OK so here's the deal. We've got the 55 acres that we live on. My property is about 50 acres of thicket and hardwood bottom with a 3 acre clearing where our house is and a 2 acre clearing which I hunt that is about 250 yards from the house separated by heavy woods. We have good density in our area and the ranches around us cultivate cotton, soy beans, corn and numerous other crops. My problem is this - a family member that has 60 acres that borders ours consistently has more mature bucks on camera. His property is basically 100% thicket with his plot in the center. I know the deer are entering his property from mine, mostly through a hardwood bottom that runs the length of my property. My hunting area backs up to this bottom, but the only time I see good bucks is before season and during heavy rut when they come looking for the does in my oat patch. I'll put up a pic of our property so you can see what I'm saying. Basically I'm in need of suggestions as to what approach I should take in order to make the deer more comfortable or to make my area more attractive. Food plots, stand location etc. I currently only plant in the fall.
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Good looking property and glad you got some hard woods. My suggestion would be to spend a considerable amount of time right now and into february scouting your property hard, learning everything about it. Find the bedding on your property, food sources, and what not. I use onx maps to mark everything but before that I used the maps on the iphone to mark stuff. Take good notes when you do find beds and feeding areas including which direction trails might be going in and out. Also if you find rubs take note which direction the deer was potentially heading to make that rub. If you have some rain come by I'd walk the entire property line between you and the family member as well as 3470. Take notes on where deer are crossing, which direction the tracks are heading, how many tracks. Once you get all this together you should be able to connect a lot of the dots to know what your deer are doing. Than I'd set up lock ons like the others have said especially in the hardwoods but also in the thicket heading to other properties where you found their crossing. One protein feeder on your property would help with keeping deer around. Like others said try to access different parts of your property without disturbing the entire property. Once you learn the property though and know where the deer are bedding and where they are traveling, you'll have a good idea where to enter and exit your stand locations. Early and late season get you a camera running on trails through the thick stuff. The bucks will be in there.
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Thanks for the input everyone
Originally posted by AgHntr10 View PostIf that's his property south of the county road with the big plot and multiple feeders he probably has more deer because he has a more established plot and feeding program.
Bow stands in the bottoms are great for me, but I'm more interested in being able to put my kids on good deer, so I need to get them out into my clearing. Taking suggestions on a good crop for the Trinity river bottom area of Houston Co.
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First thing I noticed is you can only hunt a north, northwest, west wind. All approach should be from south into blind and only on those winds
Southeast is our predominant wind.... and your SOL there without building blockage on trail (possible option). If you hunt in this wind you immediately tell bucks your there and it’s game over
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Originally posted by BolilloLoco View PostHow much activity is going on around your house throughout the year? Kids running around on 4 wheelers, playing hide n go seek, etc......??
Does he have a house on his property?
The best route seems to be to set up stands across the bottoms for different wind directions and to build a more established food plot. Thanks to all for the input
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Originally posted by drogers6771 View PostThere is no house on his property, however, my house is closer to his oat patch than it is to my own. There is activity around the house, but there is activity everywhere here between ranching/oilfield/rec.
The best route seems to be to set up stands across the bottoms for different wind directions and to build a more established food plot. Thanks to all for the input
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