First Season on the New Farm: From Projects to a Trophy Buck
There’s nothing quite like the feeling of stepping onto new ground, full of possibility and challenge. This summer, we acquired a new farm, and the adventure that followed was one for the books. From long days of food plotting and hanging stands to unforgettable evenings in the blind, our first season here was a mix of hard work, lessons learned, and one hunt we’ll never forget.
Laying the Groundwork
When we take on a new property, we always start with three key considerations:
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Cover – evaluating what’s already there and where improvements are needed.
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Food – planting destination plots and staging areas to draw and hold deer.
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Hunt Plan – setting blinds, hanging stands, and mapping everything out.
This year, we were already late in the summer, so cover improvements had to wait. But we wasted no time on food. We planted beans, staged small plots, and even carved travel corridors to funnel deer movement between fields. With blinds in place and cameras running, it was only a matter of time before the action picked up.
First Hunts and Familiar Faces
The early season was all about learning the property and watching deer movement. Most of what we saw in the summer were does, fawns, and smaller bucks. But as velvet shed and bachelor groups started to shift, new faces showed up.
One buck in particular caught our attention: Niner. We’d seen him the year before as a 4 year-old and let him walk, hoping he’d put on some mass and maturity. This season, he was back, heavier, wider, and still spending time on the farm. He instantly became one of our target bucks.
The Ups and Downs
Like any season, we had close calls and frustrations. A missed shot at a buck we called Wade stung after hours of work and patience. But that’s hunting, sometimes things don’t go as planned.
We also had plenty of exciting encounters: watching young up-and-comers like “Baby Booner,” seeing multiple bucks pile into the food plots at once, and passing on deer we knew would be giants in another year or two. Those moments reminded us why patience pays off.
An October Hunt to Remember
Late October brought a cold front, perfect conditions, and the hunt that defined our first season on the new farm. Sitting in a blind overlooking a corn plot interseeded with brassicas and clover, we watched deer pile in.
Then he appeared - Niner.
The encounter stretched out for what felt like forever. He came through the plot multiple times, always just out of range or not offering the right angle. Finally, after what felt like hours, the opportunity came. At 48 yards, the shot was perfect. Niner was down.
It was the first buck taken on our own dirt, a milestone that made the moment even sweeter.
Wrapping Up the Season
By the end of the season, we had taken several does to balance the herd and plenty of lessons from our first year managing this farm. More importantly, we proved that the food, cover, and hunt plan we laid out could work.
From planting clover staging plots to carving travel corridors, from watching bucks grow into shooters to sharing the blind with family, it was everything we had hoped for when we first stepped foot on the property.
And the best part? This is just the beginning.
👉 If you enjoyed following along with our first season on the farm, make sure to subscribe and stay tuned. We’ve got big plans for year two, more food, better cover, and hopefully even bigger bucks.