I guess the difference in my way of thinking is that I don't imagine that I own the deer that live on or pass through my land.
Well technically you can’t manage smaller tracts for older age bucks. All you can do is provide them the necessities for life and a refuge to escape to.
The only way small acreage works is if everyone around is doing the exact same thing. Yes big bucks will be killed, but they’re killed on WMA’s every year too. If your neighbors are brown it’s down type then it won’t matter what you do, because every two or three year old you pass, they will shoot.
The funny and maybe sad thing is this. The guy up the road may view every deer on your wall as “up and comers”. He may have passed up each of them hoping for more time and more bone. Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy you are achieving your goals, but everyone sees deer hunting and deer hunting success differently.
I killed a big mature 142 inch nine point this year and I’m now the bad guy in my neighborhood. Would he have gotten bigger? Maybe. Did I watch and pass him last year at about 6 inches difference in score? Yeah, but everyone wants what they want. Enjoy your success and congrats! I pass on more than I want to sometimes to be a team player, but at the end of the day I try to hunt and kill for the right reasons and not judge others as they do the same.
I saw your note about coyotes....we had a serious issue with coyote pics nearly every day two years ago. I called in a trapper (and I mean a real trapper) and he caught 5 in a matter of 2 weeks on our 550 acres. 4 big males and a female. We occasionally get one here or there but if your getting coyote pictures left and right you likely have a large pack in the area disturbing the turkey and deer. If they are sticking around that means they are killing something that is keeping them fed. I would see if South Carolina has a trapper association facebook page like Georgia does. I did find a South Carolina Predators Hunters Association operated out of Florence. That may be a starting point. Just send them a private message and tell them you are looking for a trapper near wherever you live/hunt.Triple C - my experience has been similar to yours.
I bought 350 acres in the piedmont of South Carolina in late 2011. Have put a lot of time and money into habitat and food plots and have exercised some trigger control.
My son killed his first deer there a few years ago and now at age 13 has killed enough deer that he is on board with our desire not to shoot a buck younger than 4.5.
Fortunately we’ve generally got like minded neighbors.
Now we are fortunate enough to take 1-3 bucks/year that are 4.5+. This past year we really hit the does hard for the first time as it seemed there were too many
I know of at least 3 different bucks that were 3.5 last year that made it thru the season and untold number of 2.5 year old bucks with good potential
Owning the property gives us the ability to invest in equipment, stands, food plots, burning, etc that you probably wouldn’t or couldn’t do on leased land. We try to keep pressure low, hunt stands based on wind, etc.
We do run 6 big feeders year round except for turkey season. I started the feeders with the goal of each feeder keeping a family group of does around and it’s worked better than I expected. The feeders are large enough that I fill them in September and then don’t have to touch them again until January. So we aren’t disturbing the area by constantly refilling them with corn (we do slip in periodically to check cameras on the feeders)
There are constant battles - beaver issues, an alarming increase in coyote pictures this most recent winter/spring, occasional pictures of people that shouldn’t be there (though no blatant poaching yet), pear trees that don’t produce due to late Frost’s, etc but that’s all part of it.
Maintenance can be a challenge during busy times away from the farm. I have 2 teenage kids and a demanding job but fortunately also have someone that has been a godsend to help show me the ropes, help with maintenance, etc. we have a nice pond with great fishing but don’t use it much. I’m only half joking when I tell people the farm is basically 7 months of maintenance for 5 months of hunting
Sorry this turned into such a long post. My point was simply to say Triple C is right
You can do it. You gotta dream it first! Took me a long time and only could make it happen after I'd been an empty nester for a few years.Man I hope to one day own my own property. Always been a dream.
Yeah...the constant "my lease is increasing again" posts lately make me even more thankful I own property to hunt on.You can do it. You gotta dream it first! Took me a long time and only could make it happen after I'd been an empty nester for a few years.