Managing your land

[Schultzy]

The land I hunt on Is about 120 acres In size (55 acres woods and 65 acres ag land). My dad owns most of It (the woods) and my brother owns the ag land. Since the mid 90's or so I started passing on the younger smaller bucks like dad always did when he lived around here (he now lives In northern Mn). My 1st year doing this I shot a 120 Inch or so 3.5 year old. From that year on I said I wouldn't shoot another 3.5 unless he was at least 130 Inches. Since then I've passed many 3.5's but as the years have gotten longer the less 3.5's I'm seeing. Our neighboring land owners don't do any managing at all but yet are always the 1st to complain that there's no big bucks around. They've asked me about It and I've tried explaining to the neighbors shooting doe's Is part of managing a quality herd too but there take Is If you don't shoot a buck (regardless of age) your not a deer hunter. I always laugh to myself when I think of these guys and their ways and words. I'm not bashing hunters for shooting smaller, younger bucks at all. As long as your happy and not complaining who am I to say anything.

I'll continue to pass on the bucks I've been passing on every year but how many of you out there think It's pointless to manage a small tract of land that Is surrounded by neighbors who don't practice anything? How much land do you think one needs (realistically) to start seeing the rewards?

[huntinfool14]

i hunt on about 250 acres..120 woods/CRP grasses/ and food plots...we try and pass up the smaller bucks and talk to neighbors about doing the same thing..as we find out..they do pass up smaller ones but still shoot a nice 115" 2 1/2 yr old but what do you do..its their land and you cant manage it the way you would like..all i can say is improve your land. by making better habitat like brushy woods or planting corn/soybeans so the deer have something to eat all year long..that's the way i find that helps those bucks stay on my side rather than going on theres...and it usually seems the neighbors that shoot everything that moves..they usually get the biggest bucks..i guess you have to take the good with the bad

[Southern Man]

One of the farms I hunt is only 60 acres. I too have a neighbor that shoots any and multiple bucks each year. So trying to grow something is a dead end road. But a couple of years ago I decided to try something a bit different. Being a small farm, I can't "hold" deer there, but I can make it where they want to be there. The #1 problem is not the neighbor but the pressure I put on the farm. I removed all stands from the middle of the property and will only hunt the perimeter. There are no stands more than 75 yards from any property line. I took the middle 15 acres and enhanced the area to make it pleasing to the deer and I stay out of it. They feel comfortable there. Last year I hung several trail cameras on all travel corridors leading into and out of this farm and left them there from September through January. After reviewing several thousand pics in February It was easy to see where they moved, what time they moved, how outside pressure affected them, and how they moved as the rut approached and passed. I learned a bunch. I will not say that I won't hunt the interior of the farm, but sparingly at most and only when I know the time is right. You can't manage a small property without cooperating neighbors, but you can manipulate the deer herd to a degree. Also, there's more big/mature deer out there than you realise, regardless of the pressure around you.

[Southern Man]

One more thing. People are going to kill younger bucks. Get used to it. And there's nothing wrong with that, if that's what they want. I don't. The mature bucks learn where they're safe and will go there. Create that illusion for them and they'll be just a little more protected from you neighbors.

[Black Squirrel]

Shultzy, I have a similar situation as you. I too pass on the smaller bucks, only to have neighbors shoot them. I only bow hunt this property. Don't give up because, one thing I've come to learn, is the neighbors don't shoot them all, and in 07 I shot a 150 incher off the property, lucky yes, but it was just the break I needed. Most of the neighbors would laugh at me for passing smaller bucks, but now they saw what could happen. During the 07 gun season one of the neighbors got all the other neighbors together to talk about QDM. They are not full blown yet, but have made progress. There are some nice deer taken in the area every year. And not everyone is onboard, we have one neighbor that only shoots bucks and the first one he sees, at that. It's always a yearling, and that's ok, because there are always more of them. I too, don't have a problem with what people shoot, if it makes them happy great that's why we hunt. I don't feel I should tell anyone what to shoot or not shoot. Hopefully you can catch a break like I did. However, I do feel your frustration, but there is hope.

[Slider1005]

Schultzy, IMO you would need hundreds of acres to properly grow your own deer herd to hunt. I don't know the exact numbers but so many acres can only hold so many deer, and only so many mature bucks. I agree with southern man you need to do things to your land to manipulate the deer. If there is plenty of food around on neighboring propeties, you might want to think about creating some great bedding areas, to hold the bucks. Then your land would be their staging area before going to the neighbors after dark. I'm sure dan and others have more suggestions. The hardest thing is to not over hunt your land and pressure the deer to other properties. My .02

[dan]

Your land can only hold as many big bucks, as what you have big buck bedding areas... I would look at enhancing existing bedding areas, and adding new ones. Bucks of age, generally move only short distances during daylight. So getting them to bed on your side of the fence would be what you need to keep them alive to maturity, and to kill the best bucks. The best bedding that is near food and water will attract the best bucks. After figuring out the bedding, I would then look at adding food plots and water holes in strategic places... If you want to post an aerial, and a topo, it would be fun to discuss where we food plots, water holes, and bedding areas could be...

[Schultzy]

If you want to post an aerial, and a topo, it would be fun to discuss where we food plots, water holes, and bedding areas could be...

Damn right I'll do that. Thank you sir!! Won't be till later tonight when I post It.

[Lookin 4 Pny]

Schultzy, My group hunts 350 acres. About 120 is wooded, and it is a long thin strip of woods about 40 acres wide. Landowners on all sides shoot everything that moves if possible. We have had this property for 9 seasons now and in the first 3 seasons we hunted what appeared to be the best spots, we passed on all young bucks and harvested many does. As a group we harvested 2 mistake deer and 1 153"10. In the six years since we have taken 9 bucks with only 2 being under 140". The only thing we changed is our hunting pressure. I read through the sanctuary thread and really thought more people would be in favor of them. We essentially after that third year decided we needed to create as much safe area for those deer to mature and call home. The habitat is great everywhere. There is quality food and water everywhere. What was lacking was secure safe bedding areas. We now only hunt about 10 stands that are located on the far eastern border of our property. We only set foot into the sanctuary to retrieve deer or shed hunt. It has worked very well. What we gave away in acreage to hunt we gained in constant visits from mature bucks from other areas checking out our prime bedding area. Small sections can work just fine but you really need to control hunter traffic. Every property is also different.
Stick to the plan.

[Schultzy]

Schultzy, My group hunts 350 acres. About 120 is wooded, and it is a long thin strip of woods about 40 acres wide. Landowners on all sides shoot everything that moves if possible. We have had this property for 9 seasons now and in the first 3 seasons we hunted what appeared to be the best spots, we passed on all young bucks and harvested many does. As a group we harvested 2 mistake deer and 1 153"10. In the six years since we have taken 9 bucks with only 2 being under 140". The only thing we changed is our hunting pressure. I read through the sanctuary thread and really thought more people would be in favor of them. We essentially after that third year decided we needed to create as much safe area for those deer to mature and call home. The habitat is great everywhere. There is quality food and water everywhere. What was lacking was secure safe bedding areas. We now only hunt about 10 stands that are located on the far eastern border of our property. We only set foot into the sanctuary to retrieve deer or shed hunt. It has worked very well. What we gave away in acreage to hunt we gained in constant visits from mature bucks from other areas checking out our prime bedding area. Small sections can work just fine but you really need to control hunter traffic. Every property is also different.
Stick to the plan.

Great post!! Thanks for the reply!!