Native Hunter - Property #2 - The Creek Bluff

[Native Hunter]

I'm going to start another habitat thread on the property I acquired a couple of years ago. This is three pieces of land that totals roughly 21 acres. I may also have the opportunity to add more to the north and west someday, however, I can already hunt that land too. Here are a few facts:

• The adjoining land to the east is hunted reasonably hard. But I only see one ladder stand about 60 yards off my property line.
• I have access to lots of family land to the north and west that is not hunted.
• I've been turkey hunting here for years but never deer hunted here. It is loaded with both turkey and deer. Some big deer have come from the area in the past.
• I'm building a tower blind at the moment. It will be a hybrid blind that I designed that will serve as both a hunting blind and cabin. It will be 12. x 12. with a 4' deck on three sides on the top level. There will be three levels with a poured floor. Foot height on the top level will be 16+'. It will have a shed roof.
• The edge of the little inset where the blind is being built is on a pinch point. From the edge of the field you have about 50 yards into the woods and then it drops off steeply to a creek below.
• When I cut shooting lanes today, it was a mess of deer manure, beds and rubs on the points.
• Even though there is a bluff directly behind the blind, I have one spot that gradually slops to the creek and an old road bed. With some dozer work a guy could drive to the creek. However, I likely won't do that. But it is an easy walk.
• The fields are in soybeans ever year.
• This property is very different than my other place. There are no sweetgums..
  
  I have no place for an orchard - unless I do it in the farming fields - and I won't do that.

Field view:

Down the bluff - taken from the ground about 50 yards behind the blind.

One of three shooting lanes cut today. Many more to come.

More to come soon. I cut trees for 9 hours today, so need a rest.

 

[TreeDaddy]

what a site for a blind!!

ag field,converging topo features,inside corners, wheel and spoke shooting lanes,etc,etc

looking forward to this thread

bill

 

[Native Hunter]

what a site for a blind!!

ag field,converging topo features,inside corners, wheel and spoke shooting lanes,etc,etc

looking forward to this thread

bill

Thanks Bill. My current plans are:

• Make some long winding trails that move the deer through the woods to places I want them to travel.
• These long winding roads will have places that turn toward the blind (the spoke shooting lanes you mentioned).
• I'm going to strongly encourage travel at the top of the bluff through hinge cutting and trail building, I will be sure to have sighting lines from the rear deck to take advantage of that natural pinch point. However, when I turkey hunt here it is very common to just see deer crossing the field randomly about anywhere.
• As you can see from the pictures, I started one mineral lick yesterday and will put in a few more.
• This property has some excellent large trees of low timber value that will be nice for hinge cutting. I will take advantage of that in order to encourage even more bedding on the points. However, per the beds and manure I saw yesterday, we already have lots of that going on.
• The weakness of this property is getting in at daylight and getting out at dark without spooking deer. Part of the reason for the hybrid blind / tower type build is so that a man will have enough room to just covertly stay in the blind overnight or even a few days if desired. With the good height above ground, scent should not be a problem. From what I saw yesterday, deer will probably be bedding within 100 yards of the blind, and if a guy waits until late morning on a day when the prevailing wind is right - he can just walk right out through the middle of the field without being detected. The only wind that can mess you up here is from the "east northeast" and "west northwest." Both of those are uncommon at this spot.

Thanks for sharing the journey. We may get to find out if a Stihl saw can be worn out before this is over....

 

[Bowsnbucks]

If you plan on staying overnight in the tower undetected ………………… I hope you don't SNORE !!!

Staying in the tower is a great plan though. Carpet to deaden any noise ??

 

[Native Hunter]

If you plan on staying overnight in the tower undetected ………………… I hope you don't SNORE !!!

Staying in the tower is a great plan though. Carpet to deaden any noise ??

Bows, I think we can be quiet enough without any carpet. It will be a thick floor with enclosed space underneath (the other levels) which will help with sound. Also, I really plan on spending a lot of the time hunting from the deck rather than inside.

This may be what makes me take the plunge back into bow hunting or crossbow hunting. Once all the initial work is done, I will hardly ever be on this property, except when I'm hunting. Deer will get used to no one being around the blind and be close to it like they do the old barns on my other property. That 50 yards to the bluff, should be a killer location for bow hunting, and I can also make roads to encourage field entry and exit where I want it.

I fully expect to be able to hunt here within 100 yards of bedded deer. Snapped this photo yesterday of a big buck bed on the military crest of on of the ridges, and once the initial work is done, there will be nothing to keep him from coming right back again.

 

[Telemark]

That tower/cabin looks awesome, but it might be illegal, so be careful who you tell about it.

 

[Native Hunter]

That tower/cabin looks awesome, but it might be illegal, so be careful who you tell about it.

Thanks.

Why would it be illegal?

 

[Bowsnbucks]

I guess I didn't fully understand the levels and what's going to be enclosed. The set-up looks great with the shooting lanes & elevation. Staying overnight in there will make for a great ambush scenario.

 

[Mortenson]

I assume he thinks the zoning police that many of us have to deal with may come and get you.

Love the project and excited to follow along! Looks like a great piece of land.

 

[Bill]

Nice set up!

How often do you tick the wife off
Seems like an upgraded dog house...

 

[Native Hunter]

Nice set up!

How often do you tick the wife off
Seems like an upgraded dog house...

Yep, and it's far enough out in the woods that you can't still hear the screaming.....

 

[Telemark]

Thanks.

Why would it be illegal?

All sorts of reasons. Shooting from a dwelling, for example. Lack of certificate/inspection, maybe. The authorities can get pretty creative when they want to give you a hard time.

I'm probably just paranoid because I have a neighbor who called the police and building inspector on me five or six times last year.

 

[Bszweda]

Like the property..I think your plan for access during mid day is right on. Do you have any trail camera history of the property?

 

[Bill]

I'm probably just paranoid because I have a neighbor who called the police and building inspector on me five or six times last year.

True story. When I was building my pole barn I had some? neighbor call on me twice to make sure what I was doing was correct. The second time the building inspector called me he apologized and said they had to investigate every report that was called in. I asked him if the township had any restrictions on the paint colors I could use. When he said no, I told to him, to tell who ever was calling him, that the next time I hear from him the barn will be purple and all tree doors will be pink.

Never heard from again :)

 

[Native Hunter]

All sorts of reasons. Shooting from a dwelling, for example. Lack of certificate/inspection, maybe. The authorities can get pretty creative when they want to give you a hard time.

I'm probably just paranoid because I have a neighbor who called the police and building inspector on me five or six times last year.

Best wishes with you neighbor. I will be fine here in KY.

 

[Native Hunter]

Like the property..I think your plan for access during mid day is right on. Do you have any trail camera history of the property?

Thanks. I don't have any camera history but hope to get some running soon. I know of several big deer that have come from the general area and two really big ones from this farm just a few years ago.

 

[Native Hunter]

I was back at it today. Took a few more pics while working.

Grounds is worn out with bedding on this secondary shelf

This is the trail that comes off the flat land at the creek up to the blind

Lane to the break of the bluff

Other miscellaneous from today

I'm worn out. I climbed down the steep part of the bluff to the creek for marking a line of sight to the sandbar. Going down was the easy part - can you guess the hard part..........

 

[scott44]

That's going to be quite the nice shack you have there.

 

[Native Hunter]

That's going to be quite the nice shack you have there.

Thanks Scott. I hope to have some happy memories at this spot.

 

[H20fwler]

Nice place! How far is it from your other farm?