I own about 12 acres of woods max which butts up to more timber and a large creek but I don't have many nice size bucks on my cameras or any sign such as rubs or scrapes. I know its hard to manage deer with such little property but Ive cut path planted a very very small patch of cover but still don't have mature bucks. Any suggestions
Turn your paths into food plots... the whole length of 'em. Bring and hold the does and the bucks will come.
I agree. You need food and cover for the deer to stay. Hinge cut a smaller section of the property and commit it to a sanctuary. If possible a small food plot would benefit as well. 12 acres isn't much but it enough to put a buck down every year
I'm in a similar situation as you. Small piece of land connected to larger land. As the others said, I started feeding them regularly. As in, if my wife finds out how much $ I spend on feeding wild deer, she'll probably put the boys in her purse. LOL. Anyway, last year I had 1 doe and 2 fawns. We had a very rough winter here, and I kept feeding. They all made it through the winter. She rewarded me by giving me 2 more fawns this year. So in spring, I was able to count my property as having 1 doe, 2 yearlings, and 2 fawns, on it. By early summer I had an additional 2 show up, and by late summer an additional 6 does. So, in 1 year I was able to more than double my deer population by simply feeding them. I don't do anything else. Just feed them. My property is heavily wooded and directly between their main feeding area (100's of acres of corn/beans) and their water source and bedding area. They'll typically stay on my property all day. I never thought I would be able to compete with 100's of acres of corn, but I realized, it's not "competition". They'll still go to the corn, but they'll also visit my area on a daily basis. On top of that, when the fields are empty they know my area is in the security of the woods, and the food is there. So, will you see bucks? Yep. They'll come around when the time is right. I had one big one cruise through this year, and I've got a small 4 and a spike that I see on a regular basis.(I don't count them as "my" deer) In short, it might take you a little time, but you can do it, and it'll work. If you set the right expectations, manage it properly, you can have a nice place to hunt. Here's a pic of 8 of my does. They typically run around together.
I thought feeding was illegal in Illinois so I never looked into a feeder because once season started you couldn't have your feeder there anymore which leads to the deer finding a better food source.
Frequently Asked Questions - Living with White-tailed Deer in Illinois - University of Illinois Extension Is it illegal for me to plant food plots to attract deer to my property? No. It is not illegal to do so, and in fact, many individuals plant such food plots or leave a few rows of unharvested crops in their fields adjacent to wooded habitat for that purpose. Contact your local IDNR district wildlife biologist for suggestions on how to create and enhance suitable habitat for deer and other wildlife on your property.
12 acres is more than our Homestead property and we have over the years formed an awesome habitat that attracts deer to it, primarily does but over the past 10 or so years we've taken 9 buck (1-aged over 8 years old, average age has been 3.5s...2 being P&Y, 2 just missing and a couple solid 115 area deer). It is very possible to make small areas little honey holes and if hunted smartly can truly pay off when pressure elsewhere picks up. Hinging is your #1 tool at your disposal and is as cheap as a tank of gas in a chainsaw and a handsaw in your hands. You give them cover and then food as well you have the recipe.
You want your woods to not look like a park...if I can see over 40-50 yards (not in a plot or trail) than it is far to open in the understory. Our homestead property went from looking like Michi's trail cam picture (awesome shot of tons of deer) to now it looks entirely like this area...notice how thick outside the plot and trail.
