What do you do if you're neighbors are better than you?

[Blizzard Ridge]

Thanks dogdoc we have made it this long without any of this stuff, no need to have it now. That is why I didn't like the old site. On the old site we couldn't make an opinionated post without being attacked. That is what I have liked here. Disagreements is what makes a site like this go but we don't have to be jerks doing it.

 

[Kwood]

X2. No room for that. Share your opinion or your thoughts against but no personal attacks. Helps nobody.


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[BrianVT]

Interesting topic. I find myself in a similar situation. 53 acres beside 850 - 900 acres. Very fortunate to have great neighbors but can't help but to have a little envy going on. Would like to see this thread get back on track.

 

[wbpdeer]

BrianVT,

What does your 53 acres offer to the deer? What does the neighbors property offer. Is their property all timber or some ag? Same question for your property, how much is timber and how much is ag.

Water sources on your property? Water sources on the neighbor's property. Hopefully, you get the idea - got to take an inventory and that helps with the contrast and the similarities.

What can you give the deer that the other property does not? Do you own your property with no restrictions or is it a situation where you can hunt but aren't allow to hinge cut or put in plots?

There are many good users on here that would be glad to help you. If that is what you want I would start a different thread that belongs to you. If you have an aerial map showing yours and theirs, it would be a great start.

Wayne

 

[Btaylor]

Wayne makes an important point, an aerial with the subject and adjoining properties would certainly yield more informed opinions from the group. Without the pic at best one can only make general suggestions.

 

[wbpdeer]

BrianVT,

You get any snow after the season has closed? If yes, that is the time you can walk all deer trails as shown in the snow. Map them on a typo map or an aerial map. Where are the beds? Where your stands? Where are they leaving your property? Where do they enter your property?

Snow eliminates confusion. Just map it and don't rely on mind. Make notes and take a few photos? What did you learn that you didn't know before?

Do you run trail cameras? How many deer trails create a junction? Where do multiple trails funnel down into one trail? Why do they funnel down?

I am a bowhunter and I want my target animals close. That is a huge part of the thrill to me.

I don't know how you hunt your property and how it lays. I do know the best hunter know their land and how the deer use it. Snow can tell you a great deal about how they use it.

All these questions are about getting on track.

Wayne

 

[Bullwinkle]

I didn't catch the acres amounts between your "Big" property and your neighbors property that borders the 40 ?

Anything that a lot of the deer studies have shown us about "growing" mature whitetails is that it takes a lot of CONTINOUS acres to do it. If your neighbors are truly beating you, and they truly are passing bucks under 140", who cares ?! Unless there is a 10' wall that separates your properties, then you are reaping the benefits of TOTAL acres under strict management. The more the merrier.

I wouldn't mind owning 40 acres (or even 10) that butts up to a "big" property as long as it was managed with similar goals. You get the benefit of piggy backing a large number of acres under strict management and don't have the financial burden of owning the lions share of the land. Gotta have those continuous acres to grow them one way or another

I definitely wouldn't treat that 40 like a "inferior property" if the total acres WITH the neighbors reaches totals that studies show can successfully be managed. If the totals are close, and your goals are a 150", and the neighbors are passing <140" that might even be a better situation to reach your individual harvest goal.

If they are hunting their property at all, I'm sure the deer are feeling some pressure....just have less than that, and that might be all it takes to find the oldest buck in the area.

What are the totals of management acres if you compared the 2 situations?

One is just under 8 40's and the

 

[Bullwinkle]

Have some phone problems sorry about the blank post

One farm is just under 8 40's and the other is a 40 3-4 miles away

Obviously it's so much easier with the larger farm. I bow hunted the new 40 twice and passed 3 small bucks. I know this 40 is in an awesome area - this why I've had so many people approach me to buy it. I have to say when I hunted it I picked low quality days and used it to take pressure off my main farm. Opening weekend one guest passed 11 bucks and guests have seen as many as 20 does in my plots. My cameras were disappointing with mature deer. It's a very diverse parcel but limited on development options. The neighbors all have good food and cover. I don't think I can compete for mature bucks. It's a very interesting problem and will be interesting to see if I can improve it. This mainly will be hunted by guests - I try to take new hunters every year - so having realistic goals is important for fun. As you all know new hunters are sometimes not the best in a stand- another complexity in learning this place through someone else's eyes

Adding a water hole, new stands on the perimeter, some bedding area development. Hunting the edges as deer are moving to and from the neighbors food has to be part of the strategy

 

[Bigeight]

So you manage one that is 320 acres, then another that is 40? How big is the neighbors property that is "beating" you next to the 40 ?
Does their managed acres plus your 40 get you close to that 300 acre +/- ? In that area ?

 

[Bullwinkle]

So you manage one that is 320 acres, then another that is 40? How big is the neighbors property that is "beating" you next to the 40 ?
Does their managed acres plus your 40 get you close to that 300 acre +/- ? In that area ?

Oh ya. Much bigger. I am the small guy. 400+ to east. 200 to south and west and big guys south of that. North the smallest is an 80 or 120

I can't say for sure but what I've heard is there is extremely low pressure in this whole area. Very few hunters all managing their property for deer. The guy to the south of me has land all over the county. 500 or so acres plus leased land. I think it's just him and his wife that hunt. Remember I am not an expert in this. My Dad didn't hunt, learned on my own. 11 years ago I just started buying land because I liked hunting and wanted a place to take the kids. 7 real estate transactions later I've put this together. Never claimed to be an expert. I think I've enjoyed the quest for improvement more than the actual hunt. This 40 has changed my perspective big time. I need to focus on retirement savings so I am not interested in trying to acquire significantly more land.

 

[Bigeight]

Sounds like that 40 might have more potential to reach your goal of a 150", than your 320 ! The 40 is part of almost 1,000 acres of managed land !
Sounds like a gem, and an ideal situation. I wouldn't worry about beating them. Join them

 

[Chummer]

Sounds like that 40 might have more potential to reach your goal of a 150", than your 320 ! The 40 is part of almost 1,000 acres of managed land !
Sounds like a gem, and an ideal situation. I wouldn't worry about beating them. Join them

You stole my thunder. Bull, I would love to make a bet you get bigger bucks off this piece than your main farm for the next 5 years. This neighborhood sounds like it is already put together. Until you see the benefits of your NS plantings I would be hunting here. I would also bet that the 150 will be shot by someone you put there on a bad wind day, just out for a hunt. Make cover for the does and the big boys will come. No different on this 40 than anywhere else.

 

[Bullwinkle]

You stole my thunder. Bull, I would love to make a bet you get bigger bucks off this piece than your main farm for the next 5 years. This neighborhood sounds like it is already put together. Until you see the benefits of your NS plantings I would be hunting here. I would also bet that the 150 will be shot by someone you put there on a bad wind day, just out for a hunt. Make cover for the does and the big boys will come. No different on this 40 than anywhere else.

Good point.

 

[kansas-Andres]

Cool it, guys. As with any forum, if you have a problem with someone, ignore them and move on. Pissing matches benefit no one.

Just pointing out, you accused BW of being the most ADD person you've ever met.

I agree with you. He probably second guesses every right turn he makes on the way to deer camp......

Disclaimer: I'll probably regret this post.........

 

[cutman]

Ha. Fair point, but I didn't mean it as an insult, and I do think there is a difference between calling someone ADD and calling someone a douche.

 

[wbpdeer]

Our forum helps people when we focus on common goals that promote our sport. We actually lose readers when we get angry, hostile and out of control.

I agree there is a difference between the various things said. I am glad the moderators deleted much of what they did.

Some good post about improving those 40 acres (small track) by various people. Bet there would be less users reading it if nothing had been deleted.

Kansas-Andres your post is accurate ...

 

[Reagan]

I think our sport loses when we focus on score and big bucks only. Hunting is NOT a competition.

We have read for years about the elusive 150. When a 4+ year old buck that scores less than 150 is not satisfactory, our sport suffers. What have we become?

Consider the non hunter that thinks that hunters are all about trophies. The 150 discussions are something to be ashamed of.

The title subject of this thread disgusts me.

Yes I said some unpleasant things on this thread. Some people have sensitive ears and eyes. But I would rather be me then be someone that is all about the score.


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[Btaylor]

I think our sport loses when we focus on score and big bucks only. Hunting is NOT a competition.

We have read for years about the elusive 150. When a 4+ year old buck that scores less than 150 is not satisfactory, our sport suffers. What have we become?

Consider the non hunter that thinks that hunters are all about trophies. The 150 discussions are something to be ashamed of.

The title subject of this thread disgusts me.

Yes I said some unpleasant things on this thread. Some people have sensitive ears and eyes. But I would rather be me then be someone that is all about the score.


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If this forum was called Big Bucks Only or something like that I would agree with you. But that is not what this forum is as there are areas for different types of hunting, food plots, property tours etc all discussing a wide array of habitat improvement and conservation that benefit all sorts of wildlife. Any non-hunter that stumbles in here will obviously see there is much more than horn porn in this site unless they are a pure anti only looking for ammo for their argument. No amount of science or logic is going to turn those folks and I seriously doubt a reasonable non-hunter would find this site offensive. This very small collective does more annually for wildlife than all of the anti organizations I am aware of combined.

 

[Bullwinkle]

I think our sport loses when we focus on score and big bucks only. Hunting is NOT a competition.

We have read for years about the elusive 150. When a 4+ year old buck that scores less than 150 is not satisfactory, our sport suffers. What have we become?

Consider the non hunter that thinks that hunters are all about trophies. The 150 discussions are something to be ashamed of.

The title subject of this thread disgusts me.

Yes I said some unpleasant things on this thread. Some people have sensitive ears and eyes. But I would rather be me then be someone that is all about the score.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

I bought this 40 to take new hunters and guests not to shoot a 150". Trying to share our sport. I don't think I can compete with these neighbors and make hunting fun. I hunted it twice. I am not going to take a small buck with one tag but I need to have some goals for this place. I am sure you've shared your farm with over 40 guests - large number who never shot a deer, at least 10 were kids - over the last decade Regean. You seem like a guy who gives back a lot to this sport. I am a Redneck engineer whose made a living improving things and questioning everything. It's worked for me professionally and developing hunting land. Don't plan on changing

 

[Bullwinkle]

I bought this 40 to take new hunters and guests not to shoot a 150". Trying to share our sport. I don't think I can compete with these neighbors and make hunting fun. I hunted it twice. I am not going to take a small buck with one tag but I need to have some goals for this place. I am sure you've shared your farm with over 40 guests - large number who never shot a deer, at least 10 were kids - over the last decade Regean. You seem like a guy who gives back a lot to this sport. I am a Redneck engineer whose made a living improving things and questioning everything. It's worked for me professionally and developing hunting land. Don't plan on changing

I have a list of people who hunted my farm this last 11 years on my phone. Just counted them up

50 different guests and 19 people took their first deer ever on my farm. Had a new bow hunter and gun hunter this year. I've got a 13 year old first time hunter lined up next year. Call me bad for waiting for a trophy