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The 2018 Hunting Thread


Bert Orange

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1 hour ago, BabaYaga said:

Another option down the road is to look at protein feeders that keep it off the ground.  That way less is wasted (turns to mush when exposed to moisture).  Look at trough feeders with a timer (like Lamco or others).

Lamco

The four timed protein options I know of that people have had good success with are Lamco, All Seasons, Krivoman (uses the Hammer system), and the Hammer on a hopper from any other manufacturer:

https://www.allseasonsfeeders.com/collections/protein-feeders/products/electric-2k-pro-evo

http://www.krivomanoutdoors.com/feeders/

http://www.thehammerfeeder.com/products.html

It's nice to have a big one so a fill will last through a month or more in the summertime, but they are pricey. The "good" news is that these feeders are so in-demand that you can sell them used a few years later for probably ~80% of what you bought them for if you change your mind. (I bought a $1000 Krivoman and sold it three years later for $800 after I built some bigger custom hoppers) 

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That's actually not a bad deal considering you could pick up a Maverick 12ga for about $120 net.   

They're cheap but they shoot (old mossberg tooling) and make a great gun to keep under a bed in the duck camp or in the boat in case someone forgets or jams up badly.  If it gets stolen so what - if it rusts just spray paint over it.

 

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https://www.academy.com/shop/store/WeeklyAd

OK the weekly ad (link above) for Aug 15-21 lists prices even lower than BabaYaga’s link.  $10/$40/$50 lower for the Mossberg/Axis/PSE Fang crossbow.  

Really eyeing that crossbow at net $212 (after supercombo).  However, I have zero experience with crossbows.  Seems like a good entry level crossbow for hunting.

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3 hours ago, solamente73 said:

https://www.academy.com/shop/store/WeeklyAd

OK the weekly ad (link above) for Aug 15-21 lists prices even lower than BabaYaga’s link.  $10/$40/$50 lower for the Mossberg/Axis/PSE Fang crossbow.  

Really eyeing that crossbow at net $212 (after supercombo).  However, I have zero experience with crossbows.  Seems like a good entry level crossbow for hunting.

Everyone needs a crossbow!

And no, CB'ers are not archers!  Early season my ass!  Get in the back of the line with the modern, scoped,  breech-loading "black-powder" crowd.

 

 

 

*pulls pin, throws....runs....

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Are there breech loading black powder rifles that count as muzzle loaders? Pretty sure that doesn't work in Texas. Even a cap and ball revolver doesn't count. But yeah, these modern inline muzzleloaders are trash. Also, fast twist side locks for shooting modern bullets. Patch and ball, baby. Patch and ball.

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19 hours ago, NotActuallyALonghorn said:

Are there breech loading black powder rifles that count as muzzle loaders? Pretty sure that doesn't work in Texas. Even a cap and ball revolver doesn't count. But yeah, these modern inline muzzleloaders are trash. Also, fast twist side locks for shooting modern bullets. Patch and ball, baby. Patch and ball.

I got chippy once and purchased a Pedersoli Traditional Hawken Percussion Rifle on a whim.  Even took a few does with it.  Took me forever to get used to the "pause" as you depress the trigger, drop the hammer, ignite the percussion cap, and then set off the powder.

Click.  Snap......pause......WHOOSH!  Probably only a fraction of a second, but seems so much longer.  Fired both round cast balls and waxed mini's.  Think I gave it away?  

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1 hour ago, NotActuallyALonghorn said:

My Great Plains Rifle is pretty instant. Was your flash hole smaller or something? It's usually rock locks that have a reputation for pausing. 

It wasn't much a rifle.  One of those do-it-yourself kits.  And the pause was fractions of a second.  But I always pulled slightly.  Took a while doing dry-fire exercises to get over it.  I also had a 1851 Navy cap/ball revolver.  That was a lot of fun.  I did like firing using irons.  I think when my H&H M1 Garand came along, that was the end of the percussion cap.  I've taken a ton of deer with that M1.  No pigs.  Can't ever get close enough to use the open sights.  But I have scared a few.  

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My 30carbine gets to ride by my right hip all weekend at least once a year.  Perfect truck gun to have when hogs are lingering too long at water mid-day.

I'll also slip it down in a scabbard that is part of my backpack  and take it to the blind with me and whatever rifle I'm carrying.  I LOVE those guns.

I have a Garand too but that's not as easy to tote.

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Yeah, modern rifles are hard to beat for those purposes, but an old school caplock gun is just more fun. Something about the cloud of smoke and the feel of doing it the way folks did back in the day is so satisfying. Plus you get an extra two weeks of deer season around here. The only real drawback is having to clean your rifle every time you use it. Although if you use the right modern substitute for black powder you can put it off a week or so without really risking damaging the gun.

One of these days I'm going to build me a smoothbore gun on a flintlock action. I just haven't decided yet whether to make a potentially apocryphal canoe gun or a full blown fowling piece. Or maybe a sawed off shotgun pistol style gun that one of the original Texas rangers might have carried. I've got the barrel and a breach plug as well as a nice piece of black walnut that was cut off of our land drying out after cutting a year or so ago. I just need to figure out how to properly tap the barrel for the breech plug and keep it perfectly straight for whatever I choose to build. Then it's a matter of spending a lot of time doing stuff by hand to make a gun that certainly wouldn't be worth the time I have in it. But then again I've spent plenty of time making holsters for my cowboy guns lately that wouldn't be worth the time I have in them other than the satisfaction I get from making them.

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On 8/16/2018 at 9:19 AM, solamente73 said:

https://www.academy.com/shop/store/WeeklyAd

OK the weekly ad (link above) for Aug 15-21 lists prices even lower than BabaYaga’s link.  $10/$40/$50 lower for the Mossberg/Axis/PSE Fang crossbow.  

Really eyeing that crossbow at net $212 (after supercombo).  However, I have zero experience with crossbows.  Seems like a good entry level crossbow for hunting.

So, I went to an Academy in the DFW area.  Their in-store promo was free supercombo with purchase of Mossberg/Axis/PSE Fang crossbow at the higher prices.  I showed them, on my phone, what I pulled up at the link above:

42284114570_d7a7f089d2_c.jpg

Though they think I’m pulling up an out-of-state weekly ad, they honored both the lower prices and free super combo promotions, and they were great about it.  $280 crossbow + $28 Federal Waterfowl Stamp + 18 Tax = $326 out the door.  Sweet deal.

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2 hours ago, NotActuallyALonghorn said:

Yeah, modern rifles are hard to beat for those purposes, but an old school caplock gun is just more fun. Something about the cloud of smoke and the feel of doing it the way folks did back in the day is so satisfying. Plus you get an extra two weeks of deer season around here. The only real drawback is having to clean your rifle every time you use it. Although if you use the right modern substitute for black powder you can put it off a week or so without really risking damaging the gun.

One of these days I'm going to build me a smoothbore gun on a flintlock action. I just haven't decided yet whether to make a potentially apocryphal canoe gun or a full blown fowling piece. Or maybe a sawed off shotgun pistol style gun that one of the original Texas rangers might have carried. I've got the barrel and a breach plug as well as a nice piece of black walnut that was cut off of our land drying out after cutting a year or so ago. I just need to figure out how to properly tap the barrel for the breech plug and keep it perfectly straight for whatever I choose to build. Then it's a matter of spending a lot of time doing stuff by hand to make a gun that certainly wouldn't be worth the time I have in it. But then again I've spent plenty of time making holsters for my cowboy guns lately that wouldn't be worth the time I have in them other than the satisfaction I get from making them.

Good friend of mine.  His father up in Jackson Hole, WY restores tractors....and old cannons.  Fires one off each time the local HS football team takes the field.  That kind of stuff.  However....if we can get one down here, the plan is to loan one up with canister shot and see how much trouble we can get into!

Something like this:

http://www.buckstix.com/howitzer.htm

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12 hours ago, solamente73 said:

So, I went to an Academy in the DFW area.  Their in-store promo was free supercombo with purchase of Mossberg/Axis/PSE Fang crossbow at the higher prices.  I showed them, on my phone, what I pulled up at the link above:

42284114570_d7a7f089d2_c.jpg

Though they think I’m pulling up an out-of-state weekly ad, they honored both the lower prices and free super combo promotions, and they were great about it.  $280 crossbow + $28 Federal Waterfowl Stamp + 18 Tax = $326 out the door.  Sweet deal.

I've been intending to get my older kid started on a .243 of his own. I might have to go to Academy this weekend and get one. 

I was in there today for something else and they have Winchester gray box 20 ga 7/8 shells for 4.99 a box. I bought two cases of #8 and we shot 12 boxes this afternoon on sporting clays at GHGC. I think I'll go back tomorrow and buy more - that price is better than anything listed on Ammoseek.

I'm not usually a big Academy shopper but every now and then they do come up with some good deals. 

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https://www.academy.com/shop/store/WeeklyAd
OK the weekly ad (link above) for Aug 15-21 lists prices even lower than BabaYaga’s link.  $10/$40/$50 lower for the Mossberg/Axis/PSE Fang crossbow.  
Really eyeing that crossbow at net $212 (after supercombo).  However, I have zero experience with crossbows.  Seems like a good entry level crossbow for hunting.
When I click on the link in your post, it is giving me the weekly ad with $319 pricing for the crossbow. What city are you pulling up? Mine is for the Rockwall store.
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So, I went to an Academy in the DFW area.  Their in-store promo was free supercombo with purchase of Mossberg/Axis/PSE Fang crossbow at the higher prices.  I showed them, on my phone, what I pulled up at the link above:
42284114570_d7a7f089d2_c.jpg
Though they think I’m pulling up an out-of-state weekly ad, they honored both the lower prices and free super combo promotions, and they were great about it.  $280 crossbow + $28 Federal Waterfowl Stamp + 18 Tax = $326 out the door.  Sweet deal.
What store did you go to and what city does it show when you click the link for the weekly ad? I don't get the "hot deals" page and it sets my store to Mesquite.e456a2b5582f57af6eadad0b5c4dd701.jpg
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LOL - I have absolutely no need for a crossbow, but damn I'm jealous and want one of my own. 


I’ll sell you mine, extra bolts, broadheads, and a nice case for $200. Ready to hunt. Bought it about a year ago, only shot about six times, haven’t had time to hunt with it between rifle hunting trips.

I just stumbled across a custom .300 Weatherby that I can’t live without and need to raise some cash.
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11 hours ago, 686 said:

 


I’ll sell you mine, extra bolts, broadheads, and a nice case for $200. Ready to hunt. Bought it about a year ago, only shot about six times, haven’t had time to hunt with it between rifle hunting trips.

I just stumbled across a custom .300 Weatherby that I can’t live without and need to raise some cash.

 

How much is a .300 Weatherby running these days?  Mine ain't custom, but it's plenty nice.

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23 minutes ago, Brisketexan said:

How much is a .300 Weatherby running these days?  Mine ain't custom, but it's plenty nice.

This is a ~50 year old custom gun built on a Mauser action, with a AA to AAA grade walnut stock. The kicker for me is that I have another custom rifle made by this same shop (that went out of business in the ~90's), so it would be a bit of a collectible for me. I found it for $900, so kind of a relative bargain for my tastes. It's a buyers market for me right now, because it seems old custom hunting rifles aren't really en vogue with most of the gun buyers, and production hunting rifles have gotten so good and so inexpensive that it has driven the market down across the board. New Weatherby Mark V's are ~$1600-$3000 and Vanguards are about $900. 

How do you like shooting yours? I was looking for a 300 win mag (which I can shoot comfortably in a ~9 lb rifle) when I saw this gun. Its only around 8 lbs, so I may need to install a mercury recoil reducer if its not comfortable to shoot.

 

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Just now, 686 said:

This is a ~50 year old custom gun built on a Mauser action, with a AA to AAA grade walnut stock. The kicker for me is that I have another custom rifle made by this same shop (that went out of business in the ~90's), so it would be a bit of a collectible for me. I found it for $900, so kind of a relative bargain for my tastes. It's a buyers market for me right now, because it seems old custom hunting rifles aren't really en vogue with most of the gun buyers, and production hunting rifles have gotten so good and so inexpensive that it has driven the market down across the board. New Weatherby Mark V's are ~$1600-$3000 and Vanguards are about $900. 

How do you like shooting yours? I was looking for a 300 win mag (which I can shoot comfortably in a ~9 lb rifle) when I saw this gun. Its only around 8 lbs, so I may need to install a mercury recoil reducer if its not comfortable to shoot.

 

My .300 mag is a thunderstick.  I like shooting it, because lord, it reaches out and touches 'em at a distance, and puts 'em down.  But it's a bit of a shoulder cannon.  It's a Mark V, and it's pretty as hell.

My son shoots his grandfather's Vanguard 30/06, and it's pretty sweet as well.

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On ‎8‎/‎13‎/‎2018 at 2:42 PM, 686 said:

Thanks. This place is 180 acres, low fence, and we’ve probably cleared about 30 acres of solid cedar that was non-habitat. We spend about $2k a year on feed and food plot seed and fertilizer. I plant about 5-10 acres of fall plots every October, which makes a huge difference; the deer are in the plots from around December-May, and prefer the Turner Seed Fall Deer mix to protein pellets. Dr. Deer says plots have 10x the value to pellets, and I agree. Here’s what the plots look like in February, there will be ~20 deer in this plot at dawn/dusk:

 

I'd love to do this on our place as it is similar size, but I fear the hogs, and now cattle, will tear up all our work.  

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I'd love to do this on our place as it is similar size, but I fear the hogs, and now cattle, will tear up all our work.  

 

1. Cross fence or electric fence around the plot if possible. We have cross fencing to keep the cattle out. USDA will cost share with you on cross fencing for rotational grazing. What is perfect is to keep the cattle out until about April when the plot starts getting longer (when the deer stop using it) and then let the cattle in on it. I need to fence off my feeders so I can let the cattle onto the half of our place with the food plots.

 

2. Plant fewer, larger plots. Small plots tend to get overgrazed early and not recover

 

3. Plant a mix of seeds, not just one thing. Depending on conditions, one thing may do well while the other doesn't, i.e. this year the wheat and oats did really well and the year before it was the elbon rye and clover. Also, I believe research shows a mixed plot gets more use.  Here's Turner Seed's Fall Deer Mix: Barley12%

Oats12%

Rye12%

Triticale12%

Wheat12%

Austrian Winterpeas10%

Crimson Clover4%

Essex Rape4%

Frosty Berseem Clover4%

Purpletop Turnips4%

Yellow Blossom Clover4%

Yuchi Arrowleaf Clover4%

Hairy Vetch3%

Alfalfa2%

Silver River Clover1%

 

From February 24th this year:

ed6cd24b1fa0e131f10dd6352ca85ee7.jpg

 

 

 

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38 minutes ago, T’Boo Ted Marshall said:

I'd love to do this on our place as it is similar size, but I fear the hogs, and now cattle, will tear up all our work.  

686 is spot on.  Fence them off.  Also look at cottonseed supplementation:

Cottonseed options

And finally, for hogs - there are baiting options I've had friends use with some efficacy.  Soured corn, sealed in a buck out in the heat for a week mixed with big red.  Bury about 3-4 feet down and cover back over.  Pigs will dig to China trying to get at it.  Place as far away as from where you hunt as possible that still have access to water and cover.  I've also seen online guys capping a large piece of PVP pipe, tethering one end to a creosote-coated cross tie cemented into the ground upright (they love it as a scratching post - so cement important), fill full of corn, and drill a bunch of dime sized holes into.  They'll bat it around like a tether ball to get at the corn.  Also soak the corn in kool-aid or big red for a while and get it to sour some.  All their feeders had pens around them but these, so it was easy for the pigs.  And he never hunted over this spot.  

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Mind me asking who made it?  Wasn't Kleinguenther was it?

I don't mind at all, especially since I just called the shop and they sold it. Damnit! It was made by Flaig's; who was basically the Kleinguenther of western Pennsylvania.

 

Here’s a pic

6d0dbb998d98baef6e0335deaf9ab0ac.png

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1 hour ago, T’Boo Ted Marshall said:

Shooting hogs isn’t an issue.
We have 5 blinds, 4 of which have feeders in pens. They get taken down nearly each time we are out.

We have considered 1 acre plots but fencing costs along with the oversight of it make it a bit of a challenge.

Can you put the plot against an existing fence to cut down the cost? Fall food plots west of I-35 aren't really "attraction" plots you will get a lot of use hunting over, they are more "nutrition" plots that get the deer through the winter. 

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18 minutes ago, 686 said:

I don't mind at all, especially since I just called the shop and they sold it. Damnit! It was made by Flaig's; who was basically the Kleinguenther of western Pennsylvania.

 

Here’s a pic

6d0dbb998d98baef6e0335deaf9ab0ac.png

That's beautiful and a deal at that price.  Sorry you missed it

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Have a look at Wal Mart for a cheap deer gun. They are clearancing some Weatherbys in .243  .270  .308 and 30.06  They have synthetic stock models for $249 and some with nice wood stocks for $349.

They also have Mini 14s for $399, a synthetic stock 10-22 for $124 and a take down 10-22 for $169 but those are mostly gone already. There's also some shotguns for $140.

Check the first page, but then look back through the last few pages as well, new stuff still being found.

https://www.ar15.com/forums/General/-Official-WalMart-Clearance-thread-/5-2034658/?page=1

Typically you click on the link for whatever rifle,  go to brickseek, then put in your zip code to see what your local wal mart has in stock. it's not 100% accurate but it's pretty close. I went to a store that showed a Mini 14 in stock, they couldn't find it. Went to another store with a cheap 10-22. Guy in front of me bought it, but they had a Mini 14 even though it didn't show one on Brickseek.

FWIW the Weatherby action and barrel is made by Howa in Japan. Good reputation. The synthetic stock is American made I think, not sure about the wood.

 

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17 minutes ago, Robin Masters said:

 

FWIW the Weatherby action and barrel is made by Howa in Japan. Good reputation. The synthetic stock is American made I think, not sure about the wood.

 

Inside of most "hunting" ranges (<200yds), there is no appreciable difference in accuracy with most modern rifles.  It's a good time to buy a rifle.  And don't skimp on your glass.

I'd rather hunt with a Weatherby Vanguard and it's crappy stock, but topped with decent glass (Leupold/Vortex/Nikon) over a Mark V with a sub-par scope (Bushnell, Simmons, etc.) any day of the week.  

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9 minutes ago, BabaYaga said:

...And don't skimp on your glass.

I'd rather hunt with a Weatherby Vanguard and it's crappy stock, but topped with decent glass (Leupold/Vortex/Nikon) over a Mark V with a sub-par scope (Bushnell, Simmons, etc.) any day of the week.  

We are entering/in a "golden age" for quality optics and low cost rifles that shoot well. Its really amazing.  

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14 hours ago, 686 said:

We are entering/in a "golden age" for quality optics and low cost rifles that shoot well. Its really amazing.  

Layer on that most hunting shots are less than 200 yds (most under 100) and it's even more obvious (we're talking WT deer).  I've always been a Ruger fanboy, so a 6.5C Predator is in my future.  That's a $400 gun that out of the box I can start ringing steel @ 500yds, and easily take out to a 1,000.  My 22-250 M77 Mark II is a dream to shoot out to around 600 on small game.  I owe her better glass but got another 1911 instead....

I have a friend with a Bergara B14 HMR in 6.5C that I want to stretch out to extended ranges.  That's a thousand dollar production rifle that will go toe to toe with almost any long-range custom rig.  Then throw is all these new affordable chassis platforms that can be customized any number of ways....not a great time to be a custom builder.  

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21 hours ago, 686 said:

I don't mind at all, especially since I just called the shop and they sold it. Damnit! It was made by Flaig's; who was basically the Kleinguenther of western Pennsylvania.

 

Here’s a pic

6d0dbb998d98baef6e0335deaf9ab0ac.png

Damn.  That is nice.  I work to only keep guns with well figured wood, and missed one myself recently that still haunts me. Lesson I learned, for me anyhow, is just buy it (within reason). One I missed was a “deal” and I was just lazy (I’ll get to it tomorrow). 

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On 8/21/2018 at 4:07 PM, Robin Masters said:

Have a look at Wal Mart for a cheap deer gun. They are clearancing some Weatherbys in .243  .270  .308 and 30.06  They have synthetic stock models for $249 and some with nice wood stocks for $349.

They also have Mini 14s for $399, a synthetic stock 10-22 for $124 and a take down 10-22 for $169 but those are mostly gone already. There's also some shotguns for $140.

Check the first page, but then look back through the last few pages as well, new stuff still being found.

https://www.ar15.com/forums/General/-Official-WalMart-Clearance-thread-/5-2034658/?page=1

Typically you click on the link for whatever rifle,  go to brickseek, then put in your zip code to see what your local wal mart has in stock. it's not 100% accurate but it's pretty close. I went to a store that showed a Mini 14 in stock, they couldn't find it. Went to another store with a cheap 10-22. Guy in front of me bought it, but they had a Mini 14 even though it didn't show one on Brickseek.

FWIW the Weatherby action and barrel is made by Howa in Japan. Good reputation. The synthetic stock is American made I think, not sure about the wood.

 

Holy shit this actually worked and I’m walking out of WalMart with a cart full of 870s for $139

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Pulled some trail cam photos yesterday, the few showers that came though over the last week really helped. Loaded the feeders to get us down the road another couple months, watered the saplings.

446aa47657dbe08a3b0d5f1cbeadb7eb.jpg

1bfc9505f6f52f5035572226ad54e1e6.jpg

57791b524dc538e85ec12dd596539d3f.jpg


Also had some pigs on camera for the first time in 3 years, only came through one night though.

53aa9882d90555805e8d5e8ab606cad6.jpg

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One other item of note - there were over 4000 pictures on the camera that is set close to the timed protein feeder, and there was not a single raccoon photo, and very few nighttime deer photos. That was over a two week duration. When I was feeding free choice, the bucks would be very nocturnal, and I would have hundreds of raccoon photos.

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You’re gonna want to buy some hog panels and set up pins around your feeders. They work great and the deer just hop over. 
 
fdc489bc9929e1683ca08549fbbe4cf4.jpg



I need to fence the feeders off so I can move cattle to this side of the ranch as well. Going to have to cool off a little before I’m doing fence work though.

Those chocolate beams with the ivory tips are nice on that buck! Are you in an antler restricted county?
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