If I was buying a deer hunting property the # 1 consideration would be the surrounding property owners and their practices, ethics or lack of. You can manage all you want. It only takes 1 property doing what they want to directly effect what is on yours.
this. but the truth is when one neighbor sells or one of his does it can change everything unless you or neighbors own 1000s then and only then you're good haha.
I have a place in ky. I have both numbers and quality,-imo- 130-150" bucks. Well one neighbor has 400 acres three guys hunt. all three look for 4-5 yo deer to hunt and won't shoot a 4yo that has potential. However across the road 150 acres sold before I ever saw a sign put up in two tracts. went from one guy hunting it that hunted big mature deer to 4 plus people hunting it. on the tract directly across from me they shot two 3 yo. one 20" wide 8 with weak 3s so a 115"er and one 18" wide 10 with weak upper 130 with good potential to hit 150 in a year or two. They were happy so… however it changes the whole dynamic of my area. I have video of those deer on several hunts. my 400acre neighbors do too. and the big tract owners beside them probably do as well.
two of The 400 acre guys come from NC while one lives in the area. all related. They all said that's it. they are not gonna watch deer walk across the road and be shot any more. Only one of the three killed a buck this year. all three could have but passed hoping they'd grow. Some would argue its ky you only get one buck so a couple guys won't hurt anything….well… here is where the plus of the 4 plus comes in…the father and son had tagged out, and the father started selling 3 day hunts to recoup their travel expenses and lic fees. and corn pile money. They've shot a 9 point that was 2 and a 11 point that was 2 so far.
it sucks but unless you own a huge chunk you can't manage period. all you can do is hunt, pass and hope some make it through and like your habitat better. Eventually my hope is they pressure the deer so much on that 72 acres that the bucks will avoid it and i'm sure that's what will happen. I have the best food of the three tracts by me the 400 acres has the best habitat to hold big bucks as does the large tract beside them. I will hold bucks through summer into early season. if I see a buck early I want I will just target that deer early from here out. Rather than waiting on weather. But in the end… hunting is year long enjoyment for me and not just what deer i kill but over all betterment of the local herd and after 40plus years of doing it i've learned two important things that seem to be working for me and I just really gigi them out 6 years ago
1 hunt in areas where it's common for big bucks to live! doing so is more important than anything else you can do! IMO if you want to kill mature deer.
2 just hunt to your standards and don't worry what the world outside is doing! You can't control it no matter how well you plan and search for the perfect property. AIve been on the quest for it for 10-12 years and using other properties as stepping stones. I really love my current property and until the recent two tract sale it had the perfect neighbors! I had done all the homework and it changed over night!
since i've started doing that in the last 5 years i've killed 2 150s, 1 180s, and 1 140s and i've been extremely happy watching 2-3yo bucks be alive and doing deer things.
To answer the OP. I want and bought land in a quality known area of a county with a healthy to moderate deer density. Seeing good deer numbers is important to me. Esp if the age structure is balanced. here at the end of the season in ky I still have a couple 3yo several 2 yo and a lot of 1yo running around. that's most important to me. if I only had 1-2 yo deer left i'd sell and try again. and with the new guys across the road it may get that way quick but….I can't control that.
