all, yet there have always been 1 or 2 shooters on it. However time changes all things & recently the neighboring farm was rented out to a guy who has given a dozen or so people permission to hunt on it, the owner is bankrupt & has no issue with it & now even that area isn’t producing like it did for two decades. Don’t make the mistake I made, take your time & do the research & talk to the farmers, the feed & farm store employees & most of all talk to the legit taxidermists in that area bc they know what areas produce the bigger bucks. Find out all you can about the neighbors & who hunts their farms, try to reach out to those hunters & see what type of hunter they are. KY is bad for “if it’s brown it’s down”, & I found out the hard way that the hunters that hunt my neighbors’ farms shoot anything that walks in front of them. Take your time & find the right farm, not just a farm, & honestly the next hunting property I buy will be 60 acres or less in a known big buck area & instead of having one big farm (definitely selling mine) in the future my goal is to have 3 or 4 small farms in the right areas, even if it’s 20-30 acre tracts. Then if one or two of the farms are dry holes that season maybe the other one or two farms have a shooter or two on them. Thanks Bill for all the knowledge & expertise you share with us. Hope your farm doesn’t turn out like mine did.
I hope not too, but I do think the pressure in my area is less than you are seeing there. It is pretty simple when it comes to growing mature bucks - if you are creating great habitat and they aren't there someone is killing them. Simple as that. So, the neighborhood is everything. You have given that one enough time. If it was mine, I would probably be looking to sell and do a tax exchange into something in one of other two neighborhoods you are talking about. But, it is also easy to fall in love with a piece of land and not want to sell it for any reason - I get that. But, you have to be careful about those small tracts too, because when that thinking proliferates, the slide begins. If you are the only small tract, that is fine, but if there are many, it is going to be really hard to predict what happens there long-term because people will buy and sell and then hunting pressure can change dramatically. That has been my experience. I would rather own one big farm in an area with big farms than several smaller ones scattered out in areas with lots of other small farms. But, I am sure you will figure that out. Good luck and have a great day.
Thanks Travis. Yes, I would love to get Eli on the show. It was easier in southern Iowa because his farm was just across the border. This farm is five hours from Eli's farm in MO. Have a great day and thanks for the support and comment.
Bill, thanks for the recap of the season and thoughts going forward. I think the chase is as much fun as the harvesting of deer. I really think with the continued hard work you have been putting in, great results will come your way. It is amazing how the mature deer can only be a fairly short distance away on leased property vs your property. I think your property will be a gold mine down the road although I’m sure that at times it can be challenging especially when you are used to seeing deer on a regular basis. Keep up the great work and God bless ! Brandon
Yes, this one requires time. In three years, all those nice two year olds will be five and the story may be a lot different. Have a great day and thanks for the support.
I just drove through your old place the other day and there still way too many deer down there. Weather and weird acorn drop definitely had alot to do with it I'm sure
Yes, I am going to do another episode (the next one) about that. It was a great learning curve for me. I sold it almost four years ago. I doubt the new owners have shot more than a few does since then. It will get way too overcrowded if they aren't careful.
Hey Bill Great Channel - Don't know if you filmed this episode at the farm or not, but look over your right shoulder at 11:10 for some deer movement. Working a 115 farm in OK myself, great fun! Sometimes i think we see more deer moving when we are not hunting!
Thanks. I appreciate it. Very good eye. I didn't see that until viewers started mentioning it here in the comments. I filmed that interview at our home in central Iowa, not at the farm. We have 13 acres here at the house (the deer were on the piece we own). I see deer every day here but they are almost always does. I think in four years of living here, I have maybe four bucks! I am not exaggerating. I haven't run trail camera here so I am not sure what comes through at night. There are some rubs along the edge of the yard, so there must be some bucks around. Thought you might get a kick out of that. Have a great day.
I think your results are fairly typical for the Driftless area. All of the hills and valleys make for great potential but it also makes for tough hunting. Some areas do see a decent amount of what I would consider a "micro" migration. We see it to a degree in my area. Knowing where your land is in relation to the bigger valley I would have guessed they would have gravitated to your area in winter? I know to the south of you only a mile or two was completely overrun with deer 10 -15 years ago.
Yes, as a boy I lived west of Waukon in the "sink hole" country. The deer left the sink hole habitat as soon as the snow flew and yarded in the bluffs above the Upper Iowa River. We used to go there at night with spotlights and see hundreds of sets of eyes up on the bluffs where they lived out of the wind. You are right. I bet in a hard winter, I will eventually pull deer from the north onto this farm. I am guessing that in a few years this farm will become a yarding area especially if I keep planting all this food. Will be interesting to watch to see if that happens.
Love all your content Bill. As a new Iowa resident and being 60 I am going to try and get permission and hunt public. I do have a big private piece in Louisa county I received permission on, it’s two hours north and it holds big deer. But I have to try door knocking this spring closer to home. I would really love to take a nice public buck due to the challenges it poses. Every video you post teaches me and I thank you for that!
Agreed, it took me several years on the farm in southern Iowa to get it wired and then it actually became less fun to hunt, if truth be told. There needs to be some struggle for the outcome to matter. Good luck.
A buck and 5 doe is a great season to me it would be good if you could get permission to come in the back door of your property where you don't have to go through the middle a scare everything out of the country great content I think I had my best year seeing a lot of chasing on 3 different properties shot a nice 6 year old and let a lot of 4 yrs old walk this year good luck on the property and God's blessings 🙏.
Great content Bill. I have enjoyed watching the dream farm season as I work on my own dream farm here in NY. The days that you saw very little to no movement I saw the same here and it was difficult to decide where/when to hunt.
Finger shooter here since 1970 smartest animal in the woods is a 4-5yr or older doe! Believe in moisture last week of October- thanksgiving! Bucks smell better like a bird 🐶 dog
Hey Bill, your commentary seemed to reflect what a lot of landowners/hunters were saying this year. I am sorry to hear of your disappointment in the hunting, but I think you have great things in store for your farm! As you said, it is a "work in progress". You have done more in the last two years on your place than I have been able to do on mine in SEVENTEEN YEARS! And I only have 70 acres!!! But I have slowly been making improvements and it is really beginning to show. We seemed to always have one decent buck on our property that was harvested by either my son, or myself. This year we both got nice bucks, and we have a few more that survived the hunting seasons and should be really nice next year. The best part is that they seem to be staying on my farm for longer periods of time, whereas in the past it seemed like the "good ones" were those that were passing through. The creation of bedding and cover has been a big plus for our farm. This year was definitely different in that the weather was not cooperative at all, and as you know, the acorn crop was outstanding. Good for the deer, not so good for the hunting. I am guessing that the positive of this is that the deer were so spread out that were hard to target leaving "seed" for next year. But having said that, Missouri Conservation just announced that we had a RECORD DEER HARVEST this year! I wonder if it is because they EXTENDED AND ADDED to the season for hunting?! I mean anyone can set a new record if you make the seasons long enough, right? I love your honesty and frankness as to your farm, endeavors, and successes, and am looking forward to another year of great video content. And many thanks to you, Jordan, Ethan, and ALL of your interns, in providing this information to us! God bless!!!
Hey Lonnie! I second ALL that you said and good to see you follow Bill too! Thanks Bill for all the lessons learned whether from your good experiences or bad. I believe a great deer season is on the horizon for you and hopefully for the rest of us implementing some of your value’s techniques!
I ultimately had to slip right into the bedding area, but I was late in the rut with only a couple days left to hunt. It worked, but I was only gonna get away with it once or twice. We weren't seeing any on the fringes, but I think for the exact opposite reason. We had ZERO acorns and our food plots couldn't even get established before the deer decimated them. So our problem was no food. Gotta work a lot harder in those situations. Looking forward to riding along with you next season.
This year has been the weirdest year for hunting for almost anyone I’ve talked to about it. Definitely looking forward to the habitat work tips! I’ve been wanting to do some on the property I hunt but haven’t been sure where to start really.
I’ve got a big 2200 acre river farm that has roughly 500 acres of woods 1700 acres of crops. The 1700 acre crop field is one huge field. The woods are just 4 pockets roughly 150 acres each 2 a touch smaller. I see 80-100 does an evening and I’m sure I’m missing some around the bends etc. we never kill does. Always have 4-5 150s 2-3 over 165-170 and obviously plenty under the 150 mark that are younger. You can see the entire herd every night. Not in bow range everyday ofcourse but with a gun I could kill every buck on the property in a week. I usually stay 3 weeks in November and during that period I have a shot at the target buck every single year with a bow. Kinda goes against all the info in this vid just thought I’d share. I’m guessing the fact that I’ve got 1700 acres of crops is what allows this to work the way it does. However late season when the wheat gets put in it’s usually only half the acreage bc it follows corn. So still have 800+ acres of green for late season. I’ve got 350 acres across the street 1/4 mile as the crow flies with big ravines much smaller crops and lots of cover. I may see 10 deer a night there and you can literally see the other farms field from the stands in the ravines. Always blew my mind that 1/4 mile away I have 150 deer roaming in daylight and 8-10 at the other. Both farms have produced 200s though.
That is a very cool setup. Yes, every situation is a bit unique. You are either exporting a lot of deer to the neighboring areas, which is likely, or the deer numbers are increasing really fast. Once the density gets super high, the bucks will start to fringe out. I have seen that happen many times. It is impossible for that not to happen. I have seen properties where the deer wipe out all the crops every summer, but having 1700 acres of crops definitely prevents that. You probably have at least 200 deer in 500 acres of cover. That is a very high density. Biologists would suggest that having that much social stress among the deer will cause them to be less healthy than they would be otherwise, but biologists don't know everything. Maybe there is something unique there. It is not a normal setup you have there. I would be curious to know how long the density has been been that high and how much hunting pressure is around you. Good luck.
@@bill-winke yes and the 1700 of crops is just my portion. With the neighbors fields included that meet ours it’s prob closer to 3k acres of crops all meeting together. I’ve had the place for 5 years. We use to let gun hunters come in and kill does during the 10 day gun season. They’d kill 10-20 a year. It seemingly had little to no effect on numbers though. The past 3 years we’ve not killed any does at all and nothing has really changed. I’ve been watching the same bucks grow up the entire 5 years I’ve been there. Obviously new ones arrive every year as well and I’ve obviously killed some of the older ones. This year I had 4 on the decline bc I just simply watch them in hopes of them having a big blow up year and I waited on a few too long. I had a 200 get injured and then into about 30 inches total. And a mid 170s deer that I’ve been passing that dropped down into the mid 50s which I killed this year. Hunting pressure is very very mild around me bc the property lines on both sides end on one side by the city and the other side there’s not another woodlot for a couple miles. And then ofcourse the river which is very wide. They cross it but not often. For a. Couple years I leased the property across the river and I never had deer on cam from the opposite side. They don’t really have any need to cross it or a need to go anywhere. I hunt it 3-5 weeks a year. Usually all of November and I go back the last 10 days of December. I always tell people when I’m hunting that property it’s almost like a high fence. They all leave the woods before dark and get way out in the middle of the fields as the evening goes on and you can see your target buck just about every night. I’ve never not had an opportunity at the target buck on this property in the time span I’m there. The 200 before injury I missed once. Stand squeaked another time that week and my partner hit him in the neck flesh wounded him as well in that same trip. Seen him many other times out of range. So even when the oldest deer on the property receive some pressure they still stick around in day time. Change patterns a little they may start coming out 150 yards up or down from you but they still come out nonetheless. I’ve got several other properties in the county and none are like this one. I’ve got just as good of quality in other places but simply not the numbers. I’d be willing to share more info with you like pictures and videos and property lay out but it would have to be private.
Love the channel ! after buying are farm in 2007 in WI it was fresh off earn a buck ! the deer were not only few but mainly nocturnal , when I watch your trail cam pics i see a lot of night pics . i also switched to cam that emails me the pics !so i cut down un trips to gather cards ! I have found that the least amount of presence in the woods the more mature bucks WE have moving during daylight ! only a thought but u have helped me so much with your articles and videos I wanted to tell u my findings . since 2007 we have harvested 6 bucks over 160 and two over 180 and went through major EHD event in 2012 God Bless
That farm us surrounded by bad deer management. Accept for to the north. May take awhile. Hang in there. I'd say it's a work in progress. You know how to make the best out of territory. Trust your instincts. It seems really hard to hunt as far as landscape. Over the years I've hunted all around your farm there and I've never seen one over 150. Trust me there are areas in this county that are incredibly different. There is great hunting 10 mins to the south and west
This is what happens now with the hunting TV stars. More focus is put on trying to get the deer to do what you want them to do. Like hunting in box blinds over food plots or bait. I believe if Bill would have went back to the basics of hunting and patterned the deer he was after then hunted them in the thick timber he would have had more success, hence his only buck taken. I’ve watched every episode and scratched my head many times on why trail cameras were put in the open fields next to box blinds with little to no daylight activity but hunted almost every episode.
It is the age-old challenge of balancing human pressure. If I put cameras in the woods I would have to check them there and that would create a lot more impact on the deer (I don't have any cell cameras). If I hunt deep in the timber regularly I would also bump and educate a lot of deer in their sanctuary areas. In addition, the way I hunted is the way I have hunted for decades and it can take time to produce success, but the deer never leave the farm due to too much pressure in their sanctuary bedrooms. I know it not easy to see it on the surface, but every day I hunt I am playing that balance. I did hunt deep twice, but that was it and they were really good hunts, but if I had done that more (since there were only a couple bucks on the farm I was hunting that pressure would have been focused on the area where they live) it would have pushed them out. Good question.
Thanks Bill for all your video posts. Been following you from Petersen's Bowhunting Magazine, through Midwest Whitetail, and now on Bowhunting Whitetails. Always love your advice, wisdom, and knowledge of everything Whitetail. You are definitely the best! Always love when you read the Christmas passage of Christ's birth at Christmas time. I also must add, Thanks for revealing the Code Of Silence hunting products. I absolutely love everything I've purchased. Just purchased the back pack. Can't wait to try it out. God bless you, you're family, and the interns.
Hey Bill, I experienced similar thoughts on our Ky farm. The area has good genetics and high deer density. We have done alot of habitat projects that has changed the game. The first few years I felt I made a mistake. I've discovered that the land stewardship part has taken center stage. We are now seeing great deer and harvesting them, too. Hopefully you create a place where the deer wants to be. Best Regards Gary
Bill you had deer running on the hillside behind you in the video! lol. I have watched you for years and have read your articles. I’m a big fan of you. This farm is definitely different from what you had in Southern Iowa. I believe that you will have this place producing mature deer in 5 years. I just feel like you have had it so good for so long that you are going to have to be able to adjust your methods. Those ridges will cause the wind to blow strangely and deer do not like the wind blowing in a way that makes them cold and makes the security inconsistent. I have hunted in the Appalachian Mountains all my life. It’s so difficult here. The wind will cause deer to be in areas and other areas you can’t hardly find any sign of deer. This has been this way since they first restocked this area with deer from Wisconsin. Anyway I’m enjoying you show and I get a chuckle every now and then when frustration sets in. Keep grinding keep improving I 100% believe that you will crack the code. Good luck!
Thanks Jon. For sure the property has some challenges related to the steep terrain, some of which are just getting to the stands - lots of climbing if you come in from below. I appreciate the support and the vote of confidence. Have a great day.
Bought some land in Georgia that was once a hunting club and it took about 5 years to get it where it is today 25 years later.we have been seeing and have got 130 plus score deer.Have bigger ones on camera. Thanks Bill for your info.
Thanks for the comment. Good input. That is what I think it will take here. I have two years in, three to go. It should be getting better each year, but you can't put age on the bucks by doing a lot of work. It just takes time.
Very good conversation in this episode. Alot of us need to understand that it take time. See you on dream farm. I also am doing land management this year. Also 2 year owning this property in South illinois. Thanks for the knowledge as always.
At one point Bill, I was on a streak of 15 straight sits no deer, mix bag of morningsits evenings and even a mid day from 10 to 2p. And what I noticed was on my way driving in and home, I saw no deer as well. I, as you stated, as well like to keep my middle a sanctuary, let em have it I said too. So I fringe hunted... one doe was all I manged to kill this year. Just a very odd year. Middle Missouri is my location too, so very different and difficult. I would summarize this year to be
Chainsaw, fire, warm season grass barriers, oldfield........ And then about 3 years to grow them is all you're going to need I'm confident. 100% on the fringe hunting.
That's all? Just kidding. That is a ton of work. I agree, once the habitat work is done and has a chance to take hold I believe the farm will be way better. That is my hope and what keeps me going on those really slow stretches of hunting. Have a great off-season.
i am unsure of why, or how. but this year was just off. something was different this season and it seems to be affecting from South Alabama to Iowa where you are. I used to could go to some of my spots and see all the does i could want to see, but this year was a struggle for just that. i would like to think its not a scouting issue, because ive had a few of these spots for years and havent changed anything in my style of hunting. this year can be generalized, for me, as a "Lull". and the most aggravating thing about it is that there seems to be no rhyme or reason as to why. i see it in turkey hunting every so many years as well. dont give up! youre getting what the deer want and need. keep putting in the hard work.
This was by far the worst year my family has had hunting and we did more this year than any year in the past to attract and hold dear. I was a bit surprised how your season went Bill, but it shows you are human after all haha and gave me some encouragement
Such an odd year. Acorns for sure played a role for everyone it seems. I have talked to so many people who just plain didn't see deer in some of the best regions I know of. Praying for a down acorn year in '24! Also, I continue to focus and hone in on where deer are when I am walking in for morning hunts...since I never see good movement at first light in the mornings during the rut, I am going to start walking in 10 minutes or so after that "gray light" to allow deer to move off fields and back to bedding before they start cruising again. Can't remember if I saw you walking in to stands after daylight for mornings during the rut. Access in the driftless region can be your best friend or greatest enemy it seems. I enjoy seeing how you enter and exit since we hunt the exact same terrain. When a hunt comes together due to terrain funneling deer...it seems too easy. When it doesn't work or you can't figure it out, it seems impossible to kill one.
You’re farm is improving from all your work, I only have 50 acres in Ohio and the more I do the better it is, love watching you and a few others on habitat and improvement and getting new ideas. Only thing I noticed with your farm is the hilly ness and although you’re not diving into the timber you have to go through areas where I’m sure you’re being monitored by the bigger bucks. Last 2 years I’ve been almost only hunting the downwind sides of my property and not accessing through it, leaving deer on my property undisturbed so far working great! Me and several others in my area killed good ones this year!
This year was very strange for sure. All over the country. My experience in the east and watching guys as yourself in north and midwest. The Cold snaps didn't seem to bring the movement that normally happens in Oct. And late season on food in daylight almost non existent. Ive tried to pick apart each of our properties as what was the same and what was diff. All I could come up with is...Only the Rut was King. My boys and I were successful Nov 11th thru the 23rd with no opportunities before or after. In 37 years of hunting I can't remember any other year like this. Love the videos and updates Bill! Keep them coming!
Great video. I have similar goals and I had a similar year in Arkansas. I learn a lot from your videos, and I am learning each year by trying things on my 300 acres. I'm still buying land, so m6 improments are comming slower than I want.
Great series Bill !!!!!!! My whole life has been tuff hunting like you had this year !!!!!!! I don't own my own property and I hunt private property only. I have two small farms that I can hunt but I can't improve them. I think as you said given a few years your farm will be great for the deer and hunting them. Also maybe all your activity this past year has effected how the deer live and move on it. Give it some time and the improvments you have made time to grow and the deer will come. Good Luck and Hang with it !!!!!!!!!
What you mean there is not a Booner behind every tree in Iowa? lol, I kid but some seem to think that. Looking forward to the dream farm series, you are the only hunting channel I watch and enjoy. Thanks Bill for taking us along.
Thanks William. I remember one season (2014 maybe) on the other farm in southern Iowa (what would have to be considered one of the top 10% of farms in the state) I hunted 55 days (about 75 sits) without seeing a legit shooter. I saw decent numbers of deer, just nothing mature. Now let's say you have some guy from Georgia that draws the tag to hunt here. He would be happy to hunt my farm for a week (14 sits). That means he would have made the equivalent of five trips here to hunt (if he was drawing the bow tag that would be roughly 20+ years total) and he wouldn't have seen a shooter - in 20 years!. Now tell him how good Iowa is! Granted, that is an extreme, but it shows that even at its best, this is no push-over. Good luck and thanks for the support.
Bill - love your show, hard work, and dedication. The one thing I was surprised with when I saw your new farm for the first time was the severity of elevation/slope on those big ridges that run through the farm. It seems a bit abnormal for the Midwest, but perhaps it’s very normal for your area. If it is more abnormal than other areas, do you think the deer may prefer flatter grounds around your farm instead of having to traverse the elevation on your property?
David, I grew up here and it is definitely different from most of Midwest. The entire upper Mississippi River corridor looks like this. NE Iowa, SW Wisconsin and SE Minnesota. It is a different kind of hunting, but the deer are here for sure, at least in most areas. Good luck and thanks for the support and comment.
Seems to take just about 6 years here in Upstate NY to see a end result. And half of that is the hunter learning along the way how to hunt the area and relearn deer
Yes, for sure. I have some things I need to do better to improve entry and exit on this place. Just making the farm thicker will really help, but this is a tough farm to hunt because there is no public road access and everything I do comes from the bottom. That is a tough way to hunt, especially when much of the food is also in the bottom. I will get it figured out - probably - it is just going to take some time. It is really pretty here, just hard to hunt right now. Thanks for the comment.
Yep, good eye. I spent hours editing this video and never saw them until viewers starting mentioning them here in the comments. I shot this at our home in central Iowa just a few miles outside of Iowa City. There are lot of deer here, almost all does, from my sightings. I should probably hunt here, but I haven't yet. We have only 13 acres and most of it is open grass hayfield. If I put in a small food plot the deer would wipe it out in the summer. I have seen only four bucks from the back window of the office/house in four years of living here. That is not super encouraging either. Have a great day.
You did have some slow hunts this year along with lots of other people having the same experience. But you shot a dandy buck and lots of does. Can’t hardly even say it wasn’t a good season. Will be fun to see this farm keep improving and I’m sure you will like the challenge
Last year when I first saw the drone shots of your farm and the surrounding area I knew late season was going to be a tough nut. Having hunted around/along the MO river for decades it's standard procedure for the deer to start filtering out of the hills and bluffs and closer to the harvested crop fields in the bottoms after the first week of December.
That is the history in this area, I am sure. Especially given that it was all cattle pasture for decades. I do think I can reverse that trend with a few more years of having plenty of food on this place, but it will be interesting to see that change occur and how fast it occurs.
EHD has decimated my deer population. Adjusting to day after day not seeng mature deer or any deer is hard to digest. After 25 yrs of managing forest timber harvesting, TSI, planting 22k trees, establishing switchgrass fields and deer bedding habitat & 20 acres of food plots for year round food, you want to see deer. In the end, nature is humbling and i’m reminded as to why i hunt and the little things about time spent in a tree that fuel my desire. Stick with the process and enjoy managing the land with family. They grow bigger when they aren’t stressed. The future awaits. By the way, keep doing what you are doing.
Richie, outcome will depend, mostly, on what my neighbors do. If they let young bucks go, this will work. If not, I am going to have to rethink. Have a great day.
I live in southern teir of New York the hunting was the same here I got a lot of fresh air this season. I learned a lot from this season that I'll be definitely using in the future thanks for sharing your property and hunting strategies.
I agree that it can get discouraging at times. Keep to your plan with management projects, and I bet in 5 yrs the hunting will be totally different. Rome was not built in a day.... I'm also getting ready to jump neck deep into some management projects one the season here in AL closes in a couple of weeks. I'm looking forward to your next videos. keep up the good work.
Agree as it was a strange season all over the Midwest. I think with the cattle you had a lot of understory to reintroduce and grow back from depletion. Cattle destroy the browse as you know. You’ve got the food plots, and some mast trees. Curious how you’ll balance the herd with the cover and food. I think in a few more years you’ll have that farm hitting on all cylinders. I’ve been at it for 10 years on the side on my farm and still have a ways to go. For my area just more recently starting to shoot 3.5 year olds regularly. That sounds you but for my area, these are mature deer.
My cousin's farms in West Virginia has the same issue this year. Acorns were everywhere, so the deer didn't have to move. So, the positive is that in the fall there are going to be some really nice bucks to target and chase.
I agree with what I feel your disappointment. It seems odd to me that you have several hundred acres with plenty of timber and now food and not many deer and definitely no high scoring mature bucks for a couple years on it. I would think any farm like that just about anywhere, especially Iowa, that size and cover there be some better bucks. I hunt 3 smaller farms in central and souther Iowa; 80, 50, and 15 acres and have had larger bucks on cam and harvested a couple in the past few years than you have had on your large farm. These are small farms, others hunt in the area, there’s no teamwork or coop on who shoots what, the 50 acre farm I share permission with 3 other hunters even. High deers #s on each so maybe that is part of it. But, I would think a much larger farm with less pressure and neighbors would surely have more and bigger deer on cam. Just seems odd to me. Heck, my dad put a cell cam in the backyard and corn out the past few weeks and there’s one buck coming up at night thats probably 160-170 and in the square mile area in any direction there is probably a dozen or more landowners and people hunt. I see people regularly taking higher scoring or getting higher scoring deer on cams often on smaller tracts of 30, 40, 80 acre parcels a lot it seems. It’s very interesting that with a large chunk like you have they are not there. I’ve followed you all season and I’ve thought it’s odd you don’t have more/bigger deer. I’m sure it will come as you continue to do habitat improvement. Maybe the fact it was largely a cattle farm is causing it to just take a few years for the deer to realize it is for them now. I know you’ve explained your reasoning for shooting every doe you can , but I don’t agree with that tactic . Hope you don’t take my comments negative, I’ve followed you since the early MW days and listened to you speak at the Iowa deer classic, always greatly enjoy your videos. Looking forward to your winter habitat video.
As a viewer it was definitely different to watch a person with your knowledge and experience have so many sits without seeing an animal especially with all the thought and work put into the property. But it was REAL. So many "Celebrity" hunters would not have showed the unsuccessful hunts. I must say your positive attitude helped me get through a tough season after I had just bought a new property that was is loaded with nice bucks, but as I found out, is hard to hunt. So back to the drawing board for me. I sure hope all that work and effort rewards you next season. As a man approaching my sunset years I still enjoy doing the work , but I am not so tolerant of the "Struggle Bus" hunts. I know for someone like you who has had a lot of success on some monsters and are used to passing big bucks to get them to another age class it has to be disappointing to not see many deer and have so many blank hunts, but your character shines through anyway. I will be along for the ride and it will be just as rewarding for us viewers when the successes come. Thank you for all the tips and knowledge drops and for as Dave Chappell would say " Keeping it real". God speed.
Roy, I appreciate it. Anyone is only as good as the place they are hunting. If the bucks aren't there, you are not going to kill them. I think if the viewers will be patient, along with me, I will prove that out. Regarding your situation there, it sounds very similar to mine. I plan to focus on making the entire farm thicker so I can sneak around better without being seen. I will also start planting hybrid willows along the lanes in the valley to hide me as I walk/drive the lower trails where deer might be able to see me otherwise. It is hard to hunt any spot where the deer can see and hear you easily. Thicker cover will really help in that regard. The real solution on this farm is sleeping under the tree, but I wasn't willing to do that last season. It is very hard to do with a cameraman and all the gear. Was much easier when I hunted alone. Good luck.
Thanks Don. I appreciate it. It should be an interesting journey as every year I will be making as big of changes to the farm as I have time and budget to make, so we can all learn whether or not the stuff I am doing makes a difference. Have a great day.
“I’m related to half the county”…. That struck my funny bone. 🤷🏼♂️ 😂 As always, I enjoy your content and all the helpful information you put out there. Hopefully that farm will be producing some booners in 2-3 years!
Thanks Paul. We might have one next year, depending on how that big ten pointer we were watching this year turns out - and if he stays here. He could sure make that jump. Have a great day and thanks for the comment.
Not a mistake! I just bought a property in Southern Iowa and had the same frustrations you presented all year. Looking forward to this coming year, making improvements and adjustments, but can’t get much worse than the year we had. Weird year for sure.
Bill, in the old days I watched your videos because of the huge bucks you would shoot. Now I watch your videos because your situation is more relatable to mine. My point is just keeping making videos and I will continue to watch.
Thanks Michael. I don't have any plan to stop, at least not until we all get a chance to see if this plan of mine will work. I think it will be fun to see what we can do here. Have a great day and thanks for the comment and the support.
As a viewer of all your shows for a decade, my enjoyment with your most recent shows on the new farm is not predicated on you shooting monster bucks every year. It is an awesome to watch your journey trying to make this new farm into what you envision it being. I hunt in Pennsylvania, had similar deer number struggles on sits, and loved putting your strategies into practice at our property in the tough situations. If anything, I enjoy watching how you deal with the low numbers and having to grind to finally have success on a target buck more than your old shows at your old farm. I am super excited to see what you do with this in the future, and appreciate the knowledge you share, and honesty with this years struggles. I am so glad you are back to filming shows on a regular basis, and look forward to each show....deer or no deer.
There were plenty of nice deer in the photos you showed. Welcome to reality. You have been so blessed in your life to harvest some amazing deer. You have harvested deer most of us would be happy to see let alone actually harvest.
Yes, for sure. Blessed indeed. It is really fun being in a position to let some of these nice younger deer go just to see what they can become. Some blow up and some don't. Some of the ones I expected to get huge didn't. Just watching them from year to year (and seeing how their behavior changes over time) is very fascinating. Hopefully, this farm will be like that some day. Have a great day.
Great segment, I own land in N/W Illinois Mississippi River valley and we just didn’t see any shooters this year 160” class or better, to be honest we didn’t even see any 145” and we ran dozens of cellular cameras and planted 6 different plots in key locations. I feel like the bumper acorn crop really locked the deer down and they just didn’t move daylight or dark hardly at all. Even talking with neighbors and friends no one really saw a giant this year that I know of. It was very depressing to say the least, all the time money and habitat improvements with nothing to show for it in a season hurts. Here’s to hoping 2024 is a far better season for all afield.
Anyone else notice the 3 deer crossing the hillside way behind Bill? At 11:47 mark. Made me chuckle. Good luck with your project Bill. Big fan!
I saw that too
You guys have great eyes!
I’ve hunted almost 40 years and I’ve killed a lot of very nice deer but I’m still learning with you. Thanks
You are in the right place then Tim as this farm has definitely been a tough nut for me to crack. I appreciate the support and the comment.
I bought 65 acres 3 years ago, some old family land down here in Alabama. First year, I had 2 regulars… yes 2 does. No bucks. Year 2 I had 5-6 regulars, a small spike, etc. didn’t shoot anything still. After TSI and year round food plots, this year I had 10-15 regular does and and small bucks, and for the first time had 2 large shooter bucks appear. Granted it was during couple weeks of rut, but still. Just proves that sometimes it takes time, work, some years of lean. I’m talking about TINY acreage compared to most.
Great videos Bill, I learn something new every time I watch them. I did see a quick scene of you dumping something on stumps after you cut the tree down? What was that, and does that kill the stump? Look forward to the video
Thanks for the support and the comment. That was Tordon RTU (Ready to Use). It kills stumps. It is very aggressive on nearby trees too if you put on too much, so I would recommend Garlon RTU instead. It is not as likely to create "collateral damage". Good luck.
For screening access and plots look at RC Bigrock switchgrass. If you can drill it, it’s possible to see 5-6 feet the first fall.
Thanks for the input. I have planted about 340 acres of switchgrass in my life. I have not seen the deer use it other than maybe some summer bedding and for travel between blocks of permanent cover. I know it serves a purpose, but for me, the time invested in planting permanent cover (trees, shrubs) pays off better in the long-run. Switch is a quick solution, in some cases, but I don't think I will plant it ever again. Have a great day.
@@bill-winkequick way for screen options. With all your timber , tsi and hinge cutting will be a great option. But to screen in some of your sets in the plots and fields, may be a quick option.
We had a weird year… not a single mature buck across multiple farms. Hopefully things pick up for you
I enjoy your content a lot, and I watch nearly every episode. The fact that you felt the need to make this video with this title tells me the answer to your question. If you seen 5 Booners last season and everyone hunting your place was shooting deer, you have never titled a video this. That doesnt mean sell it and run. Pick up a lease nearby, keep improving your place, and create what you want. Time will be the only fix.
I agree Kyle. I need more options so I can rest this one and let the young bucks that are there get some age. I will definitely work on finding a few options this off-season. Thanks for the comment.
You build it, they will come.._. I have complete faith in your plan. We had a very slow year as well.
Thanks John. Much appreciated.
They will come😊
I mimic a lot of comments on here. As a viewer I am not disappointed what you did or didn’t shoot. I’m am impressed at the work you put in and gives me great ideas on how to improve the property I hunt on. So for that thank you!!
You are welcome Phil. Thanks for the comment. I appreciate it. Have a great day.
Two more years you’ll have what you want .. keep working and be patient!! 😎
Thanks Windell. I think it will really hit its stride in year five (three more years) since there were almost no mature bucks here when I bought it. Have a great day.
I saw some promising 2yr olds on your videos . 😊
I used to fish for walleyes A LOT. I’d usually head towards the lakes and spots on the rivers with a recognized high walleye population, and catch fish as expected one would. Then I shifted a lot of my energy towards lesser fished, not so walleye abundant spots. Took awhile but we figured those spots out and caught enough to keep coming back. Looking back I enjoyed those “self made spots” more. We couldn’t manipulate the environment to make more / better fishing, but we could change our tactics. Listening to you talk about your farm today reminded me of our change in fishing. I’m guessing (and hoping) your change will result in the same kind of sport satisfaction we had. It’s gonna be a fun journey thanks for bringing us along to watch.
Well said
@@TurnRocks Agreed. This is a genuine sportsman's perspective.
I think it’s something you need to give time definitely got the food it will happen
Thanks Mike. I believe so too. Have a great day.
Man Bill, this content has been so relatable and honestly some of the most helpful. The last two seasons I have dedicated myself to trying to get it done on mature deer in my home state of Florida instead of traveling up north to hunt my families place, where I know I can get it done. I have all the lessons learned but no buck to show for it. I wouldn't wish it on anyone but hearing from a legend like yourself that certain areas are just a grind really helps some of us understand we aren't crazy, sometimes it is just hard hunting. As much as killing isn't everything it is certainly frustrating when you feel you did everything as good as you could without having a body and rack to lay hands on. Best of luck in '24.
Fun season Bill, glad to be a part of it!
Funny seeing those deer running around in the background at the 11:13 mark!
Thanks Alex. Thanks for your help and time. That interview was shot at our house down near Solon, not at the farm. There are tons of deer here near the house, but 99.9% of the ones I see are does and fawns. I hope you are doing well. Have a great day.
lol I noticed that too!
It's a tough farm to hunt bill. You know that though. I love all the ideas and strategy, but the farm seems like it's a tough one to get out of in certain areas, with some food low, they come down in evening, mature bucks watch you exit from above in the timber or watch you access from their vantage point or hear atv etc, they can pattern you. The area has the right deer, look at the ones you harvested in the past, and the younger up and comers. I think you will get there, but it's going to take time. Not sure of the soil ph or structure, but any way you could add alfalfa anywhere for a good summer protein plot, or would that draw and increase your herd size more than you want? Thanks for the content, have got some good ideas from you to put in place on our farm in Kansas.
Agree on all points. I need to find a few places that I can sneak into and out of without being detected and then just hunt those areas mostly. There is a way to hunt this place that takes a lot of work and time (come around from the county road and not up through the farm). I have resisted that since it will take tons of effort every day and I need to first prove to myself that I can't get away with doing it the "easy" way. This past season almost convinced me of that! I do plan to plant alfalfa on the dry ridge. That would be the perfect crop for that area, in addition probably to sorghum (another drought tolerant crop). That will be part of the plan for this spring. Good luck to you and have a great day.
@@bill-winke Going undetected is not always easy, but you know what you have to do to keep them from patterning you. A farm without good access is very tough no matter what improvements are made as you know. Alfalfa on that ridge sounds good, especially if not much around! Best of luck and thanks for keeping us along and reminding us to always dream big.
Hang in there Bill. Most of us would love the opportunity to create what you are. In two years you will be looking back at this and smiling. 👍🏻🦌
Thanks Donald. We will all have learned a few things along the way. Have a great day.
A thing we changed on our farm in PA that surprisingly made a difference was changing when we harvested our doe population... we started delaying our doe harvest until very late in the season or extended archery season.. and we concentrated on our target bucks 1st... My theory is that when we would shoot doe throughout the season usually before we had buck encounters, the older buck and doe simply left our 300 acre good mixed habitat farm to neighboring farms once they smelled the blood from the deer, yotes were more frequent in numbers on gut piles, etc.. and while the younger buck and doe stuck around, the older buck and doe left dodge for the most part... we doubled our buck harvest once we started tabling the doe harvest until the last few days of the season in conjunction with changing our ingress / egress to stands .... just a thought..
imo you should try a year where you dont shoot more than 2 does for meat limit checking cameras ? less pressure ? cell cams ? love the channel good luck !
I am going to produce an episode, I think it will go live Monday, explaining why I am shooting the does. I think it will make sense after you watch that. Thanks.
5yrs or more years , In my opinion is when you will see the big changes.
I hunt most state land some 35 or more year. Several time the state would cull deers. The next 3 4 or even 5 years I would always see doe with 2 or 3 fawn. As the herd would recover they typically a single fawn.
Everyone would blame culling, too much acorns or not enough.
You now have the food, Nov 9 proved it to have quality!
Going from a great farm, to a cattle farm, is going to take time.
Going to take patience and time. Mentally and physically
Good luck, stay positive.
Robert, that is interesting information about the does producing more fawns when the population was lower and the deer were healthiest. I appreciate the comment and the vote of confidence. Have a great day.
The acorn crop here absolutely killed our hunting seasons. I actually gave up hunting my 200 acre farm and bought an ebike and found a large area on public with few oak trees/and a fresh logging cut and managed to find several good bucks there.
That's what I thought too. No deer movement other than deep in the timber and as I have stated many times, going in after them is pretty risky. Good luck and have a great off-season. Thanks for the comment.
Last I saw of you was on Midwest Whitetails, lost track for several years, when I searched Midwest Whitetails again I could not find you. Now I'm back and I still love watching your videos!!!!
Terry, I sure appreciate you finding me again. I hope you are having great seasons. Best to you.
Don't worry Bill..... As smart as you are and with your knowledge in two or three more years you'll have that place pretty much whipped into shape or fairly close. And I can't wait to see it! Hope all goes well and be safe out there.
I appreciate your videos Bill and have learned a ton. This was an odd season here in west TN as well and I never saw a mature buck. I got some good ones on camera during the week of the 8" snowfall and 0 degree. Unfortunately, I was sick with a cold and couldn't get out during that time. But, there's always next season to anticipate and plan for. Thanks again
The only good hunting we had here, outside of the rut, was during that cold snap. I wasn't hunting by then as I had to get office work done prior to the ATA Show, so I missed those days. Good luck.
Hi Bill, Wanted to let you know that though you were disappointed in the hunting, I was not at all! Knowing it’s a work in progress, the quality of your process and presentations were always informative and enjoyable. And your Christmas story was incredible! Thanks for sharing the Good News of Jesus so boldly, and be encouraged brother! Happy New Year!
Ted
Bill, so long as the videos have you in it I will continue to watch. Out of all the hunting industry icons. You are my favorite.
Did anybody else see the deer in the background towards the end of the episode. On the ridge behind you
Thanks Bill, love the content, so glad I caught this video, knowledge of knowing and doing will bring success, patience might be the most important trait in Whitetail hunting or in the setup, looking forward to watching the series! Thank you for a great year! be safe, God bless!
Thanks for the great channel. I look forward to seeing the changes on your farm in the coming seasons; terrific changes already evident in 2 seasons of viewing.
Thanks Chris. Much appreciated. I get impatient because I have a vision for what this can be someday, but it sure takes a long time to get there! Have a great day.
Enjoyed watching the show this year! Not sure if you noticed, but at minute 11:15 on this video, 3 deer are running through the woods in the background over your right shoulder!
Keep after it! It will pay off. Thanks for taking us along Bill!
11:11 the deer over your right shoulder lol
Yes, good eye. That is funny that I never saw that when editing.
You sure are in a gorgeous part of the country, Bill.
Kyler, I do appreciate it. Yes, that is the thing we love most about it. It just feels good sitting on stand here with all the great views - even if I don't see many deer! Thanks for the comment.
It's been a slow year for me & my buddies as well, maybe too many acorns? Silver lining is, more & bigger bucks next season.
Agreed. I am still not 100% sure why it was so slow. I think acorns too, but not sure. I need to figure that out.
I love how you're introducing the slightest hints of doubt on if you can do it again. So excited to see your farm flourish while being able to implement similar improvements albeit on a smaller farm!
It will be interesting to see how my neighbors react to seeing more mature deer. That will be the ultimate test of whether or not this will work long-term.
@@bill-winke I'd imagine your neighbors are excited to have you in the area. Hope all goes well in the co-op
I appreciate your candor in describing your farm. Looks to me that if you are at the bottom, the only way is up. I enjoy all of your incites.
I live and hunt in Vermont, and with a lower population of deer I myself sometimes can go for days and many hunts without seeing anything
What’s that ‘Field of Dreams’ saying….😁 You’re living a life a lot of us wish we had, just happy to get to follow along…
I bought a large farm along a major creek in 2006 that has it all; cedar thickets, oak patches, little strips of hardwoods in between cedar & Osage orange thickets, CRP, ridge top fields, bottom fields, logging roads, small creeks & two ponds. From an aerial view & a walk through you’d think the farm is as good as any place out there. I went in & added corn & soybeans & clover plus the brassicas & cereal grains like oats in the fall. I did a select cut logging of it in 2007 & again in 2018. I’ve never shot a buck on the farm, rarely does it ever have a mature buck on it. The largest buck I’ve had is a ten point that at his peak was 135” & this farm is in north central KY, big rack bucks do reside in this region. This particular farm just does not hold big bucks, neither do the neighboring farms. I made a rush decision when I saw it for sale & bought it, I didn’t do enough research & didn’t talk to the feed store owner, the farmers & the local taxidermist like I should have. I should’ve checked to see how many Amish people had farms in the area bc there are a good deal & they will do a tremendous number on an area’s deer herd, & I do mean they will put a hurting on the deer herd. I’m in my 18th year with it & all it has done has produced some income from the logging, increased in value & I’ve had some decent turkey hunts on it. I’ve since learned that the areas that produce the larger bucks are about 6-8 miles to the north northeast of my farm & the other is 10-15 miles to the southwest of me. I’ve been lucky enough to have a shooter or two on the back of my cattle farm to hunt all these years, it does not look like a good place to hold big bucks or deer at all, yet there have always been 1 or 2 shooters on it. However time changes all things & recently the neighboring farm was rented out to a guy who has given a dozen or so people permission to hunt on it, the owner is bankrupt & has no issue with it & now even that area isn’t producing like it did for two decades. Don’t make the mistake I made, take your time & do the research & talk to the farmers, the feed & farm store employees & most of all talk to the legit taxidermists in that area bc they know what areas produce the bigger bucks. Find out all you can about the neighbors & who hunts their farms, try to reach out to those hunters & see what type of hunter they are. KY is bad for “if it’s brown it’s down”, & I found out the hard way that the hunters that hunt my neighbors’ farms shoot anything that walks in front of them. Take your time & find the right farm, not just a farm, & honestly the next hunting property I buy will be 60 acres or less in a known big buck area & instead of having one big farm (definitely selling mine) in the future my goal is to have 3 or 4 small farms in the right areas, even if it’s 20-30 acre tracts. Then if one or two of the farms are dry holes that season maybe the other one or two farms have a shooter or two on them. Thanks Bill for all the knowledge & expertise you share with us. Hope your farm doesn’t turn out like mine did.
I hope not too, but I do think the pressure in my area is less than you are seeing there. It is pretty simple when it comes to growing mature bucks - if you are creating great habitat and they aren't there someone is killing them. Simple as that. So, the neighborhood is everything. You have given that one enough time. If it was mine, I would probably be looking to sell and do a tax exchange into something in one of other two neighborhoods you are talking about. But, it is also easy to fall in love with a piece of land and not want to sell it for any reason - I get that. But, you have to be careful about those small tracts too, because when that thinking proliferates, the slide begins. If you are the only small tract, that is fine, but if there are many, it is going to be really hard to predict what happens there long-term because people will buy and sell and then hunting pressure can change dramatically. That has been my experience. I would rather own one big farm in an area with big farms than several smaller ones scattered out in areas with lots of other small farms. But, I am sure you will figure that out. Good luck and have a great day.
Love to watch the prep for the next season.
Tell Eli cook the channel wants his apple information!!! Great channel Bill. Your videos doing more views than channels wife 10x the subscribers
Thanks Travis. Yes, I would love to get Eli on the show. It was easier in southern Iowa because his farm was just across the border. This farm is five hours from Eli's farm in MO. Have a great day and thanks for the support and comment.
Bill, thanks for the recap of the season and thoughts going forward. I think the chase is as much fun as the harvesting of deer. I really think with the continued hard work you have been putting in, great results will come your way. It is amazing how the mature deer can only be a fairly short distance away on leased property vs your property. I think your property will be a gold mine down the road although I’m sure that at times it can be challenging especially when you are used to seeing deer on a regular basis. Keep up the great work and God bless ! Brandon
Of all the assets in which to invest, land supply doesn't increase. So, it wasn't wasted money. Might take a few years for the deer to move in.
Yes, this one requires time. In three years, all those nice two year olds will be five and the story may be a lot different. Have a great day and thanks for the support.
I just drove through your old place the other day and there still way too many deer down there.
Weather and weird acorn drop definitely had alot to do with it I'm sure
Yes, I am going to do another episode (the next one) about that. It was a great learning curve for me. I sold it almost four years ago. I doubt the new owners have shot more than a few does since then. It will get way too overcrowded if they aren't careful.
@@bill-winke maybe I should go ask them if they need help 😁🏹🍖🍽
Hey Bill Great Channel - Don't know if you filmed this episode at the farm or not, but look over your right shoulder at 11:10 for some deer movement. Working a 115 farm in OK myself, great fun!
Sometimes i think we see more deer moving when we are not hunting!
Thanks. I appreciate it. Very good eye. I didn't see that until viewers started mentioning it here in the comments. I filmed that interview at our home in central Iowa, not at the farm. We have 13 acres here at the house (the deer were on the piece we own). I see deer every day here but they are almost always does. I think in four years of living here, I have maybe four bucks! I am not exaggerating. I haven't run trail camera here so I am not sure what comes through at night. There are some rubs along the edge of the yard, so there must be some bucks around. Thought you might get a kick out of that. Have a great day.
I think your results are fairly typical for the Driftless area. All of the hills and valleys make for great potential but it also makes for tough hunting. Some areas do see a decent amount of what I would consider a "micro" migration. We see it to a degree in my area. Knowing where your land is in relation to the bigger valley I would have guessed they would have gravitated to your area in winter? I know to the south of you only a mile or two was completely overrun with deer 10 -15 years ago.
Yes, as a boy I lived west of Waukon in the "sink hole" country. The deer left the sink hole habitat as soon as the snow flew and yarded in the bluffs above the Upper Iowa River. We used to go there at night with spotlights and see hundreds of sets of eyes up on the bluffs where they lived out of the wind. You are right. I bet in a hard winter, I will eventually pull deer from the north onto this farm. I am guessing that in a few years this farm will become a yarding area especially if I keep planting all this food. Will be interesting to watch to see if that happens.
Best content on TV Bill. Thank you.
Thanks Hoot... I sure appreciate the support and comment. Have a great day.
Love all your content Bill. As a new Iowa resident and being 60 I am going to try and get permission and hunt public. I do have a big private piece in Louisa county I received permission on, it’s two hours north and it holds big deer. But I have to try door knocking this spring closer to home. I would really love to take a nice public buck due to the challenges it poses. Every video you post teaches me and I thank you for that!
Love your videos Bill, they definitely keep me going during hunting season. It can take years to find the "killing tree".
Agreed, it took me several years on the farm in southern Iowa to get it wired and then it actually became less fun to hunt, if truth be told. There needs to be some struggle for the outcome to matter. Good luck.
A buck and 5 doe is a great season to me it would be good if you could get permission to come in the back door of your property where you don't have to go through the middle a scare everything out of the country great content I think I had my best year seeing a lot of chasing on 3 different properties shot a nice 6 year old and let a lot of 4 yrs old walk this year good luck on the property and God's blessings 🙏.
Great content Bill. I have enjoyed watching the dream farm season as I work on my own dream farm here in NY. The days that you saw very little to no movement I saw the same here and it was difficult to decide where/when to hunt.
Finger shooter here since 1970 smartest animal in the woods is a 4-5yr or older doe! Believe in moisture last week of October- thanksgiving! Bucks smell better like a bird 🐶 dog
Hey Bill, your commentary seemed to reflect what a lot of landowners/hunters were saying this year.
I am sorry to hear of your disappointment in the hunting, but I think you have great things in store for your farm!
As you said, it is a "work in progress".
You have done more in the last two years on your place than I have been able to do on mine in SEVENTEEN YEARS! And I only have 70 acres!!!
But I have slowly been making improvements and it is really beginning to show.
We seemed to always have one decent buck on our property that was harvested by either my son, or myself.
This year we both got nice bucks, and we have a few more that survived the hunting seasons and should be really nice next year. The best part is that they seem to be staying on my farm for longer periods of time, whereas in the past it seemed like the "good ones" were those that were passing through.
The creation of bedding and cover has been a big plus for our farm.
This year was definitely different in that the weather was not cooperative at all, and as you know, the acorn crop was outstanding. Good for the deer, not so good for the hunting.
I am guessing that the positive of this is that the deer were so spread out that were hard to target leaving "seed" for next year.
But having said that, Missouri Conservation just announced that we had a RECORD DEER HARVEST this year! I wonder if it is because they EXTENDED AND ADDED to the season for hunting?! I mean anyone can set a new record if you make the seasons long enough, right?
I love your honesty and frankness as to your farm, endeavors, and successes, and am looking forward to another year of great video content.
And many thanks to you, Jordan, Ethan, and ALL of your interns, in providing this information to us! God bless!!!
Hey Lonnie! I second ALL that you said and good to see you follow Bill too!
Thanks Bill for all the lessons learned whether from your good experiences or bad. I believe a great deer season is on the horizon for you and hopefully for the rest of us implementing some of your value’s techniques!
I ultimately had to slip right into the bedding area, but I was late in the rut with only a couple days left to hunt. It worked, but I was only gonna get away with it once or twice. We weren't seeing any on the fringes, but I think for the exact opposite reason. We had ZERO acorns and our food plots couldn't even get established before the deer decimated them. So our problem was no food. Gotta work a lot harder in those situations. Looking forward to riding along with you next season.
This year has been the weirdest year for hunting for almost anyone I’ve talked to about it. Definitely looking forward to the habitat work tips! I’ve been wanting to do some on the property I hunt but haven’t been sure where to start really.
What a piece of property, dream big And enjoy the process love watching your stuff bill
Thanks Steve. I appreciate the support and comment. Have a great weekend.
I’ve got a big 2200 acre river farm that has roughly 500 acres of woods 1700 acres of crops. The 1700 acre crop field is one huge field. The woods are just 4 pockets roughly 150 acres each 2 a touch smaller. I see 80-100 does an evening and I’m sure I’m missing some around the bends etc. we never kill does. Always have 4-5 150s 2-3 over 165-170 and obviously plenty under the 150 mark that are younger.
You can see the entire herd every night. Not in bow range everyday ofcourse but with a gun I could kill every buck on the property in a week.
I usually stay 3 weeks in November and during that period I have a shot at the target buck every single year with a bow. Kinda goes against all the info in this vid just thought I’d share. I’m guessing the fact that I’ve got 1700 acres of crops is what allows this to work the way it does. However late season when the wheat gets put in it’s usually only half the acreage bc it follows corn. So still have 800+ acres of green for late season.
I’ve got 350 acres across the street 1/4 mile as the crow flies with big ravines much smaller crops and lots of cover. I may see 10 deer a night there and you can literally see the other farms field from the stands in the ravines. Always blew my mind that 1/4 mile away I have 150 deer roaming in daylight and 8-10 at the other. Both farms have produced 200s though.
That is a very cool setup. Yes, every situation is a bit unique. You are either exporting a lot of deer to the neighboring areas, which is likely, or the deer numbers are increasing really fast. Once the density gets super high, the bucks will start to fringe out. I have seen that happen many times. It is impossible for that not to happen. I have seen properties where the deer wipe out all the crops every summer, but having 1700 acres of crops definitely prevents that. You probably have at least 200 deer in 500 acres of cover. That is a very high density. Biologists would suggest that having that much social stress among the deer will cause them to be less healthy than they would be otherwise, but biologists don't know everything. Maybe there is something unique there. It is not a normal setup you have there. I would be curious to know how long the density has been been that high and how much hunting pressure is around you. Good luck.
@@bill-winke yes and the 1700 of crops is just my portion. With the neighbors fields included that meet ours it’s prob closer to 3k acres of crops all meeting together. I’ve had the place for 5 years. We use to let gun hunters come in and kill does during the 10 day gun season. They’d kill 10-20 a year. It seemingly had little to no effect on numbers though. The past 3 years we’ve not killed any does at all and nothing has really changed. I’ve been watching the same bucks grow up the entire 5 years I’ve been there. Obviously new ones arrive every year as well and I’ve obviously killed some of the older ones. This year I had 4 on the decline bc I just simply watch them in hopes of them having a big blow up year and I waited on a few too long. I had a 200 get injured and then into about 30 inches total. And a mid 170s deer that I’ve been passing that dropped down into the mid 50s which I killed this year.
Hunting pressure is very very mild around me bc the property lines on both sides end on one side by the city and the other side there’s not another woodlot for a couple miles. And then ofcourse the river which is very wide. They cross it but not often. For a. Couple years I leased the property across the river and I never had deer on cam from the opposite side. They don’t really have any need to cross it or a need to go anywhere. I hunt it 3-5 weeks a year. Usually all of November and I go back the last 10 days of December.
I always tell people when I’m hunting that property it’s almost like a high fence. They all leave the woods before dark and get way out in the middle of the fields as the evening goes on and you can see your target buck just about every night. I’ve never not had an opportunity at the target buck on this property in the time span I’m there. The 200 before injury I missed once. Stand squeaked another time that week and my partner hit him in the neck flesh wounded him as well in that same trip. Seen him many other times out of range. So even when the oldest deer on the property receive some pressure they still stick around in day time. Change patterns a little they may start coming out 150 yards up or down from you but they still come out nonetheless. I’ve got several other properties in the county and none are like this one. I’ve got just as good of quality in other places but simply not the numbers.
I’d be willing to share more info with you like pictures and videos and property lay out but it would have to be private.
Love the channel ! after buying are farm in 2007 in WI it was fresh off earn a buck ! the deer were not only few but mainly nocturnal , when I watch your trail cam pics i see a lot of night pics . i also switched to cam that emails me the pics !so i cut down un trips to gather cards ! I have found that the least amount of presence in the woods the more mature bucks WE have moving during daylight ! only a thought but u have helped me so much with your articles and videos I wanted to tell u my findings . since 2007 we have harvested 6 bucks over 160 and two over 180 and went through major EHD event in 2012 God Bless
That farm us surrounded by bad deer management. Accept for to the north. May take awhile. Hang in there. I'd say it's a work in progress. You know how to make the best out of territory. Trust your instincts. It seems really hard to hunt as far as landscape. Over the years I've hunted all around your farm there and I've never seen one over 150. Trust me there are areas in this county that are incredibly different. There is great hunting 10 mins to the south and west
This is what happens now with the hunting TV stars. More focus is put on trying to get the deer to do what you want them to do. Like hunting in box blinds over food plots or bait. I believe if Bill would have went back to the basics of hunting and patterned the deer he was after then hunted them in the thick timber he would have had more success, hence his only buck taken. I’ve watched every episode and scratched my head many times on why trail cameras were put in the open fields next to box blinds with little to no daylight activity but hunted almost every episode.
It is the age-old challenge of balancing human pressure. If I put cameras in the woods I would have to check them there and that would create a lot more impact on the deer (I don't have any cell cameras). If I hunt deep in the timber regularly I would also bump and educate a lot of deer in their sanctuary areas. In addition, the way I hunted is the way I have hunted for decades and it can take time to produce success, but the deer never leave the farm due to too much pressure in their sanctuary bedrooms. I know it not easy to see it on the surface, but every day I hunt I am playing that balance. I did hunt deep twice, but that was it and they were really good hunts, but if I had done that more (since there were only a couple bucks on the farm I was hunting that pressure would have been focused on the area where they live) it would have pushed them out. Good question.
Were those deer running behind you at 11:14?
Great video. Hope your year goes well.
Thanks sir. I appreciate it and wish you the same.
Thanks Bill for all your video posts. Been following you from Petersen's Bowhunting Magazine, through Midwest Whitetail, and now on Bowhunting Whitetails. Always love your advice, wisdom, and knowledge of everything Whitetail. You are definitely the best! Always love when you read the Christmas passage of Christ's birth at Christmas time. I also must add, Thanks for revealing the Code Of Silence hunting products. I absolutely love everything I've purchased. Just purchased the back pack. Can't wait to try it out. God bless you, you're family, and the interns.
Hey Bill,
I experienced similar thoughts on our Ky farm. The area has good genetics and high deer density. We have done alot of habitat projects that has changed the game. The first few years I felt I made a mistake. I've discovered that the land stewardship part has taken center stage. We are now seeing great deer and harvesting them, too.
Hopefully you create a place where the deer wants to be.
Best Regards
Gary
Bill you had deer running on the hillside behind you in the video! lol. I have watched you for years and have read your articles. I’m a big fan of you. This farm is definitely different from what you had in Southern Iowa. I believe that you will have this place producing mature deer in 5 years. I just feel like you have had it so good for so long that you are going to have to be able to adjust your methods. Those ridges will cause the wind to blow strangely and deer do not like the wind blowing in a way that makes them cold and makes the security inconsistent. I have hunted in the Appalachian Mountains all my life. It’s so difficult here. The wind will cause deer to be in areas and other areas you can’t hardly find any sign of deer. This has been this way since they first restocked this area with deer from Wisconsin. Anyway I’m enjoying you show and I get a chuckle every now and then when frustration sets in. Keep grinding keep improving I 100% believe that you will crack the code. Good luck!
Thanks Jon. For sure the property has some challenges related to the steep terrain, some of which are just getting to the stands - lots of climbing if you come in from below. I appreciate the support and the vote of confidence. Have a great day.
Bought some land in Georgia that was once a hunting club and it took about 5 years to get it where it is today 25 years later.we have been seeing and have got 130 plus score deer.Have bigger ones on camera. Thanks Bill for your info.
Thanks for the comment. Good input. That is what I think it will take here. I have two years in, three to go. It should be getting better each year, but you can't put age on the bucks by doing a lot of work. It just takes time.
Very good conversation in this episode. Alot of us need to understand that it take time. See you on dream farm. I also am doing land management this year. Also 2 year owning this property in South illinois. Thanks for the knowledge as always.
At one point Bill, I was on a streak of 15 straight sits no deer, mix bag of morningsits evenings and even a mid day from 10 to 2p. And what I noticed was on my way driving in and home, I saw no deer as well. I, as you stated, as well like to keep my middle a sanctuary, let em have it I said too. So I fringe hunted... one doe was all I manged to kill this year. Just a very odd year. Middle Missouri is my location too, so very different and difficult. I would summarize this year to be
Chainsaw, fire, warm season grass barriers, oldfield........ And then about 3 years to grow them is all you're going to need I'm confident.
100% on the fringe hunting.
That's all? Just kidding. That is a ton of work. I agree, once the habitat work is done and has a chance to take hold I believe the farm will be way better. That is my hope and what keeps me going on those really slow stretches of hunting. Have a great off-season.
Takes 3 to 5 years to turn a farm around. Especially if there was no management before you bought it
i am unsure of why, or how. but this year was just off. something was different this season and it seems to be affecting from South Alabama to Iowa where you are. I used to could go to some of my spots and see all the does i could want to see, but this year was a struggle for just that. i would like to think its not a scouting issue, because ive had a few of these spots for years and havent changed anything in my style of hunting. this year can be generalized, for me, as a "Lull". and the most aggravating thing about it is that there seems to be no rhyme or reason as to why. i see it in turkey hunting every so many years as well. dont give up! youre getting what the deer want and need. keep putting in the hard work.
This was by far the worst year my family has had hunting and we did more this year than any year in the past to attract and hold dear. I was a bit surprised how your season went Bill, but it shows you are human after all haha and gave me some encouragement
Such an odd year. Acorns for sure played a role for everyone it seems. I have talked to so many people who just plain didn't see deer in some of the best regions I know of. Praying for a down acorn year in '24! Also, I continue to focus and hone in on where deer are when I am walking in for morning hunts...since I never see good movement at first light in the mornings during the rut, I am going to start walking in 10 minutes or so after that "gray light" to allow deer to move off fields and back to bedding before they start cruising again. Can't remember if I saw you walking in to stands after daylight for mornings during the rut. Access in the driftless region can be your best friend or greatest enemy it seems. I enjoy seeing how you enter and exit since we hunt the exact same terrain. When a hunt comes together due to terrain funneling deer...it seems too easy. When it doesn't work or you can't figure it out, it seems impossible to kill one.
You’re farm is improving from all your work, I only have 50 acres in Ohio and the more I do the better it is, love watching you and a few others on habitat and improvement and getting new ideas. Only thing I noticed with your farm is the hilly ness and although you’re not diving into the timber you have to go through areas where I’m sure you’re being monitored by the bigger bucks. Last 2 years I’ve been almost only hunting the downwind sides of my property and not accessing through it, leaving deer on my property undisturbed so far working great! Me and several others in my area killed good ones this year!
This year was very strange for sure. All over the country. My experience in the east and watching guys as yourself in north and midwest. The Cold snaps didn't seem to bring the movement that normally happens in Oct. And late season on food in daylight almost non existent. Ive tried to pick apart each of our properties as what was the same and what was diff. All I could come up with is...Only the Rut was King. My boys and I were successful Nov 11th thru the 23rd with no opportunities before or after. In 37 years of hunting I can't remember any other year like this. Love the videos and updates Bill! Keep them coming!
Ohio was on fire this year.
I can confirm. Very weird
Great video. I have similar goals and I had a similar year in Arkansas. I learn a lot from your videos, and I am learning each year by trying things on my 300 acres. I'm still buying land, so m6 improments are comming slower than I want.
Great series Bill !!!!!!! My whole life has been tuff hunting like you had this year !!!!!!! I don't own my own property and I hunt private property only. I have two small farms that I can hunt but I can't improve them. I think as you said given a few years your farm will be great for the deer and hunting them. Also maybe all your activity this past year has effected how the deer live and move on it. Give it some time and the improvments you have made time to grow and the deer will come. Good Luck and Hang with it !!!!!!!!!
The one old time hunter on a thread full of deer farmers. Happy hunting brother.
What you mean there is not a Booner behind every tree in Iowa? lol, I kid but some seem to think that. Looking forward to the dream farm series, you are the only hunting channel I watch and enjoy. Thanks Bill for taking us along.
Thanks William. I remember one season (2014 maybe) on the other farm in southern Iowa (what would have to be considered one of the top 10% of farms in the state) I hunted 55 days (about 75 sits) without seeing a legit shooter. I saw decent numbers of deer, just nothing mature. Now let's say you have some guy from Georgia that draws the tag to hunt here. He would be happy to hunt my farm for a week (14 sits). That means he would have made the equivalent of five trips here to hunt (if he was drawing the bow tag that would be roughly 20+ years total) and he wouldn't have seen a shooter - in 20 years!. Now tell him how good Iowa is! Granted, that is an extreme, but it shows that even at its best, this is no push-over. Good luck and thanks for the support.
Bill - love your show, hard work, and dedication. The one thing I was surprised with when I saw your new farm for the first time was the severity of elevation/slope on those big ridges that run through the farm. It seems a bit abnormal for the Midwest, but perhaps it’s very normal for your area. If it is more abnormal than other areas, do you think the deer may prefer flatter grounds around your farm instead of having to traverse the elevation on your property?
David, I grew up here and it is definitely different from most of Midwest. The entire upper Mississippi River corridor looks like this. NE Iowa, SW Wisconsin and SE Minnesota. It is a different kind of hunting, but the deer are here for sure, at least in most areas. Good luck and thanks for the support and comment.
Keep at it Bill, I know it will come together for you.
Seems to take just about 6 years here in Upstate NY to see a end result. And half of that is the hunter learning along the way how to hunt the area and relearn deer
Yes, for sure. I have some things I need to do better to improve entry and exit on this place. Just making the farm thicker will really help, but this is a tough farm to hunt because there is no public road access and everything I do comes from the bottom. That is a tough way to hunt, especially when much of the food is also in the bottom. I will get it figured out - probably - it is just going to take some time. It is really pretty here, just hard to hunt right now. Thanks for the comment.
11:15 some deer on the far hill side.
Yep, good eye. I spent hours editing this video and never saw them until viewers starting mentioning them here in the comments. I shot this at our home in central Iowa just a few miles outside of Iowa City. There are lot of deer here, almost all does, from my sightings. I should probably hunt here, but I haven't yet. We have only 13 acres and most of it is open grass hayfield. If I put in a small food plot the deer would wipe it out in the summer. I have seen only four bucks from the back window of the office/house in four years of living here. That is not super encouraging either. Have a great day.
You did have some slow hunts this year along with lots of other people having the same experience. But you shot a dandy buck and lots of does. Can’t hardly even say it wasn’t a good season. Will be fun to see this farm keep improving and I’m sure you will like the challenge
Hey Bill, love your videos, keep making them!!
Last year when I first saw the drone shots of your farm and the surrounding area I knew late season was going to be a tough nut. Having hunted around/along the MO river for decades it's standard procedure for the deer to start filtering out of the hills and bluffs and closer to the harvested crop fields in the bottoms after the first week of December.
That is the history in this area, I am sure. Especially given that it was all cattle pasture for decades. I do think I can reverse that trend with a few more years of having plenty of food on this place, but it will be interesting to see that change occur and how fast it occurs.
EHD has decimated my deer population. Adjusting to day after day not seeng mature deer or any deer is hard to digest. After 25 yrs of managing forest timber harvesting, TSI, planting 22k trees, establishing switchgrass fields and deer bedding habitat & 20 acres of food plots for year round food, you want to see deer. In the end, nature is humbling and i’m reminded as to why i hunt and the little things about time spent in a tree that fuel my desire. Stick with the process and enjoy managing the land with family. They grow bigger when they aren’t stressed. The future awaits.
By the way, keep doing what you are doing.
Massive question indeed. Look forward to the journey. Know you will follow an Indepth plan. Outcome could go either way.
Richie, outcome will depend, mostly, on what my neighbors do. If they let young bucks go, this will work. If not, I am going to have to rethink. Have a great day.
I live in southern teir of New York the hunting was the same here I got a lot of fresh air this season. I learned a lot from this season that I'll be definitely using in the future thanks for sharing your property and hunting strategies.
I also hunt southern tier of New York. Whereabouts are you at?
I agree that it can get discouraging at times. Keep to your plan with management projects, and I bet in 5 yrs the hunting will be totally different. Rome was not built in a day....
I'm also getting ready to jump neck deep into some management projects one the season here in AL closes in a couple of weeks. I'm looking forward to your next videos. keep up the good work.
Agree as it was a strange season all over the Midwest. I think with the cattle you had a lot of understory to reintroduce and grow back from depletion. Cattle destroy the browse as you know. You’ve got the food plots, and some mast trees. Curious how you’ll balance the herd with the cover and food. I think in a few more years you’ll have that farm hitting on all cylinders. I’ve been at it for 10 years on the side on my farm and still have a ways to go. For my area just more recently starting to shoot 3.5 year olds regularly. That sounds you but for my area, these are mature deer.
My cousin's farms in West Virginia has the same issue this year. Acorns were everywhere, so the deer didn't have to move. So, the positive is that in the fall there are going to be some really nice bucks to target and chase.
Agreed, there should be some really good ones next year to hunt. Good luck.
I agree with what I feel your disappointment. It seems odd to me that you have several hundred acres with plenty of timber and now food and not many deer and definitely no high scoring mature bucks for a couple years on it. I would think any farm like that just about anywhere, especially Iowa, that size and cover there be some better bucks. I hunt 3 smaller farms in central and souther Iowa; 80, 50, and 15 acres and have had larger bucks on cam and harvested a couple in the past few years than you have had on your large farm. These are small farms, others hunt in the area, there’s no teamwork or coop on who shoots what, the 50 acre farm I share permission with 3 other hunters even. High deers #s on each so maybe that is part of it. But, I would think a much larger farm with less pressure and neighbors would surely have more and bigger deer on cam. Just seems odd to me. Heck, my dad put a cell cam in the backyard and corn out the past few weeks and there’s one buck coming up at night thats probably 160-170 and in the square mile area in any direction there is probably a dozen or more landowners and people hunt. I see people regularly taking higher scoring or getting higher scoring deer on cams often on smaller tracts of 30, 40, 80 acre parcels a lot it seems. It’s very interesting that with a large chunk like you have they are not there.
I’ve followed you all season and I’ve thought it’s odd you don’t have more/bigger deer. I’m sure it will come as you continue to do habitat improvement. Maybe the fact it was largely a cattle farm is causing it to just take a few years for the deer to realize it is for them now. I know you’ve explained your reasoning for shooting every doe you can , but I don’t agree with that tactic . Hope you don’t take my comments negative, I’ve followed you since the early MW days and listened to you speak at the Iowa deer classic, always greatly enjoy your videos. Looking forward to your winter habitat video.
As a viewer it was definitely different to watch a person with your knowledge and experience have so many sits without seeing an animal especially with all the thought and work put into the property. But it was REAL. So many "Celebrity" hunters would not have showed the unsuccessful hunts. I must say your positive attitude helped me get through a tough season after I had just bought a new property that was is loaded with nice bucks, but as I found out, is hard to hunt. So back to the drawing board for me. I sure hope all that work and effort rewards you next season. As a man approaching my sunset years I still enjoy doing the work , but I am not so tolerant of the "Struggle Bus" hunts. I know for someone like you who has had a lot of success on some monsters and are used to passing big bucks to get them to another age class it has to be disappointing to not see many deer and have so many blank hunts, but your character shines through anyway. I will be along for the ride and it will be just as rewarding for us viewers when the successes come. Thank you for all the tips and knowledge drops and for as Dave Chappell would say " Keeping it real". God speed.
Roy, I appreciate it. Anyone is only as good as the place they are hunting. If the bucks aren't there, you are not going to kill them. I think if the viewers will be patient, along with me, I will prove that out. Regarding your situation there, it sounds very similar to mine. I plan to focus on making the entire farm thicker so I can sneak around better without being seen. I will also start planting hybrid willows along the lanes in the valley to hide me as I walk/drive the lower trails where deer might be able to see me otherwise. It is hard to hunt any spot where the deer can see and hear you easily. Thicker cover will really help in that regard. The real solution on this farm is sleeping under the tree, but I wasn't willing to do that last season. It is very hard to do with a cameraman and all the gear. Was much easier when I hunted alone. Good luck.
Honestly Bill, I enjoyed the content if you never harvested a deer at all, I still enjoyed the interaction and watching the evolution of your property
Thanks Don. I appreciate it. It should be an interesting journey as every year I will be making as big of changes to the farm as I have time and budget to make, so we can all learn whether or not the stuff I am doing makes a difference. Have a great day.
It was a junk year for me as well, everything was off, I am not making excuses either
I agree. This was the strangest season I have seen in my life. It will be interesting to see what next year brings. Good luck.
“I’m related to half the county”…. That struck my funny bone. 🤷🏼♂️ 😂 As always, I enjoy your content and all the helpful information you put out there. Hopefully that farm will be producing some booners in 2-3 years!
Thanks Paul. We might have one next year, depending on how that big ten pointer we were watching this year turns out - and if he stays here. He could sure make that jump. Have a great day and thanks for the comment.
Not a mistake! I just bought a property in Southern Iowa and had the same frustrations you presented all year. Looking forward to this coming year, making improvements and adjustments, but can’t get much worse than the year we had. Weird year for sure.
Bill, in the old days I watched your videos because of the huge bucks you would shoot. Now I watch your videos because your situation is more relatable to mine. My point is just keeping making videos and I will continue to watch.
Thanks Michael. I don't have any plan to stop, at least not until we all get a chance to see if this plan of mine will work. I think it will be fun to see what we can do here. Have a great day and thanks for the comment and the support.