Antelope Creek Wildlife & Ponds
"Specializing in Managing and Developing Fish and Wildlife Populations
and their Habitats and Providing Land Management Services so you can
get the most Enjoyment and Profitability out of your Property"

ESTABLISHED 2012
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Form Neighborhood Coop's for Better Hunting

4/28/2016

 
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Although a great looking buck with much character, we judged this deer to be 2.5 years old on the hoof and elected to let him walk. Never saw this deer before this night nor any trail cam pictures.
Turkey and morel season are in full swing! As you are out walking your property scouting for turkeys and looking for mushrooms you can’t help but think of fall and dream of where you might get a shot on that buck of a lifetime. Then you think, well the neighbors may have shot the deer I let go, or you harvest a buck in fear that a neighbor won’t let him go another year, that’s a whole other topic, but why not change these attitudes and help work to make your dreams of harvesting a big buck more realistic.

Many times I hear that people don’t even know what their neighbors hunting goals and aspirations are. In reality your neighbor may have many of the same goals as you but may hunt differently due to the way they may perceive that you hunt. Take the time to go visit with your neighbors about the past hunting season, compare notes and compare goals. Show trail camera pictures. You might be surprised how much you have in common with each other.
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Forming a cooperative can be one of the best ways for landowners with less than say 200 acres to have experiences and possibilities of hunting thousands of managed acres by combining efforts and communicating with neighbors. Get all the neighbors together for a barbecue or meet at a local establishment to discuss everyone ambitions. Share photos of past seasons, talk about habitat and herd size. Does everyone think there are too many deer? Maybe not enough deer for everyone likes.

Once this is done you could have a wildlife manager come in and discuss how to meet the goals of the cooperative. Maybe trail camera surveys need to be done or habitat projects implemented and new food plot strategies. Combining more acres with neighbors you can utilize the most potential for the area not just one property.

One may be surprised how much they have in common with a neighbor for specific hunting strategies and dreams. So get out there and visit with each other to form better hunting for everyone involved. Maybe some won’t want to partake at first, but after a few years of even 2 neighbors working together and showing results maybe more neighbors that are seeing those results will start to join in. Even if they don’t want to join initially try to involve them with what is going on. Maybe not just show pictures of deer that have been harvested from the efforts but a better impact may be the deer you are letting walk to grow another year or two.

Remember to plan and manage today for a better tomorrow!

Brett Kleinschmit

Fish Harvest in Your Ponds

4/12/2016

 
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I can’t tell you how many people I talk with who ask me why they aren’t catching big fish in their pond anymore. The story is normally the same; we had good fishing with big fish for a few years but have been consistently getting to be smaller fish caught. When I ask how many fish they harvest or have harvested over the years the answer is generally the same. None, no fish have been harvested and I am asked why would I harvest the fish if I want them to grow big?

Well sometime between 3 and 4 years after the initial stocking is the time to start harvesting fish in your water body to keep a healthy balanced system capable of growing large fish. When to remove fish and the size of fish to remove greatly depends on each individual’s goals for their fishery. Generally you want to try and not harvest the original fish that you stocked but the ones recruited into the population after the original stocking. This will take about 3 years to start that process.

Generally you will know when you need to start harvesting fish. As I stated above once you begin to notice weight gains slowing or decreasing as with lengths, it is time to start harvesting. You never want to harvest the biggest fish for they have the potential to grow into those large fish. In most cases these are the male fish in bass. Once you see species that won’t necessarily reproduce but compete for food, such as catfish, reaching about 2 pounds you want to start harvesting them. With species like bluegill you never want to harvest the biggest fish for they are the nest protecting males. Harvest the individuals the size class smaller.

Having the right harvest strategy is important to growing and maintaining a healthy fishery with trophy potential. It must be done. When you see thin or sick looking individuals harvest them so there is more food available for the other healthy fast growing fish. What a better way to have a hands on approach to your fish management and be able to put food on the table of in the freezer at the same time.

Remember to manage today for a better tomorrow!

Brett Kleinschmit

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    Brett Kleinschmit

     Owner of Antelope Creek Wildlife and Ponds.

    Land Specialist for Whitetail Properties Real Estate

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