hoshman

I just recently purchased a house with just over 20 acers of wooded lot (in Pennsylvania). I live in an area where hunting is a way of life (the way it should be) and most of my neihbors have much bigger lots. I'm trying to atract more buck on my lot I've seen very little of them or even signs of them. I have however seen quite a few doe. I know that during the rut I will see more buck because the doe are there but I also know there are some mature buck around that I can"t seem to attract onto my property. Most of the people around me rifle hunt I do both with a preferance to archery hunting. I've gotten all sorts of advice from people food plots etc. but nothing seem to work. If anyone has any advice or has been in this situation or has any advice I would greatly appreaciate it. I can definatly give advice on what does not work. Thanks hoshman

Georgetownboys

Bucks are kinda like guys. . .they want food, shelter and sex. Perhaps not in that order. If you can provide quality food plots, and some dense quiet cover someplace you have 2 of the 3 covered. If those 2 bring in the does you know those big boys will do some sniffen around. If you have a few arces where things remain very quiet your Deer may learn that over time.. JMO

TURKEY FAN

Plant some persimmon trees, some apples tree, and maybe a feeder. Give the deer what they love and lil pressure and your property will be a safe haven!

adams

I think you're in for an uphill battle with only 20 acres. What a buck needs, want's and demands is security. The bucks need a spot free of human activity that they can use as a refuge. You can certainly imporve habitat by planting food plots, thinning the canopy to incourage new growth but without a secure place for the bucks to bed, holding them will be difficult.

IMO your best bet is to imporve habitat and the bucks will come. They may not hold up on your 20 acres but they will visit giving you the opportunity to harvest them. (a bucks home range will often cover many square miles)

hoshman

Thanks for the advice adams I feared this was one of my problems having only 20 acres I know a healthy buck can utilize thousands of acres in a season. I'm thinking if I just get some hints on what might bring in bullwinkle lol I can harvest a good size buck again thanks for the advice I know I got some work to do. Thanks to everyone.

adams

Hoshman,

Where are my manners, Welcome aboard. If you're thinking about a food plot next year and you've got limited space you may want to try Powerplant from the whitetail institute. I have two plots (imperial clover and Powerplant) all summer long the deer revaged the powerplant and it took the heavy browse very well. It's a blend of beans, peas, wheat and sunflowers. It grows fast deer like it and you'll get more total browse out of an acre of Powerplant then 10 acres of clover or conventional food plot.

Christine B

Hoshman, Welcome to the board!! Not sure if I will be able to help you out or not. I have 20 acres in a very rural area that is heavily hunted and also quite sadly poached all year long. I've been here for a little over 6 years now and after the first year many of the big bucks hole up here for some some reason, along with quite a few does.

My theory on this is that I started planting food plots in different places every year. I put out salt licks twice a year, and corn is available all year long....except I cut back on that in the late Spring and Summer. The acreage is mostly Oak, Beech, Hickory, several Paw Paw trees, Honeysuckle, Greenbrier, Wild Grapes.....and a couple of Pine thickets. They have a fresh water source that the prior owner put up.....an old iron smelting pot that is spring fed and has fresh water running into it all year long.
I have the property posted due to past poaching problems, usually patrol the property on a yearly basis which locals know so they stay off. Word has it that If your not invited and I catch you on my acreage.....you might dance a lil jig prior to leaving at a rather fast rate.

I am that way because several years back I had twin 10 pts here. Took videos of them as they grew up and at 3 yrs old they were both awesome to behold. A neighbor got one of them on adjacent acreage, and I found the other on the ridge top.....shot 5 times and decapitated!!
[] The meat was just left to rot by the @#*&***^%$$## that did this. Boy, What a trophy to be proud of hanging on their wall.....friggin pathetic excuse for a human being. [:@][:@][:@]

Anyway.....Keeping people off the acreage, right right combination of what they want, terrain, and natural habitat available makes a major difference. It has worked for me....perhaps it may work for you too. Good Luck to you, and Happy Hunting this coming season.

hoshman

Thanks for the advice Christine B. Sounds like you have a very simalar situation other than the poaching witch I will not get into due to the fact that I cold probably type a book on how stupid and useless it is. luckily I do live in an area where for the most part people respect what God gave us. I do have my property posted very well and I haven't been there long enough to get quite the rep you have but it won't take long. It seems like the general idea is a lot of good quality food plots. Thanks again to everyone happy to be aboard.

dep214

a small area will most often just be a passing route.we hunted 43 acres for sveral years.we had a lot of deer and some very good ones.some areas you can not plant things that will grow.i tried every gimmik i could find to keep the deer coming in.i saw a commercial on "buck grub" and decided i would give that a try.aftger about 2 weeks deer were everywhere.when we quit using it they left.i spent the rest of the year looking at empty woods. when we started using it again the deer came back. go to the buck grub web site and look under testimonials.you will see a pic my cam took of deer.it may or may not work in your area but it sure did in mine.

Jack Ryan

Give him the "best" place to hide when the shooting starts and he will remember where it is.

Then don't miss.