nckrump

Im asking for help im bow hunting on 20 acres of private land the land owners wife wont let me kill any does i have trail cameras up and been monitoring the land for about a year now and theres probably about 17 does but only 3 bucks a 4 a 6 and a 10 pointer but haven't seen any of them for about a month now ive tried grunting, rattling, scents but nothing seems to work can anyone think of anything that might work to draw them in?

Uncle Nicky

Bait if it's legal, otherwise there isn't much else you can do. They are wild animals with a mind of their own, and will show up when they feel like it, probably at night. Eventually they will show if you wait them out, or else try finding another spot to hunt.

dvalliere

17 does and 3 bucks--why on earth would they bother with your tactics when they have little to no competition for does? Quit announcing your presence and just hunt silently with the wind in your favor.

And skip the bait--that just helps them eat at night when you can't see them. Studies show that the net effect of baiting works against hunters.

Schobs

20 acres isn't really a lot of land, but there are some things you can do to up your chances. First thing is you need to scout the whole property. Figure out where they're bedding and where they're feeding. 20 acres might not be enough to have both a primary bedding area and a primary food source, so it might help to look at some aerial photos of the neighbors' property to figure out where each of these "zones" are. Once you do that, it's a matter of positioning yourself between the bedding area and the feeding area when the deer are moving, using the wind to your advantage. Set up a couple different stands if you can, one for one wind direction, and one for another. Also keep an eye out for natural funnels, thick stands of trees or solid ground between wet, marshy areas that the deer would naturally prefer to move through.

Hunting 20 acres is a double-edged sword. You should be able to study the whole property pretty well and get the deer figured out, but it's not a lot of land and what you find might be just a bedding or feeding area, or neither, and in that case you need to improvise. Trail cameras are a great tool for figuring out what kind of deer are in an area, but the constant setting and checking of cameras is just like a billboard to smart bucks telling them something's not right in the area and they might learn to avoid it. Be smart about how and when you scout, and put in plenty of time on the stand.

Most things I've read lately say the rut is already over, which means the bucks should now be looking to put on some weight. That means your best bet at catching a buck on its feet during shooting hours are first thing in the morning when a buck is sneaking back to his bed, in midday when they get up and move around and feed again while most hunters are in for lunch, or the last hour or two before dark when the bucks get out of their beds to feed again.

If I were you, my plan would be to hunt downwind of the entrance/exit to a bedding area in the morning and evening, and a primary food source midday. In another 3-4 weeks it would also pay to keep an eye on those bedding areas again, as the younger does and any other does not bred the first time around come into estrus again. Those bucks will spend time scent checking in and downwind of the does' bedding area.

Good luck.

07superglide

Schobs is kinda right.... One of my propertys is about 35 to40ac and I have
A food source, water and bedding, yes I'm blessed with this, but I also know
It can be gone tomorrow! I want to cater to my deer a d take the ones I need!
But the doe thing could be a problem.. You need to not hav e so many.....
Just think of the family tree! Sorry

nckrump

Thanks everyone i do need to do more scouting in the areas around me i picked a spot next to a pond cause it was right next to water and it was a clearing in the woods that had 6 trails leading to the opening i have been baiting, one thing that might be killing me is a couple of the trails i followed lead to a golf course behind the property. There's ponds and wooded areas i think thats where there bedding. I have trail cam pics of 7 does all in one area feeding. Like superglide said the bucks have no need to chase does or move around ill haft to try to see if i can convince the land owner to let me take a doe and take the doe population down. Thank you all again

Night Crawler

Explain to her that does are destructive little rodents and overpopulation leads to poor herd health. Much like our current situation in America disease and welfare. Catch my drift . Bring it up to her non a scientific way not in a way that you can't kill a buck cause he has to many bitches.

7.62NATO

You might be right thinking that they are bedding in the golf course woods. As strange as it sounds, I've found many times that deer will bed very close to where humans frequent. On this one area of public land I hunt, a lot of the deer cross a creek into a non-hunting zone and bed right behind a freaking campground just across that creek, just about as close to continuous human contact as you can get!

Valentine

to hunt a particular 20 acre piece of ground. One I didn't own.