New Hunting Lease Project

[Chuck11]

So, I'm new here. If you haven't seen my post in the "New Here" thread, there's a little more on there. So the backstory of the property is it's a 55 acre parcel in Western Kentucky. aprox 25 acres are the Ag field you see in the picture. The other acres are pretty heavily wooded with lots of mature hardwoods, very little spruce and pine in there. We started hunting this land last year and have a couple of stands out there, which are marked on the map. The yellow line you see next to the stand location is a 4 wheel path that also runs along the bottoms. But I haven't had a chance to GPS map it yet. There is a lot of potential here. The one caveat is that we cannot touch the Ag fields at all or interfere with the land the Ag sits on, as it is a separate lease.


I will be updating often with my plans. But this is the beginning stages of the project. Any input on even where to start would be greatly appreciated. This land has just been let go back in the woods. Next post will include my initial thoughts for after this hunting season. Also, just to add, this property has zero hunting pressure due to the fact that myself and my dad are the only two who hunt it. For reference, the orange stand location is north.

 

[Chuck11]

Okay, so here is a little bit more detail on the plot. The red lines are the paths we currently travel to get into the stand locations. Not optimal for all wind conditions, but it's what we have currently until we develop a little better plan for the future of this property. The white lines are where we are pretty certain the deer are traveling. Not all inclusive of course, but there are some major signs and well traveled trails through where the white lines run. And we have observed deer moving in those locations. The yellow lines are a pretty close estimate of a 4 wheel trail that's pretty established that runs through the bottoms. The blue line at the bottom is a seasonal creek bed that is dry for about 40-50% of the year. The green wedge in the center is my first location that I'd like to put a food plot.
With the Orange stand location being north. I'd also like to put a food plot back in the woods in the northeast section between where the two white traveling paths are. Not sure if that's a great location though.

 

[Chuck11]

Here is a blank slate as well, for anyone who would like to copy and put their own marks on it to offer suggestions if they see fit.

 

[westonwhitetail]

Looks like a nice property. I’m no expert and am in the early stages of figuring out a new piece of land myself. But I’d look into access along the creek bed to the south off liberty school road. You may have the legal right to walk the creek or try to get permission from the land owner. Might be nice alternate access to not blow out the fields in the morning.

I also like the idea of hunting the “island” of trees in the center of the fields for easier access if they travel there. Seems like they may use it to travel east/west

 

[Chuck11]

I had been wondering how I might access the backside of the land without spooking things. I hadn't thought about going down the road further and accessing through the creek bed. But you are correct. The creek bed isn't owned by anyone, it's a public right of way. That would be great access into the bottoms without kicking scent everywhere. Great idea. The center "island" is where I'd like to put the future food plot, and hunt the prevailing winds in the afternoons as they come out to feed there. Thanks for the suggestions!

 

[Bill]

Off hand, I'm against your food plot idea in that island. If it were me I would plant something there that deer absolutely will not eat. Without scaring deer I would do everything possible to make it so that island did not attract deer. The island is your oasis to gain access to a lot of natural pinch points and funnels created by it. If you put food there the does will bed next to it and there is no way you get to it with out bumping them.

Also other than during the Rut I would abandon all but the orange stand. No way they don't have you patterned pretty quickly using the other two.

I'd hunt the place a while before deciding on that plot for sure.

 

[Chuck11]

Off hand, I'm against your food plot idea in that island. If it were me I would plant something there that deer absolutely will not eat. Without scaring deer I would do everything possible to make it so that island did not attract deer. The island is your oasis to gain access to a lot of natural pinch points and funnels created by it. If you put food there the does will bed next to it and there is no way you get to it with out bumping them.

Also other than during the Rut I would abandon all but the orange stand. No way they don't have you patterned pretty quickly using the other two.

I'd hunt the place a while before deciding on that plot for sure.

I probably should mention also that this land is hunted once during October, the 2nd weekend for youth season, and then not again until Nov 13-28, and that's all it's hunted. Nov 13-28 we would try to find the optimal hunting days and only hunt then. For Kentucky, from the 13-20th is pretty much peak rut for us. These stands will only really ever be hunted during peak rut.

You're right, does would immediately begin bedding in there if there was food there. An unfortunate side effect. I was thinking it would be great for afternoon travel patterns to the food. But they would see it as a sanctuary and begin bedding there. That would be counterproductive as pretty much every access point to the property would be visible from there. From what we've seen in hunting the property, the deer rarely if ever use that area for anything. I might set up some cameras in there for a few months just to see if anything uses it at all, and when and why. Good advice.

 

[Chuck11]

Bill, the stands in blue is where we have thought about potentially putting new stands in the future. What are your thoughts about those locations? I would think the access would be fairly non intrusive and would give options depending on wind direction.

 

[Bill]

I like both those spots. The inside corner may be a place where wind swirls, but you won't know until you try. I personally like inside corners like that.

I also like this spot for a bow stand because the field pinches down nice.


Not sure how much you can swing a chainsaw on leased ground but the timber to the east is thin enough to make a few barricades that pinch the deer. Especially given your hunting dates. I wouldn't be afraid to be in the timber on the right day.

 

[Chuck11]

I like both those spots. The inside corner may be a place where wind swirls, but you won't know until you try. I personally like inside corners like that.

I also like this spot for a bow stand because the field pinches down nice.
View attachment 37842

Not sure how much you can swing a chainsaw on leased ground but the timber to the east is thin enough to make a few barricades that pinch the deer. Especially given your hunting dates. I wouldn't be afraid to be in the timber on the right day.

I'm assuming the blue dot is the spot you like for a bow stand. I'll have to do some scouting of that area during the off season and see if there are any good trees down that way.
The timber is thin on the east side in the bottoms for sure. Lots of really young timber too. The land owner doesn't mind us messing with the timber, and chainsaws are cheap to run.
The only issue would be getting down there strategically without blowing deer out of the woods getting in.
Might be an opportunity to clear cut a path through the woods in the spring. But my gut would tell me to use the wind and good scent control and just use the creek bottom or the existing 4 wheel trail to access.

 

[Chuck11]

So the purple stands are possible stand locations, would have to scout those areas after the November hunt this year and see what the possibilities are in those areas. The blue stand is the corner area where we have already been planning to put an early season (Oct youth stand) two man stand. The orange spots are where stands currently exist.

The red areas in the south east are an example of what I think creating a funnel could look like. Two stands to hunt prevailing wind, and obviously these stands would only be hunted once or twice a year. Could maybe integrate a mock scrape and a cell camera into that location to see what traffic comes though there. If that plan worked out, highly likely that the orange stand would come out of there due to the other stands being in such close proximity.

To the northwest. The green area could be a micro food plot of high value food. The area in the red is where I think the does would bed nearby, and where I suspect they are currently bedding. There is a lot of doe traffic that runs along that north treeline. The blue stand there is a spot I think a potential blind or platform stand could go. The yellow strip along the field could be switchgrass or fast growing conifers to hide access into the stand/platform.

This is my brain spitballing ideas of how to utilize the land. After it was brought up that the island food plot was a bad idea and why, it got me thinking of areas that are rarely accessed on this land and how to take advantage of the areas that aren't accessed for better hunting. I want to have smart options for prevailing wind and morning/afternoon. If there's an issue you see with the idea, please explain why the idea is good/bad, I really am trying to learn here. Anything I do will likely be done slowly and over many months/years anyhow. So small but meaningful projects are honestly the best anyways until we can see the results of them.

 

[Chuck11]

This is another scenario I have envisioned. With a bunch of hinge cuts along the south east. This would funnel through a couple of access points with a food plot in the corner and a water source and mock scrape in the area as well along the travel corridor. I would move the orange stand back to where the purple stand is located and create the yellow trail to behind the corner stand and create some cover for that corner stand where that trail empties out.

The stand location and food plot to the north were explained above. But a food plot around the corner in the center was an idea I'd contemplated as well. As the deer could bed behind that all day with no pressure of getting spooked out of there. Depending on wind there could be some fantastic shooting opportunities from the purple stand on the north of the island in the afternoon.

 

[Bill]

You're on the ground so you should know better after hunting the place a bit. I'm no expert so take what I say with a grain of salt. just another pair of eyes.
The one thing I don't like in your plans above is the the man made pinch points. By creating them on the property line like that you're creating a pinch point for the neighbors also. If the neighbors hunt and have a clue there will be stands on their side of those openings.

I envisioned blockades running east to west with the pinch point more on the interior of the property. if it started east of the stand on the finger and headed east or S. east it would enhance that stand you like because deer would skirt the blockade to the west and be in reach of that stand. What ever you do try and find the tree you want a stand in before making blockades. Also try to make the pinch point somewhere they already travel so they don't feel trapped or forced.

Pinch points can also be made with fencing. It's hard to remove a pile of trees if it doesn't work. fence can be removed. I'm not to proud to use wire fence or snow fence to put them a bit closer to me. Heck I have some stands with cattle panels to push them my way that extra few yards for a bow shot.