How to Set Up a Hunting Property

Knowing how to set up a hunting property for maximum success, or finding one that checks all the right boxes, is one of the most important elements in consistently tagging mature whitetails. The design and layout of it are crucial for success. Understanding the nuances of how bucks use and maneuver the landscape is part art, part science.

Of course, mature whitetails prefer solitude. They want their own spot away from the business of the herd. Fortunately, hunters can set up a property to capitalize on this. Or, they can find a turn-key property that’s already on go.

1. Study Some Aerials

This process begins with studying aerial views of the property, as well as surrounding properties. If looking for a property to purchase, you need a good canvas to start with. If studying a property that you already own, study it in detail.

Generally, bucks take the best bedding. For example, in hill country, bucks tend to take the best available cover at the highest elevations. (To see big deer during daylight, you want this on or close to your property.) They’ll bed along the upper third of leeward ridges, mid-range benches, and lower flats, too.

In big timber, it’s usually the best cover deeper within interiors away human intrusion. In ag country, it’s the thicker spots within patches or strips of timber that receive less pressure. In marshes and swamps, it’s small patches of high ground within the flooded area.

Additionally, study for potential food sources that deer use. Do that, and you’ll likely start off on the right foot.

2. Glass from Afar

With a decent idea of what deer are doing, start glassing from afar. Spend afternoons glassing open ag fields. Alfalfa, sorghum, and soybean fields are good places to start. If that isn’t around, a good hay field with some clover mixed in draws deer, too.

If ag isn’t around, merely glass open fields located close to potential bedding areas. Odds are good you’ll see some deer at least passing through, even if they don’t stop to feed. Glass what you can, but don’t pressure deer by doing so.

3. Put Boots on the Ground

If new to the property, one boots-on-the-ground scouting effort is worth the pressure applied to deer. If you already know the property, what little you might learn likely isn’t worth the pressure. Therefore, conduct a boots-on-the ground scouting effort only if it makes sense to do so.

4. Divide the Property into “Sections”

With a good understanding of where deer currently bed, feed, water, and travel, it’s time to make possible changes to the landscape. To increase the number of mature bucks in the area, it’s important to divide properties into sections.

For example, think of a 200-acre property (mostly wooded) in terms of three 50-acre tracts (rather than one large one). Then, create smaller deer “communities” within these quadrants. Provide the best possible bedding cover, food sources, and water sources within these areas. This will increase the buck density, hunt-ability, and more.

5. Deploy Some Trail Cameras

It helps to understand how deer already use the property. Deploying some trail cameras can help understand existing lines of movement. Then, paired with some of the habits deer already display, Hunters can begin to mold the landscape into what they want it to become.

6. Establish and Enforce Sanctuaries

Armed with a knowledge of how they use the property, and your vision for what it will eventually look like, it’s time to establish sanctuaries. Enforce these and ensure no one enters these areas. Ensure that deer feel safe bedding and moving on the property.

7. Build and/or Enhance Bedding Cover

Within each section or quadrant of the property, build or enhance bedding cover. There are two schools of thought. One, create different bedding areas in each of these quadrants that target different bedding needs throughout the year. This increases, the odds that a specific target buck will live on the property year-round. Or, two, create similar types of bedding targeting shorter time frames, specifically those within deer season you want to hunt, in hopes of holding multiple mature bucks during deer season.

Locate these in spots where deer already bed, or likely will, such as northern-facing slopes in warmer weather, southern-facing slopes in colder weather, and general areas that are ideal and adjacent to food sources.

Possible ways to accomplish this include hinge cutting to create more early successional habitat and horizontal cover, planting native grasses, and more.

8. Create Strategic Food Source Locations

Just as you created bedding cover in each quadrant, it’s important to provide food sources in the same way. That said, the mentality and approach should match the school of thought chosen for bedding cover.

If you selected the first bedding cover creation concept, provide food sources with the same goal in mind. Plant food sources that peak during the timeframes each bedding area is used the most. If you chose direction No. 2, offer food sources that follow its format.

9. Add Strategic Water Sources

Water is one of the most overlooked elements in deer hunting. Adding water sources in strategic locations is a significant enhancement. Of course, if not already present, place these in each of the sections or quadrants of the property. Pair a water source with each bedding area.

10. Connect the Dots

Each of the section bedding areas, as well as their associated food sources and water sources, should create predictable lines of deer movement. This makes such spots more huntable. Furthermore, if larger destination food sources are nearby, keep their locations in mind. These will likely influence deer traffic, and can impact whether you see deer move in certain directions during daylight, or not.

11. Offer Some Extras

As they say, it doesn’t hurt to sweeten the pot. Offering some “extras” can provide deer with more incentives to take up permanent residence. This can come in many forms. Within food plots alone, that might be adding supplemental feed, supplemental protein, mineral licks, and more. (Obviously, follow all hunting legalities for your state and county.)

12. Deploy Treestands and Blinds

With the property designed and built, it’s time to deploy hunting blinds and treestands. These should be positioned in areas with good odds of creating daylight encounters with target bucks.

Take great caution when choosing these spots. Sometimes, just a few yards can make the difference in killing a deer, or not. Choose carefully, and run through different scenarios in your head.

Oftentimes, if the wind is tricky, deploying a hard-sided hunting blind can help mitigate that. Choose this option when there’s no other choice but to go with a swirling wind, or wind that’s slightly off.

13. Chart and Enhance Good Access Routes

A good stand location is only as good as the access route taken. Therefore, chart good entry and exit routes to each stand. If the access doesn’t work without spooking deer, choose new locations. Once established, follow these routes.

14. Build Out a Hunt Map

Modern hunting apps make it simple to visualize every element of your hunting property. Outline bedding areas, sanctuaries, food sources, and other key locations. Mark stand locations, blind locations, entry routes, exit routes, etc. Drop pins for trail cameras, scouting discoveries, and more.

I’m a HuntStand ambassador, but I used it long before becoming one. It’s a great app for hunters, which makes it possible to build out detailed maps of hunt areas. Scout with utmost efficiency and stay organized while using the app, or others like it.

15. Hunt It Right

It’s important to maintain the longevity of a hunting property. Hunt it the right way. Don’t apply too much pressure. Only hunt when conditions are right. Use quality entry and exit routes.

Other details of hunting the right way are more nuanced. For example, if deer densities get too high, some does and a high number of bucks can push big deer out of the area. These really old deer like seclusion (even from other deer), and they’ll find it.

Because of this, in some instances, it’s good to remove some of the competition. Take out some does, and maybe even “inferior” bucks, to make more room for mature bucks.

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