How I manage deer herds on public land.... Yes. I do this...

Let me Preface this post by saying this: I am COMPLETELY against hunters hunting by sitting in tree stands, blinds, or other cover while sitting next to a feeder or any other type of bait. I think that hunting in this way gives an unfair advantage to the hunter and I do not understand why anyone would be proud of a kill while sitting next to food that the deer need. I believe that it is not deserved or earned in these cases. I believe that a hunter should stalk its game fairly with no outside intervention during the hunt. However, the use of attractants and bait are useful to the hunter and very healthy and good for the deer herd as a whole if used properly and ethically in my eyes. This is how I do it, and I believe that it is a major benefit to the entire deer population in the area, while at the same time helping me to pattern the deer and plan my hunts.

    As you have seen in my previous posts, I have a trail camera in the woods near my hunting area in unit 35A in southern arizona. In order to get deer on camera successfully and regularly, Attractants are used. approximately 10 to 12 feet in front of my trail camera, there is a mineral attractant product mixed in with the soil that both attracts deer, and provides much needed vitamins and minerals to the deer. The need for these food and vitamin sources is magnified by the fact that a very large area of the coues deer habitat in the area has recently been burnt down in a massive wildfire a few months ago, which robbed them of food and bedding grounds. many of these deer had to relocate closer to the city where it is unsafe for them to be. My hopes,as I describe my off season management plan, is that I can assist in returning the deer to their natural habitat in the canyon I hunt, grow the herd to be healthier with higher fawn survival rates, and bring back the joy of hunting while increasing herd numbers at the same time.

This is the Deer Cain black magic attractant I use in front of my cameras....

The Offseason Management Plan:

As of January 2012, all deer seasons will be over with until late 2012. It is during this time that I have developed a plan to draw more deer into the areas I hunt (a very very large area, that fills a large canyon in the huachuca mountains.), help them survive in an area which has been devistated by wildfire, and prepare them to grow big ol' healthy racks that make chads happy come hunting season!

     ok. im going to attempt to put the steps im taking into a bullet list, but I know damn well im not going to be able to keep them short and sweet....

• Mix black magic deer attractant in with the dirt in 8 spots throughout the canyon. in each spot put a 10 pound mineral lick block (used to provide nutrients essential to healthy antler growth.) and set up a trail camera at each spot. each spot will be placed off of the beaten path away from eyesht of those traveling on hiking paths, roads, etc. each spot will also be cleared of major brush piles, bushes, etc. to ensure clear pictures of all deer in the area may be taken.
• I will be spreading seeds for things like clover and other plants that are main food in the deers diet. this will be accomplished just prior to monsoon season to ensure proper growth of the food plots. with luck, these plots need not be maintained during the whole of monsoon months right into early bow season.
• I will be tracking evey picture of every deer and attempting to identify even the does to keep track of movements throughout the year. my goal is by the time the first hunting season starts I want to have the ability to go out on a hunt and target a specific, mature buck rather than a younger, smaller one if i just happen to see it. This increases the dificulty for me, increases the size of my trophy (and the amount of food in my freezer) and allows younger bucks to grow old while I am assisting the area and grow larger racks.

     now, many people will be thingking " wait... you said you diddnt agree with people that sit around and wait for deer to come to food when they are hunting! what are you doing with all that deer food then!?" well, I will NOT be sitting in one place on as food plot waiting. I will be doing my standard walk, spot, stalk style hunt. I normally hike up a mountain ridge and spot from the top with binoculars, and if i find nothing, i simply move up the ridge more and spot again, once a deer is sighted, a stalk starts. Thus I walk up, spot, and stalk. Thus the reason I call it a walk,spot, stalk hunt rather than a spot and stalk hunt. spot stalk walk hunt spot stalk walk walk.... gah!



This is the "trophy rock" deer mineral lick I use in conjunction with the black magic deer minerals. EVERYTHING I use is 100% safe and a very healthy supplement for the deer.