The Right 15

jvanhees

Active Member
Hey All - My name is Jared and I have a deer hunting problem. ;) I have also been tagging along on other's land tours for a while now and just love it. I feel like I am there sometimes. I have been deer hunting since I was 12, and bow hunting since 14, but didn't get serious until late college. This puts me at 8 years of serious deer hunting if my math is correct.

I want to start off by saying thanks to all the very knowledgeable people. Thank you for what has already been contributed on this forum, the old QDMA forum, and even on FB. I am green in the property ownership and habitat world, but find myself reading about it almost daily on this forum, FB and MI Sportsman. I have been learning and watching for a couple years now, and can say that there is a sufficient amount of knowledge to be had, and for me to learn. Threads like TripleC's, Buckhunter's and Stickbow's keep me tagging along. Thank you and keep it up!

To the fun stuff! I was lucky enough to close on 15 acres in Jackson County MI last week. I had been looking and walking properties for over 2 years, and this parcel, although smaller than I would like, stuck with me after I walked it. It was also affordable, which caught my attention...and it was located in one of the top deer hunting counties in MI. It is a little over an hour from my house. It backs up to a large 200 acre swamp, and has deer cooperative neighbors(on what level I do not know).

My goal is to have a solid chance at a 3.5+ year old buck each season. May be tough on 15.

Another goal would be to build a small deer camp/family cabin off the road. It is important to me to get my twin 2 year old girls into the outdoors with Dad. The cabin isn't needed for that but would be awesome for a place to sleep and for great memories. We will camp too in summer.

I have always told myself I would rather have 15 or 20 acres in the right spot, than 40-80 in the wrong spot. We will see if that holds true.
 
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Here is the aerial with prop lines.

To the north is 59 acres with a house and new family who just moved in.

West is 200 acre swamp.

South is 55 acres of rolling woods with some Food Plots. He has a barn with a cooperative sign.

Haven't personally talked to either neighbor yet but talked with the old owner at closing. The old owner split his 75 acres up. 15(mine), 36 w house and 24 more that is mostly swamp.

Across the road is a house and behind that is another 36 acres with a cooperative sign up front.

Deer cooperatives are very important here in MI being a very heavily pressured state with tons of hunters and smaller property parcels.

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Here are a couple more shots to show you what I am working with.

This is a recreation of the notes I took on my 2nd walk. Deer paths are green. The west woods is 7-8 acres of low, recently timbered land which I will show. The house is empty so little to no human activity.
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And here is a look at the section(s). I also liked how this section isn't totally surrounded by roads. There isn't a corn or bean field very close to me. Not sure if that is good or bad. Looks to be hay near me.

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Next I will be formulating a habitat plan. I am reading Brauker's book, and want to read Sturgis's too. I follow Jake Ehlinger a lot on FB and try to formulate stuff into my plan. It will be a hunt the outer edges type plan. Access routes on the prop lines, etc. Bedding on West end, access from East. Should work well for predominantly W winds. Open to suggestions! Thanks for reading!
 
Yea I'm liking this already. Should be a fun follow along. Been thru MI a number of times and great land and people. Congrats.
 
Excitement builds. Good luck and know those twin girls will enjoy some nature time with Dad. Recently I was talking with my daughter making plans to take nine year old grandson hunting. My five year old granddaughter was hearing the conversation and all of a sudden said "I want to go hunting with Poppa". And poppa will make that happen!
 
As long as the deer density is good in the area that's all you need acre wise! I've seen 20 acres hold more deer than one of my 100 acre spots... at a spot like that the main thing you have to worry about is if you shoot one with a bow is it going to die on your property haha.. so relationships with your neighbors are huge. Also I would say probably don't want to go too crazy with food plots or what not a spot that size less is more.. but very interested to follow you.. how is the deer density in the area? Is it one of the higher deer harvest areas?


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Yea I'm liking this already. Should be a fun follow along. Been thru MI a number of times and great land and people. Congrats.
Thanks Dog! Lots of good people here. Everyone says the West Siders are all very nice. I still have some catching up to do on Foodplotting in the Mountains, and hope to get all caught up soon. Thanks for tagging along!
heck ya Ill be following along pal!
Thanks Buck! Keep up the great work.
Excitement builds. Good luck and know those twin girls will enjoy some nature time with Dad. Recently I was talking with my daughter making plans to take nine year old grandson hunting. My five year old granddaughter was hearing the conversation and all of a sudden said "I want to go hunting with Poppa". And poppa will make that happen!
Thanks for the words LnG. They are already shooting bows and asking to go hunting - I just hope it sticks. I really want to make this property a kid memory generating deer filled tract. Very glad to hear your grandkids want to hang with Poppa. Poppas are the best you know....mine always were. Appreciate you tagging along!
I agree that looks like the right 15 acres to have. Backing up to the swamp like that will help you big time.
Thanks LL - not quite as large as yours eh? haha. Honestly that swamp was the first thing to really make me take a serious look at this. On google zoomed in, there are trails everywhere out there. Just hope the neighbors are cool. Thanks for followin!
Im on board! Love seeing another smaller property on the tour list! Ive got only 30 acres which includes my house etc.
Cool Dtabor thanks! Do you have a tour for yours yet? Maybe I missed it. I too like seeing what guys like you all have done with smaller parcels. It hits closer to home here in MI. There were a few on the old forum too I liked following.
As long as the deer density is good in the area that's all you need acre wise! I've seen 20 acres hold more deer than one of my 100 acre spots... at a spot like that the main thing you have to worry about is if you shoot one with a bow is it going to die on your property haha.. so relationships with your neighbors are huge. Also I would say probably don't want to go too crazy with food plots or what not a spot that size less is more.. but very interested to follow you.. how is the deer density in the area? Is it one of the higher deer harvest areas?
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Encouraging words Warner, thanks for taking a look! I hope you are right :) I will do my best with the neighbors....as I understand they are very important when it comes to small parcels. Hope my arrows fly true and they grant tracking permission if need be. I know I will. Can you explain more in detail on the "less is more" for smaller properties?
Also, here is the most recent density map I can find. Different reports are showing 25-45+ deer per square mile. I feel that is a fairly high density but never studied it before.

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Nice map good find! According to that map yea it looks like you have a good density.. although the map is from 2009 hopefully not much has changed...

What I meant by less is more is I know reading all these threads makes me want to run out there and go nutts and hinge cut all over and clear out a bunch of timber and plant food plots everywhere as fun as it is lol but honestly if it was me and just my own opinion is I'd give your place one full year of hunting without really touching it as far as foodplots or timber anything.. just hunt it the first year and learn how the deer use it and see what kind of big buck activity you have.. they may use your property as a good travel route based on the amount of cover you already have.. so if your goal is to shoot a big mature buck it might already be setup for that without even tweaking a thing... and if you find the following year you need to bring in more food or you need to do this or that then you know..

I've seen people with smaller acreage like this actually hurt their spot more by wanting to put in a big foodplot which may attract Does but they have wondered why they weren't seeing the big bucks like they did the years before... well it was possible the mature deer already felt safe on the property and by opening it up more it made them feel less safe to be on their property so in all it actually hurt their property....

Just an example I have seen and something to think about... but hey I'm a sucker for wanting to get out there and put in food plots and hinge some timber and what not so it's hard to fight the urge sometimes with new ground lol


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It definitely looks like the right 15 !! The swamp / lowland definitely will hold deer. Your in a bigger section, like myself......IMO, it's a bonus.

A couple of things I learned being a new property owner last year.....

1 - Don't try and get everything done in the first year.......... I pressured myself into getting 10 bow stands up, 2 gun blinds up, demo the old farm house and planted 4 acres. I believe my constant presence hurt my mature buck sightings.

2- learn how the deer use the lay of the land first. Obviously this recent snow helped you observe that. Hinge cutting for bedding areas, could negatively impact your property if done in the wrong area. IMO, Your access will be priority #1 with a smaller parcel. Make sure access and bedding never interfere with each other. It seems like quite a few habitat guys break out the chainsaw and start cutting before they have a solid habitat plan in place. I've been guilty of this myself.

3 - Smaller parcels = less hunters.......It's tough for me to have two hunters on my 65 acres. Southwinds and Northwinds limit my options for another hunter.

4 - Have a ton of stand options.......Not penetrating the back of your property until the rut may pay off. I have a ton of stands at the front of my property that help minimize my chances of bumping deer.

5 - food plots......... Not sure if you're planting one or not ? If you do plant a food plot, plant it in a area that makes the most sense. I would never plant near my stand access. Keep the prevailing wind in mind also. Example: you probably wouldn't want a plot downwind from where you park.

6 - Enjoy yourself !!! If it starts to seem like work, sit back, relax and take it all in.

In closing: You probably have most of this figured out already. I look forward to more pictures, Congratulations!!!!!!
 
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Congratulations! It looks like you've got great neighbors and your property is partially in a funnel area between that hay field and swamp.

It zwill be interesting to see what ideas you come up with after reading those books. I've read them as well. I have also read Steve Bartyllas book on Deer Habitat and Management Improvement. It's the most valuable one I have read. I would recommend picking up a copy. I used some of his tactics on my property this past spring and shot my best bow buck last fall. It's an awesome feeling.


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Nothing more exciting then purchasing your first piece of land. You can do plenty on that 15 acres and looks like your deer have plenty of security. Just have to be careful not to over pressure. I have 160 and I like to treat it as several small parcels of land. For example, I have one stand that is on the edge of my sanctuary. I don't step foot on that stand until the seeking phase of the rut and only with a perfect wind. I want the deer to feel very secure in this area before I start putting any pressure. Shot my big NT buck on it this year in the 2nd hunt from this stand-at 4pm-and he was right behind a big doe. Best of luck with your new place and look forward to watching your success.
Have you put out any trail cams yet?
Todd
 
Nice map good find! According to that map yea it looks like you have a good density.. although the map is from 2009 hopefully not much has changed...

What I meant by less is more is I know reading all these threads makes me want to run out there and go nutts and hinge cut all over and clear out a bunch of timber and plant food plots everywhere as fun as it is lol but honestly if it was me and just my own opinion is I'd give your place one full year of hunting without really touching it as far as foodplots or timber anything.. just hunt it the first year and learn how the deer use it and see what kind of big buck activity you have.. they may use your property as a good travel route based on the amount of cover you already have.. so if your goal is to shoot a big mature buck it might already be setup for that without even tweaking a thing... and if you find the following year you need to bring in more food or you need to do this or that then you know..

I've seen people with smaller acreage like this actually hurt their spot more by wanting to put in a big foodplot which may attract Does but they have wondered why they weren't seeing the big bucks like they did the years before... well it was possible the mature deer already felt safe on the property and by opening it up more it made them feel less safe to be on their property so in all it actually hurt their property....

Just an example I have seen and something to think about... but hey I'm a sucker for wanting to get out there and put in food plots and hinge some timber and what not so it's hard to fight the urge sometimes with new ground lol

Thanks for clarifying! I understand. I am normally a pretty low pressure guy when I can control what others are doing....here I can - at least on this property. What you said about others hurting their property by spending too much time on it is true, from what I heard. Tony Hansen writes the Micro Manager articles, or did back when, for Outdoor Life and I remember him thinking the same thing. Turns out Kansas mentions that in the next post too. I don't have tons of time right now which could help in this case....but I do need to clean up the timber mess some so deer can move through it, but leaving the rest of the mess for bedding. I also feel some late season food is necessary based on what I see around there.,..so that would need to be a plot added. The old owner said most of the deer shot on his 75 acres were shot on this 15, so I may be better off not touching it for now. Tough decision!! hmmmm

It definitely looks like the right 15 !! The swamp / lowland definitely will hold deer. Your in a bigger section, like myself......IMO, it's a bonus.

A couple of things I learned being a new property owner last year.....

1 - Don't try and get everything done in the first year.......... I pressured myself into getting 10 bow stands up, 2 gun blinds up, demo the old farm house and planted 4 acres. I believe my constant presence hurt my mature buck sightings.

2- learn how the deer use the lay of the land first. Obviously this recent snow helped you observe that. Hinge cutting for bedding areas, could negatively impact your property if done in the wrong area. IMO, Your access will be priority #1 with a smaller parcel. Make sure access and bedding never interfere with each other. It seems like quite a few habitat guys break out the chainsaw and start cutting before they have a solid habitat plan in place. I've been guilty of this myself.

3 - Smaller parcels = less hunters.......It's tough for me to have two hunters on my 65 acres. Southwinds and Northwinds limit my options for another hunter.

4 - Have a ton of stand options.......Not penetrating the back of your property until the rut may pay off. I have a ton of stands at the front of my property that help minimize my chances of bumping deer.

5 - food plots......... Not sure if you're planting one or not ? If you do plant a food plot, plant it in a area that makes the most sense. I would never plant near my stand access. Keep the prevailing wind in mind also. Example: you probably wouldn't want a plot downwind from where you park.

6 - Enjoy yourself !!! If it starts to seem like work, sit back, relax and take it all in.

In closing: You probably have most of this figured out already. I look forward to more pictures, Congratulations!!!!!!

Thanks Kansas! Appreciate the input from a fellow landowner near me. Some great info there. Let me assess those by number, and let me know if anything sounds off.
1 & 2 - Noted. I think sitting back and watching mostly the first year(with some smaller projects) is a good idea. Maybe some fruit trees, and definitely willow screens in this year. I don't plan to cut much except to cut paths through all the timber mess in back(soon), maybe 1 food plot, and then stay out. Access will be along the south property line for sure. I planned on both north and south access, but the north line is heavily used by deer right now so I would be blazing a trail through the good stuff. That may happen anyhow if need be. Any bedding near access will be destroyed - read that in Brauker's book.
3 & 4- This isn't my only spot to hunt, so I will be here on the right days only. Max with 1 other person. I like the staying out of the back idea until prerut. Its closer to bedding and I do NOT want to blow it out with my scent. I am thinking a scent-locking blind for certain situations.
5 & 6 - The one or 2 food plots would be in the middle open area, SW of the W pond. Ill be accessing 40 yards away to the south on the prop line....so that may pose an issue? I will be screening each plot hoping to sneak by. My property being only 130 yards wide kind of limits me. That is the only good ground with a lot of sun right now. Open to thoughts. 6 - I cannot wait to sit back and relax out there in the stand. With my youngins I dont have time to go crazy, so each time out there will be cherished.

Congratulations! It looks like you've got great neighbors and your property is partially in a funnel area between that hay field and swamp.

It zwill be interesting to see what ideas you come up with after reading those books. I've read them as well. I have also read Steve Bartyllas book on Deer Habitat and Management Improvement. It's the most valuable one I have read. I would recommend picking up a copy. I used some of his tactics on my property this past spring and shot my best bow buck last fall. It's an awesome feeling.
Thanks ADS! Looks like the deer use it as a funnel I thought. And for the neighbors, we will see. One to the south with the coop sign hasnt called me back and the other to the north, I had a great conversation with. His 2 year old has the same 3rd Bday as my twins! He said he will also be willing to join me at the Co-op meeting next week. A 1st for both of us. I didnt ask what type of deer he shoots just yet.

You are the 2nd person to swear by Bartyllas book. I will pick one up, thanks. I follow his Tip of the Day on FB and he is very thorough.

Nothing more exciting then purchasing your first piece of land. You can do plenty on that 15 acres and looks like your deer have plenty of security. Just have to be careful not to over pressure. I have 160 and I like to treat it as several small parcels of land. For example, I have one stand that is on the edge of my sanctuary. I don't step foot on that stand until the seeking phase of the rut and only with a perfect wind. I want the deer to feel very secure in this area before I start putting any pressure. Shot my big NT buck on it this year in the 2nd hunt from this stand-at 4pm-and he was right behind a big doe. Best of luck with your new place and look forward to watching your success.
Have you put out any trail cams yet?
Todd

Thanks Doc for stopping in! I followed yours on the old forum. I will be very low pressure and hold myself to it....especially since everyone agrees that is very important on a small parcel. I will have to catch up on your harvests for that NT buck!

That sounds like a good plan, not pushing in til the time is right. I actually hung 1 camera on a trail yesterday :). I think they are still holding here in MI so pretty pumped to see what I find.
 
What type of cover does the big swamp consist of ?

I am not too sure as that is off my property, but....the neighbor's house listing is still online. :) Here is the best I got. Looks to be fairly grassy out past the red brush type stuff. My property is off the the left.

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Couple other pics from their old listing

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I wanted to show the west 7-8 acres of low woods. These woods were logged last Fall I am told. Looks fresh. I asked them to leave the tops as part of the sale(people were removing some for firewood).

This I think will be more of a thick transitional area from the swamp, or it could be bedding due to the tops.

Either way you can't walk through some of it right now so I will cut paths through there. No certain pattern, just winding through. I'll plan to hunt the outsides.
Sorry guys I love pics!

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