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Crazy Idea for Hunting from Front Porch

I am looking for land in Eastern Washington or North Idaho. Most of what I can afford is totally undeveloped, so I would be starting with a clean slate. What if I were to develop the land in such a way that it would attract whitetail deer, and I could fill my chest freezer with venison without ever having to leave my property.

After all, what do deer really want? A source of water? Easy! Just make a large pond. Protective cover? Easy! Plant some fast-growing poplars while waiting for the evergreens to reach suitable heights. Winter food? No Problem! Just plant the right species of fir and pine trees. Summer food? Select a good forage crop that grows well under the trees.

It seems like you could develop a Garden of Eden for the deer, with the understanding that a small sacrifice must be paid once every year. Has anyone ever tried this before?
 
It seems like you could develop a Garden of Eden for the deer, with the understanding that a small sacrifice must be paid once every year. Has anyone ever tried this before?

My buddy has it all right behind his house and his goofy wife makes him go somewhere else to hunt. I’d have to pull rank but she’s got leverage. Lol
 
First of all it would be slaughtering not hunting, what you are looking for has no relationship at all to hunting. Why not just put up a panel corral and have someone haul in a cow, put it in the corral and shoot it- better meat and you won't have to go to the trouble of building the habitat to entice the deer. Oh yeah - you could also have the local butcher on speed dial so he could come out, pick it up and haul it back to the shop to skin and process it.

Oh yes, after you shoot your rifle be sure to take it to the local gunshop to have it cleaned - after all why not stay as disconnected as possibe from the hunting process.
 
First of all it would be slaughtering not hunting, what you are looking for has no relationship at all to hunting. Why not just put up a panel corral and have someone haul in a cow, put it in the corral and shoot it- better meat and you won't have to go to the trouble of building the habitat to entice the deer. Oh yeah - you could also have the local butcher on speed dial so he could come out, pick it up and haul it back to the shop to skin and process it.

Oh yes, after you shoot your rifle be sure to take it to the local gunshop to have it cleaned - after all why not stay as disconnected as possibe from the hunting process.

Kinda like shooting a pile of PD and gophers
 
First of all it would be slaughtering not hunting, what you are looking for has no relationship at all to hunting. Why not just put up a panel corral and have someone haul in a cow, put it in the corral and shoot it- better meat and you won't have to go to the trouble of building the habitat to entice the deer. Oh yeah - you could also have the local butcher on speed dial so he could come out, pick it up and haul it back to the shop to skin and process it.

Oh yes, after you shoot your rifle be sure to take it to the local gunshop to have it cleaned - after all why not stay as disconnected as possibe from the hunting process.

I get no joy from stalking animals or watching them suffer. Hunting for the sport of it is less interesting to me than putting food on the table. I don't have a problem with those who live for the hunt, but it just isn't my style. I fish for wild trout because they are healthier and taste better than the supermarket, and I would take a deer burger over a beef burger any day. Is it a sin to suggest that I enjoy having deer around my property, but I also want to eat them?
 
I’m guilty of planting food plots too. And hunting over them! The smaller properties have to compete with larger agricultural farms by providing a food source or there’s nothing there for the wildlife. It’s actually a requirement by the state for CRP qualification and must be maintained. These smaller fields contribute to wildlife dispersion to prevent over hunting a single food source.

The original CRP program which required mowing half each year became a wildlife disaster and wiped out the quail and rabbit population. It developed a predator habitat and the crop lands had to resort to extermination of deer. They learned some hard lessons over that 20yr period and now have a wildlife friendly program.
 
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First of all it would be slaughtering not hunting, what you are looking for has no relationship at all to hunting. Why not just put up a panel corral and have someone haul in a cow, put it in the corral and shoot it- better meat and you won't have to go to the trouble of building the habitat to entice the deer. Oh yeah - you could also have the local butcher on speed dial so he could come out, pick it up and haul it back to the shop to skin and process it.

Oh yes, after you shoot your rifle be sure to take it to the local gunshop to have it cleaned - after all why not stay as disconnected as possibe from the hunting process.
Come on, cut the man at least a little slack. He is after all building a pond, and planting shelter & food plots. That's way more than the corn pile and feeder crew does. Now I'm with you on hunting, I love spot and stalk and even deer drives. The Pursuit Channel bait hunts are pretty boring. Not for me, but to each his own. As a Matter of full disclosure, I plant food plots also. It's pretty futile here though until the crops are harvested. We have a lot of bow season before that happens. Even then there are still hayfields and such. Also, I think many of us like planting crops and watching them grow.
 
I am looking for land in Eastern Washington or North Idaho. Most of what I can afford is totally undeveloped, so I would be starting with a clean slate. What if I were to develop the land in such a way that it would attract whitetail deer, and I could fill my chest freezer with venison without ever having to leave my property.

After all, what do deer really want? A source of water? Easy! Just make a large pond. Protective cover? Easy! Plant some fast-growing poplars while waiting for the evergreens to reach suitable heights. Winter food? No Problem! Just plant the right species of fir and pine trees. Summer food? Select a good forage crop that grows well under the trees.

It seems like you could develop a Garden of Eden for the deer, with the understanding that a small sacrifice must be paid once every year. Has anyone ever tried this before?

Here's the proverbial fly in the oinkment......



I have had exactly this situation for as long as I've been able to pick up a BB gun. In simple fact, myself and my kids have had permission (orders more like) to shoot the deers in the yard with the same BB guns to keep 'em out of Mama's roses.

Last yr my son-in-law was lamenting that "he was working so much (construction) that he didn't have time to get any meat"

I looked at him sideways and said "if it's really MEAT you want, just shoot one in the yard!" Ten minutes later, LITERALLY ten minutes later he laced one with his Mathews and was dragging out to the range to butcher.

My kids have had the same option basically all their lives..... a couple have arrowed a deer. Many of the local deer have holes in their ears because that's how we get them away from the targets when we're shooting, shoot a hole thru their ear.......

I've never shot and killed one myself. I remember my little brother useta' call me from the shooting bench, "hey, you feel like gutting a deer? This guy won't get off the range" and my answer was always "nope."

It's simple butchery.

It's not "hunting" nor is it "fun" once't ya' have it.

I'm a complete idiot because I'll happily spend mucho dinero and drive for days, sleep in the rain and spend endless misery packing meat out and getting it home safe.

When I could've just shot one out my bedroom window.

It's lovely to live in the heart of game country. I've got deers and cats and bears and elks on my driveway. Google my address 20211 NE Yacolt Mountain Road to see that I live in 10,000 acres of God's Own Country.

But it just ain't fun to shoot your own deers!

I've got nothing against it. I'm ALL FOR IT! But it's just not fun. I'm so bad that we were backpack bowhunting the The Eagle Cap and Strawberry Wilderness areas for nearly two fruitless weeks when a farmer invited us in. "40-50 elk in this field every night, a 7pt herd bull and at least 5 other branched antler bulls"......"You'se just set behind them round bales and in the last hour before dark you can plug a trophy when it walks by".....

We set.

We set up about 3:00

We set for prolly 40 minutes....

Then we looked at each other and at the same time we all stood up and LAFFED and shook our heads and walked back to the truck.

It ain't fun to shoot thy neighbor's animals neither!

We went home empty that year.
 
There's always the chance that you get to used to seeing the deer, watching them grow and noting their development, and decide that you are too attached to them to take one. I have 3 huge gobblers like that now that I have watched from poults to to 3 years old. Plus I have learned so much by watching them.
 
Here's the proverbial fly in the oinkment......



I have had exactly this situation for as long as I've been able to pick up a BB gun. In simple fact, myself and my kids have had permission (orders more like) to shoot the deers in the yard with the same BB guns to keep 'em out of Mama's roses.

Last yr my son-in-law was lamenting that "he was working so much (construction) that he didn't have time to get any meat"

I looked at him sideways and said "if it's really MEAT you want, just shoot one in the yard!" Ten minutes later, LITERALLY ten minutes later he laced one with his Mathews and was dragging out to the range to butcher.

My kids have had the same option basically all their lives..... a couple have arrowed a deer. Many of the local deer have holes in their ears because that's how we get them away from the targets when we're shooting, shoot a hole thru their ear.......

I've never shot and killed one myself. I remember my little brother useta' call me from the shooting bench, "hey, you feel like gutting a deer? This guy won't get off the range" and my answer was always "nope."

It's simple butchery.

It's not "hunting" nor is it "fun" once't ya' have it.

I'm a complete idiot because I'll happily spend mucho dinero and drive for days, sleep in the rain and spend endless misery packing meat out and getting it home safe.

When I could've just shot one out my bedroom window.

It's lovely to live in the heart of game country. I've got deers and cats and bears and elks on my driveway. Google my address 20211 NE Yacolt Mountain Road to see that I live in 10,000 acres of God's Own Country.

But it just ain't fun to shoot your own deers!

I've got nothing against it. I'm ALL FOR IT! But it's just not fun. I'm so bad that we were backpack bowhunting the The Eagle Cap and Strawberry Wilderness areas for nearly two fruitless weeks when a farmer invited us in. "40-50 elk in this field every night, a 7pt herd bull and at least 5 other branched antler bulls"......"You'se just set behind them round bales and in the last hour before dark you can plug a trophy when it walks by".....

We set.

We set up about 3:00

We set for prolly 40 minutes....

Then we looked at each other and at the same time we all stood up and LAFFED and shook our heads and walked back to the truck.

It ain't fun to shoot thy neighbor's animals neither!

We went home empty that year.

No problem with your perspective at all. I like the idea of an adventure. Maybe after a few years of hunting, I might crave the sport, as well. For now, I need the deer tag to pay for itself. I grew up in Vancouver and worked in Yacolt. You can't imagine how jealous I am of that land, but I sure as hell do not miss the grey skies and drizzle.
 
There's always the chance that you get to used to seeing the deer, watching them grow and noting their development, and decide that you are too attached to them to take one. I have 3 huge gobblers like that now that I have watched from poults to to 3 years old. Plus I have learned so much by watching them.

I fully accept that it is a strong possibility. I have sparrows, mourning doves, quail, black birds, yellow jackets, honey bees, lady bugs, preying mantis, and a number of pests in my garden. I enjoy watching all of them. Whatever damage they do to my garden is nothing compared to the benefit. Wouldn't be surprised if I decide to not hunt on my own land, but it would be fun to try.
 
No problem with your perspective at all. I like the idea of an adventure. Maybe after a few years of hunting, I might crave the sport, as well. For now, I need the deer tag to pay for itself. I grew up in Vancouver and worked in Yacolt. You can't imagine how jealous I am of that land, but I sure as hell do not miss the grey skies and drizzle.
LOL!!

Yup, it rains half the year and suns the other half. And no different than when you lived here..... when it thunders they talk about it on the news :) People out here worry more than anywhere else about getting struck by lightning, cuz they've never SEEN lightning!

My problem is, I DON'T like deer meat. Well really, I don't like SAME meat over and over...... I've made the mistake of buying halves or whole cows and pigs before too and been sick of them by the time they were gone.
 
When I catch too many Chinook Salmon and Halibut in a season I feel bad but I still eat it.:cool:
OK OK let me be CLEAR!

I can eat beef every day..... just not from the same cow

I can eat bacon every day..... just needs to be from differn't pigs

Chicken? Same thing.... gotta be from different chickens

And salmons and halibuts???? Ain't NEVER caught one big enough I got sick of it. (Couple times on sturgeon but we'll keep that secret....)
 
I personally don't see anything wrong with this. If you had a tag for a deer, go right ahead. By planting food for them you are helping the rest of the deer.

I have a spot for deer hunting that allows me to walk out of the camper and pick my deer. Is this better because I spend 3 hours driving there?
 

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