I’ve been looking at hiring a land manager to “setup” my 75 acres in Western PA. I was looking for first hand experience from
individuals and see who’s recommended. Myself and friends will do a majority of the work. This grounds main focus is whitetails, with turkey also being here noted there.
Since you said you and your buddies will be doing most of the work yourselves, I would post a few airial pictures, and some ground pictures on here, and see if you can get some free experienced help from this group of experienced habitat folks.
I did all mine myself, with some opinions from the members here, i have maybe 50% of what I want to do, done, and as I work, I find how the deer react to what I have already done, and change the plans as I go. Now I just look at stuff, and mentally I can make a plan in my head on what I want to do to it to make deer like it. For me it’s the time to do the plan is what I am lacking.
In a nutshell, create easy access points around the perimeter, make the center of your property the place the deer want to go to relax, and hide from your neighbors, and add areas to your property that the land around you don’t have. Such as a food plot if there isn’t much around for food, or thick cover, if you are in crop country.
Walk your property, find their trails, and figure out why they are using those trails, food? Cover? Or just passing through to get from a neighbors food source, to cover, etc. make them trails feel more secure to the deer, feather cut the edges, steer them where you want them to go.
One of the hardest things to do when you are a small land owner is to let the deer grow, lay off on the smaller bucks so they become bigger bucks. Set an achievable bar as to what size buck you will take, and raise that bar every year, soon you won’t be satisfied with the 2,3 year olds, and will let them walk for 4,5 year olds.
