Hello,
Think outside the box. Do not waste your land on sanctuaries....In an average deer population density of 10 deer per sq. mile you have less then 1/2, more like 1/3 so you would only be making refuge for 3 to 5 deer... Instead make some drawing power plot in the center of your property. Hunt the perimeter of your land. Let the neighbors property work for you. It's like having land that isn't your's. If it takes a deer 1 hour to move on through your land to get to the center, and they feed there after dark it should put them in your sights about 30 minutes till dark. I hope this gives you some insight. Keep it simple.
ORIGINAL: Angus74
We have 250 acres of land that we have had in the family for generations, and have been managing bucks for a while now, by anly taking mature bucks and taking more does and making sure they have good food to eat. It is almost all mature oak timber, white oak, post oak, and black oak, and also has water and seven food plots on it. I keep reading about sanctuaries and am thinking about creating one on our land. Now, what im wondering is, we are bordered by a man on two sides who dont allow any hunting whatsoever, and will let no one on his property, he doesnt hunt, and doesnt ever get out of the lower bottoms on the farm, and that is over a mile from our line, so his entire property is like a sanctuary to the deer, as they are never pressured there, and never encounter humans on most of his land. So should I bother to waste some of my own land to make a sanctuary with all the safe land they have on him? Im thinking I should let them feel safe on his land and continue to improve my land in the food area, and keep some good cover in places, and good water to draw them across the fence. Any advice is appreciated.