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November 13th, the start of my deer hunting weekend, is coming up fast so we're setting up four deer stands today. We (four of us) hunt near Rock Port, MO, which is in Atchison County, the most extreme northwestern county in the state. The area is located on the bluffs east of the Missouri River in the heavily timber coved hills above the flat farmground. My Son-in-law's family lives there and we've hunted that area several times before. Each year we harvest several deer from the same locations where we set up stands.
As far as how the deer stands are situated, they are portable home-made wooden ladders about 10 feet tall with small platforms on top which are strapped around large tree trunks with a chain and boom. The work for us ok.
The thing that will be different this year is that a commercial forestry company has been in that same timbered area for the past eight months harvesting large oak trees. Our theory is that deer will continue to instinctly make the same runs as long as the equipment is idle, etc. We could be wrong and may be sitting on those stands for nothing...but we're confident they'll be back just as they've done for many years before. In MO we're legally allowed to put out salt blocks and that's been done. There's plenty of fresh deer tracks and other signs that they've continued to use the timbered area this fall regardless of the loggers activity.
The deer license allows us to harvest either a buck or a doe...but if it's a buck it must have at least four points on one side that are one inch long or longer. The deer hunting requirements in each MO county will vary depending upon the previous year's harvest. I suppose the State Conservation Department wants to allow bucks to grow older because of the four point requirement. interestingly enough, it will still be legal to harvest a buck with points less than an inch in length.
As far as how the deer stands are situated, they are portable home-made wooden ladders about 10 feet tall with small platforms on top which are strapped around large tree trunks with a chain and boom. The work for us ok.
The thing that will be different this year is that a commercial forestry company has been in that same timbered area for the past eight months harvesting large oak trees. Our theory is that deer will continue to instinctly make the same runs as long as the equipment is idle, etc. We could be wrong and may be sitting on those stands for nothing...but we're confident they'll be back just as they've done for many years before. In MO we're legally allowed to put out salt blocks and that's been done. There's plenty of fresh deer tracks and other signs that they've continued to use the timbered area this fall regardless of the loggers activity.
The deer license allows us to harvest either a buck or a doe...but if it's a buck it must have at least four points on one side that are one inch long or longer. The deer hunting requirements in each MO county will vary depending upon the previous year's harvest. I suppose the State Conservation Department wants to allow bucks to grow older because of the four point requirement. interestingly enough, it will still be legal to harvest a buck with points less than an inch in length.
,...it's so active, I'll simply add that we got the deer stands up yesterday, cut a few limbs blocking access to our stands and view, and are now ready for bambi to come strolling down through the timber to be harvested come November 13th and 14th. :nod: :right:
