Good advice for the majority of us

[S.T.Fanatic]

Manage Small Hunting Properties With Big Results | Deer & Deer Hunting

Find out how two people who owned a small hunting property consistently shot as big, if not bigger, bucks than their neighbors.

www.deeranddeerhunting.com

 

[Bill]

Good advice...
We do most of that. The only one of his rules we break is driving someone to stand. My son has a walking disability so he gets driven. I used to be against that but I actually think it works better than walking now. Noise comes and goes and no scent is left along the way.

wouldn’t work the same in timber but on field edge stands it’s harmless for us.

 

[Jerry]

Good read but where I live only rich people or generational landowners own 200 acres for the most part. That isn't even close to being a small property for me. Bigger than any property I have ever bowhunted in 35 years and certainly way bigger than anything I could afford to buy. I guess we all have our own unique situations that define our perspectives. Again, fine read non the less and thanks for posting.

 

[S.T.Fanatic]

Good read but where I live only rich people or generational landowners own 200 acres for the most part. That isn't even close to being a small property for me. Bigger than any property I have ever bowhunted in 35 years and certainly way bigger than anything I could afford to buy. I guess we all have our own unique situations that define our perspectives. Again, fine read non the less and thanks for posting.

Principles are the same for a 40 acre parcel.

Where the real difference lies is in the size of the neighboring properties IMO. Lots of smaller parcels usually means lots of hunting pressure. Then again that’s where the let the neighbors screw things up tip
Comes into play.


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[bwoods11]

Good read but where I live only rich people or generational landowners own 200 acres for the most part. That isn't even close to being a small property for me. Bigger than any property I have ever bowhunted in 35 years and certainly way bigger than anything I could afford to buy. I guess we all have our own unique situations that define our perspectives. Again, fine read non the less and thanks for posting.

200 acres is a lot of land, I would consider that a good sized parcel in my county.

 

[SD51555]

Good read but where I live only rich people or generational landowners own 200 acres for the most part. That isn't even close to being a small property for me. Bigger than any property I have ever bowhunted in 35 years and certainly way bigger than anything I could afford to buy. I guess we all have our own unique situations that define our perspectives. Again, fine read non the less and thanks for posting.

The fundamentals are more important the smaller the property gets. Mine is tiny. There is no other side if I get busted.

I've been working on quiet, covered, wind-minded and unintrusive access to my spots for a few years. I moved everything to make it happen. Moved the trails, moved the spot I hunt from, moved from the tree to the ground, and moved further away from the food (food is a big deal in my area). The first spot I got completely reset like this, I haven't been busted yet, and I've seen deer more often than I ever have. I think it's a big part of it.

 

[4wanderingeyes]

I only have 25 acres, and most around me have 40, and 80 acre parcels, then there is the one main land owner who owns the rest, and at one time, owned all the 40’s and 80’s. I can relate this to my land, but I don’t.

I use my land, I just built on it, and I am moving there. I plant trees, maintain food plots, tsi work, build deer stands, and walk my dogs, ride ATV. Come fall, I stay out of the woods while not hunting, I have many deer, just rarely any big bucks, and I am perfectly ok with that. I enjoy my land, I bought it for me, and my family to enjoy, not just for deer.

 

[Natty Bumppo]

I only have 25 acres, and most around me have 40, and 80 acre parcels, then there is the one main land owner who owns the rest, and at one time, owned all the 40’s and 80’s. I can relate this to my land, but I don’t.

I use my land, I just built on it, and I am moving there. I plant trees, maintain food plots, tsi work, build deer stands, and walk my dogs, ride ATV. Come fall, I stay out of the woods while not hunting, I have many deer, just rarely any big bucks, and I am perfectly ok with that. I enjoy my land, I bought it for me, and my family to enjoy, not just for deer.

Exactly the same for me...just under 30 acres, but I am bordered by largely unhunted State land and neighbors who don't hunt. I am always on my land doing something. The does are so habituated to me that they allow me to pass on foot, ATV, or tractor with hardly any notice. I don't hunt does, but their acceptance of me on the land comes in handy during deer season. They are not easily spooked when I hunt, and even when I know they know I am in the tree, my resident does rarely care. Having very calm does around during late October and November when the bucks start showing up...yeah, I'll take that all day long on my small parcel.

 

[j-bird]

I would LOVE to have 200 acres of deer habitat.... I have 150 total with only 50 being what I would consider deer habitat (the other 100 is tillable row crops). I also think something I know I am guilty of is just being too active on the property all year long. I live on the property and I enjoy it. Nearly every weekend at least once I take the dogs for a walk (no leash). Check on plots, trees or just for some exercise. Toss in planting plots, pruning trees and maintaining trails and the like and it's nearly every weekend. Sure I have areas I don't go into very often, but I know it impacts the deer use of the little pieces of cover I do have. This is where I think sometimes our activities to make things "better" actually work against us. Just the level of human activity on a property can be enough to move the deer to the neighbor that does nothing but hunt 2 or 3 weekends a year.

 

[4wanderingeyes]

I think deer are fine living amongst people, as long as that is what they are use to. Deer live in suburban areas, with people, and are seen during daytime a lot. But if you take a wooded area, that a deer never see a person, then you add a bunch of people on, the deer will spook. Except stupid does, they are curious, and will walk up to you while you are in stand, and play games of, if I hiss at you, and walk around you for 3 hours, maybe that human wont come back in the woods again. This is when I doe hunt!

 

[Bill Loser]

I think deer are fine living amongst people, as long as that is what they are use to. Deer live in suburban areas, with people, and are seen during daytime a lot. But if you take a wooded area, that a deer never see a person, then you add a bunch of people on, the deer will spook. Except stupid does, they are curious, and will walk up to you while you are in stand, and play games of, if I hiss at you, and walk around you for 3 hours, maybe that human wont come back in the woods again. This is when I doe hunt!

I would argue that, there are no dumb does. Imho an adult doe is harder to fool than any buck. Does are wired to live and protect their fawns. Makes them more aware. On my property (20 acres total about 15 huntable) I have a very hard time getting anywhere without being busted. Bucks only have 2 things on their minds, eating and screwing not necessarily in that order.

 

[WeedyJ]

I would argue that, there are no dumb does. Imho an adult doe is harder to fool than any buck. Does are wired to live and protect their fawns. Makes them more aware. On my property (20 acres total about 15 huntable) I have a very hard time getting anywhere without being busted. Bucks only have 2 things on their minds, eating and screwing not necessarily in that order.

And all this time I never knew I thought like a buck!