What percentage of your hunting property do you bowhunt?

[offtheground]

The urban area I hunt is only 25 acres, using climbers only and have had a killing tree on the edge of this area. I have found that when I move further into the woods the deer are more alert jumpy and have got busted a couple times. I can only hunt this spot maybe once a week even in the killing tree. Last year back in the woods had 6 does come out of bedding area which was maybe 100 yards away and under my stand, of course I could not move, wind was right and all. But they knew something was not in order, when the buck came in he could read their faces or something. he stopped dead behind a tree at 40 yards for couple minutes then turned directly left of his and the does travel line and walked off. Could not have drawn the bow on any of them. If I was edge hunting back in killing tree, almost sure their mood would have been different.
After reading this post it also got me thinking of my main hunting ground. It is set up with wood plots and farm fields. Why not treat each wood plot like the small urban area. The problem is getting the other guys that hunt this area to do the same.

[Big_Holla]

This is a great post to get us thinking about our set-ups. In the past I used to ride the 4-wheeler right into the middle of the property to hunt the best sign. Meanwhile my deer sightings would slowly go down the week or so I was there. Little did I realize at the time that I likely was pushing the deer off the property or at least alerting them to my whereabouts.

I think though rather than look at this as what percentage we are hunting we should be looking at what percentage of our stand locations have excellent access that helps limit spooking deer on the way in and out?? When I joined BHO I thought I knew it all in regards to our property down there in Ohio. But as I stated before with the 4-wheeler access I had a lot to learn. Now most, if not all of my stand locations have very good, if not perfect, access and since then our success has increased dramatically. Of course my dad still insists on riding the 4-wheeler into the middle of the property to hunt stands we placed years ago when I knew it all. But hey, he's over 70 and just the fact he gets out still is well worth the down side.

So, with thinking access routes I would say that I went from hunting 50% or more of the land down to maybe 20-30% over the years.

[PlayTheWindMike]

a very very high % but, I do make it a point to be just as sneaky leaving as when I go in. seems to work for me.