Deer sanctuary questions

[Zag]

Who has them, do you find value in having them? How many acres are they? Did you enhance them?

Im looking to expand on a current bedding area inside our 45 acres parcel that's pretty much only going to be used for hunting.

[dhuntley2]

We have them, and yes they are of great value. Ours need some work done to make them better, they need more cover. Ours are rather big, 4 acres to 30 + acres. If you want older aged class deer you need a lot of sanctuary acres. They should be enhanced to provide the most cover as possible so the deer feel secure, but don't have to be. One of our sanctuaries where a buck lives is a 10 acre wetland. As long as you don't go in an area it becomes a sanctuary.  Hunt the trails between the sanctuaries.

[phade]

I think sanctuaries are misunderstood and misused.

 

With many sanctuaries with known bucks bedding in there, you may take yourself out of the game for much of the season outside of the rut. They do have value no doubt, but I think the value is best had when you have larger acreage. I know many disagree with that premise, but if you have 50 acres and you take the ten consisting of the best bedding and basically make it off limits - you are hunting the crappiest 40 acres and basically paying 20% of your land cost for no use - except for the deer.

 

I think a sanctuary is best used for letting deer bed and feel no pressure, and then hunting the sanctuary itself when the timing and activity is right - we're not talking pounding the place with pressure - just when the time is right to move in and kill. Sounds blasphemous, I know.

[Lawdwaz]

I think sanctuaries are misunderstood and misused.

 

With many sanctuaries with known bucks bedding in there, you may take yourself out of the game for much of the season outside of the rut. They do have value no doubt, but I think the value is best had when you have larger acreage. I know many disagree with that premise, but if you have 50 acres and you take the ten consisting of the best bedding and basically make it off limits - you are hunting the crappiest 40 acres and basically paying 20% of your land cost for no use - except for the deer.

 

I think a sanctuary is best used for letting deer bed and feel no pressure, and then hunting the sanctuary itself when the timing and activity is right - we're not talking pounding the place with pressure - just when the time is right to move in and kill. Sounds blasphemous, I know.

 

I agree with much of this.  I have a friend who has a piece of ground he is protecting.  No going in at all from Oct 1-the end of all seasons.  It is a very big wide creek bottom full of all kinds of the thickest nastiest cover.  It holds a pile of deer and probably consists of 40 acres of his 260 acre block.

 

These deer (the big boys) rarely come to the ag fields until after legal shooting hours, even early in the gun season.  They have everything they need in their "Buck Cave";food, water and 'tail!!  No reason to come out and get drilled..........

 

I keep telling him we need an elevated stand, close to the creek bottom.  Trimming some shooting lanes all fanning out into the brush.  I know they move around in there amongst themselves, just prime for the taking if we had the elevated stand properly set.

 

Then, a quick trip in to haul out the spoils of the hunt................   

 

[phade]

I agree with much of this.  I have a friend who has a piece of ground he is protecting.  No going in at all from Oct 1-the end of all seasons.  It is a very big wide creek bottom full of all kinds of the thickest nastiest cover.  It holds a pile of deer and probably consists of 40 acres of his 260 acre block.

 

These deer (the big boys) rarely come to the ag fields until after legal shooting hours, even early in the gun season.  They have everything they need in their "Buck Cave";food, water and 'tail!!  No reason to come out and get drilled..........

 

I keep telling him we need an elevated stand, close to the creek bottom.  Trimming some shooting lanes all fanning out into the brush.  I know they move around in there amongst themselves, just prime for the taking if we had the elevated stand properly set.

 

Then, a quick trip in to haul out the spoils of the hunt................   

 

 

Deer hunting, outside of God, family, work, and close friends, deer hunting is my primary pursuit and passion. I live it - and I think that guy is crazy.

 

A conservative $1,500 per acre. That's $60,000 dollars of land tied up for what? Deer to feel comfy? What if that land goes for $2,500 per acre - not unheard of, obviously. That's $100,000.

 

Let me rephrase the question: Would you pay $100,000 for deer to not be hunted on 40 acres of adjacent ground that you own (you aren't going in there, so it's the same premise)?

 

I'm not afraid of my wife (at least not publicly). I'd be afraid of closing my eyes at any time ever again if she found that I did something like that.

[Lawdwaz]

Deer hunting, outside of God, family, work, and close friends, deer hunting is my primary pursuit and passion. I live it - and I think that guy is crazy.

 

A conservative $1,500 per acre. That's $60,000 dollars of land tied up for what? Deer to feel comfy? What if that land goes for $2,500 per acre - not unheard of, obviously. That's $100,000.

 

Let me rephrase the question: Would you pay $100,000 for deer to not be hunted on 40 acres of adjacent ground that you own (you aren't going in there, so it's the same premise)?

 

I'm not afraid of my wife (at least not publicly). I'd be afraid of closing my eyes at any time ever again if she found that I did something like that.

 

Crazy, no.  Wealthy, yes.

 

He has killed well over 200 deer, 3/4 for a grand slam of sheep, African hunt, blah blah blah. 

 

It isn't that important to him now.  He would rather sit on his ass and wait.......................

 

His land, his rules.  He has approx 850 acres in two different counties I hunt on.  He's a hoot to boot.

 

He's divorced too........................................

 

[growalot]

I have a 5 acre swamp area that  actually is illegal for anyone one to hunt ...due to houses..I like to consider it a sanctuary but every year we get trespassers...bow hunters sneaking in and the opening week end gun and run ppl...this year it was the late season because I was laid up and unable to make a showing....

 

The other area is a large young wood lot that they bed in and can watch the out side edges...use to call it the slashings... but its grown up now...this winter I will be hitting it hard with the chain saw...... hinging the maple and hophorn and dropping a bunch of poplar

Edited December 17, 2013 by growalot

[SplitG2]

Phade is spot on.  1/3 of my land is in a sactuary.  It was always stay out!  Got mature deer on camera but didn't see them on stand.  switched game plan this year and when time is right we move in!  Don't have enough acreage to not hunt it.

[phade]

I have a 5 acre swamp area that  actually is illegal for anyone one to hunt ...do to houses..I like to consider it a sanctuary but every year we get trespassers...bow hunters sneaking in and the opening week end gun and run ppl...this year it was the late season because I was laid up and unable to make a showing....

 

The other area is a large young wood lot that they bed in and can watch the out side edges...use to call it the slashings... but its grown up now...this winter I will be hitting it hard with the chain saw hinging the maple and hophorn and dropping a bunch of poplar

 

It's not illegal if permission is granted   Do some sweet talking and get in there with the bow!

[phade]

Phade is spot on.  1/3 of my land is in a sactuary.  It was always stay out!  Got mature deer on camera but didn't see them on stand.  switched game plan this year and when time is right we move in!  Don't have enough acreage to not hunt it.

 

Glad to see you making that change - with the amount of work you put into your ground - its time for you to reap the reward personally (moreso than now).

[growalot]

Problem is ...it is lined by 4 properties.... the front is hwy. and is only 411 ft wide...I have taken the range finder and ranged exactly 500ft to nearest house and do have a stand there...which has another swamp and mature pine planting next to it and a full time stream 5yrds away..... another on the others side of property and a neighbors mature Norway plantation backing up that stream the stand area is loaded with standing and downed dead ash...big ones that I can't cut down....so I'm waiting to put in a permanent blind...prefer not to do all that work just to find it crushed in the spring.... after a bad storm or while I'm in it ...Also it is one of those areas...No matter how you approach it...unless in the dead of night...you will push deer off to the ppl that hunt next door...which is EVERY body....

Edited December 17, 2013 by growalot

[dhuntley2]

Deer hunting, outside of God, family, work, and close friends, deer hunting is my primary pursuit and passion. I live it - and I think that guy is crazy.

 

A conservative $1,500 per acre. That's $60,000 dollars of land tied up for what? Deer to feel comfy? What if that land goes for $2,500 per acre - not unheard of, obviously. That's $100,000.

 

Let me rephrase the question: Would you pay $100,000 for deer to not be hunted on 40 acres of adjacent ground that you own (you aren't going in there, so it's the same premise)?

 

I'm not afraid of my wife (at least not publicly). I'd be afraid of closing my eyes at any time ever again if she found that I did something like that.

 

Man am I glad I live where non tillable goes for 500 an acre or less. Our land was bought a long time ago when it was not worth much so in that regard we can justify not going into certain areas. Like you say though you have to have enough acreage to make sanctuaries worth it. Ours work for us because there is so much hunting pressure from our neighbors that they feel comfortable on our sanctuaries and stay on our land. However I know if we had less land I would be leaving a spot alone for the beginning of the season then hitting it hard during the rut. I still think it is best to hunt the trails in between the sanctuaries. Also I think if you have a spot were you jump deer going to it, or always are getting busted because of the wind that it is best to make this a sanctuary.

[dbHunterNY]

on the family farm that's about 352 acres we've got a swamp/pine stand that's about 20 acres that is basically a sanctuary.  during hunting season everyone stays out and as the season continues on the deer use it more and more.  we don't do anything in it other than run a trail cam to see what's made it through the season.  it's more than thick enough to provide cover.  browse and food is there, but ag fields are all around it right up to it's edges for additional food.  really no funnels into it that would make for great hunting.  the farm is layed out the way it is with field lay out that comes first.  I have a spot that did have a brushy bottom of maybe 5 acres.  it was really thick and nobody went down in there.  I'd see 13+ deer per morning OR evening sit.  my dad not caring so much about deer movement then put an access road right through the middle of it.  then my cousin built a treestand right down in the middle of it where the wind swirls all around down there.  I now see a few deer in the mornings during the regular season and that's it.

[G-Man]

I have several sanctuary's,5-30 acres they do allow deer to hide and not move, but I go for quality and quantity or as i call it total deer management! , we average 15 -18 deer a year off my place usually 10 doe in that number rest buck. Not having a sanctuary and plots and general habitat improvements we would not take half that number. 366 Deer now in.21 Years of owning the property and improving it. This doesn' t include the deer the neighbor kills as well, he is impressed enough with size and health that i get to plant almost 30 acres of his land adjoining mine for free. It benefits both of us, his group takes 5-8 deer a year as well. As for sneaking in to hunt them why? They come out for food,water, and just looking for doe. Bedding areas are different for buck and doe. I enjoy the hunt an take a good one now and then, i am by no means a trophy hunter I just enjoy scouting and hunting and seeing the next generation start out right!

[Zag]

I think sanctuaries are misunderstood and misused.

 

With many sanctuaries with known bucks bedding in there, you may take yourself out of the game for much of the season outside of the rut. They do have value no doubt, but I think the value is best had when you have larger acreage. I know many disagree with that premise, but if you have 50 acres and you take the ten consisting of the best bedding and basically make it off limits - you are hunting the crappiest 40 acres and basically paying 20% of your land cost for no use - except for the deer.

 

I think a sanctuary is best used for letting deer bed and feel no pressure, and then hunting the sanctuary itself when the timing and activity is right - we're not talking pounding the place with pressure - just when the time is right to move in and kill. Sounds blasphemous, I know.

 

I agree with most of that and appreciate the advice. The sanctuary wouldn't be completely off limits from hunting. But if you have 10 acres of great bedding I would say it makes the woods surrounding it better especially during the rut phase.

 

I'll have to really take a hard look at the land (its a new piece) this winter to really see what we have.