Small parcel advice

Cardinalbuck said:

Thank you both for the advice on placement. I see what you're saying about that corner - I will set up a camera there. This will be my first season owning this property so don't have experience observing deer movement yet, but can see lots of prints on the game trails. Is it worth trying to funnel (hinge cuts) or draw the deer (mineral licks) to stand locations at this point or better to go a season, get some experience, then make improvements?

I do have access to another property, so will split my time and try not to over hunt this one.

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Just picked up a lease in Ashtabula last week. Its exactly like yours. Very flat and swampy. The trails in there are worn to the mud with a bunch fresh tracks all over them just like you are talking about. I don't understand why no one talks about the county. Very little online about the county. Unlike some other counties. Even the pick looks very similar to the lease. Anyway, good luck this season. Hopefully you post up some nice trail pics when you get them out and check your cards.

Cardinalbuck said:

So...what one or two things should I do to improve the habitat, and my odds of holding deer this fall?

Thank you in advance for the help!

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Some great advice and stand locations so far. But to directly answer your question I'll offer a few habitat manipulation ideas that are easy and can greatly improve any farm. 1)Year round supplemental feeding....start now with a single 350 lbs gravity feeder and never let it run empty. Locate it close to the road or an easy location to fill and never ever hunt near it/over it. You'll have does like crazy and ,in November, bucks.

2) Improve existing bedding. On your next scouting mission or outting into the woods take a handsaw. If you find a natural, known, obvios bedding area....spruce it up with a few hinge cut trees, flatten the beds and add a few logs for backing. If you don't know how to do these kind of manipulations....watch the videos on YouTube.

3) Snow fence. For example the yellow star hunting stand many have liked that looks to be a great funnel. Go add 40 yards green 4ft. now fence (from Menards) on the down wind side, 20 yards behind your stand. Accentuate the funnel and make it more likely the cruising bucks pass within bow range.

4) Add a water station. $30 at Tractor Supply will get you a big black rubber troff and Jimmy rig a way for it to always get rain water.....I'm still working on a few ideas for this......anyone got a tried and true technique?

These small improvements are easy and will help almost any property hold more deer and improve the hunting.

That all sounds like something I'd do early spring, not the beginning of august. Maybe I'm just too cautious but I get all my stands hung and lanes cut during the first part of July and I stay out except for camera checks every few weeks.

Bigslam51 said:

That all sounds like something I'd do early spring, not the beginning of august. Maybe I'm just too cautious but I get all my stands hung and lanes cut during the first part of July and I stay out except for camera checks every few weeks.

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Ding ding ding! Great point Bigslam.

In regards to OP- Yes, obsessing over your property or deer hunting is normal. Well, not normal to most, but normal to those who have the deer hunting flu.

Bigslam51 said:

That all sounds like something I'd do early spring, not the beginning of august. Maybe I'm just too cautious but I get all my stands hung and lanes cut during the first part of July and I stay out except for camera checks every few weeks.

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Bucks this time of year don't travel much IMO and if they currently are not on the farm (simmering elsewhere) you're not going to hurt a thing. We are inching closer to the opener but still plenty of time to do work for November

Here's the thing, he doesn't know what's on the property. He could have a chance at tagging a nice buck on opening day that's still on his bed to feed pattern during daylight. I'd take the conservative approach.

Bigslam51 said:

Here's the thing, he doesn't know what's on the property. He could have a chance at tagging a nice buck on opening day that's still on his bed to feed pattern during daylight. I'd take the conservative approach.

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The number of chances I've had at a mature bucks opening week or before mid-October are pretty slim. I would bet the bank on shooting a big mature buck from Oct 20 to Nov 20 and do things I enjoy doing now (habitat manipulation) to help those chances.

Besides, my suggestions are not major changes in habitat. EXAMPLE... If anyone here argues that a 350 gravity feeder, FILLED TO THR GILLS, 40 yards off the road way will hurt/effect the number of does you see later in the season. Ide be shocked.

I put a water tank in at my farm last week and I'll be doing some bedding area improvements once it cools off. I know the bucks I'm after are a mile away but when they come in October I want things PRIME.

The yellow str to me is the money stand if you can get in and out undetected and the right wind. Another spot I like is north and east of the yellow star a long the east edge of the woods where those few trees jet into that open field or swamp looking area. I'm with the other guys let your cameras do the work this year. The best advice I can give right now is less is better IMO. Put some stand up and stay out of it. Hunt when the wind is right and observe this year then maybe do improvement late winter early spring. Hinge cutting does work. Corn piles will work. Clear cutting a small area and getting under growth that provides bedding and browse will help. I would just wait a year or two and try and pattern the deer. And as others have said don't over hunt it.

Maybe I missed something. Did you buy this property or lease it? If leased, you might check before you start cutting trees and such. I thought you said you bought it. Even if bought, you have the rest of your life to hunt it. A season minimum of observing might save you time, effort, and regret of changing an area which already produces.

hickslawns said:

Maybe I missed something. Did you buy this property or lease it? If leased, you might check before you start cutting trees and such. I thought you said you bought it. Even if bought, you have the rest of your life to hunt it. A season minimum of observing might save you time, effort, and regret of changing an area which already produces.

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Post #12 did say he bought the property this year. And I agree don't rush in too fast as he has a whole life time to hunt the new property and don't make mistakes by not knowing what's going on yet and can't correct your adverse actions.

I believe the property is too small to hold deer in it's self. Plant food plots to draw the deer to the property, and look for excellent pass through travel routes.

Seems that only one person is encouraging you to hinge cut, and alter the property. I'd go with what the majority of us have said so far. Sit back, observe from the stand, and make changes down the road if necessary.

Just take your time, man. You'll enjoy yourself more, you'll kick yourself in the ass if you do something now that you can't take back.

Bigslam51 said:

Just take your time, man. You'll enjoy yourself more, you'll kick yourself in the ass if you do something now that you can't take back.

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exactly

One point I'd make is that the property will change on its own over the years. Unless these changes are dramatic the deer that use the area will use the same basic travel routes for years to come. It took me a while to learn that you can't make a deer go where you want him to go. You must learn where he wants to go and when he goes there most often. Situate your stand accordingly and wait him out.

My advice would be to create a mineral site and hang a camera to inventory the deer in your area. This works best from April thru August. If you can find a good travel corridor that is where I'd make my mineral site.

Sounds like you have time on your side which is a big plus. Thirty acres may not sound like a lot of land, but it will take a while to put the puzzle pieces together. I only own ten acres and it took me ten years to really get an idea how to hunt my land the best. Or at least I think I have it figured out.

I'd start my hunt in the area of the yellow star to begin with.

I agree with the don't rush just yet mentality. It has taken us several years to figure out how deer move through our property and now we can make plans on how to benefit that movement without inadvertently obstructing it or causing problems. Observe, take notes and perhaps next year you can start making improvements to things you've noticed. Improvements could be hinge cutting, creating funnels, planting food plots, etc. or it could just mean things are already good, just move/tweak the stand(s) a little.

Anyone listened to this PODCAST?
http://wiredtohunt.com/2015/04/30/t...xtreme-deer-habitat-improvement-wjim-brauker/