rhanson,

I'm gonna fill your dreams. I hunt 15 acres where I live and this past December, killed a 199 non-typical. If you're seeing deer like you are now, you may be sitting on a dynamite piece of land. You don't need much. Here's why.

At various times of the year, deer utiize pockets of habitat, for many reasons. More than we will ever know. Wind, sun, hunting pressure, temperature, food, sent, sex.... put any combination or multiple combinations together and try to figure out where they'll be tomorrow.
Forget it. Ain't gonna happen.

There is one specific time of year, lasting around 4 weeks, where you have the greatest liklihood of meeting up with a whopper you saw in the same place the prior year. That's right. Prior year. You have to see a deer like that and observe his habits to take him. You're not likely to kill him the first year unless you're just lucky. That's okay, he'll be even better, if he makes it.

That best 4 weeks is not the rut. There is one thing more important to a mature buck than sex. Staying alive. One week before your firearms season (point of greatest invasion by nimrods), most great bucks are disturbed and relocate. If you allow your property to have a safehaven and food during that week and the few which follow, you just may be able to take a great buck most years.

These are some things that appear to have worked for me.

I avoid wildlife on my property. I feel like the property is their's and I have the privilege of living there. Observe and avoid disturbing is the rule.

I do not enter and would prohibit entry on fully 1/3 of my acreage, with the exception of Feb./Mar. when I check sign and look for sheds.

I have 6 acres (in corn this year) and leave standing rows, beans too, annually. I also have a half acre of clover.

I use one primary stand, less than 10 times a season. I have quiet, sheltered access to the stand and a comanding view of the field.

I broadcast corn in the field, about 50# every other week, other than during waterfowl seaon and resume when it ends into March. I shoot geese here also.

Deer will move onto and off of your property as the seasons cyle. I consider a great buck to be 2 1/2 yrs. or better, normally sporting 8 or more points with a spread beyond the ears. Where I live the average animal in that class will be in the 130's with best of age class in the 150's. Very good quality. I had two other great deer on the property this year. A heavy wide 8 with one problem...or blessing. One antler. Another 8, tall and Mulie-like, but not heavy. This was the deer I expected to take the day Mr. Big showed up. That's another story.

Have a great time watching the deer. Make notes. And when you see a good one, note what he does, the date and time. Do not encroach. It's hard not to but the best way. If you're lucky enough to observe him again, it won't likely be in the exact same spot. More likely somewhere else in the same 10 acres. Pick the best ambush spot available with unobtrusive entry and exit the highest priority. And watch the wind. Windier is better.

You'll be hunting this deer based entirely on last year's observation. If he's still alive, he'll take that same path within a couple of weeks of that day. He'll do that wind rain or shine. Just be there.

I too have seen the deer return. Just tonight I caught a doe and fawn leaving the standing corn to slip into the autumn olive. First time I 've seen them use it this year... and right on schedule. They never saw me. As it sould be.

Good luck. Bill