11-13-09 WT on public land...

These are pictures of the mount of this deer that I just got back this weekend. Although they're not very good pictures they give a better idea of the size and character of this buck. 1-18-10

Here's some pictures of the cape of a deer I bagged on 11-13 in the Caddo National Grasslands about an hour west of where I live. This area uses prescribed fire as a management tool almost exclusively w/ great results.
This deer is a 140-class, 22 in. wide, 11 pt. estimated at 4.5 years old. He's a main frame 10 pt. w/ a crab claw on the rt. side. He chased a doe over me at about 10:30 that AM. Pretty solid evidence that good habitat and healthy herds can be obtained w/o high priced food plots or feeders.
I'm not saying that food plots are bad... just not altogether necessary. They provide food, but native grasses and forbs do as well w/o the high costs involved w/ food plots. Feeders? I'm not a fan of feeders because they concentrate game and propagate disease. They can be useful in late summer droughts or hard cold winters to help wildlife through tough times. Otherwise, their use is simply to make animals more easily visible...