I know it’s been covered before but how do my fellow beasts hunt small private parcels or blocks of timber in farmland that are highly sensitive to pressure or lack good, undetected access options (i.e., access is primarily from open ag fields only) for mature bucks and not burn them out quickly?
I have some buddies who are kind of down on their luck on some of their small private parcels as they try to employ tactics like they see on the hunting public at the start of season only to see all the mature bucks start using property much less frequently and only in the middle of the night (from cell cam info).
Basically, I am trying to point them to this thread so they can learn from you guys on how to approach these small private farmland parcels a little more strategically as to not burn these spots out so quickly and up their odds at a mature buck. I’ve given them some advice (regarding observation sits on the fringes and moving in to the core of these areas only when they have the right conditions and intel) but I think hearing it from you guys will lend more credibility to my advice as there is a wealth of knowledge on this forum!
If you could post some useful links from this forum or other sources of information (podcasts, articles from other websites/forums) on how to approach this situation that would be welcome as well.
Thanks in advance!
Beasting on small private parcels
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Re: Beasting on small private parcels
Daves farm (where me and Dave both shot our bucks this year) is a great example. its really about restraint, observation stands, timing, and cameras. you really need to hunt public or not hunt in order to not drive the deer off the property. Watch those two hunts from this year and you should get some good tips
https://youtu.be/WsG_ZpiIWxE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PvVm1iYuZlU
https://youtu.be/WsG_ZpiIWxE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PvVm1iYuZlU
- Drenalin
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Re: Beasting on small private parcels
In my opinion, experience with the property and intel from prior years is a big key. If I generally know how the deer are using the property, I don't need to spend a lot of time in there scouting. If I know what time of season the property is seeing the most deer activity, I can stay out until the time is right. Both of these things allow me to keep the pressure to a minimum and hopefully increase the odds that a decent buck will show up. If possible, I like to observe the properties in the weeks leading up to the season, from as far back as I can. Sometimes do this in season too. Not putting out any trail cams, this is my best bet to get any kind of inventory on the deer there. Then when it's time to hunt it, I'm scouting and setting up based on in the moment intel combined with knowledge from previous years. This past season all these things came together for me, but one of the big difference makers was keeping myself from overhunting small private properties. I hunt a combination of public and private, but the private parcels I have access to are only 4, 40, and 60 acres. It doesn't take long to burn out a property that small, especially since small properties generally mean 1 or 2 ways to access.
- brancher147
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Re: Beasting on small private parcels
Agree with Drenalin. Only thing I do different is put cams up and leave them all season even if I don’t hunt the property. I have a handful of small private spots most have other hunters, you need to find the spots no one else goes if that even exists. But it’s tough and some properties I don’t hunt at all in a year or may only hunt once or twice. I always have killed most my deer especially nice bucks on public because I have room to move around and adjust based on what deer are doing and you just may not have that on small private pieces. It’s the same reason I don’t usually look at these small private pieces for spring turkey hunting-the gobbler is always on the neighbors and just won’t cross that fence lol.
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Re: Beasting on small private parcels
Restraint is the name of the game. 1-2 hunts per period (early, rut, late), and skip the early season if there isn’t anything bedding close. This is when I exclusively hunt public land, it’s basically killing time and out getting exercise until the pre-rut. I normally don’t hunt my farm early season at all until halloween, that’s when I typically start getting daylight pictures of shooters. This year I waited until gun season to hunt the in-laws’ 5 acres, and I had a buck down 20 minutes after first light on opening day. Now if you think a shooter is bedding on you early season, guess where he’s bedding and at least give it a shot.
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Re: Beasting on small private parcels
Use a gun, not a bow. If you can’t use a gun, use a crossbow. Small places are so pressure prone that not capitalizing on any opportunities will likely lead to failure for the rest of the season.
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- brancher147
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Re: Beasting on small private parcels
mheichelbech wrote:Use a gun, not a bow. If you can’t use a gun, use a crossbow. Small places are so pressure prone that not capitalizing on any opportunities will likely lead to failure for the rest of the season.
Guess it depends on when gun season is. That is when the small private pieces I hunt get most pressure and our season is the week of Thanksgiving and most deer have already been spooked by any archery pressure or early doe season. My best chances are archery in late October or early November before gun season. I guess a late gun season or muzzleloader after the main gun season may be good for some pieces. Or in a state like VA with gun season all November yeah I might wait for that depending on the property but I still think my best chance for patterning an area and using prior intel is before or after gun pressure but I am sure some properties are different.
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