I like your attitude Dave.

You should set a goal: to have the best 14 acres a deer could ever want.

While it sounds small, on the land I hunt, and manage, I have a "core" area that I spend alot of time "improving" for deer. This is the section that I hunt, when I hunt seriously. Contained in this 10 acre section, is a VERY thick 5 acre core. Deer always bed here. Also, this area contains about an acre of GOOD food plot, I use clover, but another might work well for you.

Now the land I hunt is almost 200 acres, but I share the hunting time with 5 others, so I keep this "honeyhole" that I alone hunt in the far corner. I almost NEVER go into the thick section (Berrys, willows, some water, and few trees over 20 ft tall) Its a mini-sanctuary of sorts.) This small section offers everything a deer could want. Of course, I'm lucky that there is additional acreage for them to roam, still under our control. But, you may have a similar situation. The key is to make it a deer magnet, and to hunt it extremely lightly. If you live right there, you have to commit yourself to stay out of the "core" of the area 365 days a year, that is tough for a landowner to do.

Before you think that I have some "deep woods" honeyhole, let me explain, that My BEST area, the one I described, is right behind my neighbor's house, in the far corner of the property. Often, when hunting one of the 2 stands I have there, I can watch the neighbors go to, or return from work, even play or work, in the yard ... from my stand. They NEVER go into this 10 acre section that borders them, and rarely do I. I in fact think that its easier to hunt deer here than the more "remote sections" of the property, because the deer that reside, or visit here (and some good bucks always do - looking for does) are used to human scent, and I can get away with more here than in other sections.

I of course do hunt the other areas, and you should find another area as well, for most of your hunting, but save the "honeyhole" for 2 or 3 hunts a year, especially in the rut. And then, hunt the edges, with the wind in your favor.

Good luck.