Post Season Deer Management

Now is the time to look back on the season that was and begin planning for next season. This week we’re in Illinois with Ross and Derek to take time to reflect on this past season, it’s successes, and failures. Now that the season has ended in Illinois, they assess their Pennington foodplots and begin planning for next year’s plantings.

It’s also time to look back on the past hunting season and the deer for next year. As most hunters do, Ross and Derek spent countless hours sifting through thousands of trail camera photos and name their bucks. One in particular, “It’s a Boy”, showed up repeatedly in a food plot that Derek was hunting during the late season. He never would present a shot, but this deer is one that many hunters dream of. As the season ended, Ross stumbled upon a deer carcass that had just recently shed his antlers. Looking at the jawbone leads us to believe the deer was 5+ years old. Unfortunately, it is a possibility that “It’s a Boy” could have been the deer Ross found. Even the best laid management plans can be trumped by mother nature. Time will tell if “It’s a Boy” has made it through the season and will be at the top of the hit list for Ross and Derek next year.