Overlooking the obvious...

I'm sure we've all done it. We've driven to our works, maybe church on Sundays or the fishing hole on Saturdays...as we travel we see that chunk of woods or swamp that just SCREAMS deer haven. We don't think too much of it as we either know the owner hunts it, someone does or no hunting is allowed. Perhaps in some cases you just don't see any viable way to hunt it; maybe it's too small to hunt it without your presence being detected (save going in early and all day hunting).

I'm going to break down two things I overlooked for a very long time...but no more. I'm currently building up a mass mailing of letters to parcels of land I'll be seeking hunting permission on for this coming year and hopefully into the future. Now, as I've discussed in the past the success rate  of asking to hunt properties can depress you (honestly if I get 25% respond rate and 5% permission granted I'll be happy), but you gotta remember THE WORST THAT CAN HAPPEN IS THEY SAY NO.

This post though is to help you perhaps look around a little differently. Instead of looking for the prime spots, usually your wood chunks or thickets you see along roads or out in fields I'm going to tell you to look out further than that.

The example I'm going to use is outlined as such. You've driven by what appears to be a 10 acre chunk of swamp/thick mess of woods that borders a semi-busy roadway. You were turned down access to the property when approaching the owner...now is when you answer the following important question:

"Do I feel this (property) is consistently seeing deer?"

If you answer no, perhaps your search elsewhere needs to begin. HOWEVER, if you answer yes stop looking at the property. That's right stop! You've already decided based upon what you know and see this property sees deer consistently...now start looking where you should be:

NEIGHBORING PROPERTY

 Deer can't just from point A to point B (1/2 mile away) without traversing ground in between. Is there a wooded ditch line running from a food source/water/another chunk of woods to the property you initially wanted on to? Yes, now for the second question:

IS THE NEIGHBORING PROPERTY HUNT-ABLE?

Now you must understand sometimes hunting strategies will change in cases like this, but if I am sure these arteries or travel areas leading to the property I wanted on are how the deer will get to and come from the property I'll do anything to get on.

From here you start the process over again and write, call or stop by this new area's owner and hopefully you'll be let on. Expect some weird glances or reaction sometimes using this approach because they could think your crazy for asking to hunt a ditch or one small wooded line on the back of their property. Use full disclosure as to your thoughts and hope for the best.

Just a quick little tip when looking for new properties, sometimes it is plan B or C that trumps plan A....just so long as you're looking for them.

Hopefully I'll be able to outline some exact scenarios in the coming weeks or months about this exact thing where I describe and show illustrations of what caught my eye and how I'm going to attack the situation.

Good luck out there!