Small Acre Bowhunting

I have gained access to a small acreage piece of land (5 acres) that I am hoping to pull a couple deer off this year. This is my first time hunting such a small property, and I have no idea how to go about it. The area I have permission to is inside the red, and the blue arrows is the general wind direction in November.

I know this is a general post and doesn't have much detail, but any advice from someone that has been in the same kind of situation would be much appreciated. On a side note, I am planning on asking for permission to the patch of woods that connects to the land I have access to now. hopefully that would increase the 5 acres to about 10 acres.

Thanks for the help and advice.

 

Gonna be tough getting in without alerting deer..
If they are used to vehicle traffic, may be best to have someone drive in and drop you off.

 

With the info given I can’t help much other than say your access should be good. Don’t over hunt small properties wait for the right conditions. Idk how deer use the property but I would guess a little clover plot in the top left corner would be a good idea.


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What are your goals for the property? Kill deer? Kill a buck? Either way low pressure is the key. I've personally had my best experiences on small properties by waiting til the first cold snap in October before hunting. Right around October 25 to 29 and a cold front moves in with some light rain or crisp winds. Move in and hunt that afternoon. Use the wind and possibly rain to cover your entrance and long term scent.

Throw up a trail cam and only check that trail cam on the days you hunt. If you hunt in late October and early November and you start seeing a lot of deer moving, move in immediately and hunt hard. If your sightings start dropping bc of your pressure, back out for 4 to 5 days then hunt again.



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COOL

 

Small properties need low pressure and "safe" hunting, if you bust a deer when hunting 100 acres its probably still on the property, if you bust one while its crossing through 5 acres it may alter its route and you might not get another shot play it safe, get a feel for how the deer are using it with boots on the ground or a butt in the stand

 

Have you talked to the surrounding property owners about the possibility that you may be tracking a deer that does not stay on the property after you shoot it?

 

What that does is announce your presence. I would not do that with a small parcel of property. Kill a deer then deal with the recovery. You can get the property owner where you're hunting to ask the others about retrieving the deer.

 

COOL + 1

 

Well there will be tears shed over a lost buck, then again I am a charming individual usually have no problems negotiating with people.

 

IN NC WATER IS KEY. PUT OUT A KIDDIE POOL FULL OF WATER AND HUNT OVER IT.

 

ALSO IN NC IF SOMEONE WONT LET YOU TRACK THE SHOT DEER, IF YOU HAVE GOOD BLOOD CALL DNR AND THEY WILL RECOVER IT

 

Say it loud say it proud evidently.

 

He is clearly very passionate about it.

 

No I actually have to be a warm caring person for work, I can turn it on when needed.

 

Oh wait overactor, I see what you did there.

 

Im in the camp of ask permission later if needed as well. I know of some neighbors who may be anti and if asked permission before they may say no thinking they will prevent you from hunting close to them, however going up after (as politely as can be) will most likely be met with success. I cant picture an anti hunter wanting a deer rotting on their property. But obviously this is neighbor personality dependent .

 

Maybe put a water source with a small clover plot in the yellow circle. Hang a stand on the south side down wind. Try to pull some deer from the north down the trail in green.

 

Sorry but as a resident in NC water is not an issue. There are lots of creeks, springs and marshes that deer can drink from. I hunt small properties often and the key simply is finding the travel routes. Like others said you have to be careful because deer will become educated quickly of your stand locations if you are in them a lot.

You can bait in NC so maybe try putting out some corn and a trail cam to estimate when the deer are on the property. They maybe using it to cut through to get from bedding to feeding or even bedding there. This will give them a small incentive to be there.

Its very possible to kill deer on 5 acres. Sometimes you need a little luck. They have to have a reason to travel through that property, that being food, bedding and security.

Good Luck