Smallest parcel of land you can trophy hunt effectively?

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Stanley
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Smallest parcel of land you can trophy hunt effectively?

Unread postby Stanley » Wed Aug 17, 2011 2:32 am

What amount of acres do think it takes to produce mature bucks year after year in your area or circumstances? I realize it depends on individual specifics, but break it down and spill your guts. Example; if you had 10 acres could you take a mature buck every year or would you need more ground?


You can fool some of the bucks, all of the time, and fool all of the bucks, some of the time, however you certainly can't fool all of the bucks, all of the time.
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Re: Smallest parcel of land you can trophy hunt effectively?

Unread postby jclaws » Wed Aug 17, 2011 2:42 am

If you have the right ten acres situated in the center of properties that dont allow any hunting.Yes you could.I have a farm that i hunt that is 20 acres,But i can only hunt ten acres of it. the neighbors on both sides dont allow any hunting.I actually only hunt about 1 acre of it that is across the creek.The deer travel from one property to the other and cross this tiny spot that i can hunt.I am only about 100 yards from the guys garage.I can see it plain as day when im hunting.And its not in an urban area.Some of the most overlooked places are some of the smallest.I have seen a mature buck every year i have hunted that spot.
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Re: Smallest parcel of land you can trophy hunt effectively?

Unread postby Zap » Wed Aug 17, 2011 2:44 am

Whats a "trophy"?

Glad to see you on this site, jclaws.
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Re: Smallest parcel of land you can trophy hunt effectively?

Unread postby UntouchableNess » Wed Aug 17, 2011 2:48 am

jclaws wrote:If you have the right ten acres situated in the center of properties that dont allow any hunting.Yes you could.I have a farm that i hunt that is 20 acres,But i can only hunt ten acres of it. the neighbors on both sides dont allow any hunting.I actually only hunt about 1 acre of it that is across the creek.The deer travel from one property to the other and cross this tiny spot that i can hunt.I am only about 100 yards from the guys garage.I can see it plain as day when im hunting.And its not in an urban area.Some of the most overlooked places are some of the smallest.I have seen a mature buck every year i have hunted that spot.

I hunt a very similar (almost exact) property and have taken some of my best bucks there.
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Stanley
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Re: Smallest parcel of land you can trophy hunt effectively?

Unread postby Stanley » Wed Aug 17, 2011 2:54 am

jclaws wrote:If you have the right ten acres situated in the center of properties that dont allow any hunting.Yes you could.I have a farm that i hunt that is 20 acres,But i can only hunt ten acres of it. the neighbors on both sides dont allow any hunting.I actually only hunt about 1 acre of it that is across the creek.The deer travel from one property to the other and cross this tiny spot that i can hunt.I am only about 100 yards from the guys garage.I can see it plain as day when im hunting.And its not in an urban area.Some of the most overlooked places are some of the smallest.I have seen a mature buck every year i have hunted that spot.


I agree, end parcels are almost never as good as parcels situated in the middle of other parcels. I posted this question because the majority of the hunters I know don't have 500 acres to hunt. In Iowa 500 acres is a huge parcel, as you well know. Get out into the mountain regions/national forests and 500 isn't squat.
You can fool some of the bucks, all of the time, and fool all of the bucks, some of the time, however you certainly can't fool all of the bucks, all of the time.
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Re: Smallest parcel of land you can trophy hunt effectively?

Unread postby Stanley » Wed Aug 17, 2011 2:56 am

Zap wrote:Whats a "trophy"?

Glad to see you on this site, jclaws.

Mainly depends on the geographical region. Mature may have been a better term.
You can fool some of the bucks, all of the time, and fool all of the bucks, some of the time, however you certainly can't fool all of the bucks, all of the time.
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Re: Smallest parcel of land you can trophy hunt effectively?

Unread postby Zap » Wed Aug 17, 2011 3:04 am

Any size area can produce great results if the deer want to be there and it is hunted correctly.
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Re: Smallest parcel of land you can trophy hunt effectively?

Unread postby Black Squirrel » Wed Aug 17, 2011 3:16 am

This is a tough question. For a small parcel say, 10-20 acres to consitently produce mature bucks, I think it has to be a good rut funnel. Possibly if there is an outstanding bedding site that a mature buck desires, and it is hunted correct. Although I hear that Tony LaPratt, pulls it off, I am not sure how many acres he has, but I don't think it is more than 50.
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Re: Smallest parcel of land you can trophy hunt effectively?

Unread postby Stanley » Wed Aug 17, 2011 3:31 am

Zap wrote:Any size area can produce great results if the deer want to be there and it is hunted correctly.

True, would you have better consistency on 10 acres of prime ground or 500 acres of prime ground year after year? In my experience 10 acres is too small in most cases to produce mature bucks year after year. I'm most certain the TV guys would struggle putting kills on tape on 10 acres. I think this helps illustrates my question.
Last edited by Stanley on Wed Aug 17, 2011 4:05 am, edited 1 time in total.
You can fool some of the bucks, all of the time, and fool all of the bucks, some of the time, however you certainly can't fool all of the bucks, all of the time.
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Re: Smallest parcel of land you can trophy hunt effectively?

Unread postby Stanley » Wed Aug 17, 2011 3:35 am

Black Squirrel wrote:This is a tough question. For a small parcel say, 10-20 acres to consitently produce mature bucks, I think it has to be a good rut funnel. Possibly if there is an outstanding bedding site that a mature buck desires, and it is hunted correct. Although I hear that Tony LaPratt, pulls it off, I am not sure how many acres he has, but I don't think it is more than 50.

I'd kill for 50 acres sandwiched in between two 750 acres parcels.
You can fool some of the bucks, all of the time, and fool all of the bucks, some of the time, however you certainly can't fool all of the bucks, all of the time.
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Re: Smallest parcel of land you can trophy hunt effectively?

Unread postby Zap » Wed Aug 17, 2011 3:45 am

More ground, more options and more room for error.

Very small parcel less options and very little room for error.

A five hundred acre piece may have a 10 acre area that is the honey hole, all that other ground lets you control the pressure near the honey hole.
But if you hunt smart and only have 5 acres that big deer want to be on I think you can get it done there almost every year.
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Re: Smallest parcel of land you can trophy hunt effectively?

Unread postby headgear » Wed Aug 17, 2011 3:58 am

Zap wrote:More ground, more options and more room for error.

Very small parcel less options and very little room for error.

A five hundred acre piece may have a 10 acre area that is the honey hole, all that other ground lets you control the pressure near the honey hole.
But if you hunt smart and only have 5 acres that big deer want to be on I think you can get it done there almost every year.


Well said Zap, that is how I see it as a public land hunter. I might park my truck and have 1000 acres in front of me but I have to be on the right 5 or 10 acres to have any chance at a mature buck that hunt. Some of these small pockets have the potential to produce every year. I just have to keep the pressure to a minimum and only hunt these areas 2-3 times a season, some spots I only get to once a year.
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Re: Smallest parcel of land you can trophy hunt effectively?

Unread postby Stanley » Wed Aug 17, 2011 4:09 am

Zap wrote:More ground, more options and more room for error.

Very small parcel less options and very little room for error.

A five hundred acre piece may have a 10 acre area that is the honey hole, all that other ground lets you control the pressure near the honey hole.
But if you hunt smart and only have 5 acres that big deer want to be on I think you can get it done there almost every year.

So if you take away 490 acres of that 500 I think you have to agree that 10 acres wouldn't be nearly as good.
You can fool some of the bucks, all of the time, and fool all of the bucks, some of the time, however you certainly can't fool all of the bucks, all of the time.
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Re: Smallest parcel of land you can trophy hunt effectively?

Unread postby Stanley » Wed Aug 17, 2011 4:13 am

headgear wrote:
Zap wrote:More ground, more options and more room for error.

Very small parcel less options and very little room for error.

A five hundred acre piece may have a 10 acre area that is the honey hole, all that other ground lets you control the pressure near the honey hole.
But if you hunt smart and only have 5 acres that big deer want to be on I think you can get it done there almost every year.


Well said Zap, that is how I see it as a public land hunter. I might park my truck and have 1000 acres in front of me but I have to be on the right 5 or 10 acres to have any chance at a mature buck that hunt. Some of these small pockets have the potential to produce every year. I just have to keep the pressure to a minimum and only hunt these areas 2-3 times a season, some spots I only get to once a year.

You'd be hunting a 1000 acres parcel not 5 or 10 acres though.
You can fool some of the bucks, all of the time, and fool all of the bucks, some of the time, however you certainly can't fool all of the bucks, all of the time.
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Stanley
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Re: Smallest parcel of land you can trophy hunt effectively?

Unread postby Stanley » Wed Aug 17, 2011 4:16 am

Zap wrote:More ground, more options and more room for error.

Very small parcel less options and very little room for error.

A five hundred acre piece may have a 10 acre area that is the honey hole, all that other ground lets you control the pressure near the honey hole.
But if you hunt smart and only have 5 acres that big deer want to be on I think you can get it done there almost every year.

And more opportunity potential.
You can fool some of the bucks, all of the time, and fool all of the bucks, some of the time, however you certainly can't fool all of the bucks, all of the time.


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