Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire The anti-deer garden

Is been a while since I posted anything here. I used to post about my traveling bow hunts from all points on the globe but now I find myself to busy on the new homestead to think about bowhunting Africa or Hawaii, etc. Focusing on being off grid homesteaders consumes too much time to fret about being a traveling bowhunter.

We bought land (and buying more) in the middle of nowhere in the north woods. Our latitude (While still in the USA) put us further north than Ottawa Canada and Halifax Nova Scotia. We moved in Oct of last year and then it proceeded to snow for 7 months producing 186 inches of snow (but gave us lots of time to plan the spring projects. This will also be the new base of operations for my bowhunting products company. We break ground on the headquarters in a month.

This new property we bought is covered up in deer and turkey and small game and fishing but we do have wolves and bear and coyotes so you have to find the balance. Thus far the only hunting Ive done is taking 3 turkey and lots of small game. This year, I will have a chance to go after deer again.







Immediately we set about logging off some of the land for projects (and for the fire wood since that is how we heat the homestead.) But there are A LOT of deer here and the logging brought in more of them since they were attracted to the tender tops.



Since we intend to live off what we grow and forage and hunt and fish. we need a garden but the deer have other plans so an 8 foot tall, anti-deer fence was part of the plan. There is very little ag up here and I think its due to the over abundant rocks in the soil and the clay. We abandoned growing in native soil once we started digging and opted for raised beds and containers.

My wife and I enjoying canning, pickling, freezing, dehydrating and freeze drying foods for long term storage so a big garden is a must. The future chicken coop and geothermal, passive solar greenhouse are next on the list of plans. Im hoping the new tractor arrive this week as I have lots of projects that will require such an implement. I made sure to also get the proper attachments (Snow thrower, backhoe, bucket, grader blade, etc)









We have to move fast up here as winter will be back again in just 4 months from now. We use that winter/spring time to make maple syrup and ice fish. We dont have TV, although the former owner left a dish. We just havent found the time/need to sign up for their service. We havent needed the TV in 8 months so I doubt we will sign up. We do have a dish for internet to run the bowhunting business.



We like this life. We like the absence of people. The nearest town (population 1700) is 8 miles away. Most of the population is first nation folks. For now Ive put down my bow and picked up a hoe. Less time in the truck moving from hunt to hunt and more time on a tractor. We heat with wood, cool with an open window, we have 3 backup generators should the grid fail, our own well and local waters, Once we add the chickens and hogs and geothermal, passive solar greenhouse, we can take more time for other things. One day at a time.

Thanks for sharing.

Great pics.

Seems like you got it (life) figured out.

Very good story.

Tag to follow

How do you know what the logged area will look like in Dec 23?

Sooper Powers?

Way cool

Tag. This is awesome.

Um not going to be following... Check out his older posts. Here is one:

https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/topics/17606115/5

Oh, look. The poacher is back.

Nice setup. I like it. Now you need a rifle range. 😊

Oh great.

Hey, its Ron Kulas aka DIYgay aka RancidCrabcunt

I thought I smelt Miracle Whip!!

Nice setup, Spongebob!

Not NEARLY long enough.

🤣🤣🤣

Beautiful set up. Very nice. I am surprised you can grow tomatoes where you are. My buddies in the UP gave up on trying to get a good tomato crop in their outdoor gardens. The ones with a greenhouse do manage to harvest a few shorter growing season varieties but outdoors suck for growing tomatoes up there.

Yeah, the deer and turkeys were probably "going for the gold (corn)."

Sharp things: Great share there and thanks for taking the time to post the pictures.
At my place here in SW Montana the Deer have MADE us quit the garden, quit the shrubs, quit planting trees, quit planting flowers, quit hanging flower baskets and quit trying to wait for the Crab Apples to ripen and they have even taken to eating our Rhubarb plants (which are supposed to be poisonous?), and nowadays they even pull out and try to eat our plastic flowers!
Good luck and thanks again.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy