QDM ideas

[MarylandQDMA]

figured I would post this here and once the QDMA fourms are back up and running I'll C&P this to that fourm for more answers.

I was talking to one of the men that hunts the ajecent properity and he told me that last year them had at least 12 bucks all over 120 on their land (aprox. 30 acres) that is to the south of are land. well last year I only saw two bucks that scored in the low 100's. all though you may not be able to answer this, why are the large deer not using are land? we have a food plot, we have thick cover, we have native food.

one thing I can think of is the wind comes out of the north west in the fall and being we are north of them they stay on the south end of the woods.
what do you think?
Frank

[dogdoc]

my guess would be that he has property that the bucks feel more comfortable calling home.

Thicker cover?
More natural browse/food?
more does?

Frank--just keep doing your work/habitat improvement on your land and I promise you will have those quality bucks visiting your land.

todd

[BowtechTurkeyHunter]

Does he have water bedding and food if he has all of these components there is no reason for them to be on your property not sayign they wont frequent yours but if he can offer the 3 main components then hes got the complete package.

[wtnhunt]

Could be a number of reasons. Did you pressure the deer onto that land? Is there something more attractive to them there? Do they maybe use your land at night? Maybe he does not judge or score bucks quite the same as you do.

[MarylandQDMA]

he has it all, thick cover, overgrown fields, oaks, a swamp, a stream, small food plots around stand sites of rye grass and clover, steep hills, flat terain, rolling hills, timbered areas and one side of road frontage are just what I can think of of the top of my head.

he hunts it once and if he shoots something he is done for 2 weeks before he hunts again. same goes for his buddy.

I have thick cover, a 1/2 acre food plot, stream (but open to the road), two sides are road frontage, open woods, 4 acres of grass yard, 6 white oaks thru out the 17 acres, mixed with some reds, have lots of beach and hickory on the properity.

I'm thinking I'm going to lay low on the properity this year, and not hunt it but 2 maybe 3 days per month so I don't put any pressure on "The Hill".

Frank

[jbeck]

If your timber is to open, they won't feel safe. A QDM officer told me that I needed better coverage as far as conifers. Need more wind breaks. I manage 600 acres with 6 food plots. Need more cover on my place. We're timbering again as well as putting in wind breaks.

[MarylandQDMA]

I'm sure I have the cover, we had about 8 of the 10 wooded acres timbered 7 maybe 8 years ago. and the rasbaries and honeysuckel has grown up thick mixed in with spice bush, and other bushes and small trees.
next year I'm thinking of planting pines/cidars on the north side of the property, and planting hazzel nut trees and pawpaws on the east side.
F

[Texan_Til_I_Die]

My best guess is that there's something on the other property that the deer really like, or you're doing something on your property that they don't like. Those buck's natural home range should have them crossing your place fairly frequently.

[MarylandQDMA]

[ QUOTE ]
Those buck's natural home range should have them crossing your place fairly frequently.

[/ QUOTE ]

that is my thought! you would think that a bucks home range in larger then 30 acres.
Frank

EDIT: I'm working on getting a photo of the land and will post it and see if that reveals anything.

[Texan_Til_I_Die]

Don't recall if it was posted on this site or if I read it somewhere else, but east of the Mississippi River the average home range for a whitetail buck was about 2 square miles (1280 acres) and west of the Mississippi it was something like 7 square miles (4480 acres).

[AaronS]

My first thought is "Yeah sure you have over 12 bucks over 120"." How reliable is the source?

Is your property being overhunted? It goes back to the previous post about how secure the deer feel on your property. Not hunting it as much this year like you said could be a good thing. The deer may have patterned you.

[MarylandQDMA]

I'm going on word of mouth here I don't know the guy, but it sounds as if he knows what he is talking about. He did tell me he shot a 12pt. 3 years ago on the lot, the owner of the land I hunt saw the 12pt the same year in his yard in late august.

i'm sure my pressure and use of "The Hill" has pushed the bucks out some, but to a point of where they don't even use it? i just don't get it.
Frank

[kidd]

how must thought do you put into scent

i know human scent holds to ana area for awhile

plus this word of mouth thing is kinda of fishy

[SaskMan]

[ QUOTE ]
he told me that last year them had at least 12 bucks all over 120 on their land (aprox. 30 acres) t

[/ QUOTE ]

I personally would not believe him. That works out to one mature to relatively mature buck per 2 1/2 acres and quite frankly I'm doubting him. I won't confess to know how old those 120+ bucks are but I'm guessing they aren't yearlings.

Call me crazy but I'm not believing him. As for you, I wouldn't worry, sounds like you have a good thing going, you'll find a good one there.

[superguide]

I can't see a dozen 120 class bucks staying in a 30 acre bush all during the rut either-the big boys up here cover miles during the rut-even with lots of does.