MGH_PA

I suppose not just archery land, but your hunting land in general. How many of you actually use ythe land where you hunt for other recreational purposes? Are you one to only enter the land to scout, place stands, and hunt, or do you frequent it with walking, biking, atving, etc? I'm curious to see how many of you utilize the "low impact" approach to your land and whether or not you feel this has a direct bearing on deer activity and your success. I, for one, am out walking it almost every weekend when during the school year when I'm teaching, and almost DAILY in the summer. A post I made a while back about my lack of buck sightings this year, Quick made the comment on how he suggested not hunting just one small chunk all season and moving from point to point throughout the area. I respect Quick's opinion and it seems valid, so is that really the case? Should I really not be out walking, riding my fourwheeler (I do stay to the main road and I'm not ripping through bedding/feeding areas), driving my truck around, etc? For me, I hunt the land I live on and live on the land I hunt, so it's hard for me to just reserve it to "hunting only." However, is this the best approach? Thoughts?

Rob/PA Bowyer

I do absolutely nothing in my archery haunts other than food plots. I encourage everyone, meaning the landowner, to have low impact on it as well. He doesn't get it but after all, it is his and I'm very appreciative.

superstrutter

I have 100 acres and lease 113 right next to mine from a cousin. I use my land soley for hunting purposes. I have one other person occasionally hunting with me, but in the past couple years he has hunted very little. I don't drive around unless I'm loading a deer. I'm pretty particular about disturbing the wildlife( deer and turkeys). My cousin is about to have her 113 acres thinned.She said she would wait til after turkey season though. She will be cutting about 1/3 of the property, which will probably enhance it a bit.

Vulture6

I have about 200 acres of woodland - and other than trespassers and relic hunters, virtually no one else is down there. I make a couple of trips every quarter during the off season -- posting, wildflower photographing, habitat improvement, and the occasional camping trip. I do plan on doing a selective harvest of some of the timber before the 08 season starts, but to be done several months before.

I believe that the deer will settle down and occasional activity won't have any lasting impact -- likewise, judging from the deer in my neighborhood and by my office, regular activity won't bother them either. The only thing that seems to bother them is scent free camouflage up in a tree!

MGH_PA

Wow, interesting to see everyone really does dedicate their land to hunting only. I suppose it's because I live on mine that I feel that I can't simply stay off of it. I wonder how much this impact of me always being out and about has on the deer movements on our property. I don't ride the 4wheeler really much at all anymore, and the only machinery that gets run is our tractor to work the food plot, drainage work on the roads, mow the pasture. I really can't just not use the land, though, so I suppose finding other land would be ideal. I am a new member at our hunting cabin that has ~1200 acres, so I can hunt there on the weekends, but the hunting (albeit somewhat low on buck sightings) is much better at my home.

demoIL

I wish I could but the property I hunt on is used.. Atv's, hunting, logging, cattle, etc...

Still good hunting though and I'm very grateful to have a place to go close to home..

AF Hunter

I too live on the land I hunt and it would be hard not to appreciate the land. I fish and ATV on it now and will be camping on it next year. I have set aside a deer sanctuary area that I will stay out of, but I fully intend to enjoy my land.

Rory/MO

we fish, scout, hang, hunt

MGH_PA

Question to those who live on your land, and dedicate it solely to hunting...what do you do in the offseason? I just can't fathom living on a great piece of land (they aren't making any more of it), and just looking it it for 8-9 months out of the year. I'm not knocking the decision to dedicate it to hunting only, I just can't really comprehend it. On one side, the argument can be made that the deer movement is altered due to heavy activity (especially in and around core areas) and even moreso on smaller parcels of land (such as our 90 acre tract). However, couldn't it be said that the deer have adjusted accordingly (i.e. became accustomed to it)? I mean our land has seen constant activity for 30 years (my dad built our place in 78). Could it be said that as long as the activity was "low impact" as possible (walking, hiking, etc) the deer herd would not dramatically alter their behavior?

AF Hunter

My neighbor drives his truck and tractor through his land all the time. I have been with him when the deer are bedding within 40 feet of the road when he drives through and they don't even look up. If there are common sounds and sights, they adapt and accept them.