Texas Hunting Forum

Gun hunting on small property

Posted By: Reich

Gun hunting on small property - 02/04/21 12:08 AM

What are your thought's on hunting small properties? I'm looking for 60-80 acres for my wife and I to gun hunt on. Can we realistically have two stands and hunt at the same time? The area we are purchasing is mostly heavy cover. Thanks
Posted By: BbarVRanch

Re: Gun hunting on small property - 02/04/21 12:12 AM

Should be able to.

If my neighbors can each have a hunting blind on their 5 acre tracts, 2 blinds on a tract that size should not be a problem.
Posted By: DQ Kid

Re: Gun hunting on small property - 02/04/21 12:17 AM

Yes, I have that size property and two can safely hunt it given sufficient cover and line of sight breaks from each other.
Posted By: TCM3

Re: Gun hunting on small property - 02/04/21 12:26 AM

Be sure of your target and what's beyond.
Posted By: 1955

Re: Gun hunting on small property - 02/04/21 12:37 AM

I don’t see any problem at all, if you have a clear line of site and beyond ,go for it. elmer
Posted By: freerange

Re: Gun hunting on small property - 02/04/21 12:43 AM

I would be more concerned with your bullet crossing property line than what happens on your side. You should easily be able to manage the situation on your side of the fence.
Posted By: mightyp

Re: Gun hunting on small property - 02/04/21 12:54 AM

shouldn't be a problem at all
Posted By: stxranchman

Re: Gun hunting on small property - 02/04/21 01:27 AM

It will work fine if it is thick cover and your place is not going to be a long skinny rectangle. Is it flat or rolling or hilly terrain? I would use elevated box blinds to 8'-10' to make sure I was shooting at an angle that would put the bullet into the ground or with a treed or thick cover backdrop. Get you a crossbow and extend your season even more and not worry about shooting across a fence or safety on your side of the fence.
Posted By: dogcatcher

Re: Gun hunting on small property - 02/04/21 02:46 AM

up
Posted By: BigRon

Re: Gun hunting on small property - 02/04/21 02:58 AM

Originally Posted by stxranchman
It will work fine if thick cover and you place is not going to be a long skinny rectangle. Is it flat or rolling or hilly terrain? I would use elevated box blinds to 8'-10' to make sure I was shooting at an angle that would put the bullet into the ground with a treed or thick cover backdrop. Get you a crossbow and extend your season even more and not worry about shooting across a fence or safety on your side of the fence.


This is good advice. We have two properties, 32 acres and 44 acres. One of the most important keys to hunting small places safely is to use elevated stands and plan your shooting lanes to make sure no bullet will ever leave your property, period. No maybe's, probably's, shouldn't's, etc. No bullets leave the property.
Posted By: Ranch Dawg

Re: Gun hunting on small property - 02/04/21 04:32 AM

BigRon nailed it. We do it on 50 , no problems in thick east Tx.
Posted By: kmon11

Re: Gun hunting on small property - 02/04/21 01:28 PM

Get to know your neighbors, never know when you might need their permission to retrieve a deer, or they might need to do the same.
Posted By: PMK

Re: Gun hunting on small property - 02/04/21 01:31 PM

Originally Posted by BigRon
Originally Posted by stxranchman
It will work fine if thick cover and you place is not going to be a long skinny rectangle. Is it flat or rolling or hilly terrain? I would use elevated box blinds to 8'-10' to make sure I was shooting at an angle that would put the bullet into the ground with a treed or thick cover backdrop. Get you a crossbow and extend your season even more and not worry about shooting across a fence or safety on your side of the fence.


This is good advice. We have two properties, 32 acres and 44 acres. One of the most important keys to hunting small places safely is to use elevated stands and plan your shooting lanes to make sure no bullet will ever leave your property, period. No maybe's, probably's, shouldn't's, etc. No bullets leave the property.

agree, we have 3 stands on 32 acres with enough elevation change to safely hunt all 3 at the same time and no shooting paths that would have a bullet leave the property.
Posted By: Mr. T.

Re: Gun hunting on small property - 02/04/21 02:19 PM

Originally Posted by DQ Kid
Yes, I have that size property and two can safely hunt it given sufficient cover and line of sight breaks from each other.

X2
Posted By: Double Naught Spy

Re: Gun hunting on small property - 02/04/21 02:53 PM

I own 140 acres that is divided by a highway into 45 and 95. The 45 gets hunted a good bit. We used to run 2 stands on it, no problem. Feeders relative to the stands kept the hunters oriented away from one another.

As always, the thing about small properties, in general, is that you have to be mindful of your shots. Remember, that woods are not a backstop. Elevated stands will help make sure errant shots are grounded.
Posted By: Creekrunner

Re: Gun hunting on small property - 02/04/21 03:04 PM

All above covers it well. No ground blinds facing the perimeter. I try to be conscious of where neighbors' houses (and blinds) are too, no matter what size your property.
Posted By: Dalroo

Re: Gun hunting on small property - 02/04/21 03:35 PM

Echoing other comments. Elevated blinds are the key. Don't shoot out of ground blinds unless they are positioned higher than the target.

Careful planning of blind placement and training hunters where they can safely aim is also very important.
Posted By: Old Rabbit

Re: Gun hunting on small property - 02/04/21 04:42 PM

I used to own 28 acres (leased 102 that joined it) in East Texas and had elevated stands except for 2 places. Those 2 places had a feeder half way up a hill so the only place a bullet could hit was the deer or into the hill. Any stand placed close to a fence line was set up for shots only into the place we owned or leased. We also talked with all of the neighbors about the stands on fence lines and got approval from them before they were put up. They had the same set up, facing into their own property. Nice to have neighbors that you can get along with, we also helped each other recover wounded game that crossed fences on the rare occasion it happened. Usually kids on their first hunt. Dang I miss that place.
Posted By: 1860.colt

Re: Gun hunting on small property - 02/04/21 07:38 PM

Originally Posted by TCM3
Be sure of your target and what's beyond.


Tis why some put back of stand ta fence...
They know what's on thar side...

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Posted By: colt45-90

Re: Gun hunting on small property - 02/04/21 08:49 PM

in Bastrop county if its plated, must be at least 40acres, the only reason I bring this up, you should check with the county that you are in to see what the restrictions are
Posted By: Biscuit

Re: Gun hunting on small property - 02/04/21 11:13 PM

Originally Posted by stxranchman
It will work fine if it is thick cover and your place is not going to be a long skinny rectangle. Is it flat or rolling or hilly terrain? I would use elevated box blinds to 8'-10' to make sure I was shooting at an angle that would put the bullet into the ground or with a treed or thick cover backdrop. Get you a crossbow and extend your season even more and not worry about shooting across a fence or safety on your side of the fence.


Definitely good advice for elevated stands
Posted By: Capt.JVH

Re: Gun hunting on small property - 02/05/21 04:02 PM

I agree with what was said already. I own a small place and have successfully hunted 2 blinds for years on it with my old man and myself. One thing I do when gun hunting is to also shoot a larger caliber rifle. I use a 300 wm if I am rifle hunting hogs or deer. And when I bow hunt I shoot really big expendable's so I get good blood fast. Putting critters on the ground fast is the name of the game. I also stagger when my dad and I walk to our blinds. Usually him first, then me. That way we watch each other and have a second level of security knowing where each other are at. Same large pasture, different ends, different shot directions that we hashed out years ago.
Posted By: hook_n_line

Re: Gun hunting on small property - 02/05/21 08:31 PM

Small land keep things close. This is on 20 acres. I bow hunt but I let my family gun hunt. Noone has to shoot more than 75 yards.

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Posted By: 9452772

Re: Gun hunting on small property - 02/09/21 01:33 AM

I hunt on 10 acres. I have had to pass on shots to to direction.
Posted By: freerange

Re: Gun hunting on small property - 02/09/21 01:59 AM

945, welcome to our forum.
Posted By: Biscuit

Re: Gun hunting on small property - 02/09/21 03:52 AM

Nice setup hook n line
Posted By: chicken fried

Re: Gun hunting on small property - 02/20/21 05:28 PM

I’ve done for ten years on 75 acres and three stands. Like everyone said know your back stop.
Posted By: glocker17

Re: Gun hunting on small property - 02/20/21 05:49 PM

Quote
in Bastrop county if its plated, must be at least 40acres, the only reason I bring this up, you should check with the county that you are in to see what the restrictions are

Are you saying you can't hunt on less than 40ac? I though state law prevented counties from placing those types of restrictions.
Posted By: stxranchman

Re: Gun hunting on small property - 02/20/21 06:25 PM

Originally Posted by glocker17
Quote
in Bastrop county if its plated, must be at least 40acres, the only reason I bring this up, you should check with the county that you are in to see what the restrictions are

Are you saying you can't hunt on less than 40ac? I though state law prevented counties from placing those types of restrictions.

I know back in the 90's that Medina County required over 10 acres to hunt on...not 10 on the nose but over 10 acres. Many subdivisions in that county had exactly 10 acres or just under...so they were not allowed to hunt. IIRC it was the County Commissioners that set the acreage amounts. Not sure what the rules are now though. I bought 25 acres to live on and it was legal to hunt on it even though others had 10 or less acres close that could not hunt...legally....they still did anyway.
Posted By: 1860.colt

Re: Gun hunting on small property - 02/20/21 06:49 PM



confused2 Seen lots of threads about people cry crying cause hunters hunting fence line for doing just this...
The back of the stand facing fence, so they can hunt thar side of the fence...

I60-80 acres plenty ...

Best wish's...
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Posted By: Frio Town

Re: Gun hunting on small property - 02/20/21 08:22 PM

[img]https://www.medinacountytexas.org/upload/page/6788/docs/DischargeFirearm-2015.pdf[/img]

I think this is what STX was referring to regarding Medina County.
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