Recreational Farm vs Big Buck Sanctuary?

[medicsnoke]

I own a 138 acre farm in Ohio. Attached you see the google earth image. The farm I feel has a great layout with exceptional access, ratio of tillable acres vs. timber and rolling terrain/elevation change that lets the farm hunt big. The farm is also in a great area with proven genetics and several nice bucks around.

However, I use the farm not only for hunting. It's my home, it's a family recreation area and my favorite playground. I'm on the property daily! It is a very rare occasion that I walk around in the woods. In fact, I hardly ever walk in the timber except for hunting. But in the summer months we often go to the back of the property on the 4 wheeler to fish/swim in the river and the occasional joy (ride just to enjoy our slice of heaven).

I often wonder how my use of the property effects the mature buck population and movement patterns. The farm holds lots of does and they seem to have adapted to the 4 wheeler. After 2 years of joy rides, they hardly move when I drive past them.

My question is this, does any one else have a property that is used as both a hunting property and a living/working family farm and play area. How do you balance the mix of making a big buck sanctuary and having a recreational property?

I'm sure the answer comes in the form of thicker cover, sanctuaries and less intrusion. I guess I'm looking for additional ideas how to accomplish this. How much acreage do I need for a sanctuary? And just general ideas that maybe I have not thought of.

Please feel free to give me any feedback, any personal stories or changes you've made to your farms.

I'm no good with photo editing, so my farm borders to the east by the RR tracks and to the north/south just off the field edges. If you look at the topo map, the property lines can be seen with the square in the 1033 block.

I'm a sponge feed me................

 

[bowman]

Why own it if you cant enjoy it? :way: I know that when I hunted urban hunts the bike and hike trails went right through and there were some monster bucks that roamed in there. Staying away from sanctuaries, I would guess, would be bennificial but otherwise I would say enjoy it. Imagine your kids at age 30 telling everyone that they had a place that would have been great to be raised on had their stubborn Dad not refused to let them enjoy it so that the deer could have peace.

It might be better with no pressure, but I would rather have it be a little less than perfect for hunting and make memories with my family. They will be grown before you know it. Enjoy every minute of it! Build a pond, they'd love that too! (I could spend your money all day. )

 

[SEIowaDeerslayer]

What bowman said.

 

[ARbowhtr]

I agree with bowman. I also grew up on my dads farm, and the deer did not seem to mind the 4 wheelers at all during the summer months. Deer are a different animal in the Sumer vs fall, think you can pretty much do what you want in the Sumer if come about August you leave the primary bedding areas alone. That's the way I see it anyway.

 

[BJohnson]

"Why own it if you cant enjoy it? :way:"

First thing that popped into my head also. Probably doesn't help answer your question though.

BTW - looks like a very nice property !!!

 

[HorseDoctor]

Your situation is very similar to my home 50 acres. I love my woods and walk my dogs, cut firewood, tend food plots, ride the Gator & fish the pond or something almost daily. It also borders two sides of a county park that gets lots of walkers. Deer seem quite content sharing space with humans. I have lots of does & fawns year round. I'm definitely not a sanctuary. However there is a fair amount of timber in the neighborhood that is either not hunted or hunted lightly and selectively so there are some very decent bucks in the area. During the rut they come visit my does and during nasty weather they come visit my food plots. My wife & I have taken a few decent bucks off the place even though we use the ground for much, much more than just deer hunting. I think that you are in great shape especially if all your neighbors aren't the "brown & down" style of hunters. Having a nice piece of ground is truly a blessing! Enjoy it!!!

 

[AZHunter]

I really don't have anything more to add than what Wayne and others have said. If I ever leave Arizona for somewhere besides Colorado, it would be back to the Midwest to own exactly what you own and for the reasons you and Wayne describe!!

 

[Daver]

Why own it if you cant enjoy it? :way: ...

It might be better with no pressure, but I would rather have it be a little less than perfect for hunting and make memories with my family. They will be grown before you know it. Enjoy every minute of it! ... )

Absolutely agree. I am blessed to have owned a recreational farm for about 11-12 years now and one of my prime objectives was to have a place to take my boys and sometimes their friends, etc, as they grew up.
I have been very fortunate to have a place while my boys grew up and started hunting and I would not trade the father/son times we have had over the years for anything. But, like Wayne said, they grow up fast. It only seems like a couple of years have gone by, but now both of our boys are out of high school and in college and you can never go back and get those years back.

We do limit our entry into certain areas on our place and do a lot of work to improve habitat, but I am not as zealous as some about NEVER entering some areas, etc. On our 180 acres we have 2 areas, each about 20 acres, that we 95% stay out of, and we always have nice bucks around and pretty good hunting. I believe that if I wanted to be reasonably sure that I could shoot a 170"ish+ buck every year then I could...but our use of the farm would be quite different and FAR LESS enjoyable for everyone else in my family.

I am happy with our "mix" of use and our boys have gotten great use of the place over the years and made many great memories, not just dad trying to kill a monster by himself, etc. My feeling is that if you designate approximately 30-40 acres of your 138 to keep intrusion free and continue to build your habitat then you will always have good hunting AND great times for the whole family.

When they are grown and gone you can always switch into "monster mode" if you want to.

 

[StickersNKickers]

I hunt my dad's and grandpa's land mostly, which is used for a working cattle operation. So, by nature of the operation, it's pretty common for a 4 wheeler, truck, or tractor to be driving from one end to the other of each farm for feeding or checking cows. They do try to pull the cattle into a smaller area when they start feeding for winter, and we try to keep out of some but not all timbered areas of the farm unless necessary. These farms also attract more does and young bucks the majority of the year, but we have bigger/older bucks move in toward hunting season/rut or travel thru from neighboring properties. I would say the activity from the cattle operation has made the deer that live there year round more accepting of people, and as you stated, they go about their business when you ride by them (more wary once fall/hunting rolls around tho). Also, we have started to hunt more on stand, instead of block and drive, which keeps them staying on our properties more thru gun seasons (especially when the neighbors push them to us). I would say overall, our activity has not hurt hunting, or at least not by much.

 

[medicsnoke]

I would like to thank everyone for the responses thus far. I agree with much of what everyone has said. We do enjoy the property, was just looking for ideas like ease feathering and field screening, like I received in a PM. Also I am concurring starting a supplemental feeding program this year. One feeder with a very central location that keeps the does close and always moving inward on the property.

 

[GOARMY]

Medi
I must agree with the above posts. I ride my tractor all over and most deer just stop and look. Now I dont own a 4 wheeler but used to. One thing I did do was not run cameras in the summer till like sept 1. There were long periods where I never went near bigger blocks of timber. I will tell you this. Had a conversation the other night with a well know tv hunter and he talked about another celebs managed farm. The older deer were so used to seeing people there they did not come unglued seeing humans thus making them a bit easier to kill. Go have fun but come fall shuter down a bit morning and evening.