5 Reasons Your Small Deer Hunting Parcel Failed

There are very specific small parcel deer hunting fails that I have consistently seen on over 1000 parcels in 20 seasons of designing client deer parcels. What's great about these fails? If you learn how to avoid them, you will find success...
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[@witness1449]

I've been following your blog for about 18 months now. I've implemented some of your advice and techniques and have been gradually improving my 11acre parcel. In your opinion, my access would probably be laughable. My custom-built insulated hunting stand is only 450 feet from my back door. We harvest 2 deer a year, not mature bucks like you pursue, but nice respectable 2.5 or 3.5 year old bucks and does. Not everyone has an income or property that is perfect or ideal deer management. Mine is one of those properties. Yet I have created a very productive and substantial improvement to my property for all wildlife and the deer. I planted over 1,000 trees and replanted the whole property through a state wildlife assistance program. 7 years ago, it was a really poor hay field. I also dug a small pond in front of the stand about 70ft x 50ft approximately 7ft deep. The dirt from the pond was used to create visual cover for the pond and food plot surrounding the pond. Additionally, we planted switch grass to create more cover for deer. Each year, we strive for more habitat and useful food sources. This little piece of hunting paradise is not meant for harvesting mature deer, but I do harvest deer every year. They are all trophies to me. I must be doing something right because this year, I have had 19 different bucks on my cameras. My daughter shot her first buck, a respectable 8 pointer, and I tagged an 8 pointer also. After 60 years of bow hunting for deer, I now have and enjoy a luxurious stand only 450 feet from my back door. An 11 feet elevated stand carpeted, insulated walls, and an 18-foot snipers nest, I'm in deer hunting heaven. My grapevine licking branches both sit exactly 24 yards from stand, and my 2 cameras have produced over 9,000 pictures and videos since the second week of September. The end result of my efforts so far has resulted in venison on my table and many memories with my girls. Every year is a new adventure! At 72, I know that my hunting years are becoming more precious each year. My crossbow is now my weapon of choice, but I still love shooting my compound bow for fun. You always have useful information that I try to incorporate into my unique hunting property. Thanks for sharing your experience and knowledge. Bob

[@unreasonablereasoning]

Couple things: Thanks to you and just time in the woods, I have narrowed down the rut period in my area. Nov 9-12 I hunted on my 18 acres in south-central IN. Watched a decent 8-point buck lockdown a doe for 2 hours, only for them to come by me, on the ground, and I missed a 18 yard shot. Clean miss, still trying for my first bow kill. Saw a huge buck chase does on the 11th-12th, 40 yards was the closest he got. Firearms opening weekend Nov 18-19, saw that same big buck opening morning and I messed up my timing and didn't get a shot off. The next day, I stopped being picky and got a spike at 15 yards hehe. Took a friend for the first time out for muzzleloader this weekend. They got a doe at 40 yards that was feeding on my wheat/brassica plot! Lessons learned: I created an "X" of movement with that food plot and my neighbor's 5 year old clear cut. I also protected the movement by being picky on hunting time and day. Thank you!

[@Bow-Man]

The fun is seeing all the hard work paying off in gut piles ! Can't thank you enough 👍

[@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751]

Haha, so true!! Always appreciate you commenting!

[@kevinkirby6511]

The getting the biggest buck in the neighborhood is the result! For us the fun is the strategy, the food plots, the cover improvements! Then watching it all come together while sitting in the stand! Been watching and saving your videos for years. IT WORKS!

[@carytrier5539]

I shot my buck October 26th on a sunny 70 degree day at 2.30 in the afternoon as 4 bucks were chasing a doe into my switchgrass. What made me sit down at 2 o'clock in the afternoon I'll never know but I learned a lesson that at that time of the year with the pre-rut intact anytime's a good time.

[@stevebradley7721]

I totally agree with you, especially about accessing property. I have 20 acres of timber property, obviously the property around it is owned by somebody, & these somebody’s don’t want me on their property & I don’t blame them, so unfortunately I have one way on & one way off of my property, the legal easement. But I guess I shouldn’t complain, I’ve owned it for 23 years & have enjoyed it immensely & hopefully I’ll be healthy enough to enjoy it for another 23 years till I’m 77, then it might be time to sell & let someone else enjoy it.

[@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751]

I like that attitude Steve!

[@illegalclown]

This channel has helped me a lot this year. I've learned a lot of what to do and what not to do. I'm looking forward to improving my area in the off season. I did my best not to spook the deer, but the guy three houses down drove his ATV through my hunting spot while I was at work so he could drink beer with my neighbor.

[@joesoutdoorexperience]

Good evening Jeff, Dylan, and staff! Jeff I have been following you for a while now. This past 2023 off season, I applied what I learned to my parents 5-acre property! Not only did I harvest my first buck, but our cameras have been going nuts. We took down all of our “great” stands and moved them for morning and evening, along with wind direction! We changed and improved our access and food plots. I also have been using HuntWise and following HuntCast which also helps tremendously! Thank you so much

[@drewharman1690]

Looking forward to the habitat work this off season!

[@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751]

We can't wait either Drew!

[@makeyourownluck5822]

I'm always trying to improve our habitat and access thanks to these videos for the last 4 years! My 11 year old daughter got her first buck and it was a great buck! Got mine as well! Even though it was a success we have already started taking advantage of this mild western Wisconsin winter and making improvements!

[@markmilner563]

Great channel! Thank you. It’s funny, 3 years ago after the gun hunting season I was saying “big changes for next year”. Started watching this channel and incorporated water holes, low pressure access, food plots. This year my son got bucks with gun and bow as well as I, buddy got a nice one and my dad shot a buck on the land. Cannot thank u enough

[@Official1616Club]

Thanks Jeff for all of your videos. They have helped me start build my 9 acre property in Northern Alberta. Have taken the back half that is bordered by 150 acres of AG and dedicated to wildlife habitat. Have started to make pathways and corridors threw my tree and brush section. Lots of switch to boarder the AG field, and then small food plot inside of the switch boarder along the tree line.

[@craigallen7554]

Thanks for your commitment to the whitetail and all your informative videos. Located in central Pa. I own and hunt several small parcels of 4 acres and less. Extremely challenging. All hunting areas are travel corridors between bedding and food and yes the most important tip is access to and from the stands . Thanks for all your wisdom!

[@dswish1730]

If I would have known that October was going to be so warm?I would have put out way more winter rhy.They are still picking away at it now🤔

[@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751]

Crazy fall D!!

[@MrBefishin]

Hey Jeff, got a waterhole question. Do you have to clean out a waterhole that’s dug in? Will the deer use it if the water gets scummy?

[@benbearkiller]

What I’ve learned about this channel is who else I spend my time taking advice from. Also no situation is the same so by consuming mass amount of knowledge I’ve been able to create some ideas about areas I hunt. But my startegies have completely changed this year since finding this channel and I’ve killed 2 bucks this year. Not huge bucks but the amount of activity I’ve seen this year is more than I’ve seen in my whole life of hunting. I’m 29 and I’ve killed deer every year since I was 10. My season is just about over but I’m already planning for next year because of some of the areas I’ve found this year are loaded with huge bucks but I have to change my access strategy more next year

[@SandwichKing-lj4ej]

I can say I messed up with a stand location. I found out my stand was right in middle of buck travel with them coming right under or behind my stand, scooting my stand back further next season hopefully fixes this. I spooked off two nice bucks trying to move awkwardly to aim.

[@janitorialguy4436]

Thanks Jeff

[@kevinkirk3156]

got my biggest two deer this year. woop woop. time to top it

[@lttruck2973]

I have food all around me. My place is cover. Plenty of acorns to this day in the woods. I walk the hedgerows to my 3 stands. 2 are on a Ridgeline and one in a bottom draw. Driveway is 300 yards long and I stay off of it, too open for my liking. I use the barn and a few outbuildings to break up my approach. I planted switch grass that didn't take the way I wanted. I made brush piles and hinged cut a handful of tree's. I have doe's year round. I have buck sign but no bucks. if it wasn't for the rut. I wouldn't see them at all. All pitch black activity for them. I do not and will not hunt the front cover beds. Some parts I haven't stepped on in 20 years. The more I plant for the deer. The more they stay away.

[@KyleLoridon19]

Looking forward to improving the land I have permission to hunt in the Eastern UP. What size atv sprayer do you use? Thank you

[@artbrennhofer8283]

Hi Jeff, Thanks for the video. I am wondering if your classes cover small parcels that are lowland. My 40 is lowland and nobody really seems to talk about that type of cover. I tried hiring you a couple of years ago when I bought this place but that seemed to have gotten lost somewhere, so I am kind of on my own and should have some time to do more habitat work this year. Thanks again for all you do.

[@mainenorthwoodshunter3265]

Great video. Thank you for the helpful information. Maine North Woods Hunter (Shane)

[@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751]

Thanks a lot Shane, I appreciate it!

[@kurtpearson2793]

Looking forward to getting my hands on a big water tank. Know anyone selling them this spring?

[@nathancourtney2006]

Farm store, plastic tanks are less likely to leak

[@brianlenneman5032]

It’s a year round affair.. always something to do in the woods.. got a long list to work on again this year!!!

[@chrisinscore6036]

Jeff, does your Property Design Online Class detail property design if we can't plant food plots? I have several leases that are 300 acres or less but all of the open ground is farmed. I can do some timber management like hinge cuts, hack/squirt, etc.

[@zacharykowasz3566]

Jeff, how do you keep deer off your access? I have long narrow food plots with corridors connecting them, but no matter what I do, the access trails I mow for myself through golden rod end up being used by the deer. No food in the trails, just naturally occurring weeds that come up from mowing 3-4times a year.

[@nickwest1476]

Im back again! I remember that you said hunting has been commercialized for a long time. I wonder if that 8s the reason that there are less and less hunters. I bought 86 acres, so i couid hunt. I shouldn't have built my house in the middle if my hunting area. Im 61 and now ive fallen out if the interest but i refuse to sell or lease to the people that want to aay its "PRIME HUNTING!" To me its only to drive up prices. I hate this scheme. Im done with hunting and planting plots. Ill guess i just watch them instead of shooting. Many of the guys that ive shown your videos, tell me that in the south is totally different than where you. I agree with you with that i have bad access. B4 i built this house i use to see more mature bucks here but nit anymore. I moved in and they moved out! Im done!

[@710_savant_official]

Your property if smaller piece might only be as good as your neighbors treat there’s! Seems like I’m getting slow progress with the pressure the neighbors apply? Last year I had plenty of daylight movement and hunted more than this year. Not much for daylight movement and I have been super conscious of the pressure we apply?

[@dswish1730]

Planning different areas for food plots and stand placements for next year.My neighbors drove my property on Saturday and shot a beautiful 4 Y/O 8 point.Looked a lot like the one I hit in bow season🤷🏻

[@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751]

Those food plot locations can kill you or make the season!

[@jordanhudson5075]

Hope you let them drive the property and they were not trespassing

[@kurtpearson2793]

Driving my own property makes me cringe. My neighbor driving it makes me panic.

[@allandoesfish2971]

No thanks I like your advice just fine

[@Bow-Man]

Dang it kurt lol😂

[@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751]

Haha

[@kurtpearson2793]

You should see me with new shoes!

[@Bow-Man]

😂😂😂​@@kurtpearson2793

[@davidyontz09]

How can I get a hold of you for 2024

[@kurtpearson2793]

First

[@whitetailhabitatsolutions9751]

YEP!