How Much Do You Spend On Wild Bird Seed?

[Beekissed]

Yep...in these parts they sell apple flavored corn, if you can believe it. Any number of mineral/salt blocks filled with molasses and corn are on the shelf at Walmart to be used in hunting season.

There's so much corn in the woods come hunting season a person could feed a third world country.

But, I've been in areas where the bleeding hearts fed the deer herds all winter long because the snows were deep and they thought the deer were suffering. That corn feeding in the winter caused a huge die out of the deer population in the area and it took quite a few years to get it back.

LOVE this meme....

 

[Carol Dee]

O.K. back to bird feeding. We feed BOSS (black oil sunflower seed) almost exclusively. I do put our suit cakes, those you can find cheap or make your own. The BOSS we buy in 40 to 50 # bags. it lasts a long time. We usually can pick it up at Farm and Fleet for about $20.

 

[journey11]

Just wanted to add one quick thought to the deer thing...The laws are based individually on the deer population of each state and are in frequent revision to manage that population. Keep in mind that deer are as plenteous as rats in this state (WV) and cause many traffic accidents and cost us a lot in insurance dollars. The DNR WANTS you to peck them off easily here, so baiting/food plots are encouraged. They need the population to be managed and reduced. More people need to be thinning out the does, not just hunting for trophies in order to keep their numbers in check. Most people who work only have a handful of days to hunt and need to guarantee they get a chance to bag something. My DH is fortunate to work with all ladies, so he always gets the first week of gun season off for vacation. Venison is a staple on our dinner table, so he aims to bag his limit.

 

[Beekissed]

Well said. Someone told me the other day that WV leads the way in insurance payouts for deer damage in the whole nation. It's pretty bad. I've totaled one vehicle due to a deer but have damaged many more.

My youngest son hit one the other night and did a good bit of damage to his Jeep. Brought the deer right home and we processed it...no need for it to go to waste. I even rendered down the fat to make suet blocks for my chickens.

That's the first time we've ever had roadkill, so I guess we are true rednecks now. A few yards down the road where he hit this one, another one was hit just a week prior...it was HUGE. Glad he didn't hit that one.

 

[journey11]

I missed 3 in the road on the way to Ava's 4-H meeting last week. The rut was prime last week, so they were out running crazy. I've lived here most of my life (minus about 4 years). I have no idea how I've never managed to hit one! (Other than a yearling that bounced off of my bumper when I slowed down just in time and did no damage.) I would eat one that I hit if it wasn't torn up too bad. I'd call that "tenderized", lol.

 

[Carol Dee]

Living in IA I thought we where #1 in whitetail population. Same problem with collisions. I should not say this as it could cause it to finally happen. I have NOT hit one YET but many too close for comfort incidents. I drive school bus at day break. I pass the county park and golf course One of their favorite hangouts. It is not unusual for a small herd to run in front of me. As for road kill... we have had SEVERAL deer brought home. DH and Son have stopped at accident sights and got permission from Highway patrol to take it.

 

[canesisters]

I've hit (bumped, brushed, or slammed into) so many that I've gotten tired of wiping the deer snot & hair off the truck.

Love teasing the hunters here at work about it though: "Hey Frank, got one yet this year? No? Geez... I've gotten 8 so far."

 

[Nyboy]

Since I see deer as long legged ground hogs (what a farmer calls them), I'm all for thinning them down. Along with our new menace-wild turkeys.[/QUOT At least wild turkeys eat ticks

 

[seedcorn]

We will send you ours. They follow planter, eating seed. They dig up seedlings, eating seed. They land on ears at harvest bringing the ear to the ground.

For insects, import pheasants. Prettier and insect eaters. No where near as noisy as Guineans.

 

[canesisters]

I THINK this thread may be permanently derailed... but - what is a good recipe for suit cakes?