Mound Hill Blog

Update! Take a quick look at these two doubles found.

Well we’re off to another great start in 2012! Jeremy officially found the first shed of the year on Sunday January 15. It was a small 1 ½ year old with five points on one side. With about 40 inches of antler on one side, nutrition will help this buck grow towards the trophy status Mound Hill is looking for.

The Mound Hill Hunt Club would like to send a special congratulation to John and Holly Fields on the birth of their son, James Fields, January 16, 2012.

Conversion back to a Hunt Club only

As most of you know, in 2007 Mound Hill was severely influenced by an individual looking to make a big splash into the whitetail industry, and made the decision to enter the guiding business. Affectionately, we are proud to announce our retreat back to our “Grass Roots,” where we started as a hunt club offering exclusive memberships only in 2003. The Mound Hill Hunt Club is shifting its philosophy away from guided hunts. These hunts certainly have their place in the whitetail world. However, our land and deer management goals do not support the guided approach to managing free range whitetail. Over the past five years we have made some incredible friendships by conducting these hunts but with no barrier of entry into Ohio’s guided whitetail service, outfitting has become a very promiscuous business. In fact, as a club we would argue for the Ohio Division of Wildlife to serve as the regulatory body governing the actions of any and all Ohio outfitters. It is a business that needs to be regulated both for the health of landowners and deer managers across the state. Certainly this doesn’t stand true for all the hardworking outfitters in Ohio but too many to parallel the Mound Hill Hunt Club. With that said, if you are looking for a quality guided hunt on productive whitetail ground, www.sunfishvalleywhitetails.com probably offers some of the finest you’ll find in SE Ohio. We have recommended their hunting operation to other trophy hunters.

As a hunt club/hunting organization we want to set ourselves apart from the rest. This is why we selectively screen and search for the most ideal club members each year. And this is why the strength of our club is a direct reflection of its members.

Keep your energy high as we move into shed season. Feel free to email to contact us anytime with your finds.

Until later,
Mound Hill Whitetail

What a year we’ve had on Mound Hill. Please review the website to see some of our deer taken during the 2011-2012 deer season. Thanks to all that have shared in the management of our whitetail deer herd this year. Within a few weeks, you should receive a holiday newsletter from us, if you have any questions or would like to hunt with us in 2012 please feel free to contact us anytime. Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! May the joy of the season fill your hearts!

The Ohio deer season has gotten off to a great start. Southeastern Ohio has had some record book kills already. Publications such as North American Whitetail, Deer and Deer Hunting, and www.ohiosportsman.com are great resources for up to date whitetail information.

As we move through the hunting season please read a few of our notes detailing what makes for a successful whitetail hunt.

Mound Hill Whitetails Keys to a Successful Trophy Whitetail Hunt

1. Carefully scouted pre hung tree stands. Stands that are safely constructed, at appropriate height, and most importantly located in proper areas according to wind direction, food sources, and bedding areas.
2. Knowledgeable hunt managers that understand the local area and the property hunted.
3. Properly clothed for the entire hunt. Scent free clothing is highly recommended at all times during your hunt. Scent free soap and detergents are also a great idea.
4. Proper rest and nutrition before and after your hunt. Getting a good nights’ sleep prior to your hunt will strengthen your awareness and ability to stay on stand throughout the day.
5. Adequate marksmanship! One of the most rewarding moments is when that trophy whitetail finally presents you with an opportunity, be ready to make a clean precise shot.
6. Eliminating background noise such as planes, vehicles, and human voices. Additionally, controlling nuisances such as dogs and trespassers from interrupting the hunt.
7. Properly tracking a wounded deer after the shot.
8. And perhaps the most important element is to have a positive attitude at all times.

The season is quickly approaching. Only a few short weeks until the start of our Ohio bow season. Good luck to the Mound Hill Whitetail hunters this year. As you all know, we have seen lots of trophy bucks in our hunting area this year. Let’s have fun hunting these majestic Freaks!

Our food plots are doing really well. The excessive spring rains have really helped our early plantings. The vegetation in southern Ohio is ripe and plentiful. Deer browse will be readily available. Mineral licks have been getting lots of use and the antlers are off to a great start for the 2011 hunting season. Good luck to the Mound Hill team as we wrap up the Ohio Spring Turkey season.

April is here with a bang!  All mineral licks have either been freshly established or re-established from previous years.  In total we have supplemented 12 licks with Whitetail Institute’s 30-06 mineral product. And the deer started using them immediately.  And to add to the excitement, a number of really impressive sheds were found over the last few months.  Last month, one of our dedicated club members experienced the thrill of finding two sheds off deer that should both reach the 150 plus category this season.  The progress we have made managing our local whitetail is paying off evident by our deer’s body size and sheds.  

This month marks the start of the Ohio Turkey Season (April 18^th-May 15^th).   Please do not forget to take a Youth Hunting on April 16^th and 17^th.  Ohio graciously dedicates two days prior to turkey season for our Youth Hunters to bag a bird.  What a great chance to share our hunting heritage.

Congratulations to Scott and Allan for bagging two birds on opening day.  We hope your first trip hunting turkey with Mound Hill was a great success.  And you are always welcomed back.

Congratulations to Nolan for being a world class turkey caller. :)

With a little luck, favorable weather pattern, and God’s grace we should be able to start planting this month!    April and May are big food plot and mineral months. 

Spring is just around the corner and our shed hunting is well underway. As a result of a mega acorn crop this year, a number of bucks in Southeastern Ohio have held onto their headgear longer than we anticipated. Nevertheless, we have been able to find a number of really nice sheds. Log onto our club section for a complete list of locations and dates each shed was found along with pictures. Our 2010, club harvest data has also been finalized. It too can be found under our club section.

Don’t forget the Ohio Deer and Turkey Expo this month, March 18-March 20. Hours of operations are Friday 4-9pm, Saturday 9-7pm, and Sunday 9-4pm. This annual event is a great way to get out and interact with other trophy whitetail hunters. You will see many great Ohio bucks and maybe learn a thing or too!

Hopefully in the next few weeks the ground will dry enough to begin planting season. Along with developing our 2011 plots, we will be field testing mineral supplements and conducting some last minute scouting before Spring/Summer vegetation make their way across the region. So if your schedule permits get to the farm and enjoy whitetail management!

 Thunder, wind, hail, and then flurries dominated the Ohio landscape today. Two additional sheds were found to add to our 2011 collection. Also, unfortunately a small buck was found dead. The right main beam had already fallen and the left beam was small. We are starting to make solid progress on our 12 food plots for 2011. Weather permitting, we have been mowing food plots, removing fallen debris, performing trail maintenance, and testing soils.

Please login and take a quick look at the new postings on our club webpage. The 2011 calendar is now posted along with pictures of our sheds.

To all, just a quick note of thanks to those who hunted with Mound Hill this past year. The value of the friendships we developed cannot be over emphasized. We had an incredible year in pursuit of trophy whitetail. Both hunt club members and guided clients found themselves in the middle of trophy whitetail country. In the next few days, you will be receiving a club newsletter. If you have any questions about our hunting operation or what we are planning for 2011 please call either of us. So again, thanks for a great 2010.

Of special note, please allow us to extend a special thank you to the landowners of Vinton County that have either leased land or embraced our management techniques for their own private use. Managing for quality deer and quality deer hunting is an all hands effort requiring active participation/engagement, so thanks to all participating landowners.

 As most of you know, frigid temperatures have dominated Southeastern Ohio over the past few weeks. After a New Years’ Eve in the upper 60’s we have been experiencing cold temperatures with a lot of snow and ice. Nevertheless, today was a great day on Mound Hill! We found our first shed antler, although small this signifies the beginning of new antler growth and another whitetail season. I will attach pictures on our club section of the website.