Wow-the journey begins

  • Thread starter Thread starter dipper
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I'm reading a book now by one of these so called experts who agrees with dipper. Can't find or type the exact words but the basic premise is there is no way you're keeping a deer on your property 100% of the time. The smaller the property, the worse it gets. The nicest deer taken on my place had a core area on the neighbors place and he owns over 750 acres.

Hinge cutting or blockading the property line won't do it. The only thing blockading does is gives you somewhat hidden access by allowing you to travel behind it and it can help you try to persuade the deer where to enter and leave your place.

Personally, I do think if you hinge cut enough it would block a shot from a neighbor. I did this down one of my property lines where rifle hunters were encroaching. My fear then and now is hinge cuts make deer bedding and it could actually help the neighbors. It's a risk! My hinge cut border hasn't made the problem worse but if I had it to do over again I would leave that 75 foot buffer chummer speaks of and then try to blockade it beyond that.

Edit/addition: the hinge cutting on my line is not shoulder high bedding hinges. It's a 40 foot swath of knee high cuts. Deer can get through it but it's a PIA for them.
 
My problem I the blocking will screw one Hunter along the line, but benefit the next Hunter at the end. That blocking will make that end of the line Hunter have a great bow stand.
These guys have 20' lanes blazed right down the line. Just gotta hope the survey moves those lanes on my side of the fence. My property needs to shift ne and those lanes belong to me!!!! There has been skuttle about these property lines in the past. That's why I'm getting it surveyed!
 
dipper said:
I personally think these so called deer experts have give. A false sense of expectations that their projects will hoard deer. They give examples of how they raise deer to 6 plus years for this client. I know people on this site don't like hearing these things but it's true.
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Dipper - obviously just your opinion on why people hire a consultant but if they are doing it to "hoard deer" on a small property, we know that isnt going to work.

As someone that hired Steve B, my opinion it is really a cost/benefit analysis. I know how much I make an hour and the amount of time it might take to educate myself to have the knowledge Steve has. It cost me significantly less to hire Steve than it would cost me to spend the time myself and I would rather allocate my time towards my business ventures and time with kids.

In my case, Steve didnt make any promises on holding a ton more deer. Simply - here are some things you can do to improve habitat and layout on your property. Yes - all things that I probably would have figured out over time but his expertise sped up my learning curve, the habitat improvements on my property and most importantly - freed up my time to be spent with what matters to me most - my 4 kids.

Just my perspective on deer consultants but I would assume most arent doing it because they think the consultant is a silver bullet that is going to lead to huge bucks being everywhere on their property. To each their own.
 
dipper said:
There has been skuttle about these property lines in the past. That's why I'm getting it surveyed!
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Always a good move. We surveyed my west line when the neighbor put in new fencing. I gained at least 5+ acres when it was done.

Make sure to request the surveyor makes some points on each line and not just the corners. Is a bitch trying to find the line in timber even with corner marks.
 
That's a lot of $$$ for a hunting spot!! Are there tactics and techniques to have the land help pay for itself or are these type of purchases done with personal wealth?


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1 mile? 4-.25mile sides? Or a square mile?
 
The nice thing is my ole man grew up hunting this tract for 25 years before the trophy management days. We did a lot of walking today, throwing around long term plans(I swear this is the best part of the whole deal). I made a comment about how I thought this is gonna be a "better" gun tract. He disagreed, and insisted the "little" elevation this land has, is dynamite for rutting bucks. I think he's more excited than I am because this area used to be his "bow hunting" spot way back in the 70s and 80s, well before people were insane over big bucks. I'm happy for him!
I told him he's got first choice on gun hunting spot, he will probably be the only out here opening weekend with our other property. There is a couple existing box blinds we might just clean up a little for 2016. Otherwise we will play it out and get a better feel before we start rolling up the sleeves and having habitat fun!
PB-everyone must have their thing and my love is no doubt into enhancing a property on my own. To me, it's the most fun. Planning, and analyzing my land is where I really have fun. It's kinda like chasing the hottie back in my whore days. To each his own. I've hunted whitetail all over the country. I know my area is above par, but it isn't Iowa or Kansas. If it was soley about $ and mega bucks I wouldn't do what I do. I gave up Kansas and Iowa, along with consistent 160"170" bucks. I'm not turning back, I love buying land and having fun!
 
I've got multiple booner bucks, my ole hunting buddy scored on a 160" and 150" in multiple states. I could save a boat load of money and hunt with him, but I can't go back. Shooting does and have my close family/friends enjoy everything with me is, where its at.
Like I said, to each his own!
 
Congrats! This should be a good read for all of us as you go through the process.
 
I agree with Bill - post #25. When we had our property surveyed, we had the surveyor put in iron stakes at easy access points all along the lines - not just the corners. Then we sprayed all the stakes with blaze orange paint and re-spray every 2 years so they are easy to see. We also sprayed paint up on the trees at the stake locations so the boundary lines are easy to see and pin location is also easy to find for re-spraying. Having our property surveyed also proved we owned about 50 more acres than previously thought. Worth the time and $$$.
 
Definetly going to work on holding off of bucks like this
260fdbbc9bf6f0fb65d1570a020a3fb3.jpg

Really nice 6 point yearling:(
Did hours and hours of walking. I'm really liking this diversity. My dad was right the higher ground is a magnet. One corner of the highland has an intersection of 4 trails. There is a very good mix of tamarack pockets with occasional clumps of balsam in the sedge grass/tag alders. A good amount of black ash swamp. Some hefty mature balsams, and about 25 acres of cedar.
 
dipper said:
Definetly going to work on holding off of bucks like this
260fdbbc9bf6f0fb65d1570a020a3fb3.jpg

Really nice 6 point yearling:(
Did hours and hours of walking. I'm really liking this diversity. My dad was right the higher ground is a magnet. One corner of the highland has an intersection of 4 trails. There is a very good mix of tamarack pockets with occasional clumps of balsam in the sedge grass/tag alders. A good amount of black ash swamp. Some hefty mature balsams, and about 25 acres of cedar.
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With all those cedar trees, moss, that suggest acidic soil, and high moisture conditions, what food plot strategies are you planning?
 
Tree Spud said:
With all those cedar trees, moss, that suggest acidic soil, and high moisture conditions, what food plot strategies are you planning?
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You are right, the PH will be LOW... Nothing lots of lime can't fix! Hopefully dipper can get a lime buggie in there?

-John
 
The food plot is going to go on the high ground that does not hold standing water. Right now that high ground has maple, white pine and a few oaks. The high ground is about 15 acres. It's the only elevation in the entire swamp, which is really good for me. That higher ground really increases the huntability of the property. I just have to get the food plot as far away from the neighboring hunters, but they are going to benefit either way.
I know I'm not going to get to that project this year. I'm going to be doing almost all of the 500 square foot addition to the house. The wife gets the addition, I get more land, fair to me. (I'm actually really really lucky I can use our extra $ on land and not have to have a more expensive house!!!).
 
dipper said:
The food plot is going to go on the high ground that does not hold standing water. Right now that high ground has maple, white pine and a few oaks. The high ground is about 15 acres. It's the only elevation in the entire swamp, which is really good for me. That higher ground really increases the huntability of the property. I just have to get the food plot as far away from the neighboring hunters, but they are going to benefit either way.
I know I'm not going to get to that project this year. I'm going to be doing almost all of the 500 square foot addition to the house. The wife gets the addition, I get more land, fair to me. (I'm actually really really lucky I can use our extra $ on land and not have to have a more expensive house!!!).
Click to expand...

Happy wife, happy life ... ;)
 
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