Awight, got a question

I have a small 25 acre piece of property. I live on it and have owned it for over 15 years. There are deer around me. I'm about 1/2 a mile from a major creek. I have seen deer on the North, South and West of me many times and all within 1 mile of my property. I have never seen a deer or even a track or any sign of deer on my property. I do have some thick woods and a pond. The property is a little elevated from surrounding property. Any ideas on drawing deer to the property. Currently it is completely fallow. No grazers and no farming.

I have put corn feeders in the past with no luck.

Have you put up any TC's on it to see if anything is moving on it for sure?

No TC's, but have checked it very closely for sign many, many times. Area is moderately populated. All rural population, no neighborhoods. Also, surrounded by equal to or larger properties.

Where ever the water runs is where they will travel. Check for the lowest area of your property.

Yea, that's the main problem I think. I'm more elevated than the property around me and they just don't travel through. I'm looking for something that might have a chance to draw them in from 1/2 to a mile away. Anybody got any bright ideas?

I had quite a bit of luck a few years back on a small chunk by knocking on doors of people who's property I have seen deer on nearby and asking if we could just walk through to see what's different about their land. Probably 2/3 of them said no but after walking around a few we found out they all had thicker cover so I built a few brush piles around 2 acers that I stopped cutting or even entering for the entire year. By the next season a few does started bedding back there and the bucks followed

Food plot, feeder=deer

Try hand corning in likely spots. Feeders don't necessarily equal deer.

Well then you might have to use scent to pull them in. So I would do a feeder and a scent like B & j's. To pull them in and let them know that food is up there.

Is B & J's the only product out there you'd recommend? Any others? Sounds like a good idea.

Put up a feeder with a camera on it. I bet there are more deer that move through unseen than what you think.

I just find it really hard to believe that there is a 25 acre vacant low traffic plot in deer country that deer wont go on. Do you have fences? What are they?

I swear by B & j's. If it's not too windy, it works great. In low winds It will drift out and pull deer in.

I know it's hard to believe. I've found it hard to believe for years and years. I have put up feeders/cameras in the past with ZERO deer pics. Coons, birds and the occasional yote. Normal barbed wire fencing. I think I'm a gonna try sum of that there B & J's.

Throw out some alfalfa bales. They will smell it

Habitat, habitat, habitat. Deer need three things and they are cover, food, and water. They will rarely ever move far from all three at any one time most especially cover. If your property is too far from any one of those three, the deer will not come to it. If there is better cover, food, and water somewhere else, they will stay there. 25 acres just isn't all that much land and if you are talking Grayson County, the population density isn't known to be that high in Grayson.

I would recommend implementing a management plan in hopes of making your small area more appealing to the deer. Perhaps allow some brushy areas to fill in naturally and plant a couple small food plots. Make sure the deer can easily enter and leave your property because they like the path of least resistance just like we do. I would also take a good look at what is on the neighbor's property that is drawing them in and keeping them there. Take notice of how far the nearest prime deer habitat is from your place and try to replicate that habitat to the best of your ability. I would make sure that whatever improvements you put in place, you make sure they can notice it from a considerable distance. I wish you luck and hopefully you can get some deer on your land.

Food plot imo, try oats.

I'd give the feeder another try. set it to go off in the morning, evening and at night. Don't have to throw long, if the deer are close they will here it. Also, do you have dogs that stay outside. Deer don't like them and will keep clear.

This^^ Land management will be the factor if you want deer frequently. You have to make 25 acres more appealing than the surrounding hundreds. Aim to draw does. The way you approach it, you will have to consider the adjacent property's to try and key in on where and what to do to draw them in.

If you don't have a lot of deer then the few deer you have are not going to leave a lot of sign. At least one TC out there is scouting 24/7 for you. Like posted above you have to do things to make your place more usable for the deer and allow them to even stay. Water is the number 1 thing people over look when trying keep or draw in deer. If your place is to far from water then you will always have minimal traffic at best no matter how much your work on the habitat or feed them. Your local TPWD biologist or even some NRCS office can help you with ideas as for starting. Have them come out and give your advice on sight.