What is the smallest property you would hunt on? I am hunting on a very small tract (12 acres) and want to bow hunt this year but dont want to have to get with surrounding property owners to get my deer if they jump the fence.

Unfortunately, to recover a deer legally you would have to have permission from the neighboring land owner or contact the GW.

If I had deer on my 7 acres I certainly would hunt them but haven't seen any yet. IF you shot a fast bow with a real real heavy arrow you'd increase your chance of a DRT shot.

Contrary enough I get mad at my neighbors at our far that hunt in the backyards that butt up against out 600+. So we supply the deer feed and water them then they jump the fence and get taken out.

I am hunting 43 acres but the landowner knows everyone around so I already have permission. I havent had a deer or hig run more than 25 to 35 yards in years so I am not too worried about it

Thats because you shoot a PSE one day everyone else will figure it out.

I haven't shot a single deer that took a step after the shot. Omen power....

We bowhunt on 40 acres and have never had an issue with deer jumping property lines. I think it depends on how thick it is also. Ours is pretty thick brush so when you shoot they have plenty of places to bed down in vs running across wide open range to find thickness.

I actually like hunting small tracts of land. You have to do a lot less scouting!!

I am guessing you have never shot a single deer then...

Just kidding. In all seriousness, I have only had one deer ever drop in its tracks when I shot it with a bow. Where do you shoot them?

For the OP...I would hunt 12 acres but I would also contact my neighbors just in case.

you were right on the first accutation. Just started bow hunting this year and never got to take a shot at a deer. But I tell you what I can stick arrows deep into 3D targets.

I have hunted a 50 acre parcel for 10 years and have never had a deer leave the property when shot. We have found every deer arrowed, most traveling no more than 70 yards. We have three feeders on the 50 acres. One is near the landowners house and we keep it full for him but don't hunt that side. The other two are within a couple hundred yards of each other and we see deer at both almost every day we hunt. Truthfully, though, the deer we see are often traveling between the two feeders.

I shot a little buck this year that dropped upon impact and it was a shoulder hit, not in the spine. I was really surprised. Someone told me there is a major nerve that runs along the shoulder. Don't know about that, but I do know that fellow crumpled on the hit. Arrow did not pass through but lodged on the back side of the opposite shoulder blade.

spine shot will drop them
I prefer lungs/heart though

you just have to make sure the neighbors are not tree huggers, they are hard to deal with if a deer jumps the fence.
From experience, Ive had very few deer run more than 60 yards, most drop within 40,but you just never know.

Now is the time to contact those adjacent landowners and those adjacent to them to get permission to access their land in the case your deer or any other species wounds on their land or falls within it. Don't wait to the last minute or when it does happen.