Concerns... Need Advice
08-12-2014, 06:31 AM
#1
Spike
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2014
Posts: 8
Concerns... Need Advice
I'm fairly new to hunting and need some serious advice. I ran into an old friend who lives on 22 acres in a rural community. Her property is surrounded on 3 sides by roughly 1200 acres of hayfield and dense stands of trees owned by one person but divided amongst family members. The nearest house is almost 500 yards from her property line with a couple stands of trees separating hayfields. At issue is the fact that with the exception of the nearest house, her land is the highest elevation on 3 sides and any rifle shot not stopped by a tree would travel for a good distance. There is an over abundance of deer in the area (the neighbor doesn't allow any hunting on his 1200 acres) and she'd like to thin out the herd so to speak. She's seeing deer daily and in groups ranging from 2-3 to as many as 18 at one time, usually munching on her garden. She said that they are not even spooked when she walks into the yard to scare them off, they just look back as if to say "what do you want".
Average clear shooting distances on her property is around 150 yards with an additional 50 yards of trees before the property line. My go to rifle is a 7x57 but I have a 30-30 or 45-70 I could use. To be honest the place would be great to bow hunt on but I've never tried bowhunting and it's a little too late to start for this year. Would the height of a ladder stand help with the backstop issue? If it were you, would you hunt with a rifle here? Every place I've hunted in the past has had good backstop areas.
Thanks for the advice in advance!
Average clear shooting distances on her property is around 150 yards with an additional 50 yards of trees before the property line. My go to rifle is a 7x57 but I have a 30-30 or 45-70 I could use. To be honest the place would be great to bow hunt on but I've never tried bowhunting and it's a little too late to start for this year. Would the height of a ladder stand help with the backstop issue? If it were you, would you hunt with a rifle here? Every place I've hunted in the past has had good backstop areas.
Thanks for the advice in advance!
08-12-2014, 06:40 AM
#2
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Allegan, MI
Posts: 8,019
I immediately thought you should bow hunt the property as I read your post until I got to the bottom where you mention it. I would go with a good stand up in the air and that way you can easily pick and choose your shots to greatly eliminate the problems you mentioned. I use all ladder stands because of my age and ease of getting in and out of them. Whatever you buy, please also use a good fall restraint 100% of the time going up and down and while in it. It sounds like you may have a real honeyhole if you do things properly, so good luck! Oh, and welcome to the site!!!
08-12-2014, 07:09 AM
#3
Super Moderator
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 7,437
Since you stated "Fairly new to hunting" - if you use a ladder stand - as I also second that move buy a good 5 point vest/safety harness and use it all times. Make it your second skin.
And pick your shots carefully - Do pass on 'iffy' shots. The last thing you want is some shot animal collapsing across property lines if the 1200 acre owner is a non hunter. Taking a good shot with either rifle suffice.
JW
And pick your shots carefully - Do pass on 'iffy' shots. The last thing you want is some shot animal collapsing across property lines if the 1200 acre owner is a non hunter. Taking a good shot with either rifle suffice.
JW
08-12-2014, 07:09 AM
#4
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Oct 2013
Posts: 9,230
Get a good slug gun. They are really effective on deer and don't carry as far as a regular rifle does. If you hunt from a tree stand your rounds will be going into the dirt and slugs aren't as prone to glance off as a bullet is. The same can be said for muzzleloaders.
Or, you can invite me to come help and I'll provide the guns and the ammo. I'm always willing to help thin the herd and don't have anything going on since I retired.
Or, you can invite me to come help and I'll provide the guns and the ammo. I'm always willing to help thin the herd and don't have anything going on since I retired.
08-12-2014, 07:17 AM
#5
Super Moderator
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 7,437
Get a good slug gun. They are really effective on deer and don't carry as far as a regular rifle does. If you hunt from a tree stand your rounds will be going into the dirt and slugs aren't as prone to glance off as a bullet is. The same can be said for muzzleloaders.
Or, you can invite me to come help and I'll provide the guns and the ammo. I'm always willing to help thin the herd and don't have anything going on since I retired.
Or, you can invite me to come help and I'll provide the guns and the ammo. I'm always willing to help thin the herd and don't have anything going on since I retired.
Dang now why didn't I think of that........
JW
08-12-2014, 03:03 PM
#6
Fork Horn
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: dead center of hatfield mccoy territory
Posts: 108
08-12-2014, 05:20 PM
#8
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Allegan, MI
Posts: 8,019
08-12-2014, 09:10 PM
#9
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Kansas
Posts: 3,902
The shooting of a crossbow is about as straightforward as shooting a rifle.
The learning curve, in my experience, is in how to properly cock the crossbow. Consistency is everything. Pulling unevenly from one shot to the next as you cock the bow can cause pretty surprising differences in point of impact.
The learning curve, in my experience, is in how to properly cock the crossbow. Consistency is everything. Pulling unevenly from one shot to the next as you cock the bow can cause pretty surprising differences in point of impact.