I've got 15 acres to hunt.. where to start?

[TNTitan]

I asked earlier and some of the pros in this forum said that 15 acres was plenty to hunt deer on.. I thought it was really small, but I am taking y'alls word for it. Now I need to begin spending time on the land, watching and making a plan for gun season.

Here is a topo map of the land. The main field to the West has an old barn on it.. the tree line that runs top to bottom has a nice spring fed creek running through it and its pretty much forest all the way up to the hill on the south side with one small field on the eastern border. I have seen Does munching in the that field before..

Any tips on where to start?

[DaveS]

I don't know if anyone mentioned it or not, but meet with the landowners of the surrounding property. Make sure it's ok to go onto thier land to recover a deer if needed. I like the layout of your property. Are the trees hardwoods? Nice.

[TNTitan]

I don't know if anyone mentioned it or not, but meet with the landowners of the surrounding property. Make sure it's ok to go onto thier land to recover a deer if needed. I like the layout of your property. Are the trees hardwoods? Nice.

hmm. I think they are.. they are pretty old and tall! (Im no expert.. can you tell? ). Here is a pic from the North field looking south

Most of the surrounding land is pretty empty.. .I'll try and call around and ask the owners about tracking deer on their land. Thanks.

[Guest sharpshooter01]

I would start by looking in the tree line near the creek for some sign. That is a natural funnel the deer should travel and feel secure to get to the fields. Those horny bucks will be looking for the does when the rut gets going, so if possible I would set up where I could shoot both fields come gun season. If you can't shoot both fields I would walk the edges and look for scrapes and rubs and hunt the field with the most sign, but during the rut you never know where they will be. Good luck and let us know how the season turns out for ya!

[DaveS]

Sharpshooter is right on track. The wooded areas between the fields would be my first choice. It should give the deer a secure feeling. If the land is yours, I would plan on a small food plot for spring planting. Nice looking property.

[TNTitan]

hmm.. I might be able to get up a stand in near the creek to hit both fields.. not sure though. trees get pretty thick in there. I was thinking about shooting from the barn as well.

[Guest sharpshooter01]

Could you cut a couple of shooting lanes to shoot both fields? How wide or how many yards from one field to the other is the tree line in the creek? A good pole pruner is what you need to thin the tree limbs or a chain saw if it is too thick. Heck I would cut a trail from one field to the other and add a salt lick in the middle of the trail and that will only help ya. The deer will start to use your trail. I definatly like the food plot idea for next year if that is possible for ya. If all else fails try the barn.

[TNTitan]

Could you cut a couple of shooting lanes to shoot both fields? How wide or how many yards from one field to the other is the tree line in the creek? A good pole pruner is what you need to thin the tree limbs or a chain saw if it is too thick. Heck I would cut a trail from one field to the other and add a salt lick in the middle of the trail and that will only help ya. The deer will start to use your trail. I definatly like the food plot idea for next year if that is possible for ya. If all else fails try the barn.

funny you shoud say that sharpshooter... I was looking at some other photos.. and it looks like there is an old creekbed or game trail that already cuts east/west through the tree line. That might give a nice vantage point of both fields. Ya think?

[Guest sharpshooter01]

I would for sure look at it, it looks like a good starting point to me. It looks like it might be hard to watch alot of both field but you could watch part of both with a little trimming. If you can plant a little something in and on both sides of that cut through it will help draw them to that spot instead of just browsing the whole field and I would definatly put out some salt/mineral this spring and get them use to hitting that.

[TNTitan]

ok.. ill look into that.. do i need to wait for spring or can I start prepping the creek now? what about planting?

[Guest sharpshooter01]

I would go ahead and figure out where I was going to put up a stand and then do my trimming of the shooting lanes you may need, it helps if some one is with you to cut while you sit in the stand and tell them what to cut. As far as planting it is starting to get too late to plant, I would wait till spring if you want to feed them year round or early Sept. for a hunting plot next year. I just plant for the fall and put out winter wheat, oats and some clover. Here's a couple of good sites for planting

QDMA Forums - Powered by vBulletin

http://www.utextension.utk.edu/publications/pbfiles/PB1743.pdf

Also, the deer aren't hitting the salt as much this time of year. I would put it out in April. and maybe again in June/July I use 50lb. bags of trace mineral from Tractor Supply about $5-6 a bag. Just clear a spot on the ground and pour it out the rain will do the rest.

[TNTitan]

thanks man.

[Guest sharpshooter01]

No problem, hope you get one. I enjoy doing all the work and watching the plot grow and checking the salt lick for activity throught the year. I only got to hunt it once and that was for 2 hours before the storms came opening morning, hopefully I'll be rewarded soon for my time and effort.

[Guest Mugster]

The biggest thing is get out there and do it. You'll learn pretty quick.

I believe I'd hunt that from inside the barn, although its hard to tell much from pictures. Drink my coffee in covered comfort in a comfortable chair. On farmland, the deer follow the fencelines and the streams, and they bottleneck on fence crossings. All of which is easy to spot if you go looking for sign.

As a general rule of thumb you plant stuff in the spring and it grows over the summer for harvest in the fall.

Whatever you do, look at the surrounding land for clear impact areas. I usually draw a little diagram, which is strangely comforting to look at when its dawn and there's deer in front of you. The last thing you want to do is torch off a .308 into somebody's goat herd.

Unless you have a compelling reason to go into the woods, like a well defined trail or a big ass acorn patch or something, its not worth it. When the bucks rut they'll out in the open chasing the girls. Most of your big buck shot opportunities will probably be in the open and the shot will come quick. And they'll jump those fences like they aren't even there.

[TNTitan]

Good point - there is Cattle off of the Southern border.. but not much else around us.

[Guest TNcumminsGUY]

I would go and scout the land right now, go set up a temporary stand and watch where they are coming from. Maybe put out some deer corn and a trail camera?

[Sidewinder]

You lucky guy! That looks like a wonderful deer hunting place. A friend of mine swears the trail cameras is the way to go now days. That good scouting work everyone is talking about should tell you volumes about where to put your stand. My guess is that you're going to have lots of success there. I'm jealous! Good luck.

Why do they call it common sense, when it's so uncommon? TN Sen. Fred Thompson

[TNTitan]

You lucky guy! That looks like a wonderful deer hunting place. A friend of mine swears the trail cameras is the way to go now days. That good scouting work everyone is talking about should tell you volumes about where to put your stand. My guess is that you're going to have lots of success there. I'm jealous! Good luck.

Why do they call it common sense, when it's so uncommon? TN Sen. Fred Thompson

thanks! I actually talked it up so much my DAD is going to go out with me! he hasnt hunted in YEARS so I'm excited about this.

Regarding the trail cameras.. I have NO IDEA about these? Anyone have any good links or resources on these things? They must be crazy expensive.

[TNTitan]

I would for sure look at it, it looks like a good starting point to me. It looks like it might be hard to watch alot of both field but you could watch part of both with a little trimming. If you can plant a little something in and on both sides of that cut through it will help draw them to that spot instead of just browsing the whole field and I would definatly put out some salt/mineral this spring and get them use to hitting that.

Ok.. well - heres an update. I bought a trailcam and set it up right at that cut-through between the two fields. There were a TON of tracks there! There's rolling water and it seems to be a "highway" for wildlife. Also the high grass in the field toward the North was all broken and matted down all over the place. I didnt linger - set up the camera and got out. I'll check it next week.. hopefully I will get some good pics with date/timestamps so I can tell whats moving where and when.

Here is the plan. About 100 yards to the west of the "cut-through" is a barn and a 14' tall storage trailer. I think that will make a perfect place to sit on top of and glass the entire field, treeline, "cut-through", and western property boundary. Hopefully its high enough so that we wont smell and spook anything either.

What do you think?

[Guest sharpshooter01]

Sounds like a good plan. Hunt it when the wind is in your favor and you should be good. Check those field edges for scrapes, there should be some around them now.

[TNTitan]

Would the wind still make a difference if we are that high up in the air?

[Guest sharpshooter01]

It could.

[TNTitan]

Update: I set out a cheap trailcam I picked up.. so far so good!

I think this is a coyote?

[memphismason]

Update:

I think this is a coyote?

no sir.....that is definitely a chupacabra

all kidding aside....good pic.

Edited November 4, 2009 by memphismason

[Guest Muttling]

The barn is going to be very nice for hunting the fields, but (as mentioned many times before) you need to figure out their movement patterns.

Hunting fields can be good, but hunting the trails they move along from bedding to feeding to rubs to.... is far better.