The Quail Shed Messenger

Each year, we have been making changes at The Quail Shed, in an effort to improve our services. This past season, we discovered that many of our hunters were getting “burned out”, because they were just not used to hunting as hard and as long as we were asking them to. Many of them were spending more time in camp each day as their hunt got closer to the end, and even heading home on the last day of their hunt. When I asked them about this, they explained that it had nothing to do with the quality of the hunt, and everything to do with fatigue! Another factor was that they had only so many days of vacation, and would like to get home a little ahead of the time when they would have to return to work. The bottom line was that six days of hard hunting, in a row, was too much for almost everyone of our clients.  Another thing I noticed was that, in almost every case, the successful hunters were killing their bucks in the first four days of their trip. Without a doubt that was when they were more alert, and spending more time on the stand. This led us to decide that our hunts needed to be cut back to five days, so that our hunters would not be so stressed out.

The economic situation over the past eighteen months has also been something we have watched carefully. Over the years hunt prices have crept up everywhere, due to the rising cost of operations. In our case, the increase was largely because we had continued to expand our services. Where we once had been an access only outfit, with a moderate amount of hunting land, we had grown into a full service operation, furnishing lodging, meals, stands, and guide service, with thousands of acres under our control. We have also added a nice skinning shed, and a range for our hunters to check their weapons when they arrive, or practice during their hunt. Our hunter success rate has improved, the size of our average buck killed has gone up, and we have more trophy room pictures of our hunters with these deer. These are all things that we can control. The economy is not! So, another adjustment has been made. For the 2010 season, all of our November trophy hunt prices have been lowered substantially.

We are about three weeks away from the first non-resident license application period. If you haven’t booked your hunt yet, and you want to hunt with us, it’s  time to make that call.

It’s a given that most people do not relish going to work. And, by the end of each deer season, I am so thoroughly worn out, that I spend the first two weeks away from The Quail Shed just recuperating, and inside!

But, there is something about going to deer camp, that stirs feelings deep inside of a hunter, even in the off season. I noticed it as soon as we opened the door, and entered the bunkhouse, on my last trip. A quick check showed that everything was just as it was when I had left two months earlier, and my old bunk in the corner sure looked inviting after the long drive. However, we had work to do, so it would be a while before I would lay in it.

Getting out in the woods to pull stands is an annual Spring ritual, which requires quite a bit of time. There is a lot of work that goes on behind the scenes when you run an outfit, and this chore is one of those things that most people probably don’t consider. But, I had extra help.  And, we were able to get it done over the course of the next few days, so everything is back in storage for the next few months. And, with that out of the way, we were off to look at new property.

Scouting, and deciding whether a parcel of land is going to work for us, involves a lot of walking. But, can you really call something that is so much fun work? My partner on this trip was deep in thought when I pointed out that I only needed a quick look to decide that I was interested. But, he was in serious mode, and steadily pointing out great stand locations, as we walked along the edge of a field covered in deer tracks. It was apparent that this place, well away from all roads, presented a secure area where deer were spending a great deal of time out in the open. But, we had other places to visit, and we had to keep moving. So, we hiked back to the truck, and discussed what we had both seen, as we drove to the next spot. Deer season may be months away, but we were both excited. And, the blood was pumping, as we envisioned placing stands along the little creek, and in that tight corner next to the high ridge. Yes, it was work. But, the day passed quickly.

And, so did the trip. Five days seemed like far less as we packed the truck to leave again. I have been back at home for only two weeks, and we have five months to go, before we start putting stands back out in the woods. But, I will be back in camp many times before then. There’s always something to do. But, even if there isn’t I just can’t stay away! In fact, I hear it calling me now…. If you listen closely, I’m betting you can too!

With just a little more than a month to go before the season concludes, we are beginning to wrap up and winterize the bunkhouses. This has to have been the toughest season we have ever experienced, with so many crops still standing in the fields. And, I would like to extend a hardy congratulations to all who took a trophy buck under these conditions!

It was a season filled with highs and lows, as the weather seemed to be a constant factor, effecting the hunting in ways we could not predict. Opening week started off much cooler than normal, and we were out the door with terrific bowhunting for antlerless deer. Then, we hit the October lull, and things slowed down drastically. The warmer weather returned, but the rut was approaching and the first buck taken was a real slammer!

The first week of November brought the South winds, and more warm weather, as local farmers struggled to get the crops out before the almost daily rains. The bigger bucks were slow to show, and it looked like we would miss the best hunting, although the woods were torn up from all of the night-time movement.

Finally, during the second week everything broke loose, and we started seeing mature deer out in the open during daylight hours. This was the break we needed, and the skinning shed got busy. Several bowhunters connected with the largest bucks of their hunting careers, and we also took a lot of antlerless deer to help with our management plan.

The highlight of the week was the call to come get a massive buck out of the woods, which turned out to be the legendary “Shredder”, a buck which many of our hunters had dreamed about, and the topic of many conversations at the supper table over the years.  At 178 inches, with great mass, he was the true monarch of the river bottom, and had only been seen a few times before. We had videoed him briefly two years previous, when he was even larger. But, he was the ghost of the forest, and every step was taken cafefully and cautiously! Only the rut had caused him to shed his secretive ways, and expose himself to a waiting hunter. Although we were happy for the client who took him, the thought that he was no longer out there hung over the camp for the remainder of the rut.

The week before the gun season opened was filled with excitement, as we saw even more daylight activity. More great bucks were taken, but we also had a plague of the misses! For some reason, the sight of big antlers seems to make arrows fly wide of the mark, and creates a lot of stories instead of tagged animals!

Opening day of gun season was busy! We seemed to get a call every hour that someone had shot, and we worked until late that evening taking trophy photos and caping out bucks. We went eight for eleven on opportunities that weekend, and there were many smiles in camp! That, however, was also the beginning of a very slow post-rut period, with most of the herd sitting tight in thickets, in order to recover from rutting activity. Deer sightings fell off for more than a week.

A few days before the second gun season, we saw a short flurry when a few younger does came into season, but that seemed to end quickly. We killed two more nice bucks, one which was shot earlier by a bow hunter, and another one which we had photographed two weeks before as he was tending a doe.  I will be posting some of those pictures here just as soon as I figure exactly how to do that.

The one thing that was readily apparent throughout the season is that our management plan, which includes a very aggressive antlerless take is working, and working well! There were many reports of hunters seeing only bucks, or very few does, as the bucks crisscrossed the fields searching for a female friend. The average size of our bucks, with less competition for food from the does,  seems to have stabilized now, with excellent body weights for the various age groups.

We were underbooked this season,  a sign of the poor economy, which ultimely led to a reduced kill. That only means that we have carried over more bucks to the next season, unless we have a very harsh winter! And, better hunting for next year’s clients.

My personal opinion is that deer hunting at The Quail Shed will continue to improve for the hunter who wants to hunt mature bucks, and who understands what that means, and the commitment it takes! Thanks again to all who hunted with us, and please tell everyone about your experience here.

Happy hunting,

Clifford

It didn’t take long to get the first buck of the year… One of our hunters tagged out on a great 140 class buck on the second day of his hunt… You can view it in the 09-10 Season photo gallery, which I hope to keep updated as frequently as I can.

The weather has made this week’s hunting difficult with off and on rain showers, but the three guys in camp are seeing lots of activity when they are out! Lots of young bucks are cruising around, and a few big boys are beginning to show up around the field edges, which are getting torn up nightly now… There are many new scrapes appearing, and the woods are decorated with fresh rub lines.

All in all, it is starting to look like we are in for a great season, even though the crops are still in the fields. The farmers just can’t seem to gain any  traction, with the next storm coming just as the fields get dry enough to work… The acorns are still falling, and the deer are moving! Watch for more pics soon!

Well,  it’s finally October, and the archery season is  now open. We had a group of five in to hunt antlerless deer, for the opening weekend, and everyone had a great time. All but one hunter tagged out, but he was busy with his family, and actually had to leave a little early. He did pass a smaller doe the first day though, so we could have had a 100 percent success ratio for the hunt.

We have been seeing numerous younger bucks, in fact more than ever, and they are all looking like they are raring for the rut to start. The woods are filled with fresh rubs, and even a few scrapes, which I believe is being propelled by the unusually cold weather we have been experiencing. If this trend continues, we will have the coldest Winter I can remember, and no worries about “too hot” days during the rut!

There were several mature bucks spotted, including one 12 point, which was estimated to be in the 180 inch range. That lucky hunter actually saw him twice in just three days! And, since he will be returning to hunt the first week of November, he is totally fired up about those encounters… The buck was in the company of two mature does each time he was seen. Do you think he knows they will be the first ones to come into season? We also spotted and videoed a 2.5 year old that has double split G-2s, and probably scores about 122… That buck will be a monster in two more years, so he is definitely on the “no shoot” list! I will be posting some video clips just as soon as we get that figured out.

Incidentally, all hunters reported seeing many more bucks than does, on this hunt, a trend which started last year. I truly believe that is a direct product of our aggressive antlerless management plan. And, as I predicted earlier, the large amount of rainfall we had all year has produced great antlers this season. Many of the bucks we are seeing sport longer tines that usual, and even some of the one year olds have tines over five inches long. It’s shaping up to be the perfect storm!

With so many hunting seasons either open now, or about to open, people all over the Internet are reporting that they are seeing poisonous snakes out and about! And, since The Quail Shed is headquartered on East SnakeTrail Road, I can see where that might be of some concern to our clients. But, I have some good news!

Poisonous snakes are extremely rare in our area, and I have never seen one, or heard reports of any since I have been working here.  And, that sure makes my job a lot easier!

I don’t worry about Cottonmouths when I get around sloughs, or the river. Piles of rocks don’t scare me, because we don’t have Copperheads. And, I walk through CRP, and crawl through brushpiles with absolutely no fear that I will hear a “buzzworm”! No Rattlesnakes… And, in all of my life I have never seen a Coral Snake. So, I guess we are good to go!

On rare occasions I stumble into Garter snakes, Rat snakes, and a few other varieties that mostly just try to get out of my way! And, that suits me just fine.

You would think that Don would constantly be battling with snakes around the bird barns and flight pens, but NOPE! So, leave your snake boots at home when you come up here…  And, ain’t that a beautiful thing!

Yesterday, I got a call from a good client who had just hunted with another outfitter on an early season hunt. He was more than a little upset, because he had shot a nice buck, but was unable to recover it, and the outfitter would not let him try to fill his tag on another deer. I think the real problem was that the outfitter never really stated his policy up front, leaving a grey area, and a big uh-oh when the client didn’t get to complete his hunt! Our conversation made me think about how we handle “problems” at The Quail Shed.

For years, we have had a very lenient policy about fines for deer smaller than our 130 inch minimum, and also covering this type of situation, based on our belief that we want to be fair with everyone.  Fines are a very negative thing, and I question how effective they really are when used to force compliance with a minimum antler size restriction. Last year, we attempted to cover all of the bases, and offered a special price for anyone who felt they would be satisfied with shooting a deer under our minimum. Surprisingly, no one took us up on that offer, but we had several bucks shot that were, without question, well below our minimum.  In all but one case, the hunter told me he thought the deer was bigger, until he saw it on the ground. I have decided that we need to spend more time in orientation this year, explaining what a shooter looks like, so that we do not go down that road again.

A wounded deer that is not recovered right after it is shot, presents us with another bad situation. We cannot let a hunter go out and shoot another buck, until we have completed a thorough search for the deer he has wounded, and determined that the deer is either still alive, or has escaped with a fatal wound, which  he will succumb to later. That information  is not always obvious right away. We have tracking dogs that will find most fatally wounded deer fairly quickly, and I am confident that our recovery rate will be very good.  But, it still takes hours of hunting time away from the hunter. The decision to shoot, or wait, belongs to the hunter, and we have always looked at these situations on a case by case basis. Every hunter can be assured that we will do everything we can to recover any deer that has been shot, and in exchange for that, I will hold you to a high ethical standard if you hunt in my camp. It’s a two way street, right?

As I wrote earlier, it is important that there are no grey areas when you are on an outfitted hunt. If you have questions, please feel free to ask them. And, I will continue to try to cover all of the bases, before your hunt begins…

As of a  few days ago, there were still over 8500 NR Combination bow tags available.  And, there are a few gun tags left in some counties as well. We still have a few openings in the third week of November, which is a prime time to be bow hunting.

We started hearing that gun tags were showing up in the mail last week. So, keep an eye out for them if you are gun hunting with us this year. If you haven’t received yours by Oct 1st, you will need to contact the IDNR to see what happened.

We also have spots available in the second firearms season, and the muzzleloader season. And, don’t forget that any unused tags can be used in the late antlerless season. We have special rates for that time, and always have lots of action on those hunts. This year the state has added extra hunting days. so there will be plenty of chances to fill your freezer, and help us with our management plan at the same time.

The bucks are coming out of velvet now, and have almost entirely disappeared into the standing corn. That’s no surprise, but it sure makes riding around in the evenings a lot less fun. And, my jinx with trail cameras continues.  There is no end to the things that go wrong every time I put them out,  trying to get pics of velvet bucks, just a different set of circumstances.

For instance,  how many squirrels do you think can live in one tree? I didn’t notice the den when I set one camera out, leading to literally hundreds of pictures of squirrels. Batteries that go dead, memory cards that suddenly fail, etc. have all lead me to just about give up on getting images. And,  now we have the ginseng diggers entering the woods, so I pulled the cameras to keep them from getting “borrowed”!

The crops are coming along, so the farmers are starting to smile a little more. We should have a late harvest, but that’s no big deal. The second gun tag lottery was completed, and there are quite a few tags left ofver. So, if you have decided you  want to come gun hunt with us, there is still some hope!

I have been busy working on the bunkhouses, putting out stands, and all of the other stuff we do during the off season. It’s been nice all week, with no rain, and moderate temps. And, over the next few weeks we will complete everything , and kick off the 09-10 season.

A few hunters have already hit the fields bird hunting. They have been shooting pheasants and quail, mostly in the mornings. Don has jumped two different shooter bucks out of the bird fields, and he told me one has very tall brow tines. This happens every year, and some of our stands are set up to cover the escape routes that these deer use when they rush out of the fields. Its an exciting way to spend a morning, especially when you see them come running across the open ground right at you, from a half mile away!

We are experiencing an unusual early acorn drop, so we will be monitoring some of the white oaks to see if they are going to last until the last week of October. Persimmons will be watched too. We know what these additional food sources mean, and will set up on them if we find deer using them in prime time.

I want to remind all of our bowhunterss to keep practicing. And, wear some heavy clothing when you’re at it. You need to be ready when your opportunity comes!

That’s it for now… The clock is running down, and I still have some things to do to get ready!

This year has been so out of the norm, with one of the rainiest Springs ever, and now cool Summer days. While it’s hard to complain about not burning up, it is playing havoc with the soybean crop. And, if things don’t change very soon, we will see the latest harvest most folks can remember.

Mother always told me that when God gives you lemons, make lemonade. So, we have taken advantage of the weather, and used the cooler mornings to get a few stands up in some of the traditional funnel areas. There is still a lot of that work left to do, but its mighty nice to be out there now. And, you don’t feel totally washed out by 10 AM when the temps are so low.  The forecast is calling for mornings in the low 50s shortly. So, we are going to be ready!

In conversations with our hunters, I always state that the number one thing we need to produce big buck sightings is cold weather. This trend might just mean that we roll into November with frosty mornings, and daytime highs in the 40s! And, from a hunter’s point of view, it don’t get no better than that! On those days, the big bucks will roll! So, get your fleece ready, and go buy some disposable handwarmers. This could be a season to remember!