Firearms Deer Hunting
Firearms Deer Hunters
Firearms deer hunting pressure is a typically the first question asked from potential applicants. We recognize what it takes for a good hunt, firearms season or other. The biggest part of that quality hunt is limiting hunter pressure.
We also do not just cater to firearms hunter, we monitor membership levels for a land profile supporting mix of archery whitetail hunters, upland and waterfowl. The idea is never to have too many of any one type of hunter, yet have more than one hunter pay for the same land keeping costs down for all.
No one wants to spend time scouting or hunt on land where numerous deer hunters have been processed through assembly line fashion rotated through stands positioned between feeders and groomed food plots. The firearms hunts we offer is for the individual hunter on private land we have exlcusive hunting rights to. The land we lease is for its whitetail deer attracting habitat and in those regions of each state with a trophy deer history of production that returns the value for the cost of the lease.
We will get the firearms deer hunter to the right habitat in the right region of the state and once he is there he employs his own deer hunting style to include pre season deer scouting. He may also hunt each state he has tags and all for the one cost, this is inclusive of firearms season and all other deer hunting seasons.
The two deer hunting limiting aspects are first, the total membership level is capped and there is a secondary level of subordinate caps based on primary and secondary hunting interest of the applicant that ensures we never have too many of any one type of hunter. Confidence this will be the management practice for the future comes from our recognition that our high renewal rate draws its strength from two features. The first is that all may deer hunt on their schedule. Second, being able to hunt without pressure from others. Maintaining these two features about the Association will sustain its membership and that keeps everything much easier when working with the same hunters from year to year.
One firearms specific (distinct from bow hunters) deer hunting dynamic we have seen and caution hunters about is that with so much land availability many will attempt to deer hunt several properties each season. However, the general reality is that anyone that attempts deer hunting more than three properties has probably spread himself too thin. Typically, most deer hunters scout many leases settle on three or four they want to hunt and rarely actually hunt more than 2 the entire season.
Having three to five leases or more to hunt does allow for choices at habitat and reaction to wind directions, but again with each hunter having multiple stands on each farm there is only so much time available to hunt. We have seen throughout the years that those that place more effort into scouting and hunt fewer leases have the most recurring success compared to those that hunt more farms.
The significant value of our approach is that each hunter that does take the time developing multiple properties is the ability to react to changing deer patterns.
We have seen through the years where trophy deer do not remain on the same properties from year to year and of course during the rut all bets are off as to predicting where the trophy deer will next show. The gene pool may exist in that locality, however the likelihood of any one lease having successive trophy deer is less than what most would want to occur.
No surprises in these statements, but we have seen those that have had previous year's firearms deer hunting success on one property put themselves into a routine and will not consider other options in spite of current failures. Having several leases to pick from should result in the firearms deer hunter arguing with himself as to where he wants to hunt. And, that argument includes which deer lease he will commit to thoroughly hunting rather than just spending a day in the stand.
The firearms seasons in Kansas and Missouri is by rifle and shotgun only in Iowa. In all three states shooting range of 10 yards out to farther than people are able to shoot are possible.