Help, small farm I m hunting 35 acres deer size.

[Stalkhunter]

I have never seen so many yearlings and small deer. I have two groups that hang together it seems like. No I have hunted 2 days so far. I only seen two mature doe. This is what I am dealing with my phone doesn't take great pics. I am not running trail cams. Seen fifteen deer this is the size or smaller. I had a pic of a group 4 see I can find it.

 

[Stalkhunter]

Here is other pic

 

[Stalkhunter]

So we're are all th mature doe that possibly had these deer. I have not heard shots around the surrounding farms. I seen a unicorn spike plus mature doe(2) the small ones are in two groups 6 and 7 and 2 that hang by themselves. What makes it weird is I walked by them at 25 yards and they never ran.

 

[Stalkhunter]

The land owner has seen two bucks a 6 and 8 points. One of the guy that has a trail cams has not got them on it

 

[chris1976]

Most yearlings get abandoned by momma for a while this time of year. Peak breeding time so I imagine they are hanging out until mother gets done getting her groove on.

 

[Ski]

My guess is you're either experiencing the lock down phase of rut or else you're hunting a property deer just don't prefer. Yearling bucks like you're seeing get pushed away by their mothers & are forced to live far, far away from where they were born. Their mothers are living miles from the property you're hunting. If there are any resident doe family groups that regularly use the property but you're not seeing any of the sexually mature ones, then it's likely the lock down phase of rut. They'll return in a few days or week or so. But if the property doesn't have resident doe family groups then what you're seeing now is all you're ever going to see. Doe family groups get the choicest habitat by nature and bucks mostly live off in the periphery. Except to breed bucks & does generally try to avoid one another. If the property you're hunting doesn't offer the quality & quantity of food & cover that other nearby properties offer then it may not be a place doe groups call home. It may not even be a place older bucks call home. The lowest deer on the totem pole are yearling bucks. They get what no other deer wants. Either you're experiencing lock down and the older deer will eventually return, or else you're in a place nothing buck young bucks want to live.

 

[Stalkhunter]

What I was thinking this property has mainly been a pass through. There is wood plots not large ones but the adjoining farms are mostly the same, I know the deer are across road to the NE on the mountain. The other farm is the same down the road it's 85 acres. This has always been tough hunting. Both places have cows so the food source gets eaten by the cows. I think these deer travel a lot between farms.

 

[Stalkhunter]

This is where I mainly get my doe's. Taken a few bucks off it. This is not a place were you will not get scoring bucks

 

[buckbstr_1]

I hunt a small parcel similar is size. Loaded with deer travel but not really good bucks traveling through. I do like watching the deer but really need to harvest some does off the property. Enjoy the experience and if you feel like taking a deer or two do not worry about it. I am blessed that this property is close to my home!!!

 

[Popcorn]

Cows.

Deer and. Cows do not normally cohabitate with any significance
Yes some good deer are killed around cattle but not consistently

 

[Ski]

Cows.

Deer and. Cows do not normally cohabitate with any significance
Yes some good deer are killed around cattle but not consistently

That's it right there. If you're hunting a cattle farm you're not going to have a great deer hunt except in the areas cattle can't get to. I see good deer in areas around cattle but separated from the cattle. Oil and water.

 

[Stalkhunter]

I hunt a small parcel similar is size. Loaded with deer travel but not really good bucks traveling through. I do like watching the deer but really need to harvest some does off the property. Enjoy the experience and if you feel like taking a deer or two do not worry about it. I am blessed that this property is close to my home!!!

Totally agree, normally we see good doe, the feed in the fields a lot, the bucks hold to the wood lots mainly. They come in the field on occasions when I hunt like for 7 to 10 days in a row, then I have shot some bucks and my bro Encore06. We have no issues with taking what the Lord blesses us with. I think my shoulder replacement just has me out of my hunting balance lol. These are some of the deer we have taken off this farm. Don't get wrong I love this place, just something is off it seems.

 

[Stalkhunter]

I must admit I don't normally hunt this farm till rifle season in last few years

 

[Griswold]

I promise your not in lockdown on that farm , im hunting a 1/4 mile from you and the little guys are just now starting to pester the does, killed a seven yesterday evening that was just trailing behind a group of does never pushed em just watching em. Week of thanksgiving and week after, will be wide open on that farm i promise

 

[Ski]

I must admit I don't normally hunt this farm till rifle season in last few years

Those are some good deer. I'd guess when rifle rolls around it'll get back to what you're used to. I hunt a farm that most years is horrible hunting until mid-late rifle. Many years a shooter buck doesn't show up at all until well into December. I suspect they come in to breed doe fawns that were too young to cycle earlier in the rut. Being a permission farm that has cattle there's nothing I can do to significantly alter habitat nearly enough to influence how or when deer utilize the property. So I generally just run cams and keep an eye on things until it's right, accepting that most years it's going to be a late season place to hunt.

 

[Stalkhunter]

I promise your not in lockdown on that farm , im hunting a 1/4 mile from you and the little guys are just now starting to pester the does, killed a seven yesterday evening that was just trailing behind a group of does never pushed em just watching em. Week of thanksgiving and week after, will be wide open on that farm i promise

Where you at lol, I also hunt another farm up the road maybe 3 miles. Y
I know across the main highway near the river they have killed some nice bucks. Do you know my land owner

 

[Stalkhunter]

Muzzleloader I am normally up on River road off cave springs then come back to the small farm. My brother doesn't come down to hunt with me now because I sold my fifth wheel. I was going to check out a motel but the look sketchy lol

 

[Stalkhunter]

Sometimes I think our rut starts later then most always seemed that way to me up there.

 

[Stalkhunter]

Plus the mountain on back side of restaurant that was Shelly Bell's

 

[Stalkhunter]

Congrats on 7 point Griswold

 

[Stalkhunter]

I promise your not in lockdown on that farm , im hunting a 1/4 mile from you and the little guys are just now starting to pester the does, killed a seven yesterday evening that was just trailing behind a group of does never pushed em just watching em. Week of thanksgiving and week after, will be wide open on that farm i promise

Your not the gentleman I met by the name or nick name Pee Wee?

 

[Griswold]

Where you at lol, I also hunt another farm up the road maybe 3 miles. Y
I know across the main highway near the river they have killed some nice bucks. Do you know my land owner

Other side of the fleamarket, yeah i lnow him

 

[Griswold]

Your not the gentleman I met by the name or nick name Pee Wee?

No sir, ive hunted the same place on river road a few times i always kill my best bucks the first two weeks of December, and than again around Christmas and new years

 

[MickThompson]

35 acres gets really small when cows have the run of it

 

[Stalkhunter]

35 acres gets really small when cows have the run of it

When he puts the hay out the stay down low and don't come up on top of hill much.

 

[Stalkhunter]

No sir, ive hunted the same place on river road a few times i always kill my best bucks the first two weeks of December, and than again around Christmas and new years

I have hunted river road all the way on top with my buddy a couple times. I have not shot anything up there. I have seen some good bucks up there. I can't hunt it with out him. I am ok with that.

 

[prstide]

Totally agree, normally we see good doe, the feed in the fields a lot, the bucks hold to the wood lots mainly. They come in the field on occasions when I hunt like for 7 to 10 days in a row, then I have shot some bucks and my bro Encore06. We have no issues with taking what the Lord blesses us with. I think my shoulder replacement just has me out of my hunting balance lol. These are some of the deer we have taken off this farm. Don't get wrong I love this place, just something is off it seems.

Are you and Encore06 really brothers in the sense of bloodline or just figuratively speaking "brothers"? Really none of my business but thought it was cool if yall really are kin.

 

[philsanchez76]

What I was thinking this property has mainly been a pass through. There is wood plots not large ones but the adjoining farms are mostly the same, I know the deer are across road to the NE on the mountain. The other farm is the same down the road it's 85 acres. This has always been tough hunting. Both places have cows so the food source gets eaten by the cows. I think these deer travel a lot between farms.

Has this property always had cows? or did they just recently starting running cattle? reason I ask is, my neighbor used to have a great hunting property and as soon as they started running cattle, the deer all but disappeared.

 

[encore06]

Are you and Encore06 really brothers in the sense of bloodline or just figuratively speaking "brothers"? Really none of my business but thought it was cool if yall really are kin.

Figuratively speaking, but he's one of those friends that sticks closer than a brother. Without Greg, I would have given up hunting years ago

 

[Stalkhunter]

Has this property always had cows? or did they just recently starting running cattle? reason I ask is, my neighbor used to have a great hunting property and as soon as they started running cattle, the deer all but disappeared.

Yes