by Mark Brazel

Created on: January 23, 2009

With the increasing popularity of managed deer hunting, acreage is certainly a determining factor for successful deer hunting. Problem is, the majority of hunters today are hunting on someone else's private or public land simply because they can not afford to pay the premium price for their own land.

As a deer hunter for over twenty-five years, I can say that much of the land I have hunted over the years has been productive in producing both good quality bucks and does. This land is privately owned and is spread throughout the county in which I reside. I hunt on one plot of ground with only seven acres and another with several hundred. Naturally, a hundred acres of ground will hold more deer than seven acres, but to me it does not necessarily mean better quality hunting, unless you are managing the ground. Planting food plots, allowing only a certain number of hunters, and taking only deer that are mature or at their potential, are all management practices. These practices are effective on any plot of ground, no matter the size.

If you are fortunate enough to have several hundred acres, you are afforded the opportunity to manage this ground to bring deer to your area, thus making your deer hunting more successful. Though "managed ranches" have created some controversy, they have proven that they can produce better quality deer when it comes to both numbers of deer and quality of deer.

Let's put two tracts of land side by side, both of the same acreage; One plot of land is mature hardwoods surrounded by corn and soybean fields and it supports a small spring fed pond year-round. The second plot is a large field of grasses and small trees that have been growing since the property was logged out several years ago. Which is better? The first plot will bring more deer simply because of what it holds. Deer remember where water sources are, where they can find acorns and other foods, and where they can bed down and feel secure. The second plot may eventually become a great area to hunt after the smaller trees begin to produce the acorns and other food sources the deer are looking for.

Consider other variables as well when purchasing land or hunting a new plot for the first time. Perhaps no one has been allowed to hunt this ground for several years. Perhaps only one person has hunted a plot of ground consisting of several hundred acres and now you have been invited to hunt there as well. Trust me, the deer know where they can go to escape hunting pressure. A small plot of ground that is not hunted often will attract deer.

The bottom line is this; A larger plot of ground will probably hold more deer than a smaller plot. If you have bedding areas, food sources, water, and safe travel corridors, the deer will come. A smaller plot of ground may not have all of these luxuries but it does mean it will not hold deer. One of the largest bucks I have ever seen was taken by a member of my hunting party while walking a small hedge row in the middle of a harvested field. Deer seek these areas out when the hunting pressure increases. So, if your small plot of ground has food, water, and safe bedding areas, you can still be successful. Scout for sources such as acorns, corn, and other crops. Look for standing water in creek bottoms, and look for bedding areas. Deer sometimes travel from a good distance to find what they are looking for. The small plot of ground which you own just may be the spot where all the hot does are bedding down. Your hunting might be better than the guy next to you that owns a hundred acres.

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