What a difference quality LAND makes to hunting
11-04-2004, 11:05 AM
#1
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: NY
Posts: 4,668
What a difference quality LAND makes to hunting
I have said many many times over the years that the quality of land that you hunt is without a doubt the #1 factor driving the success of your hunting (whatever that is to you personally).
After this year I have NEVER been more certain that is true.
This is the first year in my 17 years of hunting that I would say I have access to a "honey hole".......a nice farm of about 150 acres that NO ONE is allowed to hunt except for me and my best friend. The experiences I have had in the last 2+weeks have been nothing short of jaw dropping........I never even guessed hunting could be like this. Sadly it almost seems TOO EASY sometimes because of what I am used to in the past.
I have seen deer every day from my stand except 2 afternoons when I saw nothing. I climb different trees all the time and still see deer. We got permission very late for this spot so early on we were scouting as much as hunting. The deer have been very easy to pattern and their are plenty of nice trees to climb. My buddy and I each killed a buck out of the same tree 34 hours apart.
I sat in that same tree yesterday and saw 4 different bucks. 3 of which were in easy bow range and all 4 were corpses if I have my gun. I got down from that tree and on my way to the truck I had another buck approaching me so I knelt down and he walked within 10 feet of me never knowing I was there. Does are seen regularly but strangely enough don't seem to be overly populated. We see the same group of 6-8 does and also there are 2 single does that like to travel alone. We haven't decided if we are gonna kill any of the does yet. If there were more of them we would have 2 in the freezer by now. We will have to see if more start showing up.
I have seen a buck attacking a tree in a massive rub fest and then hammer a scrape and urinate in it..........I have had numerous bucks respond very well to my estrous bleat can and soft grunting combos..........you name it and I have seen it from my stand this year.
Compare that to my season last year when I hunted 40+ days and saw a grand total of about 7 deer all season (bow+gun+muzzleloader) on the state land battlefields. I have hunted 5 half day hunts on those battlefields this year also and seen nothing.
I feel so bad for my brothers because this farmer won't let us bring anybody else......yet. I don't even call them and tell them my stories anymore because I don't want to sound like I am rubbing it in. I am doing my best to get them out there too.........just out of my control right now. They are still fighting the state land battle mostly and have seen 2 deer between them so far.......none for my oldest bro
LAND......LAND.........LAND.............LAND.
It is a very strange feeling to KNOW you are gonna see deer when you go out..........instead of HOPING you will see something.
Gun season will be laughable at this place............I am considering just taking my bow to keep it fair. The orange army could really shake things up though so we will have to see what happens when the lead starts flying.
The only problem I have now is like I said........being used to "lucky if you see one" areas this is hard for me to process. My family calls this place the "petting zoo" and I have to admit I don't really blame them.
It sure does beat seeing nothing for weeks at a time.......that is for damn sure!!!
It sure does change ones perspective on hunting though. Hunting land full of deer and absent of hunting pressure and hunting large forests with more hunters then deer are two TOTALLY different worlds.
If your hunting land sucks I strongly encourage you to try and find access to a sweet spot somehow. It will be a shocking experience I promise you.
Good Luck to all
After this year I have NEVER been more certain that is true.
This is the first year in my 17 years of hunting that I would say I have access to a "honey hole".......a nice farm of about 150 acres that NO ONE is allowed to hunt except for me and my best friend. The experiences I have had in the last 2+weeks have been nothing short of jaw dropping........I never even guessed hunting could be like this. Sadly it almost seems TOO EASY sometimes because of what I am used to in the past.
I have seen deer every day from my stand except 2 afternoons when I saw nothing. I climb different trees all the time and still see deer. We got permission very late for this spot so early on we were scouting as much as hunting. The deer have been very easy to pattern and their are plenty of nice trees to climb. My buddy and I each killed a buck out of the same tree 34 hours apart.
I sat in that same tree yesterday and saw 4 different bucks. 3 of which were in easy bow range and all 4 were corpses if I have my gun. I got down from that tree and on my way to the truck I had another buck approaching me so I knelt down and he walked within 10 feet of me never knowing I was there. Does are seen regularly but strangely enough don't seem to be overly populated. We see the same group of 6-8 does and also there are 2 single does that like to travel alone. We haven't decided if we are gonna kill any of the does yet. If there were more of them we would have 2 in the freezer by now. We will have to see if more start showing up.
I have seen a buck attacking a tree in a massive rub fest and then hammer a scrape and urinate in it..........I have had numerous bucks respond very well to my estrous bleat can and soft grunting combos..........you name it and I have seen it from my stand this year.
Compare that to my season last year when I hunted 40+ days and saw a grand total of about 7 deer all season (bow+gun+muzzleloader) on the state land battlefields. I have hunted 5 half day hunts on those battlefields this year also and seen nothing.
I feel so bad for my brothers because this farmer won't let us bring anybody else......yet. I don't even call them and tell them my stories anymore because I don't want to sound like I am rubbing it in. I am doing my best to get them out there too.........just out of my control right now. They are still fighting the state land battle mostly and have seen 2 deer between them so far.......none for my oldest bro
LAND......LAND.........LAND.............LAND.
It is a very strange feeling to KNOW you are gonna see deer when you go out..........instead of HOPING you will see something.
Gun season will be laughable at this place............I am considering just taking my bow to keep it fair. The orange army could really shake things up though so we will have to see what happens when the lead starts flying.
The only problem I have now is like I said........being used to "lucky if you see one" areas this is hard for me to process. My family calls this place the "petting zoo" and I have to admit I don't really blame them.
It sure does beat seeing nothing for weeks at a time.......that is for damn sure!!!
It sure does change ones perspective on hunting though. Hunting land full of deer and absent of hunting pressure and hunting large forests with more hunters then deer are two TOTALLY different worlds.
If your hunting land sucks I strongly encourage you to try and find access to a sweet spot somehow. It will be a shocking experience I promise you.
Good Luck to all
11-04-2004, 11:40 AM
#5
Boone & Crockett
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location:
Posts: 15,452
RE: What a difference quality LAND makes to hunting
Land like that is like gold. Hope you take care of the owner,and what ever you do dont tell anyone!!!!!!!!!! Or you might be out looking in next year. Some one finds out about this place It will become theirs with a fat money lease.
11-04-2004, 11:42 AM
#6
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: The OH-IO
Posts: 7,103
RE: What a difference quality LAND makes to hunting
Ok a question for you
You have also said for years there aren't any good bucks in your area. That your buck from last year was the biggest locals saw in years. So here is my question.
Are you conceding to the fact there has been good bucks in your area all along? And you just never found them till now???
You have also said for years there aren't any good bucks in your area. That your buck from last year was the biggest locals saw in years. So here is my question.
Are you conceding to the fact there has been good bucks in your area all along? And you just never found them till now???
11-04-2004, 11:55 AM
#7
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Shakopee MN USA
Posts: 1,001
RE: What a difference quality LAND makes to hunting
If your hunting land sucks I strongly encourage you to try and find access to a sweet spot somehow. It will be a shocking experience I promise you.
I'm on your "seeing 7 deer throughout a season" pace. I've been on stand for well over 50 hours now and have seen a total of 4 deer. One that was in range but never offered a shot. It's easy to shoot deer and big bucks....if you have land where they are. That's the exact reason why you can't judge a hunter and his knowledge of deer hunting by what he has on the wall.
Just my thoughts.
11-04-2004, 12:14 PM
#9
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Central MO
Posts: 85
RE: What a difference quality LAND makes to hunting
I have said many many times over the years that the quality of land that you hunt is without a doubt the #1 factor driving the success of your hunting (whatever that is to you personally).
11-04-2004, 12:14 PM
#10
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Maine
Posts: 3,555
RE: What a difference quality LAND makes to hunting
Where I hunt there are relative low deer populations, 7-10 per sq mile. Finding the proper set up or getting acess to a piece of land that has little hunting pressure can really increase you odds. My best property is 3 acres that has a creek bottom right through it. Because of the close proxemity of houses it gets zore pressure except from my father and I. It's not a huge piece but when I hit the woods I expect to see deer.
I'm glad you've found your honey hole. I wish there were more of them to go around so everyone had a honey hole. If you don't keep looking. You'll find one in time.
I'm glad you've found your honey hole. I wish there were more of them to go around so everyone had a honey hole. If you don't keep looking. You'll find one in time.