RE: Bowhunting small woods?
 

I'm not sold on the "hunt the edges only" theory. If the deer are in the middle, hunt the middle. Wear knee high rubber boots and be careful, but if I only hunted teh edges of the wood lots I hunt I would get nothing. Instead I hunt near the bedding areas and "safe" areas and do pretty well. I also am not a believer in only hunting once a week in an area that size. I wouldn't hunt the same tree 4 days in a row but you can get away with a couple days, then move to another sight you have set up. I say hunt the deer, not the edges and when the rut is going hunt all you can, not just once a week.

RE: Bowhunting small woods?
 

My dad's place is small - 17 acres but it's been VERY productive. We have a membership at a 15,000 acre hunting ranch 3 hours away that we haven't used in 3 years now. The key is LOW IMPACT. Also, in the spring, we always do two or three projects to improve the habitat. So far we've planted three food plots (bucks banquet, rye, clover), pumpkins, corn, turnips, pruned a buch of overgrown apple trees that are once again productive, cut travel routes through VERY dense brush, added a pond, and planted over 200 trees. We also use corn feeders in the off season as well as mineral blocks. In three seasons I've killed two decent bucks and he got a big 9 point. The surrounding property is mostly open fields with some wood lots. We don't have resident deer but they are always passing through to feed. The biggest problem is the neighbors are a bunch of low life violators. Bow season sounds like Vietnam sometimes. But we've always got our deer despite the idiot neighbors.

RE: Bowhunting small woods?
 

huntingson, why run in and hunt the middle. If you have any resident deer your gonna run them out. What size are the areas you hunt. I bet its bigger than this. Hunt the edges( not the actual edge of the woods) so you can see whats goin on. Your gonna catch deer passing through and, if there is any, your resident deer making there way to feeding areas. I just dont see the point in going in the middle. You may get busted only one time but thats all it takes

RE: Bowhunting small woods?
 

I just feel like I should hunt where the deer are. My farm has 2 wooded areas. One is about 12-15 acres and the other is about 10. I hunt right next to the bedding areas in both of them and the results have been good. I spent the first 8 or so years hunting the edges and the results are: 1. I spook just as many deer there (which isn't many) 2. mature bucks will not come by in the daylight, except for on rare occasions in the rut. You have to hunt mature bucks where they feel comfortable around here unless you want to use a spotlight. Now, I do leave a large section of both woods as a "safe area" that I do not touch... ever. If I spook one walking in I have noticed they go back tot he safe area and I may see the same doe later that hunt. Hunting the edges of woods around here (stress that) is for hunting immature bucks and does in my experience. It may work great for someone else though, but never has for me.

RE: Bowhunting small woods?
 

Hillbilly Archer, I hunt a small track of woods we own in a fairly residential areaand the deer come through it almost every day. I often hunt the middle as that is where most of the action is - most of the trails cut through our property at that point. If I were to hunt the edges, the deer would run out into a neighboring farm field I don't have permission to hunt or worse yet, a county road. So I hunt the middle. I find the key is like the others have said - not to pressure thedeers.

But I think a lot of it depends on what your definition of pressure is. Several driveways 1/4 to 1/2 mile long, including our'srun through the woods/swampland Ihuntand its not uncommon for us to see deer munching on browse in clearings as I drive out for work in the morning - or for me to wave at my neighbors from my stand as they are leaving in their vehicle down their driveway.: ) Thankfully, all of them seem to appreciate hunting, though they don't do it themselves luckily.

Anyway the deer don't seem to mind the vehicles or sometimes when I take a walk, they pay little to no attention to me until I start encroaching upon their personal space - usually when I get within 100 yards of them or so. So seeing vehicles and people and the associated smells aren't as big of an issue where I hunt. But getting close to the deer in terms of sight and smell is still a pickle, so I take all of the necessary precaustions you read about that people who hunt in the outback take, etc.

I've rambled on here but my point is, I've hunted such an environment and enjoy it. I see lots of does every year and the occassional bruisers who come through (and increase their visits during the rut). I feel a small woodlot might present just as many opportuntiies as a huge property. The key is to make sure its along a regular travel route.

RE: Bowhunting small woods?
 

I was saying that the very middle of this small patch should stay a safe area so u dont run them out to othere people.

RE: Bowhunting small woods?
 

Jim, those are some nice deer, gives me some encouragement.

It'll work out, if not I have other places to fall back on.