Opinions on a new property

[ShieldsOutdoors]

Long post, but I think I need to give all the details in order to get a helpful response. A buddy of mine that I used to work with was given access to 66 acres in the southern part of Hawkins county. He is allowing me and no one else to hunt with him. The property hasn't ever been hunted except for maybe many, many years ago. However it is surrounded by over 400 acres by a company that does logging but it appears they also hunt it because of an old tripod stand we could see off of the property line. We went to it to scout a week before opening day (he had just been given permission a week earlier). The east and west side of the property is pretty steep with the west side huntable but not really the east side. It was so overgrown we couldnt walk through the middle where we guess used to be a field. There is a wet creek that runs on the east side of the property before you get to the real steep part. We found an old road bed off from the middle where the field used to be. We found a few deer tracks on the edge of the creek and that was about it. No other sign of deer besides some game trails and some plants that looked like they had been eaten. We also found 2 piles of bear crap on the old road bed. I hunted the road bed opening day and heard something behind me in a thicker area but that was where the wind was blowing and nothing came out. After I hunted, we cut a trail through the middle of the property to the road bed so we could have easier access to the rest of the property. I then put out 2 cell cameras and 2 regular cameras. I put one cell camera at the creek crossing where we found tracks and a trail, and the other on the west side of the property near the ridge where it opens up ane there are a lot of oaks dropping. I havent been back to the property in a week and since then have no pictures of deer on either cell camera but have 3 different pics of the bear on 3 different days at 3 different times at the creek crossing. All that to say, we're pretty concerned about the deer population there and not sure how much time we want to spend. It's an hour and 15 minute drive for both of us, but it is the only private land we have access to. Should we go after the bear and then hope the deer will move on in, is a week with just 2 cell cameras and no deer pics something we shouldn't be too concerned about, or should we be very concerned and not waste too much of our time? Any input or thoughts are very welcome. Thanks

 

[1jamey]

I'm in Hawkins County as well, if you have acorns dropping that is where you want to be, the bears come and go on my place. Pics of bears and 45 min later deer in the same spot.

I would hunt it more at the rut, if you scout hunt it or just run cams for October that might give you enough info to make a decision. Next year would have endless possibilities though. Have a back up place to hunt just in case things don't work out. Not many places around that don't have deer on them or at least moving thru to bed or eat.

I'm in the Keplar area.

 

[DoubleRidge]

If there are allot of acorn dropping in the area or surrounding area then that may explain why the lack of pics with the deer being dispersed. Not getting pics at a creek crossing would not concern me...move the creek crossing camera and try to find some hot feed sign...and if the property around you is hunted hard and ya'll have thick cover then hunting may improve as the season progresses....stay after them...good luck!

 

[kaizen leader]

Long post, but I think I need to give all the details in order to get a helpful response. A buddy of mine that I used to work with was given access to 66 acres in the southern part of Hawkins county. He is allowing me and no one else to hunt with him. The property hasn't ever been hunted except for maybe many, many years ago. However it is surrounded by over 400 acres by a company that does logging but it appears they also hunt it because of an old tripod stand we could see off of the property line. We went to it to scout a week before opening day (he had just been given permission a week earlier). The east and west side of the property is pretty steep with the west side huntable but not really the east side. It was so overgrown we couldnt walk through the middle where we guess used to be a field. There is a wet creek that runs on the east side of the property before you get to the real steep part. We found an old road bed off from the middle where the field used to be. We found a few deer tracks on the edge of the creek and that was about it. No other sign of deer besides some game trails and some plants that looked like they had been eaten. We also found 2 piles of bear crap on the old road bed. I hunted the road bed opening day and heard something behind me in a thicker area but that was where the wind was blowing and nothing came out. After I hunted, we cut a trail through the middle of the property to the road bed so we could have easier access to the rest of the property. I then put out 2 cell cameras and 2 regular cameras. I put one cell camera at the creek crossing where we found tracks and a trail, and the other on the west side of the property near the ridge where it opens up ane there are a lot of oaks dropping. I havent been back to the property in a week and since then have no pictures of deer on either cell camera but have 3 different pics of the bear on 3 different days at 3 different times at the creek crossing. All that to say, we're pretty concerned about the deer population there and not sure how much time we want to spend. It's an hour and 15 minute drive for both of us, but it is the only private land we have access to. Should we go after the bear and then hope the deer will move on in, is a week with just 2 cell cameras and no deer pics something we shouldn't be too concerned about, or should we be very concerned and not waste too much of our time? Any input or thoughts are very welcome. Thanks

Put a trouphy rock where there is some deer sign and cross trails. I don't know what a bear will do with it but the deer will find it and start frequenting it. It sounds like a good buck bedding area. Maybe better late season. Good luck.

 

[rem270]

The way you describe the property I'm willing to bet there's deer there. My experience with bears and deer in Arkansas were the deer didn't frequent where the bears were. This was a property that was thick with bears tho. Another spot I hunted there was one bear that came through every summer at the same time and stayed for about 2 weeks and left. It never affected the deer.

 

[Ski]

Tough one. Deer are nomadic, especially in big woods hill country. If you were to visit my property in September you'd likely not see much sign and if you stuck cameras up you wouldn't see much. But I kill a mature buck there almost every single year. By mid October they are moving in and through. Then by mid January it's a ghost town again. So I wouldn't give up yet. Let the cameras do their thing. Check in every couple weeks and see if things don't change as the season progresses.

 

[rem270]

Tough one. Deer are nomadic, especially in big woods hill country. If you were to visit my property in September you'd likely not see much sign and if you stuck cameras up you wouldn't see much. But I kill a mature buck there almost every single year. By mid October they are moving in and through. Then by mid January it's a ghost town again. So I wouldn't give up yet. Let the cameras do their thing. Check in every couple weeks and see if things don't change as the season progresses.

Same way with both of my properties. I've had a couple people ask me this week how the huntings been. I always have the same response, it's a typical Sept for me, not much action but I just go to enjoy it and scout. But come mid Oct things start turning on. On my small property behind my house I only seen the same couple does with yearlings last year. But come end of Oct things changed and I seen 6 different bucks one more on just a 3 hour sit. That time is coming soon!

 

[XCR-2]

Sounds like your cameras aren't working right. Bet if you check the card in them you'll find pics that weren't sent to your phone. Even though it sends some, mine has never sent all that are in the card.

 

[ShieldsOutdoors]

Sounds like your cameras aren't working right. Bet if you check the card in them you'll find pics that weren't sent to your phone. Even though it sends some, mine has never sent all that are in the card.

Could be the case, but I am getting pretty constant pics of squirrels, raccoons, bear, etc, just no deer.

 

[XCR-2]

I've got junky old spypoints and no longer rely on the cell part of them. I just check the cards and when these bite the dust I'm done with all trail cams. I think they do more harm than good plus I like a good surprise when I'm hunting