Property boundary: bedding or food

I have about a 8 acre piece that backs into my “hunting neighbors”. It is safer to turn that area into bedding or food. I recent added a perimeter trail so there would be a slight buffer. I was leaning towards thick nasty bedding but was hoping for some input.
 
What's there now, and how do they use it?

This.

Also, the safest thing is to turn it into a deer less area .

I have experience with both. One boundary is a food plot and another boundary is bedding. I’ve lost deer to the neighbors in both scenarios. Only one instance really hurt. With my terrain, it’s difficult to change what the deer want to do naturally. Enhance what you have and address what you are lacking.
 
Yeah, a map would help. But, I like to be able to access all sides of bedding. I would try not to put it right on your border unless the situation dictates it.
 
Might depend on the size of your whole place too. If it looks like a park, and you have enough acreage to just can it, remove a bunch of trees and keep it mowed. No cover, no deer, at least not in the daylight.
 
Might depend on the size of your whole place too. If it looks like a park, and you have enough acreage to just can it, remove a bunch of trees and keep it mowed. No cover, no deer, at least not in the daylight.
Yea, I don’t have enough acreage to just let it go. It’s only 150 acres. What do you guys use to download pictures?
 
I'd cut down trees in a straight line laying them in line right on top of each other to make a drift, about 20 feet off of the property line. If it's conifers an experienced tree feller with a big saw and a few wedges can fence 8 acres in an easy day. This makes a natural impenetrable deer fence that will last 10 plus years, depending on tree size and availability. I've done this, and observed other people doing it, it's cheap, easy, long-lasting, and very effective at keeping deer on your property, providing that they have better food and cover available than what's on the other side, or else the fence will be keeping deer off your property. After making the fence you can use the area inside for whatever you want, no difference between food and cover. Soil quality and access to hunt and plant would be my deciding factor to make food.
 
That's way too far north for me to give a lot of input. But, from the aerial, it looks like you need food the most. I wouldn't put it right on the border though in case you have neighbors that might see it and cut off deer coming to it. And, if your woods are all open, you could definitely use some 1/2 to 2 acres bedding areas, again not right on the borders.
 
Based on the image it looks like food is a limiting factor for you.

Are the deer bedding there now? Do the neighbors have to walk through their entire property to hunt the line?

No matter what you do with it you need a plan for the rest of the property. Where are your other bedding/feeding areas?
 
Based on the image it looks like food is a limiting factor for you.

Are the deer bedding there now? Do the neighbors have to walk through their entire property to hunt the line?

No matter what you do with it you need a plan for the rest of the property. Where are your other bedding/feeding areas?

The black dotted line is an acre plot I just put in at the end of August. No, right near the deer just pass through that area. I own another 115 acre lot next to this one and the property has a reed canary/alder swamp that the deer like to bed in. The neighbors do have to walk through their entire piece, but they also own the southern boundary to a point as well. They like to sit on the line! My goals been to keep deer on mine until dark which has worked but I’m desperate for more bedding/good.
 
Hit the ‘Sat’ button in OnX until it says ‘Hyb’ so we can see the topo lines.
 
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Good fences make good neighbors. After that, then you can do what you want. I do agree that at times you want "deerless" areas....I try to have my wind blowing towards the neighbors as it is... I am a firm believer that you can never have too much dense bedding cover....but I will also say that you need at least some food to keep them deer around. I would look at it as to what is going to be easier for you to hunt and what your property needs.
 
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