If you had the option to buy lets say 40 acres in an area where the deer herd is managed for trophy bucks, or 80 acres in an area where there were no management practices. This would be for the same amount of money.Which would you pick?

I may have this option for real in the near feature.

More ground is better, IMO. You can always manage it the way you want, and w/ it being that size tract, you won't have too much control over it anyway. The neighbors may or may not have the same ideas.

Given those options I would go with the smaller tract of land in a well managed area. As stated above neither tract is big enough to give you control over anything so its better to have the smaller tract of land in an area where the neighbors are about quality.

My best tract is only 18ac. Now, if everyone in the area managed for quality, my 18ac tract of heaven would be A LOT better.

The 40 any day over the 80! I have 160 acres of my own land that gets managed very well by me and my brother, how ever the neighboring land owners make it a real pain in the but for us because they shoot pretty much anything that is brown!80 acres of non managed land won't get you to far if your trying to manage your deer.

[Deleted by Admins]

80. With proper management you can keep some of those bucks closer to home. Sure some will wander over and be killed on other properties. Also in the future that 80 acres should always increase in value. Good luck. I may also be looking to buy around 40 acres for personal use in the near future.m I say 40 because thats about all I will be able to afford.

40, if the neighbors are managing for the big boys. They can still wonder off 80 acres into areas where they may never return before they get big if the managing is not going on around you.

Man, you guys are no help, split about right down the middle. That is pretty much the way my thinking has been. Both situations have their good points. I guess I will just have to weigh each individual piece of property as I look at them. Hopefully I can talk to some neighbors too and get a feel for how they hunt. That would be a big help.

the 40 i am currently managing about 80 acres and the neighbor with 20 acres is just killin my efforts man

80 acres and make 20 acres right in the middle a sactuary. That will keep them happy and give you the best chances of keeping them safe on your property.