Bucks from Southeast Missouri

My dad killed his first, and his biggest whitetail in 1967, and ever since then he was a hooked whitetail hunter. I starting tagging along with my dad at the age of 4, and by the age of 7, I was able to take my first whitetail (big button buck!!! ). Every one of us had the dream to kill big whitetails, but being in SE MO, it is not a well known "big buck" place on the map.

There was always one or two big ones (155" plus) at the check stations, but the majority of deer were in the 100-120 inch range. One thing that my dad and I started noticing, more of my dad than me, that all of these bucks were young deer (3 1/2 year olds or younger). So the actual potential was there to grow bigger deer, but just like anything else, they needed the nutrition and the time to get old. We are fortunate enough to own quite a bit of ground down there, which is all timber, cattle pastures and hay fields.

I think I'll have the dates correct, but I think it was around 1994 when my dad started managing for whitetails. The only problems is, in timber country, when you have a booming acorn crop, the deer will head to the big timbers and have no ryme or reason where they go. There is food everywhere, so there is no need to move very far. When the acorn crop was slim, our hay fields would be full of deer every day, from mid October on till April of the following year. So we had to take advantage of the slim acorn crop years to be successfull on what we wanted to accomplish. Anyone who hunts mature deer, know that once a mature buck finds a secure area with food, he will visit it regularly, or even stay in the area. In 1995, we had a slim to none acorn year. That same year, we replanted 3 of our bigger hay fields, at my dads home property. This was a perfect time to start the management program.

Not only did we have acres and acres of lush new growth clover, we had a numerous amount of food plots. The deer were pouring into our farms by the dozens. I had never seen so many deer in fields, and never in my life had I seen so many bucks in one field, besides on tv. That was when my dad made the decision to stay out of the farm, and not hunt it. It sounds silly, but read on.

After the winter, dad and I planted some high protien, spring and summer plots for the deer. We started feeding shelled corn and soybean protien in the off season as well. It is illegal to hunt over bait in Missouri, but it is legal to feed during the off season. We also improved habitat where we could, cattle were our number 1 priority, not deer. With our spring and summer plots, plus the supplimental feeding, we starting noticing more deer becoming local to our farms, and more "mature" bucks hanging around. We also had to become very disaplined in what we were shooting. Now, being from SE MO, none of us had a wall full of giant whitetails, but we did have a pretty impressive wall of 120's and the occasional 130. I remember the first year, having to let a 135 inch deer walk, because he was a young buck. It almost killed me and I immediatly started to hate our "plan". It was almost 4 years before we started killing good deer, after we started our management program. But today, our farms have become some of the best places to hunt, and yes, its in SE Missouri.

Even on big acorn crop years, deer leave, but that is not always a bad thing. When there is a huge acorn crop, deer harvest are way down, because deer are very, very hard to pattern, rut seems to be totaly nocturnal, and there is enough big timbers down there, where bucks can hide out and become mature. But they always seem to remember where the food source and security is, even if they have been gone for a couple of years.

I guess the whole reason behind this post is, I was reading one of the "big buck management" magazines today, and they stated that location was the number one thing to being able to kill big deer. Thats not true. To many states have the mentallity of, "well if I don't kill that buck, someone will, so it may as well be me" attitude, and I can tell you this, if you kill that buck, he will never have a flyin chance of becomeing a mature animal. Any area is capible of producing big deer. Now, will our southeat MO farm ever be as good as southern Iowa? No, it will never be to the point of where we pass 150 inch deer, waiting on a b and C caliber buck. But when did a mature 150 inch deer become a not so good buck? Thats a good deer by my standards, no matter where you are at. That article just rubbed me the wrong way, the so called experts in there said, that some area's, just aren't capable of producing big whitetails. Well, if by big, they mean 170 inch plus deer, then yes I will agree with them, but if they mean mature bucks sporting 150 inches of antler, then no, I will never agree with them.

Number 1 thing to growing big whitetails is nutrition, nutrition, nutrition, then they need to get to at LEAST 4 1/2, with 5 1/2 being a better age. So if you are in an area not known for big whitetails, start your own management system. Make refuge's where deer feel secure 100% of the time. Keep year round nutrition out for them, and make sure it is high in digestible fats and protien. If your in the so called labeled "non big buck zone", you can lease large tracts of ground for little to nothing. If you can control 3-450 acres, that is enough ground to have a good management program where you can do numerous amounts of year round food plots, and supplimental feedings if the law allows. You have that, you will have mature bucks to chase in the future, and I can tell you it only gets better the longer you do it.


Sorry for the ramblings, that magazine just rubbed me the wrong way. And for the midwest hunters on here, I haven't said anything that all of you don't already know. Matter of fact, it takes alot less ground in the midwest corn belt (Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, ect. ect.) to give bucks a chance at being mature.

Here are some pics of the deer we have taken off of our farm down south. Again, an area that is labeled "non big buck zone". Not to bad if I say so myself. Not all are giants, but all are nice bucks that anyone would be happy to take in my opinion. Wouldn't you know it, 2 of the best bucks killed off of our farms, I don't have pictures of in my photobucket account. Guess I'll have to look through the photo's around the house and get the scanner out.

5 1/2 year old

7 1/2 year old

6 1/2 year old

5 1/2 year old on the left, 6 1/2 year old on the right


4 1/2 year old that needed 1 more year, but was crippled, and I was happy with him.

I enjoyed this one… I am working on the whole food plot process now on a few farms and trying to provide that year round nutrition needed to help the deer make it through those long winter months before spring green up.

I am going to hold you to your comments though because I am working on a farm that has some potential but needs some work done to it that will only increase the habitat for deer and I am hoping to provide some cover as well and set aside a designated safe haven for the deer.

I met a guy a few years ago who set out to try and better his property and each year more food is added along with bedding areas and places for the deer to feel safe. He has been talking about another project for his farm that will not only provide another area to plant a 2-3 acre food plot but also funnel the deer and get them to bed in areas he has designed for them.

So far its been a 3 year long process but each year the deer are getting bigger and its a blast learning from all the hard work that goes into hunting in the off season.

This year is going to be a big year for me as far as putting in food plots and trying increase the overall habitat for the deer on farms I get to hunt and I can't wait to get out and get to work.

Good write up man and I really enjoyed reading it.

Oh and by the looks of those pictures it shows the work and management pays off even in the areas where “No Big Bucks” are located.

One of the best write up's , I have read in awhile.
FANTASTIC post Brian
Thanks for posting- loved reading this

Great post Brian, a lot of good info in there.

Great read Brian, and great pics showing that it can be done anywhere.

You really have to admire your Dad for having the foresight to start a managment program back before very many people knew you could do such a thing.

That was awesome Brian....alot of knowledge and info in that write up....and some nice pics with some really nice bucks....

Awesome read right there, Very informative. Way to get it done the right way.

Yep, I can Tell you it will work..

Those are some nice bucks! Congrats!

Awesome read Brian! Now if more PA hunters were more like you we all would be way better off. Congrats on your success over the years

Nice deer ya got there!! Keep the pics acomin!