Jack (and all):
I appreciate the congrats. Means a lot, though I've not personally met any of you.
His genetics are indeed out there, as he'd not one ounce of fat on him, which just proves he'd been out doing his "duty" prior to my seeing him.
However, we hunt on 80 acres of my best hunting/fishing buddy's son's ground...it's all he has. The neighbors all around with one exception, shoot anything that walks on four legs. For that reason, we didn't believe there'd ever be a way to manage for quality.
Two years ago, however, a guy who's been buying up land all over 3 counties bought 300 acres half a mile north of us. My pals got pissed because he doesn't allow much access, but he DOES improve habitat...built a 12 acre lake, planted thousands of trees (that's what he does for a living) and put in food plots. I've tried to tell them that means there's always the potential for a GREAT buck now. He limits deer hunting to a few friends who are then limited to taking does and poor bucks. As long as Randy doesn't sell his ground, we'll do all right. (He's got it on the market @ $275K - if some sucker walks in, we're done, but his retirement will be helped immensely - can't blame him as he doesn't hunt and bought the ground 20 years ago as an investment).
I'm just hoping that if/when that day comes, my 50 acres will be in good enough shape to support our hunting. If just might happen, as the 2 guys I let hunt my place managed to take a big doe on my place and a decent 8 point buck next door. They said he had come from my ground.
Let them trees grow!
