Sign Post Rub behind my house

[Graybeard]

I was rambling out back today as my neighbor to the east had our mutual line and all of his property surveyed so I took a hike back to see how different the line was than I thought it was.

The hike too me to my "back 40" (joke I have less than six acres) and while rambling back there I found a cedar about 4" in diameter that had been shredded by a big buck. I've seen a few old rubs back there in the past but no fresh ones before. The bark was shredded around close to 75% of the diameter and went higher up the tree than any rub I've seen previously I think. I dunno what the buck looked like that made it and since I have neighbors back there I don't know or know I can trust I'd just as soon not trust a trail cam back there. From the rub I can see three different neighboring homes but not my own as it's over the hill from there. The area is kinda thick and it appears the deer does like my land. Once I get the back side fenced to keep the neighbor's mutts off my land I think the deer will begin to use it as a sanctuary. I was amazed the buck was willing to thread the needle between the dogs to get to my land back there but the proof was there.

[Almtnman]

Bill, I think it's time that you got a crossbow and do a little huntin back there.  

I bet that buck was laying low and watching every move you made. More than likely he will have an elevated spot where he can see all around. I once jumped about 5 or 6 deer in a clearcut that only had waist high weeds and the land was flat bottom land, but those deer managed to find an elevated place that was about a foot or so higher and lay there and watched everything moving.

[Graybeard]

The highest elevation would be the backstop at the 100 yard line on my range. It stands almost 30' above the rest of the landscape there. It's pretty thickly over grown as well. There is a patch of mountain laurel and cedar between the barn and the top of the rise back there I've long suspected could serve as a good bedding area for deer and who knows it might get some use. For now I'm actually trying to encourage the deer to come onto my land and to consider it a santuary.

That's not to say I'll never hunt back there but I'm not ready just yet. As small as the property is a crossbow would merely assure the deer died on someone else's land not mine. With as many non hunters and even anti hunters as there are that likely wouldn't be good. Nope should I elect to shoot one it likely will be with my .257 Weatherby Magnum and I'd want to be sure to be aiming for a CNS hit at that. Should I shoot one I really need it to fall dead in its tracks and not run. At this time I only have one neighbor in the area I'm sure would allow me to recover an animal from their land and at least two I know would NOT allow me to. The rest I just plain dunno about.

[Almtnman]

A salt block placed back there will keep them coming bak and maybe hanging around. I put a homemade gravity feeder and salt block in the little hollow next to my house and a nice little four point would bed down just above it. I haven't had that feeder or salt block out in a couple of years so haven't seen anymore there. I need to get them back to hold them around.

You can make your own feeder with a 5 gallon bucket, a length of threaded rod and a broomstick. Drill holes towards the top of the bucket just big enough for a threaded rod to go through from one side to the other. Get a broomstick, drill a hole for that rod to go through and drill a hole in the bottom middle of the bucket twice the diameter of the broomstick. Hang the stick in the middle of the rod that is run through the top of the bucket and have about a 1 and half foot of stick hanging out the bottom. Fill it with corn, snap the lid on and hang it up on a wire between a couple of trees. The deer will bump the stick and corn will fall out. One word of caution is to hang it high enough that raccoons can't bump the stick with their paws or they will empty it overnight. And hang the bucket on a wire that raccoons can't crawl out on and get down on top and flip the lid off. I had to use a couple of screws on my lid as they figured out how to pry it off somehow. I also used nuts and washers in the middle of the threaded rod to hold the stick in center and a couple of nuts and washers on the outside to hold it in place.

[Almtnman]

Bill, I drove by your house Thursday and would have stopped by for a few minutes, but I didn't know which one was yours for sure. I think I might know, but give me another little clue. Does yours have a small horseshoe shaped lake out front and the house up a long driveway to the right?

[jpred1]

Could be a hotspot, Ive got a place that is 7 acreas and 2 of those are taken up by a house and yard. 4 bucks and 2 does from it this year. Seen 3 more large bugs and a few smaller ones too.I can see 2 houses and a trailer from the shooting house. I had to set it up where I was shooting downward in a lil swale, just happens the deer love the low area swale for travel. But have had to pass on some big bucks that were pushing the edge too much in the direction of neighbors. Backyard bucks I guess.Dont worry about the crossbow, the rage 2 blades at 30 yds will drop a buck or keep him on your land with a shoulder shot , My buddy dropped 3 this year in thier tracks, on 8 point with a pass threw of both shoulders and a hole like no rifle could make.

[Graybeard]

Yup that's my pond. My house is the one with a green roof and from above it looks like a cross. Ya can see the blueberry orchard between the pond and my house from the highway as well. As you go up my drive tho the house would be on your left when you get there. The pond will be on your left going down my drive. The neighbors to the west whose driveway goes down the other side of my pond are NOT FRIENDLY decidedly unfriendly in fact.

Bill, I drove by your house Thursday and would have stopped by for a few minutes, but I didn't know which one was yours for sure. I think I might know, but give me another little clue. Does yours have a small horseshoe shaped lake out front and the house up a long driveway to the right?

[Almtnman]

Next time I get over that way, I'll call and let you know.