Minimum acres to actually manage deer?

[Silentnight]

That really isn’t true. Depends 100% where the property is located. Carrying capacity in Val Verde County is a lot different then Fayette County. If you can put in food plots that actually grow, you can carry a hell of a lot more then 1 deer per 20 acres. You could run more like 75 deer on 600 acres. Plenty of diversity in age across 75 deer to make it fun. It also depends what the terrain is like. Certain areas, 600 acres feels and hunts huge. Others, not so much. I wouldn’t hesitate to high fence 600 acres in the right circumstance. Big enough to be fun small enough to control.


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I agree with that statement. You can for sure run more if you feed and/or have good native veg. Also you will not see every deer on 600 acres unless it has no brush or cover. I know places that are similar size and have multiple deer on game cam that only come out at night. The bigger the deer get the smarter they are. They didn't get big by being dumb.

[Silentnight]

Looking at a property in Milam county. Post oak and cedar. With one neighbor that doesn't hunt, my blind would be the only one sitting directly in the middle of about 600 acres. What's the chance of actually getting bucks to 5 years old assuming the other neighbors shoot 3 year old, 13" bucks?

What part of Milam county? We live in southern Falls and have property in Milam. Also is the property 100% cover or does it have grass or cultivation on it? And I think it would also matter if there is pasture or farm land around your property or if it is brush/cover also.

[lovemylegacy]

Pretty sure I would love to have 600 acres. A very good problem to have.

Make the property appealing to the deer. Food, water, cover. You should have plenty deer to shoot. Goodness that's a square mile! We have 1500 acres and several bucks that frequent our lease get taken off lease, its hunting. That's why we hunt. Bucks roam, nothing you can do about that. Some bucks are home bodies, nothing you can do about that. Just enjoy the 600 acs you have.

The 3year old 13" assumption is a big assumption. If those neighbors live there then they may be like you. If they hunt one or two weekends a season, yeah they might shoot anything. Visit them and introduce yourself and get an idea of what their goals are. Remember its their prerogative to do what they want on their property. They don't have the priviledge of having a larger property, so don't be critical of them. They are probably happy to have that little slice of heaven, don't ruin it.

Get rid of the cedars and replace it with something better.

[Bureau2]

Lots of great Info here. Let them get old!

[gingib]

600 is enough

[HDWRENCH]

I saw deer on the cam that I had not seen all year , They move get pushed , just over 400 on the lease . But So many thing effect it what works for one area may not for another .

I let young legal AR deer walk that should turn out very nice if they survive , I cannot control what others do , Just my thoughts good luck

[BaseKAM36]

What Part of milam county?

[BitBackShot]

I don't think you can do much of anything on 600 acres unless it's HF.

I say that because the ranch my land is in is about 1500 acres and I get game cam pics of all kinds of deer that my buddy who is almost a mile away also gets. And that same buddy shot a drop-tine buck that spent all summer another mile past me, so close to 2 miles from him. You start drawing those "home ranges" in all directions and envision the bucks moving in both directions and you've got bucks coming and going from probably closer to 4000 acres.

[BitBackShot]

Add to that the genetic material of does breeding with wandering bucks you may never even see, etc., it's just really hard to envision anything beyond basic population control.

[Top Of Texas]

pretty sure i would love to have 600 acres. A very good problem to have.

ditto!

[lovemylegacy]

I don't think you can do much of anything on 600 acres unless it's HF.

I say that because the ranch my land is in is about 1500 acres and I get game cam pics of all kinds of deer that my buddy who is almost a mile away also gets. And that same buddy shot a drop-tine buck that spent all summer another mile past me, so close to 2 miles from him. You start drawing those "home ranges" in all directions and envision the bucks moving in both directions and you've got bucks coming and going from probably closer to 4000 acres.

Yeah, that's part of it. You will not get every mature buck in the area to stay on your property no matter the size of property. But, you can give them something that they don't have at their home, prompting them to hang around a little longer.

[Top Of Texas]

That really isn’t true. Depends 100% where the property is located. Carrying capacity in Val Verde County is a lot different then Fayette County. If you can put in food plots that actually grow, you can carry a hell of a lot more then 1 deer per 20 acres. You could run more like 75 deer on 600 acres. Plenty of diversity in age across 75 deer to make it fun. It also depends what the terrain is like. Certain areas, 600 acres feels and hunts huge. Others, not so much. I wouldn’t hesitate to high fence 600 acres in the right circumstance. Big enough to be fun small enough to control.


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I don't intend to hijack the thread, but I can't let that one go.

While it is true different regions can support greater or lesser populations of deer, all regions do have limitations. That limitation, known as "carrying capacity", is the number of animals a piece of land can support without damaging the growth or reproduction of the natural high-quality forage plants.

It has been proven that supplemental feed and food plots do not reduce forging pressure on the high quality plants. Therefore supplemental feed and food plots do not increase the number of animals that a piece of land can support. However, they will allow you to continue to grow large antlers while the high quality plants are being degraded and/or eliminated.

Large antlers can be produced in the Walmart parking lot.

I don't know of any where in TX where carrying capacity is 8 acres per deer. Although there are plenty of places where the density is that high, and it shows in the deer.

[BitBackShot]

I don't intend to hijack the thread, but I can't let that one go.

I don't know of any where in TX where carrying capacity is 8 acres per deer. Although there are plenty of places where the density is that high, and it shows in the deer.

I think the survey in our area reflected a density of 1 per 4.5 acres. It's generally regarded as the highest density area in the USofA though if you believe the QDMA is accurate, and it's not a good thing. My neighbor's record in 1 photograph was 57 deer at the feeder.

[TildenHunter]

I don't intend to hijack the thread, but I can't let that one go.

While it is true different regions can support greater or lesser populations of deer, all regions do have limitations. That limitation, known as "carrying capacity", is the number of animals a piece of land can support without damaging the growth or reproduction of the natural high-quality forage plants.

It has been proven that supplemental feed and food plots do not reduce forging pressure on the high quality plants. Therefore supplemental feed and food plots do not increase the number of animals that a piece of land can support. However, they will allow you to continue to grow large antlers while the high quality plants are being degraded and/or eliminated.

Large antlers can be produced in the Walmart parking lot.

I don't know of any where in TX where carrying capacity is 8 acres per deer. Although there are plenty of places where the density is that high, and it shows in the deer.

I am aware of carrying capacity. You can't tell me that 40 acre food plot of peas or whatever crop a deer decides to eat won't take pressure off some of the other natural browse that is available to them. A deer only eats so much and if they are eating 3lbs of protein or food plot or whatever a day, they are not going to be hitting the natural food. Some deer will hit supplemental feed and some wont. We have had 1 deer per 8 acres for 15 years and have had ZERO adverse effects. We feed a ton of protein. Actually had a biologist out about a month ago to look and make some recommendations and he said our brush looks as good as he has seen. I don't say that to brag and I don't own the ranch, my parents do. I just say that because you can certainly run a high deer density and push your carrying capacity with supplemental feeding. There are limitations but we haven't hit it at 1 deer to 8 acres.

Now I agree with no supplemental feed, I don't know of anywhere you can run 1 deer to 8 acres. But you absolutely can with supplemental feed. We have been doing it for 15 years.

[Top Of Texas]

The Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute in Kingsville published some research on the subject. Deer fed supplement not only continued eating browse, but ate more than deer with no supplement during different seasons. Potential explanations for that are numerous and complex. Deer fed no supplement ate more mast than deer that were fed supplement, most likely because energy needs were met with supplements. Study did not look at food plots.

I cannot address your first hand experience. I can say, I've been on numerous HF properties with high densities that feed and have food plots. The browse does not look good.

I don't know where your property is located. What are the 3 top choice browse plants on y'alls place?