Differences Between my Old Farm and my New Farm | Bowhunting Whitetails w/ Bill Winke

[@scottminter4735]

Your first farm was truly a world class deer farm. Nothing is going to compare to it. The deer movement your seeing now is what 90 percent of hunters experience. Also it's possible that the food plots are something so new to them. They might not want to eat the greens and corn.

[@jerimahjohnson8698]

Totally agree

[@bill-winke]

I do agree. In 2011, for example, I thought the southern Iowa farm was the best in the country. It was loaded with big deer. That was after many years (7 years) of working hard to reduce deer numbers by shooting tons of does - but the thing that was in my favor was that the entire neighborhood was over populated and by reducing the number on that one farm I created a vacuum that filled with bucks dispersing off nearby farms. It was definitely incredible. The buck to doe ratio was probably something like three or four bucks per doe! Then along comes EHD in 2012 and kills almost all the bucks. I figured 70+% of the bucks died that year. I think the deer have plenty of food in the timber (acorns and browse) and since this was a cattle farm for generations there we never food plots. Eventually they will make more use of them - especially if I let the numbers increase. Have a great day.

[@virgilholmes6688]

I have seen exactly that. In fact, this year, I moved a food plot just 100 yards and the deer movement was still keyed into the original location.

[@PeterMiller-nk2hz]

You know it’s a great channel when you hit the like button as soon as you click on the video!! Keep up the great work Bill!!

[@shannonwoods1060]

So I’m not the only one 😂

[@mitchellkuczynski2931]

😂​@@shannonwoods1060

[@aw4088]

Same here 😅

[@woodsdog7849]

I'm glad you're struggling a bit. You're now like the rest of us Bill. Its what draws me to your channel. Keep up the great work Brother!!!

[@user-rm4xm3sz3b]

Bill as you know there are different phases of deer hunting. I think I know where your at, other wise you would still be in southern Iowa. Its rewarding to be a good steward to the land to help all wildlife. I'm enjoying watching you trying to figure it out. Thanks for the great content.

[@bill-winke]

Yes, it is interesting to try to make this one better. There is stuff that I don't talk about on the shows, but if I had to choose between making this a great ruffed grouse farm with no deer or a great deer farm with no ruffed grouse, I would pick the grouse. This area was loaded with ruffed grouse when I was a kid and one of my focuses is to try to bring them back. I have biologists from the IA DNR and US Fish and Wildlife stop by all the time to offer tips and financial assistance in the process. But the upside is that you don't have to choose. What is good for grouse is also good for deer - early successional forests. It is a long road, and there are a few here, but the DNR biologist said if I can create the right habitat here they will look into transplanting grouse (possibly from MN) on the farm. That would be really cool. Have a great day.

[@Gibsonlife573]

​@bill-winke thats freaking awsome bill

[@JamesLanierRealEstateSales]

I really enjoy your channel. The interaction between you and Jordan, you and the camera guys is second to none. The information you provide is top notch as well! I watched this video 4 times already. Over the past couple of years I have been thinking this about our place here in Wisconsin. I provide the best bedding options, the best natural browse, the best food plots, really the best overall habitat in the area for our deer/wildlife. Our deer population is at an all time high, but still we are not highly populated. We have no issues with deer browsing on newly planted shrubs, oaks, or white pines. Our buck to doe ratio is very good too. Our deer aren't stressed for food, cover or even love. Our deer don't really do a late summer or fall shift. Bucks on camera in July are for the most part here to stay. We may lose one, but gain others. Why do our deer need to move during daylight at all? I need to rethink some things here. I will follow along on your journey as well. Thanks again!

[@robhilsabeck610]

Bill, I've had very good success in Central Illinois in a moderate hunting pressure area by keeping the resident doe groups safe and happy. They are calm and not spooky throughout the deer season. Bigger bucks from miles away, and refuges will always come to make a visit when searching for receptive does. Also provide plenty of warm season prairie grasses and forb areas for bedding, and then pattern your "pet" doe groups. Nothing fools an older buck into range during the daylight better than a bunch relaxed girls!

[@bryanstrickland9724]

I never hardly leave comments but I really enjoy your videos and a catch myself watching them all at some point or another. I’m a South Georgia dedicated deer hunter and your current farm is what i experience here year after year. No matter how hard we try or the food we plant…it’s just tough. Even dedication don’t kill mature deer when it’s tough… I think honestly it’s the lay of the land and how deer move on certain places honestly. But your knowledge will preserve when it’s all said and done

[@bill-winke]

I agree Bryan, the deer do move differently in the bluff country, but I did grow up hunting this stuff and it is not a real mystery to me. It is sometimes just hard to pull off what you know you need to do. The biggest problem on this farm is just a lack of targets followed by the difficulty of accessing many areas. If the buck you are hunting is living in a hard area to access, it can make for a long season. Also, when you have to go in with two people (when filming) and hang two stands (at least one of them usually is out in the wide open) and then have two guys in the tree, it limits some of the places you can sneak into and hunt effectively. When we get a few more older age class bucks here I won't have to focus all my time on just one and burn out those areas where he lives. It should be better in a couple years. But getting back to the issue of movement, you have to focus only on the patterns you understand and can take advantage of. Where they bed is the main one for me. It is pretty cut and dried in this country versus the flat homogeneous areas that I find harder to hunt. I know pretty much where they bed and then I can set up everything around that. Thanks for the comment and good luck.

[@MissouriDroneDeerRecovery]

Awesome Video Bill! Hope we can fly your farm again this spring and see the changes. Deer density is such an interesting topic. One that I am learning too much about probably but nonetheless fun to continually learn about

[@bill-winke]

I agree. We will plan on it Jack. I think you flew it in March this past year. We will shoot for the same time frame. I will be very curious what you find. I am not sure what I would predict. Probably more deer than last year. Have a great day.

[@nickk4851]

Hey Bill, I started watching you back in 2012 on Midwest Whitetail. I'm sorry to hear about your struggles on this new farm. I've been following along and am continually amazed at your low numbers of deer sightings. That being said, I'm very intrigued by all of this, eager to watch what happens over the next few years, and grateful that you're taking us along for the journey once again. Best of luck to you moving forward. God bless

[@bill-winke]

I think it will be a lot different in two years. That is when the experiment will finally produce an answer. Thanks for the comment.

[@bowhunterd2407]

Same, got hooked watching Bill chase double G4, what an amazing story that buck was. I go back and watch it all the time. Coincidentally 2012 was the worst year of my hunting career, glad Bill was there for me😂

[@KrummyProductions]

@@bill-winkewhat’s happening in two years?

[@trollhunter4510]

Most insightful video of the year. Thank you

[@shawnofthedead6362]

You absolutely spot on bill with this episode it’s called survival of the species Long time follower from south eastern Ontario 🇨🇦 dealing with the same thing

[@janitorialguy4436]

Thanks Bill, I think anyone in your situation would have a big learning curve, going from rich to poor is a huge challenge. I’ve been a fan for close to 30 years and I know you are a clutch hunter and you will figure it out.

[@bill-winke]

Thanks. I appreciate it. Either way, it will be an interesting ride! Have a great day.

[@joshcastle360]

Might consider using your ag fields for planting CRP or let it grow native. If they have cover AND quality browse in the timber then they have no reason to leave it. Giving the deer quality bedding without the canopy over head could create more daytime movement on smaller micro plots.

[@marchhair01]

I’ve got nothing of import to add but I believe your engagements makes the channel more valuable so I try to add a comment and like on all the channels I follow. Good luck!

[@RichieRich-pn3gg]

Bill i'm with you. Low density and hard to hunt. Deer moved only to night movement 4-5 days ago per cams and no deer spotted from stand. Hope it flips soon and you harvest a big one.

[@ronmeverden5489]

Hello Bill, I as a 40 year bow hunter from Northern Illinois believe with you going with cell cameras and not going in to their area as much will greatly help you.On your property it’s very hilly and as you know the college age bucks and professors are so smart.Im thinking they lay on those high hill sides watching and looking and listening for the possibility of danger.A thought of mine is if you can somehow change up your hunting style and approach to said college age and professors.like if an atv isused maybe 3 in and 1 out.hay bail blinds. Hillside dug out ground blinds and you get what I’m thinking/talking 0:02 about lol.Bill I’m a fan from the Midwest Whitetail show days keep up the good content .shoot straight.aim small hit small.And as always remember to think BIG! Ron.

[@bjmgolf3651]

Thanks Bill for the insight into the new farm. That is surprising that there is not more daylight movement in the food source but after thinking about what you said, it makes sense that if they have browse back in the hardwoods they do not necessarily need the food source during the day. Hopefully as the season goes on you will have an opportunity to harvest one of the bucks that you are after! Thanks again for the honest evaluation of the farm as I think it certainly helps all of us see what you are actually experiencing!

[@bill-winke]

That is what I am starting to think. Between the amount of oaks (many thousands) dropping acorns even on average mast years and the browse, they have a lot to eat back in the timber. I wonder what happens if we get six inches of snow. I bet the game changes. Thanks for the comment.

[@AndrewJackson33]

I know you didn't ask for anyone's opinion but I'll add mine. I don't think you bought a lemon. I do think you need to lay off the does for about two years and let the population come up some. I know a lot of guys preach low deer density creates less stress for individual deer which in turn can help bucks express their greatest antler potential. I think there is a happy medium between that and too many deer. But I also believe the more deer in general, the greater your odds are of having higher scoring deer. It sure seems like the hay day in Iowa was in that 2005-2008 range and that coincided with some of Iowa's highest deer population times. Too many people also don't kill those older management deer that are just taking up spaces and pushing other bucks out. I really enjoy your channel and the year round education you provide.

[@reelgamecalls1744]

Bully buck can really mess it up. Needs removed.

[@tedrickabus2087]

My experience today was as we have been discussing. Cold snap has deer on their feet searching for food. As far as the rut, I have seen immature bucks showing during daylight the last 3 sits. Today, one spike worked a licking branch and made a scrape just like the pre-rut in late october. 2nd rut should kick up in the next few days and hopefully the mature bucks will return. I have quite a bit of open timber myself, but I'm hunting only a portion of my property near a neighbor's thick cover where a good amount of deer bed. On my property, my stand is in a grove of pines near a couple acre sanctuary that we never enter. Hunting open timber can be a waste of time when we're this deep into the season. I have had that thought a several times as i watched you and Carson Hunting open timber post the first rut. Thick cover is the key. On my brother i laws property, he had multiple encounters with mature bucks on the weekend of nov. 22 while most were seeing nothing. He has very heavy cover (we call the buck bedroom) on both sides of his property and his land is the travel corridor between the two. I saw 22 doe and 2 spikes tonight (milling around me for a couple hours), all coming from cover to look for food on my land. My concern for you would be density of the woods near your foodplots. With the cold weather having arrived, deer should be hammering your corn. Deer density is certainly a major factor for you, but lack of holding cover has the deer living elsewhere. Are your neighbors experiencing the same issue as you? Is there land a similar mix of open timber and crops? Is your county known for low density?Hunting the edges of thick cover is the key for me this time of year. Only the south quarter of my land is dense enough this time of year. Deer travel through that quarter from east to west to bedding on other properties. Just some thoughts. Good luck. Hunt safe. Respect the game. Honor the tradition.

[@akomara1]

Interesting perception. I would have never picked up on that. Thanks for the post!

[@bill-winke]

Thanks for the comment. I appreciate it.

[@midwesternoutdoorsandnatur8272]

I remember watching MW in the early days on the southern IA farm and seeing quite a contrast compared to our western IL farm. Maybe 100 miles or so away but we have lots of smaller tracts butting up to each other and what I would call moderate pressure with all kinds of different herd management going on. We just don’t see those kinds of density you had. We have some good mature bucks, but it could be better I feel. Regardless we are always a student of his creation, and I’m just happy to still be able to get after em in my fifties. I think I enjoy the new shows more though as I think most of us truly relate better with the challenges you and we are facing. Keep inspiring us! Love the content!

[@timlott1921]

Bill, find your journey very interesting. I bought a small farm near the pa - ohio border and encountered the same issue. Took me awhile to realize that because i was surrounded by ag, the deer were almost exclusively nocturnal. They have no reason to rush to food. Ive built 2 small spring fed ponds that have helped tremendously. Both right before last light and during the rut.

[@davidvvv501]

You have a dilemma going forward...Do you ride it out and try to increase deer density to improve hunting? I would think it could take years to see a big difference.. You could lease a farm in that area to supplement your farm, or lease a farm in Southern Iowa. I think you said somewhere you live hours away from your current farm and spend weeks at a time there. Going to Southern Iowa some wouldn't be much different. Of course, you may be happy hunting your current farm and viewers enjoy watching because it's more realistic for what most hunters experience..Either way, good luck!

[@seanmryncza4968]

I hear the frustration. I’m not the hard core many are. I was always accustomed early morning golden hour and a half and the hour and half before end of shooting time pattern. My place drives me nuts. I don’t have great ACCESS .Which is a problem.. the biggest bucks I see or get pic of are at the craziest time of day. Early mid and late season. No weather pattern, or temp, but my surveillance cameras catch certain bucks walking around my trail cameras but don’t know about the surveillance cameras, and other bucks pretending to be on the cover of vogue. I’m glad I’m not diehard hunter is all I can say. Thanks Bill enjoy watching and learning new things to try

[@stevedenoyer5956]

I think you’re right on, I have low density too and the deer don’t use the plots very heavily. I have good ph so I know the food is palatable. They feed on them early on when they have the new shoots etc. once season hits they use the food plots much less. I also have tons of browse after two TSI harvests on my land. Sometimes it’s just hard to figure out what’s going on.

[@bill-winke]

It seems that when they don't have to leave the cover to eat they are tougher to hunt. It is usually tough to go in after them very many times without educating them. If you can get them to come out (at least to come to you) you can set up a good trap. But when you have to hunt them entirely on their terms it is a different game. I need to get better at that game! Have a great day and thanks for the comment.

[@Murf1802]

Sounds logical to me, Deer management, as you know, calls for lots of hard work and patience , and what I've seen and heard from your content, you're the man. I always wonder about the percentage of predators in the area, but again, you would see on the cameras and see the kill rate.lets go with 4th years, the charm. Lol , beautiful farm you've established. Thanks again for the knowledge, very interesting.

[@danmartin9850]

Wow, interesting perspective. May explain some of the movement patterns on my farm as well.

[@matthewlawrence7080]

Here in southern New England we hunt similar agg land where it is more equal woods -> agg ratio or even more wooded ridges than agg. Acorns are king often the deer don’t hit the agg till after dark as long as there is nuts on the ground. Does seem to shift bedding areas as they mop up the nuts making pre and post rut buck patterns more unpredictable. Years like this we take a super mobile aggressive approach especially during that Halloween window. Waiting for that perfect front or damp day. We scout hunt hang and hunt evening , leave the set hunt the morning. Pull the set and repeat. Same with seeking phase we have to stay on the does. Chasing we pick the thickest travel routes between doe home ranges. During peak rut receptive does will strut an oak flat back in the timber just like they would a agg field in ohio . It is definitely harder than where I hunt in ohio where it is 80% agg and 20% woods those deer almost read the script

[@markf2112]

Hey Bill. I hunt right across the river in Victory Wi. We have a low deer density as well with plenty of food in my area. I feel your pain.

[@davidwetenkamp1873]

You’re 100% correct!! Ponder this… 640 Acres can sustain 1000 cattle, 640 acres good deer habitat can handle 100 deer no problem :)

[@bill-winke]

That's where I expect to be eventually. I just want to get all my habitat projects established first. Especially the tree plantings. I should have all that done in a couple more years.

[@davidwetenkamp1873]

⁠Yes, they like destroying hard work 😢 You’re doing the right thing the right way.

[@WilliamAndesRealtor]

Thank you for the explanation Bill. Are there trespassers that you do not know about on the farm?

[@bill-winke]

I really don't think so. I know the neighbors all the way around pretty well and they are all good people. I seriously doubt there are trespassers. I guess that is one upside to buying in the area where you grew up - you know pretty much everyone. I am fourth generation in that county on both sides of my family so I am related to just about everyone. Have a great day.

[@84hounds]

I’m experiencing something very similar in SW Missouri. The deer are much more plentiful down here compared to what I’m used to in NW Missouri, yet are significantly harder to hunt. They simply have too much cover, and too many acorns to feel the need to move. The deer down here also appear to be “hermit” like, or at least avoid social interactions with other deer. Most of my sightings down here are singular does, with the occasional fawn. Which is very different than back home where it isn’t unusual to see 10-15 deer in one field at a time. Acorns in moderation are great, but a big oak timber makes these creatures tough to kill.

[@bill-winke]

I agree. That happened last year up in this area - millions of acorns on the ground and the deer didn't need to move. Good luck.

[@rickdotson7074]

I’m in Southeastern KY. The farm i hunt is the same, little to no daytime movement. That is also the majority of the conversations with others hunters i’ve talked to in this area.

[@KapperOutdoors2.0]

Great video Bill! I am experiencing the same things transitioning from our Illinois farm to our new Missouri Ozarks farm. I do wonder if the the hilly/mountainous terrain has anything to do with it? But they sure do act a lot different in different areas!! Good luck!!

[@bill-winke]

Thanks Joe. Yes for sure, the terrain has a huge effect on movement patterns. I hope you are doing well. Good luck.

[@Inglewood510]

From hunting a small property over 8 years. The best years were when I did a couple mineral sites in spring when snow came off. Those were the best years for big racked bucks.

[@jerimahjohnson8698]

Oh wow I been waiting for this one Send it sir

[@DougBlue-rv6pw]

Bill hunting van Buren and Davis in the early 2000s I'd see 70 or 80 deer in a field while hunting late season. It was staggering. If you go back to that time and fast forward play this to anyone else then they would say IMPOSSIBLE I think your take is a cross section of the entire midwest. If we don't do something now we will look back to this time and be like I wish some5would have spoke up. I'm glad you did

[@davidburley4196]

Bigger the challenge greater the reward!

[@kevinfowler6065]

This is an extremely thought provoking conclusion. I bet you said Ah ha! Out loud as this thought came together. I have one particular small kind of in the woods secluded food plot that I count on to get in the light activity, it’s been holding true again this year. But it’s rare that my other plots get much more than the last ten minutes of shooting light activity. I thought my area would fall into to high density status, subjectively speaking. Do you think terrain, the more pronounced, larger steeper etc bluff country has an impact on daylight activity?

[@daveguttormson6315]

My take is.., hilly terrain is simply harder to hunt then flat ground. Sure hope you fill your tag Bill.

[@JavinMullet]

I might be getting close to logging the same amount of time in a tree as you this year, and I would hate to figure it up. Here’s to late season. Good luck Bill!

[@bill-winke]

Good luck to you too Javin. Have a great late season.

[@mitchbryson859]

Great video Bill. I'm in a identical situation in Virginia on a couple thousands acres. If you ever want to brainstorm ideas give me a shout. Keep up the good work!

[@RushOutdoors]

Bill now my place is smaller than yours acreage wise but I noticed the same thing on year three of owning it. I have been here 5 yrs now and when I first bought the property there where lower deer numbers and it was raw untouched pretty much for deer hunting. There were some bigger bucks but less after doing many projects to help with hunting. Plots, TSI, and so on the deer numbers increased by year three. We would see plenty of deer a few good bucks for sure. But social stress I believe caused the same issue you have been seeing. I think with food everywhere they could live a stress free life and would move with less urgency for food for sure. Also the bigger bucks would only be around during the rut and prerut mostly. All of that being said over the last two years I have reduced food twice to reduce deer numbers, and to create less social stress on the herd. Mostly summer foods to help with less summer deer recruitment. This has improved the bucks and buck size meaning yrs of age and number of them on the property over the last two years. I am also very critical on the doe or antlerless population like you! I will take certain adult does. I try to do it by age group. But I am guessing on the older does for sure, but I will shoot a few doe fawns also just to try to keep the antlerless age structure as even as possible also with the does. I try to keep the doe groups in check with animals numbers from certain doe group territory, but that is difficult for sure. This has all helped my buck age structure coming on and off the property also having some pretty good neighbors with buck harvest helps also. Just my experience over the last 5yrs on this one property here in SW Wisco have a great day and good luck the rest of the season. Not that it matters but I have taken myself 5 PY bucks and one BC buck off of this property, and a couple of the guys that hunt with me have taken some great bucks also. Again good luck! Great video!

[@Jay-hu1pc]

2022 a lot of deer were coming out to foodplots late season. 2023 I experienced the same thing you did and hardly any deer came out to late season food plots and I really believe it was the acorns. 2024 so far I have had a lot of deer coming out into standing beans since it got cold. I think you will experience more deer moving into foodplots this year hopefully with all your food. Se mn is where I’m at. I think your farm will slowly get better and that will be a exciting journey

[@danielcourtright5659]

It may be that the deer on your new farm are not acclimated to feeding on food plots.They are still feeding on browse. The does teach their fawns to feed on the various foods available and it may take a few generations before your food plots are preferred over browse. Also high deer density causes a browse line around the fields and as the browse gets to high deer are forced to go to the corn and bean fields. I ran trail cameras an noticed that as I visited them over time the daylight activity diminished.

[@garretts1604]

Bill this video was great insight and yet another where you bring an unforeseen reality into discussion. I am curious if you will ("just") stick with shooting does and let your bucks gain age, or if there will be more property involvement to change things up. Also curious for your takes on making bedding in area with a lower density and limiting food to concentrate your buck feeding/opportunity.

[@markhawkins3183]

Thanks Bill!!

[@jbra2342]

I bought a farm in east central Illinois about the same time you bought your new farm. The similarities that you describe and what I experience are very similar. It’s feast or famine on deer. I simply don’t understand why I don’t see more deer. Pressure is next to none, I put in lots of food plots, but that seemed to have an opposite effect on seeing deer. I’m about to fold my hand and move on because the frustration and being so far from home isn’t worth it.

[@RobertP3373]

How is the neighborhood Bill? Is there no pressure? Are the neighbors highgrading the deer (shooting a lot of the deer with good potential at 3 1/2)?

[@andrewalbert6520]

That is a variable that I am curious about as well. The neighbor land hunting pressure could make a difference in both farms along with lower density.

[@GameTime-so3ek]

NE Iowa Bluff country bucks are different than South Iowa bucks. I know from 30 yrs experience. They don't come easy, making your show better than most right now. I would not shoot does. Must find several pinch points, the first sit odds drastically higher. Good Luck.

[@BucksNwalleyes]

Bill, in your situation can you explain why you still think shooting does is the right move here? My population is way down due to neighbors having ag tags for antlerless deer and with that our buck population is way down compared to 10 years ago.

[@bill-winke]

Your situation and mine are completely different. I am not telling anyone else what they should do. I am only telling people what I am doing. I know how fast populations can grow if you aren't keeping up. In fact, I doubt that I can shoot enough does to actually keep up as reluctant as these deer are to come out in the open. So, my goal is just to ease the population up slowly. I don't have the depredation tag issues around me so the neighbors aren't wiping them out. I have seen what happens if the population gets away and it is a ton of work to get it back down. I am just being careful not to let that happen on this farm. It will be a lot easier for me to increase the population if someday I decide I need to do that than it is to drop the population if I let it get too far ahead of me. Thanks for the comment.

[@PassionfortheWildandWonderful]

Do you think we have moved back to the point of mainly focusing on evening hunts?

[@bill-winke]

Yes, at least for me. It is really cold out there now too! I really appreciate the blinds as I get older and they are most productive near food so the evening hunts at this time of year near food are where you will find me - and I do think that is where most of the action will be too. Thanks for the comment.

[@daveschreier6019]

Good luck to you and Jordan! What do you think the deer harvest number per acre of woods should be each year?

[@WChrisHodges]

Remove some of the food and replace it with warm season grass. Might pull some of those deer off the ridges to bed closer to the food plots. My farm is surrounded by agriculture and the amount of deer using the CRP for cover and bedding is amazing.

[@CDP151]

Bill, I’m not sure if you said it already and I missed it, but what is the size difference in the two farms? I thought that your southern farm was around 1000 acres but I don’t remember the size of your current place. Also it will be very interesting to see the progress in a couple years from your work there.

[@bill-winke]

The new farm is 625 acres. I agree, the true test of this place will come in two years. That southern Iowa farm wasn't that awesome when I started putting it together. It was good, but not great. It took time and work (lots of TSI and food plot work). So it is not like we are comparing apples to apples. It will be interesting to see what the new farm turns into given the path I am on. A worthwhile experiment for sure. Thanks for the comment.

[@Nomorehandlenames9230]

Do you keep up with the going’s-on at your old farm with the new owner? Curious if it’s still a banger place to hunt as it used to be.

[@bill-winke]

I am not sure. I know the guy that bought it directly from me had a couple of good years. Then he sold it and the guy that bought it was just an investor so I doubt anything happened to improve the place. Now he has resold it and I am not sure who even owns it now. My guess is that the doe shooting stopped and if there was EHD that would have been OK, but if not, that place must be way over-run now. It was always a constant battle to keep the deer numbers in check. Have a great day and thanks for the comment.

[@stevemarod6162]

The only way I can explain it is you are too close to Minnesota on the new farm and our sucky hunting is affecting your farm. Ha! I was surprised you mentioned that you thought the deer down south were more stressed so came out earlier or during the day. Those deer back then did not look stressed, at least on the videos I saw. Great antler growth and big body sizes. Are you seeing more fat on the does you shoot on the new place compared to the old farm? I get that browse would be less quality, but with all the ag land around, carrying capacity is astronomically high. Interesting discussion though.

[@GoodTimeCatchers]

Iv got 36 acres and I never take any does. Nor ever will. Population inst high enough to support them. I plant around 3 acres of food every year and it’s never removed, corn, soybean, turnip/clover blends. I’m surrounded by ether farm land or hardwood. Most deer at one time has been around 13. Just wanted to share the info.

[@EdwardHans-eb2xx]

Having the same experience here on the farm, I hunt. I don't have much daytime activity even with the cold temps the last couple of days. However, the numbers overall on the farm seem down. Good luck.

[@HolezGT]

Would having a majority of the oaks logged help out so they use the AG and food plots more or do you think it would push them off to the neighbors? Just wondering what your thoughts were

[@bill-winke]

It would only push them off for the time the logging was taking place and then they would be back in the thick underbrush that would soon spring up. I don't think logging the oaks would create a net loss in food, maybe, but the open canopy would promote lots of underbrush (browse) to start growing. I also love these big oaks. It is one of the reasons I bought this farm. So I am not likely to log oaks anytime soon. But I do appreciate the comment the input. I hope you have a great day.

[@TheNewBowunter]

I had the same problem on the farm that I hunt in Virginia. Late August early September big bucks were everywhere. Then they disappeared and never came out to the bean field. Worst year of hunting ever.

[@BlueWidow2010]

Maybe you can save some money and time and plant less food. Or only put the food where it gives you the chances to hunt them. ie best entry and exit and the best wind. At least for one year.

[@Huntnfish74916]

Do you think if you cut back on the food plots and only had the naturally occurring food for the deer it would increase the deer sightings?

[@bill-winke]

I think it would be the same - I would just have to hunt back in the timber more (which is what I need to do now). I really want to see what happens when you create the perfect herd of super healthy deer and let them reach maturity. That is still my number one goal. Not sure it is attainable, but that is what I will strive for. Lots of food and a slowly increasing population with great habitat improvements along the way. That is the path, so I want to keep them over-fed so I can get the habitat I am planting to get established. If they are hungry, they will eat everything including the prime browse. I need to keep that from happening. It will be an interesting experiment, for sure. Have a great day.

[@Huntnfish74916]

@ improving the land will be an enjoyable endeavor I would think. I’m looking forward to seeing what happens there.

[@stevedenoyer5956]

Get snow yet? We have about 8-10” on the ground in MI

[@bill-winke]

We only got a skiff a couple of times. Nothing to measure. If I had snow, I do think these deer would hit the food plots harder. Have a great day Steve.

[@ebayollis]

If you.dont mind me asking, why did you sell your other farm?

[@bill-winke]

I wanted to move closer to family up in the area where I bought this farm.

[@ebayollis]

@bill-winke i understand that! Thanks for replying

[@stephenshultz8173]

We have found that sometimes the cell cameras miss deer going by so keep that in mind when checking pics

[@bill-winke]

I agree. There are definitely deer that don't show up on camera. Just because you don't have a picture doesn't mean they aren't there. Good point.

[@TimMaglio]

This year for me, I hunt SW Wisconsin, we have absolutely zero acorns this year. After a boom year last year. Really had minimal deer browsing. All were passing through to fields. I hunt 155 acres and do not put in food plots. Not sure how you acorn crop was or is.

[@robertpettit2636]

Bill south west wi this is the strangest year I have ever hunted.Since October deer movement has been very nocturnal.Most difficult year I have hunted in 40 years.I don’t know why my herd has a moderate density but there not hungry this year.

[@JVoss-ny2xg]

Do you think that breaking up the doe groups is the route to go when building the new farm? I would think that the stress would only increase? It's obvious the food is there so why not live by the, "build it and they will come"? Sometimes i feel like you're trying to manage the herd of Southern Iowa when the new farm isn't even established. I mentioned before the 3-5 years that it has taken farms that I've been on to really take hold after a big transition like this. I've questioned you shooting so many doe during this transition but maybe I'm wrong?

[@danieldahlin1937]

Same here in South Carolina No day time movement

[@Deerrus]

I have a horse farm and I have a significant amount of mature bucks who visit consistently year after year from October until early spring. This year has been an off year as I’m not seeing the density of deer and the mature bucks just aren’t showing up like they usually do. I don’t have an answer…..

[@BertsDad81]

The game managers for our county in IA sold basically unlimited doe tags for years then throw in a few EHD years and the herd is pretty much gone! Hunting was really fun in the 90s and early 2000s, buck only now for our 1st gun season. Lay off the ladies

[@jerimahjohnson8698]

No way The Drury Bros said shoot every doe you see to feed the hungry. Iowa is teetering on the verge of falling over

[@danieljaeger9800]

More deer equals more deer scent and adds more comfort and less fear as well to everything you already said . Maybe leave the doe alone till late season next few years.

[@kylewilliams6453]

I just wonder that the running of cattle for such a long period pushed the deer to different areas (odd patterns) and the deer still have not adjusted to the new food sources you have provided. There for the deer movement is not what one would expect. May take another 2-3 years for deer patterns to change.

[@melvinsacromentoe]

That’s an interesting thought

[@HolezGT]

I hunt a working cattle farm that is fazing from cattle to row crops due to farmers age. Cattle do have a huge impact on how deer move

[@BradleyWarner6868]

Only thing I see is too many food sources and too many does taken, maybe turn your bigger food sources to crp, make small kill plots inside the cover! Great video and info!

[@bill-winke]

It will work its way out over time. It takes a few years to create good food plots from nothing and by the time I get the plots in good shape and keep "trying" to shoot enough does, the population will have increased anyway - despite my efforts. I also need a few years to get all my habitat work done before the deer are numerous and try to eat that stuff as fast as I plant it. Thanks for the comment.

[@WatchBradWork]

Do you think it is even possible to recreate the deer density from your Southern Iowa properties? To go even farther, do you feel you created it in Southern Iowa in the first place or did you hunt per the conditions? The size and quality of the bucks you shot in Southern Iowa didn't reflect an unhealthy herd, so there must be other factors besides sheer numbers. Good reflective questions to ask.

[@bill-winke]

Brad, that farm had many aspects that I need to cover in detail because to try to do justice to the dynamics in that area in a short reply would be impossible. There were already tons of deer there when I bought it (actually when I started putting it together). I was a small part owner of a 3,600 acre property (with 400 leased - that's right, 4,000 acres of contiguous hunting land) just a mile away. I decided I wanted my own land so I sold my part ownership and kept buying in the area I finally put together. There were so many deer there when I started that it was hard to farm that area. I went through a few tenant farmers along the way before I just planted all the tillable to food plots and left them. Even then (with roughly 150 acres of planted plots) the deer ate all of it during the winter. My friends and direct neighbors started shooting the does hard and got the population a bit lower and totally reversed the buck to doe ratio so there were way more bucks than does. That was the stage for 2011 when the farm was so good. I could not recreate that exact dynamic here because it required the element of a high population surrounding me so I could import the bucks that dispersed from their ground. As I mentioned, the dynamics there were very unique. I was providing good nutrition except on drought years when things really went bad. The heyday was 2011. Some time I will do an episode about what led to that. I truly think that farm was the best in the country at that time. It was really awesome, but it took 9 years to get there! Anyway, long answer to a short question. I will cover this in more detail during the gun season break here in a few days. Have a great day.

[@WatchBradWork]

@bill-winke thanks, Bill. Appreciate your answer. Looking forward to episodes you are working on

[@dwbowhunterable]

Would love to hear Don Higgins, Jeff Sturgis, Dr Woods opinions on this same issue. Wonder if you can get some agreement, or differing views.

[@stephenP-g4x]

Do you think that your new farm had a lot of hunting pressure on it prior to you purchasing it. And that the majority of deer on the property are still conditioned to the high pressure. I believe is that after 6 or 7 years of low hunting pressure the deer will become more active during daylight.

[@bill-winke]

I think it had a lot of gun pressure (deer drives) but not much bow pressure. There were very few deer here and almost no mature bucks. You may be right. It will be interesting to see, but for sure, those southern Iowa deer poured out in the evenings. I remember one time coming back in from hunting one of the farms in that area and I told the other guys that I had not seen anything. They just stared at me. They thought it was impossible to hunt that area without seeing deer.

[@stephenpate3448]

@@bill-winke You are blessed to be able to hunt the areas you do, I have hunted my home state of Alabama for 35 years now. I ran a hunting club from 2011 to 2022. It had a lot of pressure when we picked up the lease, for the first 4 years we killed 4 bucks (4 1/2 year olds) and 77 doe. We did not allow any does to be shot with a firearm on the food plots. It took us 5 years to change the mentality of the deer. After the 5th year our daylight deer sighting increased dramatically. I always assumed it just took that long to change the mentality of highly pressured deer.

[@Whitetailpursuer]

I absolutely agree with you on that. Bill, I believe is going through the same situation. The does train her fawns to feed like she does. If a person wants deer in their plots they mustn’t shoot deer in their plots until many years down the road and then only when the occasion is right. A good deer farm can make a novice hunter look like a expert. A mediocre farm will separate a expert from a wanna-be. Bill will struggle but I have all the confidence that he and his plan will succeed! Good luck.

[@troyboulware3518]

Bill if you get 2 alpacas, 5 goats and 6 sheep around your buildings 🦙🦙🐐🐐🐐🐐🐐🐑🐑🐑🐑🐑🐑…you’ll see more daylight deer activity, I guarantee it! 😂

[@bill-winke]

Definitely worth the investment. Thanks for the comment.

[@stevenr3134]

I was wondering what your thoughts were on the difference between Southern Iowa and where you are now. Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I will say though that the property I hunt in Southern Iowa has shown a severe decline in deer density. As to stress if your Southern Iowa farm had food left over then IMHO the deer weren’t stressed

[@bill-winke]

But they didn't have food left over. Most years my food plots were gone by the end of the season. One year I planted 120 acres (yes, that is not a typo) of food plots (92 acres of standing beans) and it was gone by spring!

[@PhillipCole-w1e]

Bill can you do a follow up on the acorn trees you guys planted in 22

[@bill-winke]

We will definitely do a follow-up this coming spring. We planted a bunch of them (just as many) in '23 also. Have a great day.

[@searchingfor6thgear44]

Sounds like some aggressive TSI (😉) work to create more access to the timber for stands and shooting lanes this February…

[@jrwstl02]

And patience. Opening up the timber will pay dividends, but it takes time. Possibly several years to get the woody browse coming on good.

[@shaewright2123]

Do you think the time comes when you just sell and try to find another farm that provides the hunting you’re looking for?

[@bill-winke]

I think this one will keep getting better. I will give it at least two more seasons before I start to think about that. There are a lot of nice young bucks here that will real dandies in a couple years. This episode was more about trying to understand what these deer are doing and not so much about whether I am disappointed in this new farm. It definitely has me confused sometimes, but I am starting to figure it out - I think.

[@shaewright2123]

@@bill-winke I guess the reason I asked that is as you've mentioned before about that area not having any real management if lets say 2-3 years from now it's hard to grow deer 5+ years old because of neighboring pressure is that when you start the search for a new farm in a better neighborhood.

[@transamguy9073]

Bill you wouldnt beleive how many deer that will walk within 10yds kf a cam and not be on it. I feel like i missed alot of good hunting this yr waiting on my target bucks to daylight. Ive been going out these last few days and im seeing deer in bow range that are not on my cell cams

[@alexpinnow6509]

Good video Bill. Does this situation frustrate you or excite you for the potential impact that you can have on this farm? I find it hard to believe that all the work you're putting in will not lead to some big deer growing with time.

[@bill-winke]

I am excited about the young bucks that are here now - some really nice 3 year olds, but a bit frustrated by the fact that are not more mature bucks here right now. I think that has me confused/perplexed more than anything else. Why aren't there more mature bucks in this area? Have a great day.

[@alexpinnow6509]

@bill-winke appreciate the feedback. Odd how you closed the deal on some very good bucks the last 2 years and all of a sudden the well runneth dry. Really enjoyed the podcast you did with Huntr guys that discussed some of this too, excited to see what comes while I continue to dream big and build some farm history!

[@sheltonheath9165]

Are You sure You don’t have a poacher problem ? Some guys here in eastern NC went to Iowa a couple years ago and got into major poaching problems & wildlife violations. If I had the farms You have in Iwoa I would not be giving out as much information as You do about locations, etc. Too many poachers all across the country giving hunters a bad reputation. I hope You don’t have the aforementioned problems. Good luck & God bless Y’all 🦌🦌🦌

[@bill-winke]

I don't think so, Shelton, but I would not totally rule it out. I hear shooting, but it is usually associated with a series of shots like someone shooting at a target. I have good neighbors, so I don't think this is happening.

[@mikemellon80]

Maybe TSI isn’t as good/beneficial for a farm with lots of food plot acreage?

[@bill-winke]

Again, we are talking about the tradeoff between what is best for the deer and what is best for the hunter. I am going to choose what is best for the deer on this farm and see what I can grow. It will take a couple more years to find out for sure, but there are a bunch of really nice 3 year olds here that all have the potential to be awesome if they survive. The real test of my experiment here will come in two years. Thanks for the comment.

[@mikemellon80]

@ I hear you. You are building something different than the average hunter

[@boknows2188]

Bill, it will never be southern Iowa, but southern Iowa has also taken a big hit especially in your old neighborhood in Monroe county. Hunting pressure way up and deer numbers are way down!

[@bill-winke]

Really? I didn't think it was possible for that area to ever drop in deer numbers short of another hit of EHD. Man, we fought that place. I remember one year between me, my friends and my neighbor we shot over 60 does on that farm! And the next year we shot something like 35 to 40 more! That area was over-run with deer. When I sold it, the farm was starting to get back to those high numbers again. It was a constant battle except after the EHD years.

[@jeffkilburg1998]

I’d really like to see a few different things next season to test out this theory: Reduce food plot expansiveness, increase foodplot diversity. Those big oak ridges leave so much food on banner acorn years, and if there’s not pressure in some of those areas, a deer really doesn’t have to move very far for food, water, and cover. I am wondering if you get food which has a different draw for time of the year, does it help? And for the times that it doesn’t, do you have to find ways to get more creative and aggressive? I’d like to think they’re on their feet in daylight in their core area, but there’s really not much to make them move from there.

[@bill-winke]

They have definitely shown a preference for those areas I planted to Imperial Whitetail Clover. There were some very impressive trails leading to those plots so I am going to increase the number of clover plots as a minimum. Also, you do bring up a good point. With moderate deer numbers, I am not sure they eat all the acorns even on an average mast year. This farm might have 40,000 oak trees on it. It is loaded up with oak. When you look at that drone footage, most of the trees you are seeing are oak. That might be a bigger part of the reason they don't come out to food than I had even considered. Good point.

[@jeffkilburg1998]

I was hunting some public land recently here in IL, and was using a firearm which afforded me some flexibility on how aggressive I was. However, I snuck into a ridge setup that was a natural travel corridor between two private parcels. What I noted upon sneaking into that setup was the amount of traffic which those ridges had seen by deer. The leaves were smashed down and quiet to walk on. Those ridges also had a tremendous amount of acorn crop this year. Near this same area, I hunted late season several years back in which temperatures dipped to -10 and snow cover was 6” deep. Those deer were piling into ridge tops in the evening and tearing through snow to get to acorns. This is why I brought it up. Knowing what this area of Iowa has a tremendous volume of hardwood oak ridges (even without an aerial), I could see deer simply not needing to move. However, as we know, deer are grazing animals by nature. And this is where I think the diversity of food could be crucial. You mentioned clover had a big draw; I wonder if other greens as well would impact it? Acorns are similar to grains like corn/beans, as they’re loaded with carbohydrates, and are likely more impactful than standing row crop given the plentiful nature of them. But perhaps thinks like oats, winter wheat, brassicas, etc., could be a viable option. I also don’t know the circumstances of the row crop (could be cash rented, or income sharing), so I could be completely off base in suggesting to reduce row crop.

[@donaldbowling8620]

Bill I believe you touched on this last year as far as your food quantity. IMO, you have too much food for the deer you have. My buddy had the same problems your experiencing and cut his food in half. He even tilled under food last year to see if it would make difference. Guess what it did. Concentrated the deer in more areas and not so far spread out. This year he planted half of the normal quantities and it’s like a total different farm. Obviously there’s a lot of variables that can play into this scenario, I’m betting you’re experiencing the same issue. Anyway, good luck. Love your content and keep dreaming. BIG!!

[@bill-winke]

I agree with that. Especially last year with all the acorns. This farm has so many oak trees that I think even on an average year there are still enough acorns for many months - along with the natural browse. It will be interesting to see what happens if we get some serious snow. I bet those food plots start to really pull deer then. Have a great day and thanks for the comment.

[@tysonames5016]

What if you didn’t shoot does on the new farm for a few years…

[@MollyDogg1234]

I just plain don't think you have nearly the amount of deer, for whatever reason, as your old farm had. Maybe you need to lay off the doe killing for awhile? If I had such a low population, I wouldn't be killing does for quite some time, but that's just me. You're a smart guy, and I have 100% confidence you'll figure it out....or sell the place for a better location! Haha!

[@bradhackett4078]

I was thinking the exact same thing but I'm sure he knows what he's doing. Seems he def don't have as many bucks particularly mature

[@tomlinjohn391]

Bill, is it access? You seem to always drive down the middle of the property?

[@jfreak7589]

Maybe you could do a collaboration with Bowmar and ask if you could hunt one of his places.

[@bill-winke]

I will be just fine here. It just takes time.

[@kristopherbrissenden362]

Bill I love that your honest and I really think your farm will turn around if you give it time. Hunting big hill country timber is the hardest hunting there is. IMO.

[@dereknappier8651]

Bill, I think you bought a lemon. I don't think you have the number of deer as other farms in the area, but more importantly I just don't think the ground you have is conducive to good hunting. I think once the leaves get off the trees there is no good way for you to hunt them without the deer seeing you. Hope I am wrong, but I don't think so.

[@melvinsacromentoe]

More bedding and less food maybe? Would it be worth not shooting any does going forward? It seems like you are doing everything possible to make a deer Mecca I’m surprised you haven’t been having more success yet

[@archersexton1009]

Gonna have to create new access routes in and out.back side.

[@bill-winke]

I know people like to say that (and I am working on it), but these were cell cameras set on plots that had not been hunted. It is not like the deer are feeling pressure and that is why they are staying in cover. There has been absolutely no pressure on them all year and yet they are still nocturnal in those plots! Very unique behavior from my experience.

[@aarongoeppner413]

Do you enjoy hunting as much whenever you aren’t seeing hardly any deer even though the bucks could grow to be bigger? Just wondering. Waiting to hear that the Jordan buck is down! Good luck Bill

[@bill-winke]

That is the real question. I still think this farm is two years away and to judge it too soon is a mistake. I will wait until more of the bucks here are (or should be) in the mature age classes.

[@aarongoeppner413]

@ looking forward to seeing what the 5 year plan looks like and following along

[@edwardclark5211]

Dream Big brother 🙏

[@johnray3927]

I think your property is just a travel corridor. And it is mainly at night.

[@bill-winke]

That is definitely a good point. Just because they aren't on camera doesn't mean they aren't there. Very good point.

[@Scott-ol9zs]

Allamakee and Clayton Co. deer population down 50% DNR not helping matters to many extra seasons