You can easily have great deer in SC if you give them the nutrition they need and allow them to mature. I only shoot 3.5 or older and I knock down does.look at the SC record book for Georgetown, Williamsburg and Orangeburg counties. Pine plantations don’t offer the nutrition deer need.row crops do.
quote:
Originally posted by natureboyYou can easily have great deer in SC if you give them the nutrition they need and allow them to mature. I only shoot 3.5 or older and I knock down does.look at the SC record book for Georgetown, Williamsburg and Orangeburg counties. Pine plantations don’t offer the nutrition deer need.row crops do.
Understood, however SC isn’t as good as many other states for “trophy” deer.
https://www.americanhunter.org/articles/2018/8/28/top-10-states-for-monster-whitetails/
We have food plots, and I understand what you are saying about nutrition. However, “trophy” bucks on a national level don’t reside in SC… No argument there are lots of them, which will provide plenty of action, and there is a long season…
Either way, best of luck to you, and hope you get the lease along with the opportunity to oversee.
RBF
quote:
Originally posted by salty849quote:
Originally posted by smanSounds like natureboy lucked up,he might get to be the caretaker of the club. I would definitely do the same thing if I were in nb’s shoes,hope he finds a place.
He’s probably putting corn out in the Francis Marion, he will be back shortly.
I Don’t know who you are or what your itch is with me , but its been almost 20 years or so since I hunted the FM. If you want to know about me use the PM function
RBF - In a study done by Clemson U in the early 80’s among other things it was edcuatedly guessed that the doe to buck ratio in the state was 11 does per buck. I was a volunteer . The eastern 1/2 of SC was overpopulated well past the lands carrying capacity . While food plots definitely help , its hard to change a deer herds nutrition with a few food plots. Now its different if the undeveloped land is bordered by several hundred acres of peanuts or beans. Pines plantations produce great nutrition for about 6=7 years then the canopy shades out the undergrowth. Also corn is not so great for deer. Its carbs that quickly become sugar.
One other point - there are 32 known subspecies of whitetail deer. In SC we have 3 subspecies - Southern , Bulls Island , and the Hilton head whitetail. The Bulls deer is tiny 60 - to 70 lbs The Hilton Head deer is larger and the southern whitetail gets up tp 150-180 lbs. The Pike county IL deer are northern whitetail with much larger bodies & antlers. not the same critter as a SC southern whitetail, but a mature SC deer is a trophy on my book.
quote:
Originally posted by natureboyRBF - In a study done by Clemson U in the early 80’s among other things it was edcuatedly guessed that the doe to buck ratio in the state was 11 does per buck. I was a volunteer . The eastern 1/2 of SC was overpopulated well past the lands carrying capacity . While food plots definitely help , its hard to change a deer herds nutrition with a few food plots. Now its different if the undeveloped land is bordered by several hundred acres of peanuts or beans. Pines plantations produce great nutrition for about 6=7 years then the canopy shades out the undergrowth. Also corn is not so great for deer. Its carbs that quickly become sugar.
One of my family members leases his adjacent land to folks who grow peanuts on it…
Have a good rest of the evening. Nice chat.
RBF
quote:
Originally posted by natureboySC has everything a deer hunter could want. Longest season in the USA, longest shooting hours, lots of agriculture, lots of deer. That’s why our lease rates are so expensive
I think the main variable you’re leaving out as to why SC’s lease rates are “so expensive” is because compared to other states, SC’s lease rates aren’t very expensive at all and NR hunters are willing to pay more for leases than resident hunters are. It’s simple supply and demand. If I am looking to lease my property and I have a resident hunter wanting to pay me “X” amount per acre and a NR hunter offering to pay me “XX” amount per acre, the NR is going to get the lease.
As far as “trophy” bucks in SC, I completely agree that SC possess the genetics to produce comparable “trophy” caliber bucks to any other state in the south/southeast. The problem isn’t our herd’s genetics. The problem is the age structure. Simply put, our bucks aren’t allowed to get old enough to recognize their genetic potential before they’re killed. I believe the DNR has stated numerous times, their research shows the average age of bucks killed in SC is under 2.5 years old (I believe it’s closer to 1.5). Sure, there are mature “trophy” bucks killed ever year in SC. Just this season, a very good friend of mine killed a buck that was 5.5 years old (some on here said they believe the deer was 6.5 years old). That’s a “trophy” anywhere in the country. But those are the exception, not the rule.
“You don’t always know where you stand till you know that you won’t run away.” ~Slipknot
quote:
Originally posted by natureboyquote:
Originally posted by salty849quote:
Originally posted by smanSounds like natureboy lucked up,he might get to be the caretaker of the club. I would definitely do the same thing if I were in nb’s shoes,hope he finds a place.
He’s probably putting corn out in the Francis Marion, he will be back shortly.
I Don’t know who you are or what your itch is with me , but its been almost 20 years or so since I hunted the FM. If you want to know about me use the PM function
Pm sent, looking forward to your response.
SC has 2 issues about deer - Too many does and an un willingness to knock them down. Shooting baby bucks. If we shoot spikes, 4 pt & 6 pt bucks that cuts off their growth at that point! The young deer are always the first to show, and in so much of SC if its brown, its down. The older deer die off naturally and then there’s only young bucks left.
The reason so many NR hunters want to hunt SC is because Georgia forbids baiting, the short shooting hours. Florida has too many hunters chasing too few deer. They love the relaxed rules in SC.
quote:Responded
Originally posted by salty849quote:
Originally posted by natureboyquote:
Originally posted by salty849quote:
Originally posted by smanSounds like natureboy lucked up,he might get to be the caretaker of the club. I would definitely do the same thing if I were in nb’s shoes,hope he finds a place.
He’s probably putting corn out in the Francis Marion, he will be back shortly.
I Don’t know who you are or what your itch is with me , but its been almost 20 years or so since I hunted the FM. If you want to know about me use the PM function
Pm sent, looking forward to your response.
quote:
Originally posted by natureboySC has 2 issues about deer - Too many does and an un willingness to knock them down. Shooting baby bucks. If we shoot spikes, 4 pt & 6 pt bucks that cuts off their growth at that point! The young deer are always the first to show, and in so much of SC if its brown, its down. The older deer die off naturally and then there’s only young bucks left.
The reason so many NR hunters want to hunt SC is because Georgia forbids baiting, the short shooting hours. Florida has too many hunters chasing too few deer. They love the relaxed rules in SC.
I’m not one to push my management approach on others. I hold myself to a specific set of parameters when it comes to killing bucks. Truth be told, I haven’t killed a buck in SC in over 10 years. If I’m looking for meat, which I usually am, I prefer to shoot does. That said, if someone is thrilled to shoot a young buck, and they do so legally, more power to them. What infuriates me are the hunters that shoot young bucks and then complain that SC doesn’t have or can’t grow “trophy” bucks. That’s when I come unglued.
I believe the long rifle season, lack of limits, relatively inexpensive licenses (and the chance to shoot a buck in velvet with a rifle) are the main contributing factor to the number of NR hunters we see in SC every year. It’ll probably take a few years to get a good base of information but I’ll be curious to see how the new tag system/limits/fees for NR hunter impacts the amount of NR hunters leasing hunting land in SC.
“You don’t always know where you stand till you know that you won’t run away.” ~Slipknot
I agree with everything you said Bang
quote:
Originally posted by natureboyI agree with everything you said Bang
Me too. Did take a very nice 6pt this year, was asked to if I saw him. Weighed in at 192# was guessed at 5+ years old.
The big Bucks are here if you put in the effort to hunt them. One of my best friends killed an eight point, opening day (Oct. 11) evening. After passing on several younger, lesser quality, bucks. Green scored mid to upper 140’s. Killed another one night before last, eight points, green scored over 150", out of the same stand. Look to be out of the same gene pool. Both Bucks killed in a pasture, just outside the Simpsonville city limits.