Need advice on hunting some private land 140 acres

Aztec · Mar 4, 2016

So, I have a friend with private land where I can hunt this upcoming deer season. I attached a pic. the square is 140 acres and a third is wooded. There are lots of deer in the area. The owners are friends, but they don't like the deer. The pink mark shows where there is a good spot for tree stand and a tiny clearing. The blue is a creek that can be crossed. I can prob put out some feed/bait at any time now until season opens. Here are my questions: 1) What non-intrusive things can I do to the land to make it better for hunting? 2) What recommended spots would you put a pop-up blind or a tree stand?

I included a bigger picture to show how trees connect in adjacent land. The deer are known to travel across the field toward the pink dot.

I'll be crossbow hunting & maybe gun hunting as well.

Bigslam51 · Mar 4, 2016

I wouldn't do anything until you at least hunt it for a year. That way you can get a feel for the place. I know one thing though, I'd be hanging a stand in the corner of that small field. I wouldn't bother with bait either until mid July for camera inventory.

giles · Mar 4, 2016

If the owners don't like deer, I wouldn't do anything to the land to draw more deer to it. I'm guessing that is the opposite effect that they want.

Aztec · Mar 4, 2016

Do you mean in the field marked "A" in this pic? Which corner? bottom right? That field might be a bedding area. Also in B and C, those are just grasses not deer feed plots.

Bigslam51 · Mar 4, 2016

Yes field A, I'd put a stand in the top left corner by the creek. You could catch bucks running that pinch point during the rut. What is growing in field A? Looks like the least intrusive way to hunt it also. What type of grasses in b and c and how tall are they?

Aztec · Mar 4, 2016

Not sure of types, but I can get back on that. Grasses in A are currently chest high in March. Grasses in B can be 6 ft high.

hickslawns · Mar 4, 2016

How tall are the grasses? I'd be looking for the best entry and exit lines to stands. Last thing I'd want is to blow deer out on my way to/from a stand.

Bigslam51 · Mar 4, 2016

Aztec said:
Not sure of types, but I can get back on that. Grasses in A are currently chest high in March. Grasses in B can be 6 ft high.

Not to be rude, but it only matters how tall the grass will be during huntin season[emoji38]

Aztec · Mar 5, 2016

haha, yeah. I've been out to the property once last week. I'll get more specific answers.

xbowguy · Mar 5, 2016

I would shed hunt the place really hard this whole month and take some notes. The property as a whole looks very promising. At least from this pic, I like the narrow strip as well. That spot with a west wind should be a bottle neck during the rut especially. Lots of foot work will explain the details. And right now is the time for that.

jlane · Mar 5, 2016

are you looking to kill any deer or the best buck in the area, here is what i would do, first is this flat land or hills(mountains to me) put boots on the ground, look for trails,rubs, scrapes,deer dropings, that will tell you alot, field #a is that overgrown with weeds, if so and you have access to a four wheeler put a broadcast feeder on it and broadcast about 3 hundred lbs of corn in about a half acre, put a couple cams up and let them tell you what you have on property,(not a big fan of pilling up corn as deer are browers), then when bow season starts do the same only more corn over half the field, find the heavy trails, then look for a somewhat lighter trail, put cams up either up high, over 8 ft off the ground angled down or sit it on the ground angled up and brushed in, don,t set cam at eye level,(average deer donT care mature bucks will advoid that tree)be pateince check cams once a week and hunt accordingly DO NOT HUNT over the corn, bump him a couple times as you are coming in or leaving and he will leave the area or go nocturnal

Bigcountry40 · Mar 5, 2016

I would hunt the pinch point directly to the left of of A. I don't think you mess that up much simply walk in directly from the field.

Bigcountry40 · Mar 5, 2016

That pinch point would do you well during the rutt. I don't think a east or west wind will effect u much

finelyshedded · Mar 5, 2016

I agree shed hunt and scout hard from now till green up. Now is the best time to read sign.

Spencie · Mar 5, 2016

I would put a stand on the southern border along the creek for a north/northwest and possibly west wind. Always good to have options. Might take some work to figure out how to get into it.

hickslawns · Mar 5, 2016

xbowguy said:
I would shed hunt the place really hard this whole month and take some notes. The property as a whole looks very promising. At least from this pic, I like the narrow strip as well. That spot with a west wind should be a bottle neck during the rut especially. Lots of foot work will explain the details. And right now is the time for that.

Bam. That says it all. I agree 100%.

bowhunter1023 · Mar 5, 2016

xbowguy said:
I would shed hunt the place really hard this whole month and take some notes. The property as a whole looks very promising. At least from this pic, I like the narrow strip as well. That spot with a west wind should be a bottle neck during the rut especially. Lots of foot work will explain the details. And right now is the time for that.

I agree with this as well. If it's me, I do this AND I set up a couple observation stands in areas where I can see a lot of ground. I'd pick them based on perfect access first, then the right tree. I'd spend a good bit of time there in October just watching deer before I made any serious moves. Use a mobile hunting approach in Year 1 rather than lock yourself down by hanging stands now. Bounce around using the most recent information and it could be a really exciting year.

Bigslam51 · Mar 5, 2016

bowhunter1023 said:
I agree with this as well. If it's me, I do this AND I set up a couple observation stands in areas where I can see a lot of ground. I'd pick them based on perfect access first, then the right tree. I'd spend a good bit of time there in October just watching deer before I made any serious moves. Use a mobile hunting approach in Year 1 rather than lock yourself down by hanging stands now. Bounce around using the most recent information and it could be a really exciting year.

Ya buddy, scout more than you hunt. Especially the first year. I do a ton of glassing right before the season opens and throughout October. Like Rick said, shed hunt/scout now, the sign you find now will be the most beneficial. Walk every inch of the property, you don't have to worry about spooking deer this time of year. Like Jesse said, be mobile. Get yourself a climber if you don't have one. I've killed more deer out of my climber than my hang ons.

Aztec · Mar 5, 2016

xbowguy said:
I would shed hunt the place really hard this whole month and take some notes. The property as a whole looks very promising. At least from this pic, I like the narrow strip as well. That spot with a west wind should be a bottle neck during the rut especially. Lots of foot work will explain the details. And right now is the time for that.

So, you mean to put a tree stand on the thin strip of trees on left edge of "C" and hunt what comes into the C field? The C field will have the shortest grasses. I'm told that the deer like to walk along the tree edge straight north on the C field as well.

Aztec · Mar 5, 2016

Thanks for all the advice and pointers! It's very interesting hearing all of your thoughts. I plan go for any deer early bow season, then hunt for bigger buck in the rut. I should have the place to myself & son, before another friend joins after the rut. I could probably have the owner cut a path in "B" horizontally from lower left corner and across to pink dot. I'll set up a couple of cameras around August.

Need advice on hunting some private land 140 acres

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