Ahhhh no deer

bowhuntin' soldier · #1 (**permalink**) 08-03-2009, 07:45 AM

alright men heres the scoop i procured about 500 acresin trenton KY and i do not have time to scout it all (go Figure) so i did what i could and found what seems to be the most prominent deer routes and set up mineral licks and a little corn to try and keep them there but the only things i am getting on the trail cam is does and few of them i know there are big bucks there i have seen them less than 300 yds away and never spooked them i dont think they even saw us honestly how do i get them to come to us before season. and how do i get more deer in my herd besides the sit and wait years for them to reproduce. there is no shortage of food right know obviously do i have to wait till food goes scarce and then try to coax them in with food or what im so aggrivated i saw the one good sized bachelor group and cant get them on camera.....please help if you can

wmi · #2 (**permalink**) 08-03-2009, 09:22 AM

Take a deep breath you are in the right spot. First things first use Google maps, Yahoo maps, Live Search maps, etc... and get an over feel of the land with true compass barrings. Mark all water, dense thickets , oak trees, honey suckle and everything else such as GOOD rubs and old scrapes. At this time of year you need to get this done FAST (no more than a week of disturbance). Be sure to mark all good trails with compass direction of travel and any big buck tracks. Now is the fun part when you are done use your map and connect the dots. After identifying travel corridors, bedding areas, staging areas, etc... now you place cameras to help you with travel times. You have the does so the bucks will come. Do not worry about big bucks right now because come fall pattern all will change. Also locate any major food sources off your property like corn and soy beans. It is too easy to get side tracked without using this method. By using a map and connecting dots it will make your season one to remember as well as give you a better understanding as to the most important question of why the deer are on certain trails at certain times and not at other times. Early season water and protein are number 1#. You said you have no time? Make time!

bowhuntin' soldier · #3 (**permalink**) 08-03-2009, 11:40 AM

like i said water and food are no issue there is a big stream that runs right through the property and by big i mean it aint gonna dry up any time soon. thanks for the info i gotta keep my buddy out of there for the next month or so he always wants to go check cameras and we gotta stay outta there from what i understand.

bowhuntin' soldier · #4 (**permalink**) 08-03-2009, 11:52 AM

hopefully this link works if not oh well its a google maps layout of the property maybe you can look from the top and see what you think

<Google Maps>

bowhuntin' soldier · #5 (**permalink**) 08-03-2009, 12:02 PM

where barkers mill road and seay rd meet the north road that cuts a short east is the drive way the creek runs west to east in the tree line just north of that driveway the far north field (justnorth of the creek)is corn right nowjust south of the creek is alfalfa as well as the small funny shaped field on the west side the main movement corridors are around the finger tip of the funny shaped west field the tree line north west of the corn is where i usually see the groups of deer early evening time. i have stands around the finger tip where ive seen the most sign and movement. maybe this will give you a better idea of what i can do

wmi · #6 (**permalink**) 08-03-2009, 08:06 PM

What is the prevailing wind? Early season hunt afternoons in shaded inside southwest corners (wind allowed). What is that little secluded opening on the far east of map? Staging area maybe? Corn fields this size will be a problem early season. If I was to wing it I would choose inside southwest corners closest to water. Search immediate area for staging. Do not hunt mornings to start out (too risky). Search other mapping sites because they might have different photos with some showing deer travel routes across the crops (BIG help). I have to admit your property smells like big bucks.

Arrow_Assassin · #7 (**permalink**) 08-03-2009, 10:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wmi

What is the prevailing wind? Early season hunt afternoons in shaded inside southwest corners (wind allowed). What is that little secluded opening on the far east of map? Staging area maybe? Corn fields this size will be a problem early season. If I was to wing it I would choose inside southwest corners closest to water. Search immediate area for staging. Do not hunt mornings to start out (too risky). Search other mapping sites because they might have different photos with some showing deer travel routes across the crops (BIG help). I have to admit your property smells like big bucks.

TerraServer-USA

The link above is what I use.

I agree your land looks like it will hold big bucks. I wouldn't keep sending your buddy in the areas you want camera to go up in. This might put pressure on the deer and they might disappear for a long time. If they don't feel safe, they won't stay around.

My favorite spots are always near creeks. This provides a lot of info on traveling routes for deer. Creeks/Streams are great for pattering deer. Big bucks will use waterways for crossing. A lot of people say that the easier the path the more deer traffic you will find, I disagree. I have seen big bucks go out of their way and risk long ways to food source and bedding areas to keep them safe.

Once I hunted a area where it had three good fields. They were usually wheat, corn, and soybeans. This big buck that was 6 years or older was using a different route than all the other deer. He never would come in the same area twice, but close to the general area. I never killed this buck very smart, but did find his trails. Other hunters would have never seen these small trails because they wouldn't think he would be going out of his way to get to food or bedding. Anyone else would think he would travel the path with less resistance, but thats not always true.

When I scout I look for every detail, I look for small deer trails the most. Old bucks are the ones I want to kill and they are difficult cause they are not always going to show up where others go.

Good luck

wmi · #8 (**permalink**) 08-04-2009, 07:05 AM

I needed to add a little more, the reason for the inside SW corner is it will have the earliest shade in the afternoon. This has two benefits one being shade for cooler temps the other is that the sun is still shining on the fields creating a thermal sucking the air away from the woods out and up to the field. The deer move into these areas to feed earlier and still stay cool. If you choose one that has water and bedding close by it can be a awesome set up.

bowhuntin' soldier · #9 (**permalink**) 08-04-2009, 12:00 PM

I will definitely check out that opening on the northeast i think it was i looked at the map again i think you may be right looks like a good ambush spot ill check it out friday when i reset cams then all we gotta do is wrangle up some stands and set them i got a lot of work to do and fast wish me luck...

thanks men your the greatest if you see anything else let me know

bowhuntin' soldier · #10 (**permalink**) 08-04-2009, 12:02 PM

Why is the big corn a problem lots of food or what it should be cut in the next 4-6 weeks at best it should be earlier...??