Unpressured Deer Behavior. Not what I expected.

[DeerCamp]

Late last year I bought a 40+ acre farm that is surrounded by several hundred other acres of uninterrupted hardwoods. This particular property hasn't been hunted in at least 7 years, and the surrounding property doesn't see much hunting pressure according to the neighbors.

I spent the summer building hilltop food plots, roads and putting in RV spots, etc. I was also running 4 cameras across the property. We listed the property for sale about 6 weeks ago. There was a lot of interest and it sold almost immediately.

In a nice twist, the new owners are both extremely nice and not hunters. They have asked me to keep the cameras up for a while to keep an eye on the place, and have even invited us out to hunt.

That said - the point of the post. These deer are unlike any others I am used to seeing.

They are in the food plots ALL DAY LONG. Morning, mid morning, noon, afternoon, night. Several times I have walked through the plots and I KNOW the deer at watching me. As soon as I leave, they come back out. Like, within 5 minutes. Sometimes 3 deer, sometimes 10 or more.

There are at least 5 2.5 or older bucks using the property semi-regularly, including one 10 point that will score 135ish. He showed up on the day we closed to say bye I guess! lol


Either way, it's been really eye opening to see what deer behavior is like without human pressure. I wouldn't quite call it Cades Cove, but it's a far cry from the hunted populations I am used to chasing.

 

[lafn96]

Wish I had that problem

 

[Kirk]

I am sure all that will change after you drop the hammer on one of them.

 

[philsanchez76]

Late last year I bought a 40+ acre farm that is surrounded by several hundred other acres of uninterrupted hardwoods. This particular property hasn't been hunted in at least 7 years, and the surrounding property doesn't see much hunting pressure according to the neighbors.

I spent the summer building hilltop food plots, roads and putting in RV spots, etc. I was also running 4 cameras across the property. We listed the property for sale about 6 weeks ago. There was a lot of interest and it sold almost immediately.

In a nice twist, the new owners are both extremely nice and not hunters. They have asked me to keep the cameras up for a while to keep an eye on the place, and have even invited us out to hunt.

That said - the point of the post. These deer are unlike any others I am used to seeing.

They are in the food plots ALL DAY LONG. Morning, mid morning, noon, afternoon, night. Several times I have walked through the plots and I KNOW the deer at watching me. As soon as I leave, they come back out. Like, within 5 minutes. Sometimes 3 deer, sometimes 10 or more.

There are at least 5 2.5 or older bucks using the property semi-regularly, including one 10 point that will score 135ish. He showed up on the day we closed to say bye I guess! lol


Either way, it's been really eye opening to see what deer behavior is like without human pressure. I wouldn't quite call it Cades Cove, but it's a far cry from the hunted populations I am used to chasing.

intersting. how long you think it would take for them to change this behavior if you started hunting the place even with minimal intrusion?

 

[DeerCamp]

intersting. how long you think it would take for them to change this behavior if you started hunting the place even with minimal intrusion?

My guess is not very long.

I would think if you hunted with a bow, and tried to shoot only deer that were alone, probably could get away with it for a bit.

Drop the hammer in the middle of an open field full of deer and I bet it changes real quick.

 

[DeerCamp]

I made this small intentionally since I don't own the property anymore.

 

[Ski]

They get smart really quick. You don't even have to shoot one. Somehow they seem to know when you're in predatory mindset and when you're not a threat.

 

[DoubleRidge]

Great reminder of the potential benifits of creating refuge or sanctuary areas on your property where deer have zero pressure....may not be the same effect as whats described in the original post...but there are benifits.

 

[Ski]

Great reminder of the potential benifits of creating refuge or sanctuary areas on your property where deer have zero pressure....may not be the same effect as whats described in the original post...but there are benifits.

Absolutely. I've got a 20-30 acre area in the bowl of a hollow that I never hunt, and never step foot in during season unless I'm retrieving a deer. But from January thru August I'm in there as much as I want for habitat work, mushroom hunting, dragging logs, or just going for a walk. Once August hits it gets left alone. That's where the does bed and I can hunt around the perimeter to intercept movement in and out. When I pull cards after season it's unreal how much daylight activity goes on inside that little bubble, even though while hunting the perimeter I usually only see deer in morning or evening.

 

[Coker]

Why did you sell?

 

[killingtime 41]

Late last year I bought a 40+ acre farm that is surrounded by several hundred other acres of uninterrupted hardwoods. This particular property hasn't been hunted in at least 7 years, and the surrounding property doesn't see much hunting pressure according to the neighbors.

I spent the summer building hilltop food plots, roads and putting in RV spots, etc. I was also running 4 cameras across the property. We listed the property for sale about 6 weeks ago. There was a lot of interest and it sold almost immediately.

In a nice twist, the new owners are both extremely nice and not hunters. They have asked me to keep the cameras up for a while to keep an eye on the place, and have even invited us out to hunt.

That said - the point of the post. These deer are unlike any others I am used to seeing.

They are in the food plots ALL DAY LONG. Morning, mid morning, noon, afternoon, night. Several times I have walked through the plots and I KNOW the deer at watching me. As soon as I leave, they come back out. Like, within 5 minutes. Sometimes 3 deer, sometimes 10 or more.

There are at least 5 2.5 or older bucks using the property semi-regularly, including one 10 point that will score 135ish. He showed up on the day we closed to say bye I guess! lol


Either way, it's been really eye opening to see what deer behavior is like without human pressure. I wouldn't quite call it Cades Cove, but it's a far cry from the hunted populations I am used to chasing.

Might as well take the new owners up on the hunt. I'd say it'll be a subdivision in the very near future.

 

[megalomaniac]

There is an absolute linear correlation between hunting pressure and nocturnal activity of deer. In my experience, minimizing hunting pressure is the single most important thing you can do to increase your odds at an older buck.

It's also why I shut my farms down to all hunting until Nov 10th... right when prerut starts. Hunt 2 weeks (by the end of those 2 weeks, daylight activity has become minimal), then shut the farms down again to all hunting for 3 to 4 weeks.

It's hard to hunt smarter, not harder at first... but once you have experienced the benefits, you won't ever go back.

 

[deerhunter10]

Pressure has been our main focus on our places for several years now. It is amazing the difference from when we started til now.

 

[ScLowCountry]

Why did you put food plots in and then sell it? Were you trying to market it as a hunting property

 

[Bgoodman30]

There is an absolute linear correlation between hunting pressure and nocturnal activity of deer. In my experience, minimizing hunting pressure is the single most important thing you can do to increase your odds at an older buck.

It's also why I shut my farms down to all hunting until Nov 10th... right when prerut starts. Hunt 2 weeks (by the end of those 2 weeks, daylight activity has become minimal), then shut the farms down again to all hunting for 3 to 4 weeks.

It's hard to hunt smarter, not harder at first... but once you have experienced the benefits, you won't ever go back.

I hunt a similar piece. Was a petting zoo when we first got on it in fact biggest buck taken so far was on first sit. This has been my strategy of late stay out of interior until the time is right in mid November.. Have seen #1 buck between 11/10-12 the last 3 years.

 

[DeerCamp]

Why did you put food plots in and then sell it? Were you trying to market it as a hunting property

Yes

 

[Henry]

Great reminder of the potential benifits of creating refuge or sanctuary areas on your property where deer have zero pressure....may not be the same effect as whats described in the original post...but there are benifits.

I agree...we have an area we don't go to ever and there are hundreds of acres on one side and behind us where no one lives or visits. A couple of 18 yr old neighbor boys, from a farm property that is beside us, but does not touch the bottoms area, asked me last year if they could go into that area. I asked why? They said because they want to see where the deer come from and go to. I said, so you want to go see something that will likely change after you've been back in there a few times. Why would you want to change the thing that sends us all these great deer? No way. They didn't like it so I reminded them about trail cams and to not go on the property. There's a 10 point and 12 point this year. I took two 8 points last year. There are great deer here. Why risk changing that?

The areas I do go to, I make sure there is at least 2 weeks between visits.

 

[GhillieBow]

They get smart really quick. You don't even have to shoot one. Somehow they seem to know when you're in predatory mindset and when you're not a threat.

Think about body language though. You can tell when someone is paying you no mind versus that feeling you get when someone is watching you or wishes you ill intent. As prey animals they know exactly what predatory behavior looks like.

 

[muddyboots]

It's pretty nice. Pressure is an amazing tool.
We have 6100 acre lease. 22 members but I'd guess 8 to 10 regular hunters. We have daylight activity all year.