To Much Access a Problem?

[BA-IV]

What do you guys do with properties with TO MUCH access. Is to much access an issue? I see all the time on the Beast where you have parking areas, but here you can park anywhere on the side of the main roads in the wma's or the woods roads. How do you go about breaking one of these properties down?

Here's a sample of what I'm talking about...Roads absolutely everywhere, no walking past 7-800 yards if you don't want to without hitting another woods road.

[justdirtyfun]

Deer find the best spots. Since we are usually predictable and lazy they take advantage of that.

Visual bedding could be watching a parking lot, we read that a lot here. But most of the roads don't scare them until a car stops for a minute or shuts off with a door slamming shut.
Your picture looks to be a hilly area so pick the steepest spots that can watch the road when the wind is blowing towards the road.
My experience is guys Park along the woods they hunt. So the deer hear them and game over. I will walk a road 1/4 to 1/2 mile rather than Park in a potential area.

[Whitetailaddict]

Deer definitely pay attention to vehicle traffic in areas that are not usually traveled much especially when they hear them stop. There will always be areas that are overlooked and these are hard to find as if they were easy to find they wouldn't be overlooked. In this situation instead of determining access based on parking lots you'll likely have to drive some of the areas you're hunting to see where people really are accessing because like it was already started people tend to park near where they enter the woods.

[headgear]

The first question is does this are hold sign of mature bucks, big tracks or rubs? Cam pics? Cam pics would be most beneficial because if they are close to daylight you are at least in the game, if they are 2am they might be bedding a long long way off. Next if the bucks are bedding on the property then you have to find the overlooked spots or spots others will not hunt, that might be a super thick area that no one can penetrate or probably an overlooked bedding next to access. If you don't have these things then it is time to move on, I have walked some beautiful looking land with tons of bedding that was just too pressured to hold mature bucks during daylight, that doesn't mean they don't pass through after dark but you need them to be there during shooting hours or the land is worthless. Sure a guy might score a buck during the rut at any time in any place but I need the bucks to bed there on a consistent basis if you aren't depending on luck. Luck is nice to have during the rut but you don't want to depend on it to shoot bucks.

[bowfreak8]

The first question is does this are hold sign of mature bucks, big tracks or rubs? Cam pics? Cam pics would be most beneficial because if they are close to daylight you are at least in the game, if they are 2am they might be bedding a long long way off. Next if the bucks are bedding on the property then you have to find the overlooked spots or spots others will not hunt, that might be a super thick area that no one can penetrate or probably an overlooked bedding next to access. If you don't have these things then it is time to move on, I have walked some beautiful looking land with tons of bedding that was just too pressured to hold mature bucks during daylight, that doesn't mean they don't pass through after dark but you need them to be there during shooting hours or the land is worthless. Sure a guy might score a buck during the rut at any time in any place but I need the bucks to bed there on a consistent basis if you aren't depending on luck. Luck is nice to have during the rut but you don't want to depend on it to shoot bucks.

I absolutely agree. There are a ton of spots out there that look amazing but because of pressure it is only used at night or not at all by mature bucks. Try finding those hidden non pressured pockets.

[BA-IV]

The first question is does this are hold sign of mature bucks, big tracks or rubs? Cam pics? Cam pics would be most beneficial because if they are close to daylight you are at least in the game, if they are 2am they might be bedding a long long way off. Next if the bucks are bedding on the property then you have to find the overlooked spots or spots others will not hunt, that might be a super thick area that no one can penetrate or probably an overlooked bedding next to access. If you don't have these things then it is time to move on, I have walked some beautiful looking land with tons of bedding that was just too pressured to hold mature bucks during daylight, that doesn't mean they don't pass through after dark but you need them to be there during shooting hours or the land is worthless. Sure a guy might score a buck during the rut at any time in any place but I need the bucks to bed there on a consistent basis if you aren't depending on luck. Luck is nice to have during the rut but you don't want to depend on it to shoot bucks.

It's 105,000 acre WMA. There is good bucks killed every year out of this WMA, and they have a few areas around ranges that are NO HUNTING, and even a spot dead in the middle that is close to 10,000 acres with NO HUNTING, so they get age, now whether they ever move out of there is the question. We see them and hear about them through out the years. But you do make it some very good points on whether the big mature deer are anywhere to be found in daylight.

[JakeB]

Worst part of LA WMA's! Wayyy too much access. Roads, and atv trails to every part of them. They basically make them where it's very hard to find spots that don't have an atv trail running right too it. Great for lazy people, not great for people trying to get away from them.

[Boogieman1]

My approach is to find spots most hunters never think of or get permission where no one else can. I don't have access to the large Wma units but feel the same logic is used when u guys are referring to overlooked spots. In my case they just happen to have property lines. I don't care how sorry a property looks if it's free of human intrusion I feel a big boy will eventually find it. I think of it as baiting, give him a spot with adequate cover free of any human traffic and he will flock to it like a rat to cheese! Especially when the guns start sounding off.

[wmahunter]

true statement about deer hunting cars. There was a block of woods I was hunting in years ago. The deer would bed on the NE corner. I always parked on the south side of this block. The blocks are about 1 mile square.
Anyway, one day I got in early and heard a car park on the NE corner. The hunter slammed his door. Not 5 mins later a small buck went by me heading south from the direction the car door was slammed.

Yes the deer do pay attention to where hunters are parking.

[headgear]

It's 105,000 acre WMA. There is good bucks killed every year out of this WMA, and they have a few areas around ranges that are NO HUNTING, and even a spot dead in the middle that is close to 10,000 acres with NO HUNTING, so they get age, now whether they ever move out of there is the question. We see them and hear about them through out the years. But you do make it some very good points on whether the big mature deer are anywhere to be found in daylight.

Wow that is some land, interesting area for sure. Just have to find those places the bucks like to hang out, in places with lots of roads I think you better focus on the overlooked stuff. That and check out areas near the no hunting areas, only so many good beds in 10K acres so you might be able to catch some overflow bucks.

[justdirtyfun]

I would try to study the vegetation edges online also. Maybe find old clear cuts with regrowth.

[headgear]

Yep thick areas no other hunters go would be another good place to start, a mess of blows downs can also be good. If the bucks are there they are bedding somewhere to get old page, just have to find them.