Hunting strategy for my property? Help!
12-12-2017, 07:25 PM
#1
Spike
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2017
Posts: 16
Hunting strategy for my property? Help!
Hi all, I've been a lurker for a while but just joined and would like some help. I hunt my mother in law's property in Halifax county, it is 120 acres total. I've been hunting sparingly for the past few years, but have been cranking it up as of late now that I have more time on my hands. I've killed 4 deer in the 3 seasons (mostly just a few days to hunt each year to this point). The first, a doe, the second was a young 4 point in the yellow circle, sitting in a blind at the green circle adjacent to it. The 3rd and 4th, a doe and small 6 point, at the green circle to the north, inside of the planted pines area. Both were taken within ten minutes of each other. I am trying to get a better grip on how I should hunt the property because I am still pissed I didn't get a chance at the huge crab claw 10 point that is hanging around. Any help/advice would be great!
The red/orange boundary is the property line.
The blue line extending through is the creek line.
The blue circle to the east is an area that was timbered last year and has been replanted in pines. It is has overgrowth about 3-4 ft tall already and from a treestand in the small blue circle to the south edge of this area I saw one doe walk by in the one morning I sat there but didn't have any more time left to hunt it. It slopes down from the south side towards the creek and you cannot see the entire area, let alone find a tree with a great view of very much of the overgrowth. At most, it could be hunted for 1-2 more years before it is so thick you can't see anything.
The yellow circle is going to be planted in a food plot this coming season.
The small green circle near the hardwoods next to the pond, I sat there several mornings, saw several does, one buck chasing a doe, but the buck was not within a shooting lane and never wandered close enough out from the pines to get a good view. Trail cam shows several big boys frequent the area at night, but I didn't have any daytime luck.
The small blue circle to the north along the creek line, I hunted for 2 entire days and did not see a deer, but this was post rut. It is pretty thick, and my shooting lanes were 30-40 yds at most but narrow at best. There was a ton of sign in the area, but didn't actually put eyes on any deer while sitting.
Along the creek between the planted pines to the north, and the cutover big blue circle, deer have been taken in the past by a neighbor (5 years ago), but when the logging company came through a lot of debris was left and the terrain is hard to get through right now and the shooting lanes would be very small and there would not be a lot of area a deer could come into view, 10-15 yds at most.
To the west of the photo there are alfalfa fields that the deer frequent overnight, often times 5-10 at a time in there.
The purple circle to the south end of the property is a grown over area that has been planted in pines, there is a ton of bedding sign in there, but I haven't hunted directly on top of it for fear of spooking anything that is bedded.
The red/orange boundary is the property line.
The blue line extending through is the creek line.
The blue circle to the east is an area that was timbered last year and has been replanted in pines. It is has overgrowth about 3-4 ft tall already and from a treestand in the small blue circle to the south edge of this area I saw one doe walk by in the one morning I sat there but didn't have any more time left to hunt it. It slopes down from the south side towards the creek and you cannot see the entire area, let alone find a tree with a great view of very much of the overgrowth. At most, it could be hunted for 1-2 more years before it is so thick you can't see anything.
The yellow circle is going to be planted in a food plot this coming season.
The small green circle near the hardwoods next to the pond, I sat there several mornings, saw several does, one buck chasing a doe, but the buck was not within a shooting lane and never wandered close enough out from the pines to get a good view. Trail cam shows several big boys frequent the area at night, but I didn't have any daytime luck.
The small blue circle to the north along the creek line, I hunted for 2 entire days and did not see a deer, but this was post rut. It is pretty thick, and my shooting lanes were 30-40 yds at most but narrow at best. There was a ton of sign in the area, but didn't actually put eyes on any deer while sitting.
Along the creek between the planted pines to the north, and the cutover big blue circle, deer have been taken in the past by a neighbor (5 years ago), but when the logging company came through a lot of debris was left and the terrain is hard to get through right now and the shooting lanes would be very small and there would not be a lot of area a deer could come into view, 10-15 yds at most.
To the west of the photo there are alfalfa fields that the deer frequent overnight, often times 5-10 at a time in there.
The purple circle to the south end of the property is a grown over area that has been planted in pines, there is a ton of bedding sign in there, but I haven't hunted directly on top of it for fear of spooking anything that is bedded.
12-13-2017, 07:36 AM
#5
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Indiana
Posts: 1,186
The area that was logged a while back is probably still used by the deer. It might be too thick for you but the deer can maneuver it and could be a bedding area. Find the exits out of it and make note of them. You could draw a map of the place and mark deer sightings. Place an arrow in the direction they traveled and establish a pattern. Without a map not much advice to give.
12-13-2017, 09:23 AM
#6
Spike
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2017
Posts: 16
The area that was logged a while back is probably still used by the deer. It might be too thick for you but the deer can maneuver it and could be a bedding area. Find the exits out of it and make note of them. You could draw a map of the place and mark deer sightings. Place an arrow in the direction they traveled and establish a pattern. Without a map not much advice to give.
12-13-2017, 03:06 PM
#8
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Indiana
Posts: 1,186
I think the area northeast of the future food plot, big yellow circle, looks good. You would be setup on a narrow stretch with a field to one side, a pond to the other side, a natural funnel. Plus you would be between what I think are the bedding areas and the food plot with a creek running inbetween them.
Edit: I accounted for the image needing reorientated.
Edit: I accounted for the image needing reorientated.
Last edited by d80hunter; 12-13-2017 at 03:12 PM.
12-13-2017, 08:06 PM
#9
Spike
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2017
Posts: 16
I think the area northeast of the future food plot, big yellow circle, looks good. You would be setup on a narrow stretch with a field to one side, a pond to the other side, a natural funnel. Plus you would be between what I think are the bedding areas and the food plot with a creek running inbetween them.
Edit: I accounted for the image needing reorientated.
Edit: I accounted for the image needing reorientated.
And do you think its ok that even though its a pinch point, if they were to follow that creek that they would have to cross that wide opening that has no cover?
12-13-2017, 09:08 PM
#10
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Aug 2010
Posts: 3,359
Not knowing the elevation changes these are some of the places I would look at. The long line is where I would look for creek crossings. I would not step foot in the 3-4 foot tall brush but I might get way up in a tree and glass it morning and evening right before season a few times..
Last edited by rockport; 12-13-2017 at 09:13 PM.
