
Originally Posted by
NY Bearhunter
There is a non-typical gene in the herd, I have a special group of does that for years have produced some of the strangest bucks. I always lose the drop tine (s) on bucks to problems during the velvet stage of growth for some reason. These group of does even have produced two albino fawns. No trauma, problems at all, the bigger deer don't really even fight much with each other, its the little guys who are the real problem, they fight the bigger deer in groups and I lose a few each year to this problem.
Your right, the velvet deer are two years and a few months old, the main frame eight point in the weeds is three and a half, and is a sly one for sure.
Food, NO food plots here, plenty of cover and safe heavens for them, the weeds you see in the pictures are in all of the open areas, big timber all around, plenty of water, great genes and great breeding does. There are alot of apple trees but I think the bear get more than the deer.
I feed the deer year round except for the month of hunting season when I want them crazy and hungry.I learned alot from my friends in south Texas (where nothing grows) about feeding deer, I use year round feeders with a food,vitamin,mineral pellet mix, with a wheat supplement.
With your land it depends alot on the fact of what is around you, meaning people and hunters and other food sources. If, you want to try something really simple and really good, use a Brasica and plant sugar beets, with some standing corn, stagger the cuts in the corn.