Ohio small property

[Obie]

Hello all, I'm designing 18 acres of old farm in Central ohio. Grassy brushy field in the back, house and barn in the middle and ag up front. I had no intention of buying it last year, but my uncle has given me a price I can't pass up. Last year i planted a mix of ew, wgf sorghum, and sunflowers to break up the back field a little. There is no hunting to the north, they sometimes run 4wheelers around, not often. There was a giant killed on the property east of me last year, they definitely have better cover and terrain. West across the road is a fallow field that has grown 6 foot tall. Cover is king in around here, so that's mostly my goal. I'll post a few pictures and see how you guys would set it up. West property line is 25 to 30 feet into the ag the length of the property.

 

[Obie]

It will be taken out of ag to make bedding and I'm tossing around the idea of putting 2 acres into a soybean plot to leave all year.

 

[bigboreblr]

On the Upper west side of that property, the neighbors have a tree line going east-west. I'd make a brushy line connectin from there to the bend in your driveway. Think you could make a quick travel route between cover areas. Spruce trees and red dogwood, then plant some quick cover alongside it while it grows.

Next to that, plant a mix of stuff depending on what you have to use. But, having some late season forage could attract a real shy guy in Late Nov / Dec.

You should tell us what you have to work with, tractor and implements. You can still do a few acres with just a lawn mower or ATV too.

Add some bedding, but you could still have some AG up front, Even brushing up 50 yard on the west side would work good too.

Keep in mind other uses for your property too. Add some seclusion between your hunting and your lawn, if needed. Even 2 or 3 acres of secluded bedding can still work good for you.

 

[Obie]

I appreciate the reply! Here are some of the bucks I've hunted out there. All have had eyes laid on them during daylight. The 3 cool ones are dead, absolute giants. The other two are the two core bucks, with the nice 10 point getting the pass 3 times this season. I guessed him at 3.5 this year because he was just a dink last year. He has a double white throat patch that's super unique around here.

 

[Obie]

Here's roughly what I was thinking, there are two main bedding areas close to my place. North west of the property and north east. They do he'd along the brushy creek in the ag beside me but not much after the leaves fall. I've got tons of deer in the fall but once the weeds die there's no cover in the back. It's fill dirt from the canal they dug 8 years ago. My uncle kept it mowed til 4 years ago. It stays wet in spots and I plan to take advantage of that with willows that are starting to fill in in small clumps. I've got access to unlimited willow cuttings on another property and I've got tag alder coming from cold stream for this spring, along with rc big rock switch for the bean field to the south west. I may have a line on some 6 foot Norway spruce from a tree farm for immediate bedding pockets. There are some oaks I want to release in the treeline west of the house surrounded by big black locust. Thought about using the tops to add structure to the switch. I have a stoop in the barn I'm enclosing like a blind to contain my scent looking east over a small food plot that has been a hot spot on camera.

 

[Wind Gypsy]

Wow, those are some awesome deer!

Does anyone live in or use the house?

My primary concern with that setup would be laying it out for undetected access. Seems tough to keep the deer from knowing you're there if you drive right into the middle of it. If there is constant human presence at the house it might be less of an issue. Can you cross the Ag fields or do you need to use the driveway?

 

[Obie]

The property is being bought for a rental and I forsee it being developed all around us in the next 15 years. It most likely won't be a forever property unless one of us buys the others out. But for now it's going to be my habit playgrounds. The owner built a new house an hour away but stays there a few days a week along with his son going there every day to check on it.
The deer are exposed to non hunters on the north side housing development (walking dogs/jogging) and don't really run to the next county when they do get spooked. It has the perfect pinch point on the northern property line and I've got a reasonable chance at getting permission to walk in from the north, but its going to have to be an elevated box blind due to lack of trees.
The deer mostly move from north to south using both sides of the property. Deer numbers are pretty high, it's not uncommon to watch 8 to 9 doe/fawn groups moving through the property. Ehd did hit us here this year, not sure how bad but buck numbers were half what they were last year and nothing really changed ag wise.
I had a friend with a drone come out this summer and take some pictures that give a good idea on lay of the land and what's around.

Here is looking north east


The north east corner of the property is shown bottom left in this one

Looking north west here

Looking directly south