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I recently been given permission to hunt on 350 acres. However looking at the map there is limited woodlands surrounding the farm. The owner told me there are deer, coyotes etc....the wildlife is abundant....How productive are areas that are predominantly farmland? I am working on aeriel photos.

You don't really need big timber area to have a good hunting spot. The place I hunt is at least 98% crop ground and only small narrow wooded areas. There are plenty of deer in it. You just have to do a lot of scouting & be in the right place at the right time.

try funnels or good fence rows if there are any

hunt what little woods you have is my suggestion

I do not think I would be hunting in the little patches of woods at all.. I would be setting back watching the edges of them early in the morning and just before dark though..

How much timber do you have on your property? You said that there is limited amout of timber nearby, but did not say how much you have. I don't know if you have any creek beds or fence rows, but that would be a good starting point. Watch the fields in the evenings this off season and that should give a good idea at what kind of herd you are working with. Hunting small timber is no different that hunting big timber, find their bedding area, preferred feeds areas and find a good ambuse spot in between.

My favorite spots to hunt are tiny brush or weed patches 70 to 100 yards out in the open in a harvested field. The deer tend to follow the fence lines, creeks, or wood's edge and they don't notice you in the brush or weed patch which breaks up your silhouette. Shots tend to be shorter than the distance to the field's edge and visibility for shooting is usually great. You just need a stool for a stand.

Bob

I am assuming that most of what is in the picture is the land you said that you have permission to hunt on. It looks like about 350 acres but the fields are irregular in shape compared to where I hunt. To me it looks quite good. There are a couple of patches that look like they could hold resident deer and numerous brushy fence lines and brushy drainage ditches that can act as travel lanes.

Start by asking the owners where they see the deer moving. I think it could be quite good there particularly if groups of hunters in the big woods to the East and West keep deer moving. If you have this to yourself you may have a gem depending on deer density and pressure on the neighboring properties. If you do not have it to yourself, ask the other hunters.

If you have a really active gun season I would try to be sure to hunt the weekends when deer may be pushed off of surrounding properties.

It looks like there are small fields where, if you sit at the down wind edge, you can cover all the way across the field (and I'm talking with a slug gun). There are also a lot of the isolated patches out in the fields that make a good place to sit. An advantage of these is you do not disturb your deer holding cover and there is almost nothing to block a shot.

Bob

I'd be looking into where all those tree lines kinda come together. If they are growed up any at all, the deer will use them.