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Message
Property Management Help
Posted on 12/22/25 at 10:29 pm
Posted on 12/22/25 at 10:29 pm
I own about 75 acres in northwest Georgia. I’d like to make my property more desirable to deer and turkey. I’ve included a picture of my current land as well as an overview of surrounding neighbors.
The first picture is a zoomed out view of neighboring homes and lands. Homes and buildings are circled in orange. There are no crops. All the pasture lands you see are cattle or just open fields. The photos are old as there has been a lot of changes done to the land since I bought it. Just some background, land was raw forever. Before being listed for sale the owner had what I was told is a pheasant cut of the entire property. I’d call it a real heavy first cut. I bought it in 2021, had a fire break plowed around the entire property and had forestry do a burn. Since then sweet gums and briars took over. The property is hilly so it makes it hard to keep up. I do keep the trails/burn breaks mowed as well as the blue areas. I also built a house on the property last year. The first year I bought it I had several nice deer on camera. One of which was a nice 11 pointer. Next year was still good. I saw 8 good bucks in one sitting during the rut. Since then the bucks disappeared. They’re on camera in the summer but leave during season. I would credit this to me building a house but they left before I started building. I have a herd of about 6 does that have made a bedding area in some tall sage grass right beside my house. I see them and two other doe/yearling pairs regularly on camera and while hunting. My neighbor owns about 200 acres. He feeds them a high protein feed year round and only shoots what we’d consider good bucks. So with all that, I’m trying to make my property more inviting but I’m competing with a literal millionaire who has 200+ acres of land to roam with high quality feed year round.
I’m looking for land improvement ideas (food plot locations and types, vegetation growth areas, clearing more areas), stand locations, and just a general discussion around ideas that would make my land better for hunting. I have a three year old who I’d love to make some memories with on this land. I’m really the only hunter. Occasionally a friend will tag along but it’s rare. I hunt once a week on average.
Yellow - my property (~75 acres)
Red - clear cut area. I keep it bushhogged
Purple - hardwoods
Blue - relatively flat areas where I currently have feeders or plan to put a food plot
Orange Lines - trails/fire breaks
If it was your property what would you do?
The first picture is a zoomed out view of neighboring homes and lands. Homes and buildings are circled in orange. There are no crops. All the pasture lands you see are cattle or just open fields. The photos are old as there has been a lot of changes done to the land since I bought it. Just some background, land was raw forever. Before being listed for sale the owner had what I was told is a pheasant cut of the entire property. I’d call it a real heavy first cut. I bought it in 2021, had a fire break plowed around the entire property and had forestry do a burn. Since then sweet gums and briars took over. The property is hilly so it makes it hard to keep up. I do keep the trails/burn breaks mowed as well as the blue areas. I also built a house on the property last year. The first year I bought it I had several nice deer on camera. One of which was a nice 11 pointer. Next year was still good. I saw 8 good bucks in one sitting during the rut. Since then the bucks disappeared. They’re on camera in the summer but leave during season. I would credit this to me building a house but they left before I started building. I have a herd of about 6 does that have made a bedding area in some tall sage grass right beside my house. I see them and two other doe/yearling pairs regularly on camera and while hunting. My neighbor owns about 200 acres. He feeds them a high protein feed year round and only shoots what we’d consider good bucks. So with all that, I’m trying to make my property more inviting but I’m competing with a literal millionaire who has 200+ acres of land to roam with high quality feed year round.
I’m looking for land improvement ideas (food plot locations and types, vegetation growth areas, clearing more areas), stand locations, and just a general discussion around ideas that would make my land better for hunting. I have a three year old who I’d love to make some memories with on this land. I’m really the only hunter. Occasionally a friend will tag along but it’s rare. I hunt once a week on average.
Yellow - my property (~75 acres)
Red - clear cut area. I keep it bushhogged
Purple - hardwoods
Blue - relatively flat areas where I currently have feeders or plan to put a food plot
Orange Lines - trails/fire breaks
If it was your property what would you do?
This post was edited on 12/22/25 at 10:43 pm
4
Posted on 12/22/25 at 10:50 pm to GAFF
The red trails through the center of the clear cut need to be eliminated and make the clearcut in the center a sanctuary. Your orange trails around the perimeter are perfect. Use those to access the blue foodplots from outside inward.
Posted on 12/22/25 at 11:09 pm to Jack Daniel
I do mainly. Only issue is that if I stay on the perimeter on the NW side I have to go up a pretty steep hill. I’m talking locking in 4x4 and gunning it up the fire break. Every deer around would scatter. That’s why there’s one in the middle to get around that section easier.
I have good land but the hills are a downside.
I have good land but the hills are a downside.
Posted on 12/23/25 at 3:49 am to GAFF
Can you cut more timber and make a clear cut going up the left side of you map? Maybe another 5-8 acres of a thin line.
You said you bush hog this area. Does it get thick enough for good cover and bedding? It needs to, if not. Thicker the better.
I see you got the house right on the edge of the clear cut, which looks to be about 15 acres give or take.
You’re basically staying where they want to hide for cover when you get there. That’s why I suggested extending your cover source. They may hear the your presence at the house and lay low, or get the heck out. They may be used to that, I don’t know the scenario enough to judge.
I’d trim 4 small plots down to 3 larger ones on the flat area’s. Deer need food, cover, water. That’s it!
Good neighbors are a major plus. Your neighbor feeding is also doing you a service. That’s a big plus in my mind. Deer usually have a range of no less than 200 hundred acres depending on the lay of the land, resources, etc.
Use feeders and feed them well. I’d start about a good month before season starts, to a good month after it ends. It’s crazy expensive to do it year round, but if you can, then do it in some shape or form. That wouldn’t be main goal for this property though.
Be able to slide in and out of your stands undetected if possible. Place them where you CAN do that. PRESSURE is your worst enemy.
Hunting once a week on 75 acres is not a ton of pressure, but probably noticeable. You can’t control everything 100%, so just enjoy it and don’t stress out on trying to do too much on the management side.
You said you bush hog this area. Does it get thick enough for good cover and bedding? It needs to, if not. Thicker the better.
I see you got the house right on the edge of the clear cut, which looks to be about 15 acres give or take.
You’re basically staying where they want to hide for cover when you get there. That’s why I suggested extending your cover source. They may hear the your presence at the house and lay low, or get the heck out. They may be used to that, I don’t know the scenario enough to judge.
I’d trim 4 small plots down to 3 larger ones on the flat area’s. Deer need food, cover, water. That’s it!
Good neighbors are a major plus. Your neighbor feeding is also doing you a service. That’s a big plus in my mind. Deer usually have a range of no less than 200 hundred acres depending on the lay of the land, resources, etc.
Use feeders and feed them well. I’d start about a good month before season starts, to a good month after it ends. It’s crazy expensive to do it year round, but if you can, then do it in some shape or form. That wouldn’t be main goal for this property though.
Be able to slide in and out of your stands undetected if possible. Place them where you CAN do that. PRESSURE is your worst enemy.
Hunting once a week on 75 acres is not a ton of pressure, but probably noticeable. You can’t control everything 100%, so just enjoy it and don’t stress out on trying to do too much on the management side.
Posted on 12/23/25 at 6:35 am to GAFF
Don’t use a vehicle on 75 acres except to retrieve deer and off season projects. If deer bed on your property, you have a much higher chance of killing them. Sanctuaries are key.
Posted on 12/23/25 at 6:45 am to GAFF
If the topography allows it, install an 8-10 acre destination food plot with a stand that can be accessed without the deer knowing it. Ask your neighbor if he’ll give you some chicken shite from the chicken house to fertilize your plot.
Posted on 12/23/25 at 7:19 am to GAFF
You want to prioritize bedding areas, and don’t be foolish in thinking you can get close to them routinely. Bucks are going to want to bed where they feel safe, so are generally unharmed.
I’ll also say that if you use a road routinely, deer get used to things. So driving down a road, using a tractor, etc. doesn’t bother deer if you continue to move and they can ‘get used to it’. If you all of the sudden ride a 4 wheeler or something that will scare them if it’s not routine. Reving engines, etc will also.
Are you moving your cameras around? Don’t just have a camera on a feeder, make sure you put some on trails, especially trails around the perimeter of your property so you can capture what’s cruising through.
Deer will travel for miles during the rut, so if you only had pics during the rut that doesn’t mean your deer are local. Plenty of stories of guys killing bucks that someone had on camera all year 1-2 miles away.
ETA: it’s not the size of your property but making it the right property. You can kill loads of deer on small acreage in the right place where deer just use it to travel through. Obviously having a large enough piece to just hold some nice bucks is preferred, but at 75 acres you can’t expect that.
I’ll also say that if you use a road routinely, deer get used to things. So driving down a road, using a tractor, etc. doesn’t bother deer if you continue to move and they can ‘get used to it’. If you all of the sudden ride a 4 wheeler or something that will scare them if it’s not routine. Reving engines, etc will also.
Are you moving your cameras around? Don’t just have a camera on a feeder, make sure you put some on trails, especially trails around the perimeter of your property so you can capture what’s cruising through.
Deer will travel for miles during the rut, so if you only had pics during the rut that doesn’t mean your deer are local. Plenty of stories of guys killing bucks that someone had on camera all year 1-2 miles away.
ETA: it’s not the size of your property but making it the right property. You can kill loads of deer on small acreage in the right place where deer just use it to travel through. Obviously having a large enough piece to just hold some nice bucks is preferred, but at 75 acres you can’t expect that.
This post was edited on 12/23/25 at 7:21 am
Posted on 12/23/25 at 9:47 am to GAFF
There is a podcast called "Wild Turkey Science". Two professors, one from Auburn and one from Florida.
You should listen for turkeys. They preach burning. They say that your land needs to be burned every 2-3 years.
For deer, you need food and cover. I think food plots are better than feeding, but I can't put out feeders where my place is.
Get your soil sample and send it in then try and do what the results say. I had to add 10+ tons of lime to mine. Then fertilize.
You should listen for turkeys. They preach burning. They say that your land needs to be burned every 2-3 years.
For deer, you need food and cover. I think food plots are better than feeding, but I can't put out feeders where my place is.
Get your soil sample and send it in then try and do what the results say. I had to add 10+ tons of lime to mine. Then fertilize.
Posted on 12/23/25 at 10:56 am to GAFF
Add a watering hole, plant some sawtooth and fruit trees. Try and make bedding areas and never step foot In them, a sanctuary does wonders.
This post was edited on 12/23/25 at 10:58 am
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