texashuntingforum.com logo
Main Menu
Advertisement
Affiliates
Advertisement
Newest Members
nmmuledeerhunter, Dzia-Dzia, TraeMartin, Beatixre, MooseSteed
71989 Registered Users
Top Posters(All Time)
dogcatcher 110,788
bill oxner 91,416
SnakeWrangler 65,416
stxranchman 60,296
Gravytrain 46,950
RKHarm24 44,585
rifleman 44,461
Stub 43,769
Forum Statistics
Forums46
Topics537,029
Posts9,719,585
Members86,989
Most Online25,604
Feb 12th, 2024
Print Thread
Anyone ever patterned public land deer using a private feeder? #8729018 11/08/22 11:12 AM
Joined: Oct 2016
Posts: 119
D
Danny_DeerVito Offline OP
Woodsman
OP Offline
Woodsman
D
Joined: Oct 2016
Posts: 119
One public property I hunt there are at least a half-dozen feeders and stands anywhere from 20-200 yards off the fence on the bordering properties. I’m assuming mainly due to the fact the public property has maybe the best stretch of hardwoods, and overall diversity, within about a 4,000 acre area.

Have any of y’all had success being able to intercept deer coming or going between public land and feeders on neighboring properties?

Where would you start in trying to identify their crossing locations, and then backtracking towards possible bedding areas? I’m sure the well-worn trails under the fences are mostly pig produced, so curious more about the type of habitat, terrain features, etc. that might be most favorable for the deer to cross.

Re: Anyone ever patterned public land deer using a private feeder? [Re: Danny_DeerVito] #8729070 11/08/22 01:20 PM
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 2,326
S
sqiggy Offline
Veteran Tracker
Offline
Veteran Tracker
S
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 2,326
Probably to late to do now, but if you know the location of these feeders, go out there in the off season and create your own trails up to the fence lines. You don’t have to make them big and wide. Then set up stands according to the wind. Deer likes to take the path of least resistance. I do this all the time but on private property. Heck, even when we cut a new 4 wheeler trail, won’t be long it’s covered in deer tracks.

Re: Anyone ever patterned public land deer using a private feeder? [Re: Danny_DeerVito] #8729209 11/08/22 03:56 PM
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 196
C
Coastalquacker Offline
Woodsman
Offline
Woodsman
C
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 196
its a good strategy if others haven't already thought of it and hunted them. I scouted online using google maps etc. and spotted several stands and feeders prior to a public hunt. We we hunted two different days, 3 hunts, and the deer we saw were moving parallel to them. Probably depends on lots of factors.

Re: Anyone ever patterned public land deer using a private feeder? [Re: Danny_DeerVito] #8729239 11/08/22 04:29 PM
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 16,582
6
68rustbucket Online Content
THF Celebrity
Online Content
THF Celebrity
6
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 16,582
I’d be concerned about somebody hunting on the private side of the fence, and a stray bullet coming your way on the public side.



Re: Anyone ever patterned public land deer using a private feeder? [Re: Danny_DeerVito] #8729462 11/08/22 08:01 PM
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 18,546
D
ducknbass Offline
THF Celebrity
Offline
THF Celebrity
D
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 18,546
To me it’s always seemed like low hanging fruit and too obvious.

Re: Anyone ever patterned public land deer using a private feeder? [Re: 68rustbucket] #8729905 11/09/22 03:21 AM
Joined: Oct 2016
Posts: 119
D
Danny_DeerVito Offline OP
Woodsman
OP Offline
Woodsman
D
Joined: Oct 2016
Posts: 119
The couple spots I’d be focused on are about a mile and a half from the only access point, so little-to-no pressure in most areas back there.(outside of the activity on the private land)

I know there are good deer on and around the property, just trying to think of different things I may be able to use to catch movement to or from bedding, may help get the general direction they’re preferring to travel. I don’t plan to hunt up against the private property, mostly for fear of losing a deer across the fence, I’m just hoping to use their fence crossing areas to try to pattern them while on public.

Originally Posted by 68rustbucket
I’d be concerned about somebody hunting on the private side of the fence, and a stray bullet coming your way on the public side.

Luckily the landowners were smart enough to put their feeders towards the interior of their properties, as opposed to shooting towards the public, but I still don’t plan to hunt near any of the blinds.

Re: Anyone ever patterned public land deer using a private feeder? [Re: Danny_DeerVito] #8731344 11/10/22 06:15 PM
Joined: Jan 2019
Posts: 3,583
1
10 Gauge Online Content
Extreme Tracker
Online Content
Extreme Tracker
1
Joined: Jan 2019
Posts: 3,583
You can absolutely pattern them on bordering private land feeders and private land ag. The only thing I would be wary of is private land owners hating you for hunting their fence line. Most of them buy those places because they have a fence line on the border of a big piece of good public habitat. If you want your own private habitat with wildlife then buy it. If you could not afford to buy a whole entire piece of habitat for yourself, neither can I, lol. Most of us can’t, it’s why we hunt public ground in the first place.

The irony of purchasing or leasing private land on the border of good public ground, and getting pissed off at public hunters, is hilarious. But it happens, in fact it’s more common than not.

I have been approached and informed that the public ground I hunted was private. I said oh wow how often does this happen? “Almost every day”. “Because it’s not yours”. Lol

Last edited by Bryan C. Heimann; 11/10/22 06:17 PM.

1 Thessalonians 4:11-14
Re: Anyone ever patterned public land deer using a private feeder? [Re: Coastalquacker] #8731442 11/10/22 08:25 PM
Joined: May 2020
Posts: 933
S
Sauerkraut Offline
Tracker
Offline
Tracker
S
Joined: May 2020
Posts: 933
Originally Posted by Coastalquacker
its a good strategy if others haven't already thought of it and hunted them. I scouted online using google maps etc. and spotted several stands and feeders prior to a public hunt. We we hunted two different days, 3 hunts, and the deer we saw were moving parallel to them. Probably depends on lots of factors.


Exactly. Walk fence lines and try and find the feeders that don't show up on OnX, Google, etc. If the feeder shows up on satellite maps, you can count on a bunch of other hunters honing in on the same area.

I don't hunt right across the fence from a feeder, but I do take it into consideration. If landowners are annoyed by that, then they should put the feeders further toward the interior of their property. As acorns start to drop, I don't know how helpful the feeders are though.


"Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the realm of the dead, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom." - Ecclesiastes 9:10
Re: Anyone ever patterned public land deer using a private feeder? [Re: Sauerkraut] #8734654 11/15/22 12:32 PM
Joined: Oct 2016
Posts: 119
D
Danny_DeerVito Offline OP
Woodsman
OP Offline
Woodsman
D
Joined: Oct 2016
Posts: 119
Originally Posted by Sauerkraut
Originally Posted by Coastalquacker
its a good strategy if others haven't already thought of it and hunted them. I scouted online using google maps etc. and spotted several stands and feeders prior to a public hunt. We we hunted two different days, 3 hunts, and the deer we saw were moving parallel to them. Probably depends on lots of factors.


Exactly. Walk fence lines and try and find the feeders that don't show up on OnX, Google, etc. If the feeder shows up on satellite maps, you can count on a bunch of other hunters honing in on the same area.

I don't hunt right across the fence from a feeder, but I do take it into consideration. If landowners are annoyed by that, then they should put the feeders further toward the interior of their property. As acorns start to drop, I don't know how helpful the feeders are though.


Took me all of two days scouting towards the boundaries to basically confirm this theory. Saw 4 bucks (one absolute tank) and a half dozen does within 50yds of either side of the fences. There are others hunting similarly, to no surprise, but there’s opportunities to be had.
This one property has a very sporadic collection of oaks, 3 or 4 is the most you might find in one group, but even then the crop was pretty poor this year with pea-size acorns. So I’m sure the feeders have been seeing plenty of action. There’s more than enough does in the area to keep the bucks occupied for now, just need to wait for some to get desperate and roam more in the coming week or two.

Side note: I wish you could get an exemption from the AR rule when trying to get your first buck. I’ve had to past up 2+ this year that were probably legal, but didn’t get a good enough look until they were out of range. hammer

Previous Thread
Index
Next Thread

© 2004-2024 OUTDOOR SITES NETWORK all rights reserved USA and Worldwide
Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.3