Thumbs of Green & Velvet Dreams

As always, August has flown by and archery season is just around the corner. This year, my friends and I have been busy making preparations and gearing up for the opener. A new task we took on this year was planting a couple small food plots to experiment with seed mixes before we plant larger areas next year. I’m not blessed with a green thumb, so I was happy when my neighbor, Jody Ion, who has some experience with establishing plots, offered to help us get started.

Jody’s tractor and discs did a great job at preparing the soil for planting; Jody showing off a little PSP pride!

Jody has a nice tractor with all the implements, so we were able to get our small plots planted pretty quickly. The first step was to plow the area and then work it over with a set of discs. That left us with a nicely-tilled plot that was ready for lime and fertilizer. Application rates depend on soil types in each local area, so getting a soil test before you start is a good idea. In our plots, we used pelletized lime at about 500lbs/acre and 10-10-10 fertilizer at 300lbs/acre.

Kirk Byerley and I filling the cyclone spreader with lime; Jody tops off the spreader.

The seed mix we chose for our site included two types of brassicas (turnip and rape). These species are very hardy and contain high levels of protein. Growth rates were advertised at 24 inches in 45 days under ideal conditions. Recommended seeding rates were approximately 5lbs/acre.

Kirk and his 4-wheeler made short work of spreading the fertilizer; That’s me spreading seed on the freshly-tilled plot.

After about two weeks, our plots had germinated well, sprouting to a height of 3-4 inches. Although the plots aren’t very large, they’re positioned between a bedding area and larger agricultural fields. We’re hoping they’ll provide a nice staging area for the deer before they head to the big fields later in the evening.

A view of new growth after about two weeks; The seeds germinated quickly in the fertile soil.

Making time to shoot my bow has also been a priority, and the practice sessions are starting to pay off. Although I haven’t done it yet, this is the time of year when I switch from the light-weight arrows I shoot all summer, to the heavier arrows I hunt with. Everyone has their preferences, but I like heavier arrows for hunting because they’re quieter and provide increased penetration. Speaking of heavy, I should also mention here that I’m very impressed with the sturdiness and durability of the Big Shot targets we’ve been testing. They’re very well made and I can tell that it’s going to take a really long time to wear one out. That won’t keep me from trying though!

Spending some quality time on the backyard range; A nice looking group after a few sight adjustments

Scouting trips around the local area have revealed that there are quite a few nice bucks that survived last year’s season. Most of the late-summer bucks are travelling in bachelor groups, and it’s been pretty common to see three and four together at once. My friends and I have noticed that there seem to be a lot of two-year-old bucks that typically have 8-point racks about as wide as their ears.

These two bucks were feeding early in a clover field; This nice half-rack fell victim to a busy highway.

We have also been lucky enough to see some really nice bucks on our scouting and spotlighting trips. I would say that these deer are about 3-4 years old on average, and they’re much more wary than their younger counterparts. It’s nice to catch a glimpse of the big boys now, before they seek out their hiding places during the hunting season. Here are a few photos of the bucks we’re trying to keep tabs on for the opener.

A typical August bachelor group

This young 10-point has tiny kicker points growing off of his G2s.

This buck walks with a limp and most likely grew his droptine as a result of his injury.

A young 10-point and a heavy-racked 8-point

This big 10-point is one of the nicer bucks we’ve seen so far this year.

As you can see, prospects for this year’s season are looking good. The colder nights are making it seem like fall is fast approaching. As far as I’m concerned, it can’t get here soon enough! I’ve heard some forecasts predicting an exceptionally cold winter. Personally, I wouldn’t mind a colder than average bow season too. There’s just something magical about those crisp, frosty mornings and the impact they have on heavy-racked bucks and hunters alike. Good luck to everyone with making your final preparations, I can tell already it’s going to be a dandy season!