Hunting small parcels of land.

[cbandjkcustoms]

I am not new to deer hunting but in that regard I am not an expert by any means. I have a few private lots I am able to hunting all ranging from 15 acres to 200 acres. Last winter I purchased a nice log cabin with 5 acres. The place is on a dead end road with 2 neighbors surrounded by farm land. My neighbor owns 27 acres that borders mine. (All tall timber). We are completely surrounded by fields and farm land. Some crops and some pastures. Majority of this land is leased. I have one stand and three cameras. Is this feasible to hunt???I do have a few small six pointers and some doe on camera all 9pm or later..... Have hunted it twice and all the deer I see are in the fields that's are leased. 

[land 1]

you got to give the deer a reason to be on the 5acres during daylight , food, cover etc and only hunt when wind /condtions are correct and presure it very little

[SteveB]

22 minutes ago, cbandjkcustoms said:

I am not new to deer hunting but in that regard I am not an expert by any means. I have a few private lots I am able to hunting all ranging from 15 acres to 200 acres. Last winter I purchased a nice log cabin with 5 acres. The place is on a dead end road with 2 neighbors surrounded by farm land. My neighbor owns 27 acres that borders mine. (All tall timber). We are completely surrounded by fields and farm land. Some crops and some pastures. Majority of this land is leased. I have one stand and three cameras. Is this feasible to hunt???I do have a few small six pointers and some doe on camera all 9pm or later..... Have hunted it twice and all the deer I see are in the fields that's are leased. 

I would be sure to get recovery permission from all the neighboring properties before hunting. People are more open to allowing recovery if you don't wait until you are tracking a hit deer. ON 5 acres, it is not a question of if a deer will get off, but rather when.

 

[luberhill]

So I own 6 acres that I sometimes hunt and have killed deer on , it’s mainly field but borders 130 acres of woods and had ag fields on either side.

I mow the clover and leave it about 12” high
The deer hammer it . Behind my box blind is a 120 ft wide by 300ft long hedge row of full size trees and scrub that they bed in

Mostly does but occasionally a buck

[JimC1965]

Hinge cut an area where You can set up between it and the ag field. Try not to cut any oak trees. The hinge cut area will establish some thick cover for bedding and some browse at the same time. Allow yourself enough room to set up several stands so you can hunt most winds. A food plot placed close to the house and far enough from your stands will draw them to the area and give you an idea how the heard is doing and a reason to travel the property. Good luck. 

[wolc123]

Stick with guns and aim for the shoulder blade.  

[GreeneHunter]

2 or 3  food plots , they can be just 10 ft by 10 ft and just spread them out !

[wolc123]

I had a 5.5 acre piece, in the next town, for (4) years.  It was a long, narrow piece that was mature hardwoods in back and open field in front.  There was lots of ag in the area, mostly corn and soybeans. I didn’t get anything off of it the first year.  I built a tree stand on it the second year and doubled up on a pair of antlerless deer (doe and button buck).
 

The third year, I killed (2) trophy bucks (for me) there, one on opening day of bow, and the other on opening day of gun.  The taxidermist gave me a few bucks off on each, for doing them both.  
 

I should have stuck with antlerless deer in that spot, or at least smaller bucks.  The next year, neighbors on (3) sides built stands within sight of mine.  I didn’t even see a deer there the 4th year.

That’s the problem with small spots like that.  You can improve it, but if you do and have some success, neighbors will horn in on it.  
 

My 5.5 was almost half way between my home 34 acres, and my parents 63.  That was handy to take some pressure off those other spots.  I don’t miss it, since marrying into a nice 500 acre spot, that is 4.5 hours away.  

[GreeneHunter]

17 minutes ago, wolc123 said:

  I don’t miss it, since marrying into a nice 500 acre spot, that is 4.5 hours away.  

Does she have a sister .... asking for a friend !   LOL

[cbandjkcustoms]

The whole property is very tall timber no undergrowth. I have all contact information for surround properties in case I do take one. I feel like I can't make bedding area and food source on 5 acres. No oak trees. Only a water source. Should I concentrate on one or the other? Food or bedding? I feel surrounding fields offer good food for deer,maybe not year round but should I just make a cover/bedding area?

[wolc123]

3 minutes ago, cbandjkcustoms said:

The whole property is very tall timber no undergrowth. I have all contact information for surround properties in case I do take one. I feel like I can't make bedding area and food source on 5 acres. No oak trees. Only a water source. Should I concentrate on one or the other? Food or bedding? I feel surrounding fields offer good food for deer,maybe not year round but should I just make a cover/bedding area?

What kind of timber ?  Maybe get it logged and leave the tops for bedding cover.  I think cover/bedding area is the better option.  

[JimC1965]

21 minutes ago, cbandjkcustoms said:

The whole property is very tall timber no undergrowth. I have all contact information for surround properties in case I do take one. I feel like I can't make bedding area and food source on 5 acres. No oak trees. Only a water source. Should I concentrate on one or the other? Food or bedding? I feel surrounding fields offer good food for deer,maybe not year round but should I just make a cover/bedding area?

That's what hinge cutting the timber will do. Creates bedding areas and provides browse.

[Robhuntandfish]

The whole property is very tall timber no undergrowth. I have all contact information for surround properties in case I do take one. I feel like I can't make bedding area and food source on 5 acres. No oak trees. Only a water source. Should I concentrate on one or the other? Food or bedding? I feel surrounding fields offer good food for deer,maybe not year round but should I just make a cover/bedding area?

If any trails frost seed clover in them . Good way to start and easy to do.

Sent from my motorola edge 5G UW (2021) using Tapatalk

[Nomad]

13 hours ago, cbandjkcustoms said:

Only a water source.

What’s the water source ?
My friend bought land maybe 8 years back, woods, goldenrod ,AG next to it . Someone prior cut a plastic blue barrel length wise, and buried it even with the ground , he’s never cleaned it, added water nothing, it looks like brownish green swamp water .

Deer stop at it all the time to drink, last year I watched one young buck put his foot in it and slip lol .
 

As far as only five acres, if the deer cross it, or are there for some other reason, recovery rights would be my main concern.