managing a herd on a small tract of land

bigtim6656 · 01-11-2008, 05:45 PM

do you guys think QDM works on small pieces of land say 20 acres if not how much do you need.

I am talking only killing mature deer anddoes

MichaelP · 01-11-2008, 05:51 PM

70 acres and we do fairly well, and of that 70 over 25 acres is a horse pasture. our landowner breeds horses and uses this land for overflow.

Rick James · 01-11-2008, 05:53 PM

No. Not unless all of your neighbors are doing it to. I have 130 acres that I've been doing it on for 3 years now and I don't think it's really enough to have the results I want, and I also have a neighbor with 250 acres that's doing it, along with another neighbor that has given my exclusive access to his. Combined we are talking close to 500 acres and it's not quite enough. We have made a difference but don't have the control that I'd really like. It would take another 200 acres I think and NO trespassers to really do what I want.

bigtim6656 · 01-11-2008, 05:59 PM

if it will not help on a small tract do you still kill the big ones and hope they make it

i am looking at buying some land but if i have to pay cash which for the first few years might be what i have to do i will be stuck around 15 acres
unless i can do a buy on contract

Schultzy · 01-11-2008, 06:02 PM

No I don't beleive it is. Only exception would be if the whole area around you would be doing it. I hunt on 160 acres and its managed to where we won't take any buck under 125" and we've had trouble making this work because our neighboring land owners don't do any managing at all, funny thing is there the ones complaining there's no big bucks, look in the mirror idiots!

MichaelP · 01-11-2008, 06:03 PM

I agree with Rick, but we have had alot of success on that little 70 acres, (several P&Y deer) but it helps that we are in a bow only county. The guys to the one side of us have over 300 acres but they spend alot of time on their Kentucky land and the guys on our other side could not hit water if they fell out of a boat. They are real nice guys but they are local yuppies who bought their land based on reputation of the area and have not bowhunted before. Maybe in a few years they will start to get it but right now it helps us becasue they do not see deer and they have a prime spot.

GMMAT · 01-11-2008, 08:16 PM

I have 6 groups hunting a square mile. I think we're all pretty much on the same page.....int that we share info and the same philosophies.

All.....except for the poachers[:@]

niehenke · 01-11-2008, 08:22 PM

Do you have a document that you could share? I'd like to get my neighbors to buy into the idea but I have some behind me that will shoot anything that moves any time, any day.

WV Hunter · 01-11-2008, 08:23 PM

You can't do it aswas stated, unless you get cooperation from the neighbors. We have 100 acres, but the deer don't stay on our land....so it is VERY tough. If I could get all my neighbors away from the brown its down philosophy, we might have something. But alas....it ain't gonna happen. [&:] Either way, I do my part on mine....not sure what difference it makes in the big picture.

niehenke · 01-11-2008, 08:37 PM

This might sound crazy, but has anyone thought about slipping your neighbor a $50 for not hunting 5 miles from you? My neighbors have other ground but why would they go anywhere but where I let the little ones go.