How To Design A Micro Deer Hunting Parcel

This video provides a comprehensive guide to designing and building micro deer hunting parcels, which are typically 5 to 20 acres (0:17). The speaker emphasizes that even on small parcels, it’s crucial to understand deer behavior and design the land to create the illusion that the deer are not being hunted.

Here are the key takeaways for designing an effective micro deer hunting parcel:

Food Source Placement (3:11):

Place the primary food source to one side of the property, not in the middle. This ensures mature bucks have undisturbed space on your property (3:11-4:00).

Avoid multiple food plots in close proximity, as this can limit mature buck bedding areas (4:06-4:32).

Ideally, locate the food plot on a “safe side” of the property, such as near a neighbor’s pasture or a less-trafficked area, to facilitate access without spooking deer (6:32-7:14).

The food plot should be at a “dead end” of deer movement, meaning deer are unlikely to pass through it to get elsewhere, allowing for safe access and exit (7:21-7:58).

Access and Wind Considerations (4:46):

Design the property with clear access points that allow you to reach the food plot and stands without disturbing deer (4:46-4:58).

Don’t prioritize predominant winds; instead, design ambush points based on the lay of the land, funnels, and deer bedding areas, then determine what winds are suitable for each stand (5:00-5:31).

Access and food plot placement are interdependent (6:06-6:15).

Creating Thick Cover (Sanctuary) (8:32):

Complement the food plot with thick cover for deer bedding (8:32-8:47).

Avoid making the area near your access side too thick, as deer bedding there could be spooked when you enter (8:52-9:04).

Consider timber harvests, planting conifers (like white spruce that grow in shade), or creating hinge-cut pockets to thicken the habitat (9:45-11:59).

The goal is to create a layered approach to bedding, starting with does and fawns, then young bucks, and finally older bucks (12:58-13:16).

Managing Hunting Pressure (13:31):

The entire parcel, including the food plot, should be treated as a sanctuary with zero pressure (13:31-13:47).

Spooking deer from a food source can cause them to abandon the entire property (13:57-14:11). The speaker shares an anecdote of a buck avoiding a water hole for over a month after being spooked (14:12-15:22).

Control your hunting pressure to give deer the illusion they are not being hunted (15:24-15:31).

The video concludes by recommending a web class, “How to Design Your Whitetail Parcel Deer Class,” for those looking for more in-depth guidance (18:30-19:37).