Patterned

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ko4nrbs
Posts: 969
Joined: Sun Dec 02, 2012 7:09 pm
Location: Madison, Alabama

Patterned

Post by ko4nrbs »

Hunting my Church Buddy's place can be frustrating. It's only a 3 1/2 acre property in a large subdivision. His back fence borders a large open field which doesn't really add much because of the lack of cover. I used the County Assessors software to check out a Goggle map that shows all the boundaries. As tight and chopped up as the lots are they don't link together enough to form larger plots of cover accessible for hunting. I'm surprised there are any deer in the area at all!!

My problem is getting patterned by the deer since I am restricted to only a few spots to ambush them. Doesn't take long for them to figure out they are being stalked. My Ground blinds are sat out in early September and are left until the first week of January. Judging from the trail camera pics and my observations they pay them no mind.

My strategy is to break up my hunts so I don't have a steady presence in the area. I also do my best to limit my scent although the areas is so saturated with people and dogs I don't know if it is a deal breaker. Also looking for a different property to hunt so I don't have to sit at home not hunting while this area cools off. Hunting down river is an option and is productive but logistically a pain to do. Going to alleviate some of the hassle by building a comfortable shelter for my boat. The shelter will permit me to camp out in the boat even if it rains and make the below freezing weather a lot easier to handle.

Anyone else out there dealing with a similar situation? If so how do you manage it?

Bill
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nchunter
Posts: 197
Joined: Mon Oct 17, 2005 2:48 pm
Location: Piedmont, North Carolina

Re: Patterned

Post by nchunter »

I hunt a small 5-acre woodlot one week every year in the exurbs of a city in Ohio. My situation is not quite as bad as yours sounds, but I encounter the same problem.

What’s worked for me is to only hunt it during the chasing phase of the rut. During that time I can get a parade of testosterone-blinded bucks moving through the area at any time of the day. The other times of the season I’ve found it to be pretty slim pickings.

Also, while I generally have good success getting one deer, I rarely have success after that. After one deer gets whacked, the rest simply avoid the area for the rest of the week.

You might peruse these videos of a guy that has success hunting 1-acre backyards in suburban Atlanta. He’s kind of annoying (over-dramatic acting) to watch on camera, but he’s successfully doing what we’re talking about:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyBxMQwjk60yeQYcqo9KD9A
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DuckHunt
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Joined: Sun Aug 20, 2006 2:07 pm
Location: Harpers Ferry, WV

Re: Patterned

Post by DuckHunt »

My situation is vaguely similar. My landowner has 20 acres, of which only about 10 is woods that I can hunt in. I really only have one way in and out. Now that the leaves have fallen off of the trees, there is no way for me to get into a stand without bumping all deer off of the property.

Unfortunately, there's not much I can do about it this time of year. Getting in the stand before daylight works in the morning. In the afternoon, I just have to take my chances. Just like the deer, I maximize my time in the area in the early season when cover is more abundant.

We have one benefit in hunting close to humans. I've noticed that they are less sensitive to the presence of human scent. I've had deer directly down wind at 50 yards that didn't seem to care about my scent. But things change once they get to 20-25 yards. I guess as you get real close the scent is strong enough to get their attention. That's why I prefer to take shots at about 30 yards, before they get close enough for scent to bust me. Of course, each deer is different so what doesn't bother most of them always seems to bother an old doe.
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ko4nrbs
Posts: 969
Joined: Sun Dec 02, 2012 7:09 pm
Location: Madison, Alabama

Re: Patterned

Post by ko4nrbs »

This area is void of scrapes or rubs and with the exception of the deer trails you wouldn't even know deer had been there. That said it is definitely not their core area and my attempts to find the core area have all failed. I can't tromp around in the other peoples back lots scouting so I am at a disadvantage. I have used Google maps but nothing really jumps out at me. Lot's of small back lots with houses at the front.

I do have a feeder at one end of the property and a corn pile at the other end so I do have something to draw them in. Still getting pics but they are either at very early morning or late at night. I did have pics of four does at 9:12AM last Saturday morning but I wasn't hunting that day. :( In the past 3 years I have killed 9 deer there with one being a nice 7 point. At best this area is a travel corridor for them. You just have to be there when they are passing through. I will keep at it and hope for the best. Too cold to go down river and camp out in the boat.

Bill
Excalibur Exomax Crossbow Twlight DLX scope
Excalibur Firebolt Arrows
NuFletch Ignitor Nocks
Carbon Express Torrid SS 100 gr. Broadheads
Summit Viper SD Climbing Tree Stand with Sherpa Hunting cart kit
U.S. Navy 1969-1973 USS Truxtun DLGN-35
tcwild
Posts: 117
Joined: Sun Oct 09, 2016 9:07 pm
Location: Holden,mo

Re: Patterned

Post by tcwild »

Averaging 3 deer a year on 31/2 acre I'd say you are doing alright.
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DuckHunt
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Joined: Sun Aug 20, 2006 2:07 pm
Location: Harpers Ferry, WV

Re: Patterned

Post by DuckHunt »

ko4nrbs wrote:
Wed Dec 11, 2019 7:56 pm
At best this area is a travel corridor for them. You just have to be there when they are passing through.
That sounds a lot like my area. There are a few deer that stay close, so I do see them a few times. These are mostly young deer. Most bucks are just passing through the property I hunt. I've seen plenty of rubs in years past, but I've only seen one this season. During the rut, I love to be out there because there is just no telling what will come across. I took a nice 10pt three seasons ago that was never seen on camera. I just happened to be there when he came through.

This year I took an 11pt the same way. I did have one very early morning picture of him (my profile pic) from five days before I saw him during daylight. I had pulled the camera pics on the way to my stand and harvested him about 40 minutes after I first viewed his picture. There is a bit of luck involved with hunting a place like this. You just have to be there at that random time that a deer decides to walk through.

Good luck!
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ko4nrbs
Posts: 969
Joined: Sun Dec 02, 2012 7:09 pm
Location: Madison, Alabama

Re: Patterned

Post by ko4nrbs »

DuckHunt wrote:
Wed Dec 11, 2019 8:28 pm
ko4nrbs wrote:
Wed Dec 11, 2019 7:56 pm
At best this area is a travel corridor for them. You just have to be there when they are passing through.
There is a bit of luck involved with hunting a place like this. You just have to be there at that random time that a deer decides to walk through.
You are right on target!!
Bill
Excalibur Exomax Crossbow Twlight DLX scope
Excalibur Firebolt Arrows
NuFletch Ignitor Nocks
Carbon Express Torrid SS 100 gr. Broadheads
Summit Viper SD Climbing Tree Stand with Sherpa Hunting cart kit
U.S. Navy 1969-1973 USS Truxtun DLGN-35
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