This morning

[Warren Allison]

Last time I deer hunted was 1993. Sitting in a deer stand in late October, temps 80 degrees or so, fighting yellow jackets, when I saw a kinda small 8-pointer easing down the trail. I got to thinkin g" this thing will ruin before I get it drug out and hung in this heat. I got to thinking about the lake turning over and what that does to the bass. So, when he got close to my stand, I let out a yell and the thing turned a back flip.. I scared it so bad! Got out of my stand and went home and got my bass boat and headed to the lake. Ain't been again since, except to carry a grand-kid deer hunting.

When I was growing up I remember freezing my a$$ off during deer season. School didn't start til after labor day, and I remember people carrying sweaters and blankets to the foot ball games. Dove season it was cool enough to wear light camo pants and ;long sleeves. By November each year it had gotten cold enough to kill hogs, and it stayed cold til March. Now a days, it is in the 90's in September and we can have 70's most of November and December. You can't bird hunt with a setter these days, because they over heat in 30-45 minutes. I think the seasons have shifted. This week we had temps 38-40 a couple of mornings...first 40 degree mornings since 1st of April. It still gets in the 70's though by 10 or 11 AM. Also when I was little, warm spring weather was here by March. Now days, we have our worst cold and any snow we might get in March. This past winter, I never had to chop ice in the water troughs a single day, which suits me fine.

The year I quit deer hunting, my father-in-law and I went crappie fishing on Weis Lake on New Year's day and it was in the mid to high 70's. If this is global warming, then I am all for it! I love summer..best times in my life have been in the summer. Love what the ladies wear in the summer! I would love it if it was in the 90's every day. If it ain't hot enough to go swimming, and the water be luke-warm, I don't like it!!!

 

[greybeard]

I wish I'd had some beavers on my place in South Dakota. But we had no trees for them to use.

Careful what you wish for. They are destructive little bastards imo and they don't really need trees anyway. They'd do just fine on reeds and lily pads or anything else with cellulose. Lacking trees, they will build dams of mud and plant material like moss, grass, reeds and anything else (like boat paddles and shovels) and then make their dens in dug out burrows. I fought them to extinction for several years but I'm sure they will return under the new ownership of my old place.

 

[Travlr]

Careful what you wish for. They are destructive little bastards imo and they don't really need trees anyway. They'd do just fine on reeds and lily pads or anything else with cellulose. Lacking trees, they will build dams of mud and plant material like moss, grass, reeds and anything else (like boat paddles and shovels) and then make their dens in dug out burrows. I fought them to extinction for several years but I'm sure they will return under the new ownership of my old place.

I guess it's more in how we see them. They can be beneficial or inconvenient depending on our plans. I had a low spot on my property that would have been a great place for beaver. I increased the carrying capacity on my place by working with, rather than working against natural systems.
I can see where they would be a pain in the ass in some places.

 

[Brute 23]

I don't deer hunt, not because I don't like it but I just don't have the time. I do get a kick out of folks that put out several tons of corn, sit 200 yards away in a deer blind with a high powered rifle and brag when they bag a buck but hate high fenced ranches and guided hunts.

Hopefully before long I'll find the time to start hunting again. If one of you guys want to show a really impressive deer pic show me a big buck sitting on the couch drinkin a Bud watching the Cowboys game. These pics of deer eating out of a feeder in their natural habitat are cool and all but.........

You should have stopped at I don't hunt deer... no need to give examples over and over and prove it.

 

[TCRanch]

I can see where they would be a pain in the ass in some places

They're very destructive here!! Used to have a trapper that would come out every year but he moved. Our dog used to catch, kill & eat them (and subsequently puke for days) until a big female finally nailed him when he was 10 & ended up with a bunch of staples and smaller wounds (he did still kill her).

 

[Travlr]

They're very destructive here!! Used to have a trapper that would come out every year but he moved. Our dog used to catch, kill & eat them (and subsequently puke for days) until a big female finally nailed him when he was 10 & ended up with a bunch of staples and smaller wounds (he did still kill her).

How are they destructive?

 

[TCRanch]

How are they destructive?

Damming up the creeks. It bogs them down, doesn't let the water flow in the narrow channels and we end up with a bunch of stagnant pools that eventually erode the stream banks. We're not the only ones that rely on some of the larger creeks as a main water source for our cattle, but everyone along Silver, Snake & Grouse Creek(s). But they are fun to watch when they slap their tails on the water.

 

[Travlr]

Damming up the creeks. It bogs them down, doesn't let the water flow in the narrow channels and we end up with a bunch of stagnant pools that eventually erode the stream banks. We're not the only ones that rely on some of the larger creeks as a main water source for our cattle, but everyone along Silver, Snake & Grouse Creek(s). But they are fun to watch when they slap their tails on the water.

Kind of strange how people have opposite views sometimes about the same things. I know people that have beaver ponds and love them. They get them stocked and fish them, kayak on them, and water their stock from them... and those downstream still get their water. I've never seen a stagnant pond, but I suppose it could happen.
I can see where someone would be bothered if they had a low building or road, or if they didn't like their trees being chewed up. Maybe if they had limited acreage and needed the grass more than the water storage.
What other kinds of damage do they do?

 

[TCRanch]

What other kinds of damage do they do?

That, I don't know. Water & quality (or lack thereof) and erosion are my only concerns - so far. Geography? Nobody is a fan in this area except for the trappers that sell the hides - after a LOT of work.

 

[GoWyo]

In more arid areas they can do a lot of good. Their dams are basically check dams that raise the water table and expand the riparian area. The bank storage of water releases during low water times. Some ephemeral streams can become perennial with beaver presence. Unfortunately they can also plug up culverts and flood out roads, plug up irrigation diversions, flood out pastures, raise the water table too much causing other problems. But, if you can get along with them they are part of functioning natural systems.

 

[chaded]

On one property I used to deer hunt they made a dam and flooded a good amount of hardwoods worth quite a bit. I guess if you like wood ducks it was a good thing but the farmer wasn't too thrilled when I told him. He had it dealt with pretty quick.

 

[greybeard]

But, if you can get along with them they are part of functioning natural systems.

IF....
They do much worse than that in the area I lived in up until last May.
The idyllic lodge in the middle of a pond is a rarity there. Instead, they either build a lodge right next to the bank or more often than not, just tunnel into the sides of pond and stream banks, with the entrance under water. The tunnels go up above normal water level, with top of the tunnels and dens within less than a foot from surface and extended out into pastures as much as 20'. Twice I was driving along on a tractor and front tire fell thru into a 3' deep tunnel. Even if they build a traditional type lodge, they still build an extensive tunnel network back into the ground, well away from water's edge.
They girdled all the young and old pine trees that grew on the pond dam. I'm no fan of pine trees AT ALL, but the roots from those dozen or so pines help hold that dam in place in flood periods. They won't eat yellow pines. They girdled the trees to kill them so the roots would die and they could more easily tunnel back into the dam.

They first plugged off a 36" culvert under one of 3 crossings I had in the long overflow canal that dumps excess runoff back into the little river that bordered my property, then they tunneled thru 2 of them, which led to one of the washing out completely and the other one to cave in 3 different times, and those crossings were the only way I had to get to 25 acres of mine without going into a neighbor's property.

 

[GoWyo]

IF....
They do much worse than that in the area I lived in up until last May.
The idyllic lodge in the middle of a pond is a rarity there. Instead, they either build a lodge right next to the bank or more often than not, just tunnel into the sides of pond and stream banks, with the entrance under water. The tunnels go up above normal water level, with top of the tunnels and dens within less than a foot from surface and extended out into pastures as much as 20'. Twice I was driving along on a tractor and front tire fell thru into a 3' deep tunnel. Even if they build a traditional type lodge, they still build an extensive tunnel network back into the ground, well away from water's edge.
They girdled all the young and old pine trees that grew on the pond dam. I'm no fan of pine trees AT ALL, but the roots from those dozen or so pines help hold that dam in place in flood periods. They won't eat yellow pines. They girdled the trees to kill them so the roots would die and they could more easily tunnel back into the dam.

They first plugged off a 36" culvert under one of 3 crossings I had in the long overflow canal that dumps excess runoff back into the little river that bordered my property, then they tunneled thru 2 of them, which led to one of the washing out completely and the other one to cave in 3 different times, and those crossings were the only way I had to get to 25 acres of mine without going into a neighbor's property.

I probably couldn't live with that either. The beaver here are building a big dam on the neighbors just east of my fence line. We had a water gap fence in real poor shape that is now submerged. Creek is bank full but they can't really kick it out onto the floodplain, so water staying in channel. Water flow in the creek is going to double or triple when the neighbors upstream shut off their irrigation diversion. That might get interesting. My house, barn, etc. Is 20' above the creek elevation.

 

[Dave]

I had some move in here and build a dam in the river. The dam and flooding weren't a problem. But they went to falling every cotton wood tree (18-24 inch diameter ) along the river. Very narrow strip of trees along the river. The trees all fell out into the hay field where I got to clean them up. Took out a fence several times. I took out the beavers. A neighbor down stream had them in an irrigation ditch. He alternated between a full ditch, no water, and water every where except where he wanted it. I ran a full time trap line in the past. I certainly know how to trap beavers. But at the present time their pelts are darn near worthless.

 

[Lucky]

You should have stopped at I don't hunt deer... no need to give examples over and over and prove it.

You're correct. Sorry if I offended anyone.

 

[Brute 23]

You're correct. Sorry if I offended anyone.

It's not offensive as much as misguided. I know a lot of these people give that impression with all pics and talk and stuff but that is not what it is about for most of us.

That and most of Texas is over-populated with deer despite the laws and misconceptions around hunting over feeders.

 

[callmefence]

I don't deer hunt, not because I don't like it but I just don't have the time. I do get a kick out of folks that put out several tons of corn, sit 200 yards away in a deer blind with a high powered rifle and brag when they bag a buck but hate high fenced ranches and guided hunts.

Hopefully before long I'll find the time to start hunting again. If one of you guys want to show a really impressive deer pic show me a big buck sitting on the couch drinkin a Bud watching the Cowboys game. These pics of deer eating out of a feeder in their natural habitat are cool and all but.........

To much time. ?
I kill most of mine these days in my underwear. I get up from my desk take two steps out on the balcony and I'm in shooting position.
I get tickled about the folks from town who pay to hunt a few weekends a year.
They're all experts on deer management it seems. I take great enjoyment in telling them how I prefer to shoot young bucks with big horns. Young because it's better to eat. big horns because I don't care to eat anything genetically inferior.
Lol.
Good luck with your new trolling hobby and it's probably getting time to ease back on the alcohol.
On the pro football do you watch pro wrestling as well? Not much difference ....

 

[greybeard]

I had some move in here and build a dam in the river.

I never saw them try to build a dam on the little river that bordered my place but that's where they came from before taking up residence in my pond, and they had done it on and off for a couple of decades.
That river, is usually no more than a stream or creek but narrow and deep channeled with high banks. During heavy rains, it is a raging torrent and any beaver dam would be 10-20 ft under water and would likely get washed away in the first couple of hours. The river bank is full of their tunnels, and the river bed strewn with trees they either cut down or chewed the roots on so much they fell.

I'm pretty sure, that by now, a pair have again moved in to my old pond system but they won't stay just one pair for long. No longer my problem.

 

[Brute 23]

I know guys that spend 250K plus a year on hunting leases. Obviously they are not the run-of-the-mill leases but it's still incredible. They may spend 100K plus for quail alone and not see a good portion of it for years at a time.

 

[Travlr]

I know guys that spend 250K plus a year on hunting leases. Obviously they are not the run-of-the-mill leases but it's still incredible. They may spend 100K plus for quail alone and not see a good portion of it for years at a time.

People that buy up good agricultural ground and then take it as a tax write off because they aren't farming it? But they bait deer and stock feral hogs and invite their urban buddies and put up buildings that no agriculturalist can afford when they want to get rid of their property.