Risk of Burn-Out: How to Ruin a Farm in Two Weeks | Bowhunting Whitetails w/ Bill Winke
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- Опубліковано 15 жов 2024
- We have been struggling big-time in the late season. With only one sighting of a shooter in six or seven hunts, it's time to figure out what I did wrong and what needs to change before next season. This farm will be good one day, but it is going to take a solid plan, some hard work and then time. This is what I am going to do to make it better.
I couldn't agree more on utilizing corn to your advantage in the valley. Up to when you said that, I felt like the deer had the advantage of the higher elevation over your blind setup, not to mention, your entry/exit. Using Egyptian wheat up and down the road (or corn) would be a heck of an idea. I know the wheat is expensive but I feel like it would have it's advantages over corn in some areas. The only downfall with corn would be them being in it, bedding or feeding, and possibly busting them out of it. But, there is always that chance of them not even knowing what they're running from. Screening is definitely a must in this situation and many many others, imo. Always enjoy your time Bill. Thank you.
Thanks JVoss. I don't think they will be in this corn other than to feed, but I am not sure of that. I have been able to walk past deer in standing corn several times. They usually don't even run. I had one incident where there was chase going on in a standing cornfield and I walked just a few rows away from them. That was after dark though. Have a great day.
Still grinding it out i see!! Nothing going on down here in Louisiana…..might go back on a meat mission. Good luck
Good luck to you too Redline. We are almost done, just one more day of hunting here for us - today (Sunday) and then we close it out. Bummer.
Late season full moon!
Bucks sparring again
Temps moving up and down
Winds lays down
Back into the bush! Fat lady isn’t singing yet!
Good luck everyone! 🦌
I am afraid my fat lady is warming up her vocal chords!
I love your pix even though I'm a traditional blackpowder shooter.
Thanks Lee. I appreciate the support. Have a great day.
Dream Big brother 🙏
You too Edward.
This is gonna be so cool to watch this place develop!
Thanks. Yes, I am looking forward to it also. I appreciate the support.
FYI condensation is also from your unvented propane heater. 1 pound of propane gives off 1.6 pounds of water. Great video !!
Good point. I run a dehumidifier in my living quarters there on the farm to combat the moisture from the unvented LP heater. Have a great 2023.
Great show guys!
Thanks Eric. Much appreciated. Have a great day.
What's the brand of that brown sweater you're wearing in the blind? It looks warm and comfortable.
It is the Thor (I think) from Kuhl. I really like that. I have two of them. Good luck.
Love the show bill. I hate crunchy snow. Seems everything can here ya from a mile coming
For sure Darin. If it is still without wind, game over, they will hear you. Impossible to hunt anywhere near their bedding areas. Have a great day.
Great football game to watch yesterday!
There were two really good ones. I was pulling for the Big Ten so I went 0-2 on the afternoon/evening although Iowa won earlier in the day. Good luck and Happy New Year.
Hey Bill why aren't you guys using ozonics while in the blind?
Good question. I am not sure. I forgot all about it. I have one in the shed. I will have to remember that next time. Good eye. Have a great day.
Really enjoy your content. 75 years old now and still at it hunting whitetails. Used to be a barebow finger shooter, but the past few years shooting a release with D loop. Kind of a nuisance trying to hook into the D loop. I notice you are shooting a release, hooking right to the string. Do you do anything special to the serving, or do you notice excessive wear to the serving? I guess you just use a nocking point above the arrow, and the release tight against the bottom of the nock? Thanks, Ron
Ron, when setting up a bow to attach straight to the string, I put on two brass nock sets above the arrow nock position and then tie on a piece of loop cord into a knot to make a "bumper" that slides up under the arrow nock. Then I attach the release under that. I do wrap the bowstring serving with left over bowstring strand material to protect it. That material is very strong and slick enough not to abrade too quickly. I change that out every few months (depending on how much I shoot). Unfortunately, with bowstrings that aren't well made, the center serving will slip with this setup. When I see that gap starting to form between the bowstring center serving I then start over, cut the center serving off and reserve it with a heavier, tighter wrap that usually hold much better. I do use rubber cement when doing that to hold the center serving in place a bit better but I am not sure that actually does anything. It is kind of a pain compared to just tying on a loop, but you get two benefits. 1. You get a longer power stroke because you can increase your draw length by at least 1/2 inch. This means more energy and slightly better penetration and speed for the same draw weight. 2. You don't have to look down to hook up when a deer is coming. That is a big deal as your eyes get weaker with age (mine are too) and when hunting in a blind. That's how I did it for nearly 40 years. I only started using a loop around 2015 (or so). Good luck.
@@bill-winke Thanks for the quick reply! I like how you have Jordan take practice shots after getting in the stand. I always have a judo point in my quiver to take a shot from the stand. When that buck is in front of you, it's not the time to find out something is keeping you from making the proper draw.
I feel like my farm is the worst two weeks after season starts 😂. This is my second year. Your video made me feel better.
That is funny Tim. Keep at it and you will see success. All the best in 2023.
Maybe it is time for a plow on the front of the quad? I know you have had that one for a long time. I run one on mine but don't let it hit the ground. I just keep it up 5-6" and angle it to one side to roll the deep snow off. You are already running the machine in there, might as well make it easier on the machine and you. Then on the way out I make a second pass to widen it if possible. Then, when you get dumped on again, you've given some room to roll the new snow out of the way
That is really good advice. I actually have a blade for that ATV too - I just have never put it on. I never thought of that. I appreciate the comment. Have a great day.
Bill finna build an el Chapo vietcong tunnel system for access
Believe it or not, I know a guy out in South Dakota that did that. He buried a large diameter corrugated tube the length of his farm. It was flat and not rocky soil so it was not super hard but that was a lot of dirt. But he was a wealthy guy that built strip malls for a living so he had the equipment. Good luck and thanks for the comment.
Do you know what the name of the drone you are using? And how does it do with moderate wind?
Dakota, it is the DJI Mini 2. They make an upgrade to this one called the Mini 3 that has a better camera, but this one is OK, as seen in the footage here. It does OK in moderate wind. For the price, it is impressive and it is nice that we can carry it with us when hunting to get those real time aerial shots.
Bill you and I both know if you are down wind ( I don't care how close you are down wind deer don't smell you) open those windows all you want ( just move Stealth like)
Matt, downwind is the place to be. I am going to make T-Shirts that say, "I Would Rather Be Downwind". That will raise some eyebrows.
Your honest hunts make me feel so much better about my slow days. Hunting is hard , even on managed land in the best counties.
Bowhunting is much harder than some people make it look - especially late season. On really good farms it is realistic to shoot a mature buck or two during an entire season with a bow, but that is not the reality in most places. I don't ever want it to get too easy, but I do want a few more mature bucks so I at least have something to hunt. Good luck and thanks for the comment.
This will actually be a great journey to go on with you...watching you turn it around. God Bless and Happy New Year.
Good stuff bill.
I'm doing the same thing moving blinds to recent action.
I need like 2 cheap trailers for the mobile setups and want them low like yours.
This year late season so far a bust due to no cold weather here in Ohio.
Hoping for one good cold shot before end of season but not holding out.
The blinds on trailers are very nice for late season. It is super hard to bowhunt around these fields from a tree in the late season both because of temperature and the fact that there are so many eyes in the field that you have to beat. Super tough with a camera on top of that. Good luck and Happy New Year.
Propane creates a lot of water vapor when burnt. So that probably increases how fast you windows fog up too.
I am sure you are right about that. I need to find a small battery operated heater/fan that will blow on the windows to keep them open. Have a great day.
What base layers do you use on days like that?
I use stuff from Cabela's. Over the years they have made some really base layers at a great price. They are mid-to-heavy weight polypropylene. I also have wool 1/4 zip sweater (called the Thor) from Kuhl that I wear under my outerwear on the coldest days. Have a great day.
You mentioned "moving" your blinds to take advantage of the wind, but would it be easier, THOUGH MORE EXPENSIVE FOR SURE, to add another blind instead of moving?
We have been trying to strategically place different blinds around our plots because it seemed as though when we moved one we ended up wishing we left it where it was!
Probably easier, but I just don't like to look at blinds when I am hunting from tree stands. That is just me. I like to have the blinds on trailers and then roll them in shortly before I start hunting them. I think I just put that blind in the wrong part of the food plot to start with (I got too greedy) and ended up educating a few deer each time during the four or five times I hunted it and that added up to a real problem by the end. Next year I will start with it on the lower end and gradually work up into the corn plot (using an ATV to pull the blind) as the season goes by (assuming they eat all the corn on the lower end first). That way I can always be on the most downwind fringe and not have as many deer potentially downwind of me each evening. Good input.
Get some tracks on that ATV. Snow won’t be an issue.
I need to find some cheap ones. I am too tight to spend $4,500 on name-brand tracks for an ATV that's worth about $1,500! But I am sure that would work much better than what we are doing now. This ATV when loaded down with both of us has about five or six inches of ground clearance. It bottoms on every little drift we hit. I probably just need to get a bigger, badder, better ATV, but again, I am pretty tight when it comes to buying stuff like that. If I can get one to use from a sponsor - well that's another story! I need to get busy on that note. Thanks for the input and Happy New Year.
that pretty much sums up firearm season for me in ny. the last weekend of archery I seen every mature buck that I knew was on that farm , just never within range. the following weekend it was dead quiet like last weekend never happened. and that was from one weekend of archery.
That is a lot of pressure to cause that to happen. I appreciate the comment and hope you have a great new year.
@@bill-winke I just found out that someone else was hunting the pasture side of the farm they took two 3 yr old buck. and someone else was hunting on the lower portion. much more pressure than I thought would be there. bill what is your opinion of coyote population and just deer In general when it comes to hunting and deer behavior during season?
No closing time shooters been there several times!!!
Unfortunately, I had a lot of closing times with no shooters this year. Thanks for the comment and good luck.
I know on public you only get one hunt on a non pressured food source before the game changes and all deer go nocturnal or completely abandon the food source, so you really have to pick the best day and hope you are alone on that food source. Real hard to hunt public late season. I’ve had 1 good hunt and now after the holidays it’s getting warm until the end of the season. Oh well, shed season is not far away. Curious Bill if any of your neighbors have food plots that may be pulling your older deer and are your trail/cell cams showing any bigger bucks after dark? I’m tracking lots of big bucks on food but after dark and only a few days after the locals have let a field cool down for 3 or 4 days. Looking forward to the farm improvement episodes. Happy New year
Steven, sorry that the late season has been rough for you. Your challenge is a tough one! I have not run cameras since about October 15, so I am not sure what is hitting the two food sources I have there after dark. I probably should be running cameras, but I kind of enjoy the fact that I don't know. One neighbor does have a really good plot and he may be pulling a good number of deer, including bucks. That would be the only one though in a very big area. Thanks for the support and good luck if you get back out hunting. Happy New Year to you too.
Bill, what would you tell someone wanting to get into land consulting. I live in a county in Missouri where there are wealthy land owners who hunt. I would assume there would be a demand, with there being no company other than forestry, within 100 of miles. I have 20 years in land management skills and experience on top of the passion for hunting. I got soybeans to grow in 5.5 soil in Southern Missouri, I believe I have the green thumb as well. Just wondering how you would approach this possible business adventure.
I guess it is like any other business. You have to start by determining which services you want to provide and how much you will charge for them. Will it be only consulting, for example, or will you actually do some of the work too? If you plan to do some of the work (planting, spraying, mowing, etc.) then you need to break it down by task and then if someone comes along and says they just want you to manage their entire property, you can customize the package from there. The actual consulting work is the easiest, but the hardest to get because you need some kind of track record they can see in order to trust your advice. Basically, at that point all you are selling is advice. Once you have your services determined and priced, it is time to let people know about your service. Local advertising is the best. Consider posting a one page ad at each local gas station, etc, that has a bulletin board. Also, consider running an ad in the local newspaper and finally, stop by the properties that you think have the most promise and introduce yourself and give them a business card. It will take a little while to get started, but like any business, the longer you do it and do it well, the stronger will be the demand. Good luck and Happy New Year.
@@bill-winke thank you Bill! I appreciate it. I will keep you posted. As a previous business owner I just miss doing something I'm passionate about. I lost my business in the medical field over Covid. I work now as a head custodian at a middle school. You may be my inspiration in taking another adventure in life. Awful gun shy over the market and taking a risk with still having children. Covid may have done me in on business owning but you only live once... thanks again sir!
How many acres is your farm?
It is around 600 acres.
Bill what base layer system do you use now? Years ago you had a very good write-up with your gear recommendations from Cabelas, but of course now that Bass Pro's ruined them none of those things are available any longer. Obviously it's much, much colder where you are than where I am, and if you can stay warm then whatever you're wearing can definitely help me.
John, I am still mostly wearing Cabela's gear except when it gets really cold and then I improvise. I have not gotten anything new from Cabela's in about five years, but looking at their website I see what you mean. It is all Redhead stuff now. I am sure it is mostly good stuff, but the models I am used to aren't there now. Here's what I was wearing on those cold days just before Christmas: Top: tri-blend T-Shirt, turtleneck base layer, Thor 1/4 zip sweater from Kuhl, Code of Silence Zone 7 jacket. Bottom: midweight base layer (something I got from Cabela's a while back, but any of them would probably work), Fleece sweat pants, Code of Silence Coldfjall insulated bib. If it is windy, I would replace the fleece sweat pants with insulated nylon sweat pants (these are really nice but can be really cheap models that you buy at Wal-Mart. The nylon helps cut the wind. I love the Saskatchewan boots from Cabela's and it is super important to have a warm hat and a facemask that also covers your neck. That should do it. Good luck.
Don’t feel bad Bill. I have a farm I hunt exclusively in late season. Tons of food and zero pressure. After Dec 22, I haven’t seen much other than 2 does and 1 year old buck. I’ve not experienced this before. Maybe they stayed at the North Pole or something.
Removing the cattle and turning the plow will start a great new year. Loads of lime. Basically trading cattle for deer habitat. Can’t go wrong there.
Thanks Jay, that does make me feel a little bit better, but it has been tough this year. I will make the necessary changes and the future should be much better. Good luck and Happy New Year.
Deer down south don't move if wind IS blowing. It freaks them out to be where they CANT hear anything. What is abnormal makes them on edge understandably.
Interesting. As mentioned, it is just the opposite here. They seem to move much better with a 10 to 15 mph wind blowing. Good input.
What happened to the spot Jordon hunded by that open gate?
The farmer that had the grazing lease on the property before we bought it dumped his cows into that field and they hit that corner really hard when it was wet and they literally stomped everything into the mud. There was no food left in that part of the field - not even in the alfalfa strip next to the corn field. That will change next year when we set up a new agreement on the farm (no grazing) and that spot will be good then.
Welcome to hill country 😂( JK - I’m sure you have hunted the hills). Being raised in the Ozarks it seemed the late season was always very tougher, esp. since all we had was public land and no crops in the south. N Mo. had food but seemed the bucks were always bedded 1/2-3/4 or more miles away - I had a small plot of private north of the WMA where the corn was - it was 3/4 mile away from the private. They came straight out of the south to the north and when we killed them, usually around 7:30-8am, their gut was packed with corn - def. traveling. Anyway to get deeper?, I know it’s private land and they bed closer to the field but your not seeing anything….go deeper and if you blow it so what it’s about over anyway. They guys here in N Fl are not doing well either. Next week I hope to get to the Fl panhandle - rut activity is just going good right now - wish me luck!! Great show!!
Thanks and good luck as your rut starts to crank. I will hunt deeper during the rut, but during the late season with the crunchy snow those deer would be nearly impossible to kill near their bedding areas. Have a great day.
I didn't see any feet hit the ground first lol. Late season is so tough if you don't have a good food source and that frozen snow just eckos through the woods with every step. I have one season left with my longbow in the middle of January, just hoping for decent weather conditions. My target buck is still alive maybe he won't drop his antlers before then.
Thanks for the comment and good luck with that buck.
Hey Bill pin up some silica gel packs near your windows...the big ones you get in like furniture boxes...not the little beef jerky packs. They'll sucks the moisture out of the air near the windows and keep them from fogging
That is a good tip. I will give that a try. Thanks for the input. Happy New Year.
I’m finally of the opinion that hunting the best days instead of the most days, is best for results. Especially on a farm or small property.
Agreed Kurt. Deciding when not to hunt is a really hard discipline because we are programmed to want to be out there as often as possible. Maybe having options so you save your best areas for only the best times. Good luck.
Look forward to seeing how the property management goes. The thing that stands out watching you now vs back in the day is entry/exit...I remember you always stuck to the ditches or other clean access points at your old place. This farm looks to have exposed entry and exit. I have this same problem where in late season I only get a few hunts before the deer feel the pressure due to the way the food sets up. It's hard to get out of the ag fields/plots clean. I can't wait to see what changes you make as I'm sure you will get it figured out. The drone is an interesting idea. The way we do it now is walk in, but then schedule someone to come drive out with the truck at dark to clear the field. Not sure my way is working. Thanks for the content.
Your way is a good way as long as there is someone who can come out and do that. I don't have that on my new farm since it is now far from where we live. A big part of my focus this off-season will be to make the farm more huntable by increasing the number of ways I can get in and out without alerting any deer. That drone is not a great solution since the "scare" still comes from the blind. If I could just leave it running somewhere out in the field and then fire it up at the end, that would be much better, but the battery life is not long enough in those cold temps. Good luck and Happy New Year.
Glad the drone worked for you too bill!! 👍
It did work, but it does draw an awful lot of attention to the blind. There still has to be a better way.
@@bill-winke
Yes I totally agree!! They need to make the drones to where they can operate from long distances when getting them started up. Lol
Then you could start them from your truck and drive it to your location. I think they make those type that operate off an iPad but they are super expensive 🤦🏼♂️
Happy New Year to you and the family Bill
Thanks Ranger. I appreciate it. Happy New Year to you and your family too.
As much as I love Bill he left a gold mine.. Always thought he was the 🐐. Hopefully the farm pays off in a few years. I’ll stay tuned in for now.
You are only as good as the farms you hunt. In 2020 and 2021 I was hunting a lease nearby and shot a couple of really good bucks, but that is because they were there. You can't shoot them if they are not there. I will probably fringe out more next season to other properties to try to find bigger deer to hunt, but I wanted to spend as time as possible on this farm since we just bought it and I was very interested to see what showed up and what needs to be done to make it better.
@@bill-winke 👍🏻
Are you thinking about doing a secret tree harvest in the ridges to create some more bedding?? Sure enjoying following along the process
Aaron, yes that is the plan. I will start this winter with some and then try to get through most of the key areas in the next few years. I need to find a crew in my area, because that is a lot or work and dangerous for people who aren't expert in dropping trees.
@@bill-winke for sure!!! I’d say in a couple years that place will be full of deer!! Liking the videos, glad to see you’re enjoying the process
Bill, I saw in a previous post that you thought the hunting pressure around you was low.. Why do you think the age structure is heavily skewed toward young bucks on this farm? Do the deer have better food sources in your immediate area? As you know, normally when no mature bucks are arround it means the bucks are being heavily hunted right around you. I like watching your real life hunts where you are not always successful.. It's more realistic than most other videos out there. Good luck on your remaining hunts this season!
David, I think the pressure was high on this property in the past. I think the farm that I bought was part of a bigger area that got run pretty hard during the gun seasons. Since that has stopped, I think it will rebound over time. One guy stopped by and told me that some years they had 25 guys in their party and they shot 20 to 25 bucks right in that area. That is a lot of bucks to pull from an area of that size! There is not much other food around so I think over time improving the food sources will also improve the holding/attraction of the farm. Thanks for the support and the comment.
Bill, really enjoy your videos as I'm new to archery hunting, only three years in. Used a lot of the info with my son and we tagged out for the first time outside Marion Iowa. Looking forward to more videos this spring, as we pursue a lease or buy some land. Good luck the rest of late season.
That is awesome Brett. Congrats and good luck with your next steps. I appreciate the support and wish you all the best.
I don’t like those dead calm days, maybe it has something to do with not being able to use the wind as most times the wind is variable in direction. I guess if we knew all the answers it wouldn’t be as much fun.
I agree. What would normally be the best week where I hunt completely sucked. We had a week plus of cloudless days and nights and not a hint of air movement. Was the worst rut I’ve ever experienced in my 32 years of bow hunting.
Over the years I have only seen a few decent hunts on super still days. I think they have sensory overload. I don't think it is the lack of wind direction for scenting, maybe, but I see tons of deer (including older bucks) traveling with the wind directly at their backs. Good input.
Love watching your channel! this makes me feel so much better about my 22 season. 2 years hunting this farm an it's really hard access/ food spots and very little timber but you learn more every year.
Yes, I think it takes about four years to really figure out how to hunt a farm and that is when you spend a lot of time trying different stuff. Some entry/exit routes and stand sites are obvious, but not all of them. Good luck and Happy New Year.
Great episode guys, I'd be tickled to get a "setup" episode on what you plan to do with your farm in the off-season. Always good advice to learn from, it's nit the end of the world if the deer aren't there yet
Alex, I am kicking around the idea of starting a dedicated land management series devoted mostly to the work on this farm, but would also include some general information such as what I do when I go on consulting visits.
@@bill-winke that would be very interesting! Or just a blog on your website if that's a lighter lift and doesn't tie you to a camera. Look forward to future content from the Winke team
In for watching!
@@bill-winkethat would be awesome!
Bill You need One of those Big Money Side x Sides with a Cab and Heat😀
Agreed. It is the big money part that is worrying me! Have a great day and Happy New Year.
Bill any thoughts on the deer possibly smelling the gas heater?
They could be smelling that, but we aren't doing much to keep our clothing scent free, so I am guessing they are smelling us just as quickly. I am not sure how they react to the smell of burned LP gas. They really aren't spooked by smoke from a wood fire, for example (at least in my experience) so maybe that LP exhaust is no big deal. But like I said, we aren't very diligent when it comes to our scent. It one thing when you have a single person and limited gear, but with two guys and all the stuff needed to film these hunts, it is really hard to eliminate enough odors to make a real difference. It is pretty much not worth the effort. By myself, I have gotten away with murder, but almost never with two of us and all the gear. Good luck and Happy New Year.
Always informative and interesting . I am going out tomorrow to do some post season scouting and based on that set out trail cameras ; checking them once a month until April .
That will be fun. I love post season scouting. Fun to see what was going on in the spots you didn't want to enter during the season. Good luck.
Have you ever tried moisture absorber bags to keep condensation down inside the blind, I was curious if they could keep up
I doubt they could. Best strategy is to keep the windows you want to use warm enough with a small heater that the vapor doesn't condense there. I need to start looking for small battery powered heaters.
@Bill Winke what about a battery power tent fan? Some hang from ceiling or at least have a fan somewhere to push the warm air around
Hysterectomy!!!! Hahaha. Spoken just like a dude from our generation. Way to insult him in a colorful way.. It was nice to hear someone like you with all your success to admit you could have done something better. It helps keep the layman hunter like myself honest about my own mistakes and shows that you just learn from it and do better. Great episode.
Roy, getting really good at hunting any farm takes a few years. I think you can pick the right area by scouting, but to pick the right tree, you need to actually hunt it for a few years. Good luck and thanks for the support.
@Bill Winke agree !!! I just want to come turkey hunting!!! Lol!! Enjoy your videos and been a lifetime fan.
I feel u Bill. 1 month ago I went 2.5 miles back on some public land. On my way back in I noticed only a mile from the parking lot was a general area that held all the deer. That's how many tracks my Light-N-Motion light mounted on my handle bars picked up on the way in. So I waited until the end of the month with nobody hunting there for a week during that bad storm that crippled the upper Midwest. My hunt on the 29th I couldn't due to a steady west wind get into the tree I wanted to get into due to the deer getting downwind of me. I was in thick cover only 30 yards from a Snowmobile trail. Of course the deer went through just out of bow range but b4 legal sundown. On the 30th the temp was 22*. Day b4 it was 37* & it made the snow greasy but quiet. After the freezing temps I'm the teens I couldn't risk going to that area. So i waited in a spot 1/4 mile from the lot. When the last person walked in I followed. Turned out to be a young woman teacher who's schedule got screwed up by the weather the week b4. She did see the group I watched but she was downwind of them & the deer were pinned down by crunchy snow & no wind. The 31st was our last day of the season with 36* with greasy snow & a steady SE wind. I was in good position but I think the deer were still in that food source feeding on browse & bedding there. Many times they only move once or twice a week to conserve energy since there food source isn't ag, just thickets & swamp. There were many deer killed early on the 27th by commuter traffic after a one week storm here. Thanks for your comments & hope people take your advice. Take care. Hope Ethan is OK. I'll never forget the look on my mother's face when the wife of her brother told her the story about the morning she walked out to the mailbox & her uterus fell out!
Ha haha 😄.
Thanks Joseph. I think Ethan will pull through OK. No hospitalization needed on this one! Sorry you didn't have success, but keep at it. All the best.
Electric crow, lol that was good 👍
Thanks Cathy. Much appreciated. Have a great day.
Awsome
Thanks for the support Jarrod. Happy New Year.
Happy new year y’all. It’s nice to see real hunting situations and struggles. I don’t even watch the big glam shows anymore. Just to much unrealistic stuff for the normal hunter. Great series Bill. 👊🏻🦌
Thanks Donald. So my goal is to make this farm so good that you don't want to watch any more! Just kidding. I appreciate the support. Have a great day.
@@bill-winke if there’s anyone who can do it, we know it’s you. We will all be right there with you man.
Drone use is genius
It would be best if I could just leave it on out in the field so I wouldn't have to fly it out of the blind, but when it is cold like that the battery life is very short when it is running. I think it will run for up to three hours on a charge if you don't fire the motors, but not sure when it gets that cold.
Does that drone do the trick? I don’t think that’s legal in Michigan, but I’ve not looked into it much.
It would be much better if I could leave it running (but the motor not throttled up) out in the plot so I don't bring attention to the blind. I would do that but in the cold conditions the battery life with the drone just sitting there might not be long enough to get to the end of the hunt. I suppose I could fly it out there a couple hours early and land it and just leave it there ready to take back off.
I have noticed that you have your window curtains turned "camo pattern" OUT.
I have been hanging my curtains with the BLACK SIDE OUT.
Do you have a preference for any particular reason?
Black side out seems to make my deer less skittish to my blind as they get used to that "opening".
Just curious.
Happy new year to you and the family!!!
That camo pattern you are seeing is actually netting. Those curtains have two layers. You can hook up just the netting or both the netting and the black fabric. I like being able to use just the netting when I have a side window open a crack to see out, but where I don't want the deer to see into as easily.
@@bill-winke So do you prefer to leave BLACK showing when NOT in your stand?
Or do you think it does not matter either way?
@@lonniechartrand I leave the blinds off the windows I will open even when I am not there and leave the black side up (over the camo netting layer) on the sides I will peaking out of when I hunt it. Seems to be OK, but deer are kind of funny about windows being covered one day and then uncovered later. I do think you need to be consistent with the ones you leave covered even when you aren't there.
I can relate to this video a lot as far as not seeing a single deer in an entire hunt. Can lead to long boring days for sure. Have you thought about a plot screen down the middle of the valley on years you don’t use corn? You mentioned corn would be easier to walk along on years you have corn down there. So why not just plant a wide patch of plot screen and cut a lane down the middle?
That is a good idea Kyle. Another thought is to move some of the cedar trees from the slopes that I want to get rid of anyway and place them into the bottom in a sort of double row. Or maybe I just plant corn there every year. That might be an option too. Good conversation. Creative solutions to the in and out game are one of the keys to success on any deer hunt. Happy New Year.
@@bill-winke I unfortunately don’t have have private ground to set up but on the public ground I use tall grasses to get through the terrain with out being seen and from watching Midwest whitetail and other hunting shows I picked up the plot screen technique and plan to use it on future private ground I get. I am not sure the best grass to use as a plot screen tho. I know there are tons of variety you could use.
@@kylezimmerman2517 They mostly use Egyptian wheat and forage sorghum and a few other plants in those blends. They are all annuals so you have to replant it each year. If you were looking for a perennial, something like Miscanthus X would be an option. A friend of mine planted a great screen with that stuff on his farm.
@@bill-winke I have read into the miscanthus grass! It gets pretty thick from what I have read and seen. What would be better annual or perennial? Or is it a preference type thing
Looking forward to your next farm projects Bill! Keep us posted!
Thanks Dan. Those will be coming soon. Have a great day.
Thank you for all the great info, if your putting pressure on your farm, imagine public land...
Yes, exactly. Late season on public land would be so hard, I can't even imagine how frustrating that would be. Good luck and Happy New Year.
Way to grind it out guys. I know you have taken a lot of nice bucks over the years in the late season, Bill. I started taking a different approach a few years ago by giving the hunting a break at the end of November. We’ve already been hunting them 30+ days by then anyway.
To have sustained success on my modest 160 acres, I just can’t afford to pressure them.
Really enjoying the series!
I have not taken many good bucks in the late season because I only bowhunt. They get really tough because they don't move much on the ridges during the day so morning hunting is kind of out. That only leaves evenings and they tend to feed in bigger areas because the smaller spots are all fed out by then. Not tough with a gun, but late season can be really tough with a bow. Good luck.
Love your videos despite late season being difficult, I think I'd build a barn to sleep in over a pinch point & hunt from the back window with all that crunchy snow.
Not a bad idea. To eliminate the coming and going would greatly simplify most late season spots. That is by far the hardest part (especially the going at the end of legal time when there are usually deer around). Good luck and Happy New Year.
What drone is that, seems really compact and easy to use.
That is the DJI Mini 2. It takes decent video (we filmed the ascent up the trail with that), but it is not nearly as good as some of the more expensive ones that have bigger and better cameras.
Love the drone idea, have to see if legal in Wisconsin. Great video and information as always Bill.
Thanks Mitchell. I was surprised it was legal here. Game warden told me that using an electronic coyote call set along the plot is illegal but nothing in the regs about a drone.
@Bill Winke can you explain what drone you are using? Price, size, battery life and ease of use. Thank you
@@mattbradfield6907 Matt, that is the DJI Mini 2. It is older model. If you are looking for a cheap drone, this one gets it done for not too much money, but if you want better footage and have a bit more to spend, the Mini 3 is good. I also have the Mini 3 Pro, but that is not quite as portable and even more expensive, but the footage is stunning for the price.
Bill, happy new year! What model is your electric buggy?
We have been testing TuoreV this past season. They work really well in specific situations, but didn't do well when it got really cold. We had to push them home one night. But when it is warm and you are making runs from the camp/home to your stands, they work really well. But, they are not a total replacement for a four wheeler.
Great stuff. Hope you guys had a safe new years. Yes sir. It’s tough hunting late season. I know you seen a lot of slow days in the deer woods. Glad to see the real stuff that happens on hunts. That’s what will be remembered most. That time you fell off the 4 wheeler?? Great stuff. That’s what hunting is about. It’s not all about the kill.
Seems like a nice young man. I truly believe you are a great mentor for him. Luke 9:62
Thanks Gouch. I hope you are doing well too. Ethan will go far whether working for me or otherwise. He is cut from good cloth! All the best.
Bill, I've been a follower for years. I cant even say why, but I've always liked your content, and watching the way your brain works. I have to say (and I say this realizing you've said there aren't a ton of mature bucks on the farm) I miss the sharing of info on which deer you are after, along with trail cam photos, inventory and such. For the last few weeks it's felt like your just going hunting to hunt with no real hope of killing a mature deer. Knowing what you are chasing adds so much to the story line from a viewer's perspective, even if he isn't a 200" giant.
Dylan, I am hunting a specific buck every year, I just dialed down the naming of the bucks this season. If you go back you will see right from the start I was hunting the blind eyed buck and once I had him, I switched to helping my daughter kill her first with a bow so that took me out of the game a bit for the entire month of November. I will definitely continue to hunt specific bucks and will show that in the future. It was just a transition year with Jordan getting into the sport. Thanks for the support. Have a Happy New Year.
What bout tractor go to the ridge ?
Yes, that would work. Right now the only tractor I have is a putt-putt open station model that I would have to put chains on to trust it not to slide off into that big gorge. Plus, it is a pretty good drive by gravel road to the lane that leads up there. We would be really tired of that drive by the time I got back to the shed unless I could just leave the tractor parked there somewhere. Those buildings where I park the truck aren't mine. It would be a good solution if the situation was a bit different.
Not trying be armchair quarterback lol , I once hunted a farm best method of access that seemed to not spook deer was a tractor , love your vids keep them coming , and it blows me away how u answer questions so fast , and how engaged w your viewers ry are
@@donwaldroopoutdoors3665 The tractor is for sure the best, I just need to get it over there and leave it there. That is a very good idea, though.
I believe time and putting in some more food will help.
Agreed. I will just have to be patient, maybe hunt some public land and some permission options while this farm is improving. Thanks for the comment.
Bill Thank you for sharing your season with us!!! I really enjoyed the Season and look forward to more!!! Happy New Year!!!
Thanks Gene. I appreciate the support this past season. I hope you have a great New Year.
Put some chains on the back tires of you atv and it will go up that hill. Heated grips are nice too. Happy new years
Thanks Tom. I will have to get some. That four wheeler with both of us on it high centers very easily. It has only about six inches of ground clearance when we are both on there! Throw a deer or two on top and we would likely be down to about four inches! I could use a better four wheeler, but that would be a lot more expensive than chains! Happy New Year to you too.
I'd love some info on that drone too!
DJI Mini 2. It is a good drone for the price, but if video quality is priority, I think the Mini 3 is the better choice. Good luck.
@@bill-winke Thanks Bill, I take a lot of stock in your knowledge and info.
It sure looks like access to the stand it a key factor, and having the blind out in the open like that sure does not seem appropriate to me. Not an expert on bow hunting and realize you gotta be close so perhaps a different stand setup closer to cover would certainly be appropriate. Also wondering how close you are driving the ATV to the food plot and blind. Close enough to sound like a deer alert alarm? Hope you get or got lucky!
It can be tough to get them within bow range if you stick to the fringes unless there is a big trail coming past. I think we may have bit off more than we could chew with this one, as I mentioned in the video. Next year that blind will be at the lower end of the field. The deer are used to the four wheeler in that area since it is close to the buildings. I think we drove with about 1/4 mile of the blind. Good luck and thanks for the support.
It definitely seems that you burnt out your favorite two stands by over hunting them. The deer will remember.
Stanley, I have done this a long enough. They won't remember, trust me.
I miss that southern Iowa farm
I miss having several mature bucks to hunt each year, but I do really like the beauty of this farm. Maybe I can get it into shape. Overall, I don't think there is a ton of hunting pressure around me, so there is hope.
Love the videos Bill! I'm sure with time you'll turn this farm into a deer paradise!!!! Your one of the best hunters and land management guys i watch. Keep up the good work. God bless
Thanks Travis. It will be a labor of love. I think I enjoy the land stuff as much as I enjoy the hunting. I really like planting stuff and making changes to the habitat that I know will benefit the deer and other wildlife. It is just a lot of fun to be part of that. Good luck and God Bless you too.
Great Video as usual. Frustrating for sure that you arent seeing what you want to see out there! I wanted to share that not only with your breath causing condensation on the windows, but the propane burning releases moisture as well through the heater. We notice this as well during Ice Fishing inside of our Popup Tents. Nuway makes a Vented propane stove that is a dry heat, and the moisture goes out of the stove pipes. Hunters in Michigan use these quite often. I'm not sure how the vented part would effect hunting if the deer were downwind, but the heater could help reduce condensation inside the blind. Just a thought!
That is good input. Yes, I had an unvented LP heater in my office in southern Iowa for 18 years. I fought all kinds of moisture issues there. Not sure why I didn't just run a dehumidifier in the winter. Dumb. Anyway, I will look into the piping but I hate to make any holes in the blinds. I also think that the scent would go up with the heated air once outside the blind, at least for a ways before the air molecules cool and fly more level. I have seen this work in the past, but any swirling kills that. If you had a stove pipe that ran up into a tree and then opened from there (20+ feet off the ground) you could probably suck all your scent out that way. A lot to try to figure out. Good luck and good comment.
@@bill-winkeI’ve wondered about running a 4” vent line (corrugated pipe) out the floor and back 60 -70 yards. Put a CPU fan on it and give the blind a negative air pressure. Thoughts? Burlap bag full of leaves at the end as a scent trap. Obviously not something you do for every blind but in a swirling bottom that otherwise isn’t huntable might work.
@@trumanwitt5526 That would be very smart. I even thought of just using a garden hose and doing that, but it might not flow enough air - a lot easier to move if you move the blind though. The vent line would be a better option. I think it definitely has great merit. I may give that a go. I assume I can figure out how to run those fans off a battery pack?
@@bill-winke definitely, buy a USB adapter for your cordless drill battery.
@@bill-winke a good pipe option would be RV sewer pipe sections. Cheap, light, easy to adjust length by adding or removing sections. Already has quick attach ends.
No wind is usually no deer is my experience. I went last Monday 20 degrees 10-15 mph north wind and snowing, the deer came out about 10 minutes before to dark to see the next day I set up 130 yards from where they came out but the deer didn’t read the script they came out 300 yards down wind of me feed to 80 yards of me before moving to another field 600 yards away, so there going to do what they want even if they smell you and yes the shooter buck stayed 170 yards away 🤷🏼♂️
I have had consistently bad experiences with the still days. I can only remember a few still days when the deer were moving before dark. Good luck on that buck!
Completely agree, no wind usually produce no deer for me as well, 35 years hunting and I have always said the same. Love a good 8 to 15mph wind day
On our farm, the deer completely destroyed all of our crops. We’re trying to eradicate the deer. Be careful what you wish for!
Yes for sure. Always need to have balance.
Bill I believe you just created the next product in the whitetail woods. The "Whitetail drone"🤣! Seriously I believe drones if curated to fit the situation would be a very good tool. A silent one you could scout from your tree without deer having any clue. Imagine being able to send up a silent drone ,move around 360° and know if deer or a certain buck is in the area,possibly heading your way? You could prepare and have crucial time to get everything ready or you could possibly move and cut them off. Sounds farfetched bit ya never know! 😉
There's entire channels already dedicated to drone deer recovery.
If this is what hunting turns into that's really sad.
I’m sorry but using drones is already illegal in certain states especially during hunting seasons. If you have to use a drone to hunt then you shouldn’t be hunting, then there is no excitement in hunting anymore. Using one to locate a deead deer is different but some states are still illegal. Now using one like Bill did to scare the deer off to exit the blind is ok.
Drones probably should be illegal in more states. It is really no different from the fly rules that now exist. For example, in some states you can't fly and hunt the same day. In others you can't hunt within six hours of flying, etc. I don't intend to ever use my drones for that or I would have already. I have had drones for the business since 2011, I think. Those early ones were really bad, but we occasionally got some good footage from them.
Yeah,I guess I never really put that much thought in it. I was thinking about it more just being an interesting tool/creatively as well. Now that you put it that way,it puts me in mind of cellphones,walkie-talkie, etc.. . In Ohio it's illegal to use walkie-talkie. What about real time cell cameras? I mean isn't that similar. You know the deer is in the area,direction most likely of travel,time. I guess just like anything it could be illegally used to like scare deer in a certain direction. I honestly don't even use old school trail. Good point,love the videos and good luck late season!
It doesn't matter how good you are if the deer aren't there they just aren't there
I would bet on an average hunter on a great property faster than a great hunter on an average property. It always comes down to the number of targets. Good input.
Lol...enjoy that struggle...nothing like learning new ground....and once ya learned it ya just wanta unlearn it and do it over again anyway !
Agreed Terry. As bad as this sounds, I started to get a bit bored with the old farm in southern Iowa. It was really good but hunting it became a matter of following the formula that I had fine tuned over the 18 years I owned it. As much as it is fun to shoot big deer, it is more satisfying when you have to figure them out first. That will come with time, I am sure, but for now it is a matter of learning the farm and finding those spots that set up well for me and not for the deer. Spots I can get to and from without being noticed, etc.
Snow camo sucks. It should be dark with white, not white with dark. I’ve said it for years. It can always be better.
I think it should be mostly white with some mid-tone gray shading. I used to wear it a lot when I was younger going to and from stands. It is amazing how deer will walk right past you when you are wearing that stuff as long as you don't move. Happy New Year.
Looks like a hard piece to hunt
Right now it is, but I think I will get it dialed in over the next couple of years. Thanks for the comment and good luck.
Would love to see a strategy on access for this property, the piece we hunt is setup similarly and access makes or breaks us.
@@greiner7414 Sleeping in the field (or ridge) is the only thing that really works - and then enter and exit at midday. Everything else (in most cases) is a compromise.
Corn is King
Amen.
9 bucks wow must be nice if that’s a bad day
Nine 1 1/2 year old bucks is a lot of bucks for sure, but they are a long way from being old enough to shoot. That is the only downside. Would have been nice to have seen a couple of bucks that were a bit older there too, so the short-term future would look better. If I want to wait to shoot bucks that are only 5 years old and older, those 9 bucks are all four years out! That is a long time to wait!
I’m not knocking you we love to watch but the gap between Midwest hunting and the average hunter is insane . To wait for four years is a negative try waiting 30 or so for
Some just saying seem slightly disconnected
@@c.connor7319 It is definitely better here. But the challenges are actually the same, just relative to opportunity. For example, for me to produce a 5 year old buck here is likely the challenge you face in trying to produce a 3 year old buck. That's why I never talk score - that too is relative.
Sorry dude, heaters, drones,atvs, deer blinds with frozen windows have nothing to do the kind of deer hunting I like. You live on a different planet.....good luck.
Sorry that I don't measure up to your standards.
Michigan game was great. But Michigan lost it in first qtr. Dug a hole.
I really thought they were going to win. Just too many costly mistakes to overcome.
@@bill-winke As a Michigan boy I thought they didn't take them seriously going into it.
Harbaugh needs to move on. He will get ya there, but cannot get over the summit. Ryan in Michigan
@@ryanfarmer5155 true. Hopefully lions go to playoffs. Detroit sports suck after growing up in 90s with hockey, bad boyz pistons, rose bowl and tom brady as Michigans qb and berry sanders it seems boring now.
What a depressing video. You seem very knowledgeable about deer hunting and I respect that, but the negativity in the video ran from start to finish. I watched it all hoping that there would be a positive note like "Hey that's why they call it hunting and we loved seeing all the deer and turkeys", but you kept the negative vibe going throughout despite seeing a ton of deer and wildlife. Which is a successful hunt in my opinion. I can't count how many times I've hunted and not seen a critter. Yeah it's a little depressing, but I enjoy every aspect of it. Not just the possibility of shooting something. Sorry to rain on the parade, but I think videos like this give other hunters a bad impression of what hunting is really supposed to be.
It is always easy to criticize people without any context. That is the current world we live in. Categorize and judge. The people who have been watching all season know my true vibe. It is tough when you buy a farm and go into the season enthusiastically then find out that it is not overly productive. On top of that you realize you have been hunting it wrong. That is the message they can identify with. After 40 some days in the field hunting for a mature buck, I have seen enough turkeys! Now, how do I succeed in my mission of seeing/growing bucks to maturity? That is what this is about.
@@bill-winke This video was my first impression of your content and you have to admit, it was pretty depressing. How did you expect a first time viewer to interpret the video with the title and multiple negative tags throughout? I spend 100+ days every year deer hunting on the same 3 properties of less than 50 acres so trust me, I understand the struggle. But I don't call any of the property I hunt the "worst" property if it doesn't produce. I call it the most challenging. Btw, categorizing and judging are two of the ways people approach life now, but you forgot one. Being overly delicate.
@@bill-winke Apologies for missing your last question in my response. Some years you just don't see any. Patterns change. I've seen 5 or more shooter bucks on a 50 acre property in one season. Other seasons I see 2. Some seasons I see none. The only factor that changed was undeterminable.
@@jdheatmag For the most part, we film this as a series and try to tell a season long story to keep things flowing all the way through, so rarely (if ever) is any episode filmed specifically for a first time viewer. Maybe that is a weakness, but it makes the most sense to me. People then can learn WITH us rather than trying to get them to learn FROM us.
@@bill-winke I understand and yes that makes sense. I'm sure if I'd seen your other videos, this one wouldn't have hit me as so negative. Thanks for the clarification.
I'm no UA-cam expert by any means, but I have a recommendation if you'll hear it. I subscribe to a lot of hunting channels and probably the most important characteristic about my favorite channels is their appreciation of the outdoors and nature. I can't tell you how many hunting videos I've watched where the most exciting part was watching a squirrel bark at the hunter for 10 minutes or a seed bird hopping around on a limb. These are the encounters that keep me out in the woods whether my hunt results in using a tag or not. Do those videos get the most views? Probably not. But you don't strike me as the type to worry about that. You seem like someone that genuinely enjoys nature, but you get frustrated just as we all do. This video showed that frustration. Your property is a hunter's paradise that most hunters dream of having. All I ask is that you let viewers see that successful hunts don't always end with blood on the ground. If you've shown that in previous videos, disregard my request. Good luck on your future hunts and with your channel. And btw, if you need those turkeys thinned out, I'd be happy to oblige. ;) Take care!
Think there's a better food source in the neighborhood.
There is. My neighbor has a good standing corn and bean field.