The Obsession Podcast

The real %'s you shoot that giant buck that shows up on your small property Hunting success rates for giant bucks on small properties are not easily quantified with exact percentages. However, several factors significantly impact the likelihood of success. Key factors affecting success Understanding Deer Behavior and Habitat: Recognizing that deer on smaller properties, especially trophy bucks, often utilize a larger surrounding area for their needs, including neighboring properties, is crucial. Therefore, understanding how your property fits into the local deer herd's movement patterns and habitat requirements is paramount. Habitat Improvements: While smaller properties may not offer everything a deer needs, focusing on creating and enhancing the elements that are most lacking in the area can attract and hold deer. This includes: High-Quality Bedding Areas: Deer need secure places to rest and feel safe from predators. Creating dense cover and thickets can provide this security. Strategic Food Sources: If natural food sources are limited, planting food plots (even small ones) or supplementing existing ones can make your property more attractive. Focus on foods that are appealing during the hunting season. Water Sources: Ensuring access to water can draw deer to your property, particularly if water is scarce in the surrounding area. Low Hunting Pressure: Mature bucks are highly sensitive to hunting pressure. Over-hunting a small property can quickly drive deer to neighboring properties or make them nocturnal. Strategic Hunting Techniques: Careful Entry and Exit Routes: Design your access routes to minimize disturbing the deer, considering prevailing winds and terrain features to stay concealed. Multiple Stand Locations: Having several stand locations allows for flexibility with wind conditions and prevents deer from patterning your movements. Targeted Hunting: Rather than hunting the same spot repeatedly, utilize trail camera data and observations to identify specific buck movements and hunt only when conditions are optimal. Neighbor Cooperation: Working with neighboring landowners to manage deer populations and hunting pressure can be highly beneficial. Establishing a cooperative approach can create a larger, more attractive habitat and improve overall hunting success for everyone involved. Trail camera surveys and success rates Trail camera surveys are a valuable tool for understanding deer populations and informing management strategies. Studies have shown that with a density of one camera per 100 acres for 10-14 days, up to 90% of the deer herd can be photographed. However, on smaller properties, a higher camera density may be necessary as bucks can dominate camera sites, affecting the accuracy of sex ratio estimates. It's important to note that these surveys don't directly quantify the percentage of bucks you will shoot. Instead, they provide data about the herd's characteristics, enabling you to make informed decisions to increase your chances of encountering and potentially harvesting a trophy buck. In conclusion, while there isn't a definitive percentage you'll shoot that giant buck, implementing sound management and hunting practices on your small property can significantly increase your chances of success. Focusing on creating quality habitat, minimizing hunting pressure, and hunting strategically are key elements to consider.

Best shooting position from a treestand, and how best to improve as a bowhunter.

Setting up your property & plots to control buck movement. Karl and Mike discuss how to setup your food plots and small properties to be successful each year on some of the best bucks in your area. The guys discuss layouts that they have proven to work year after year for them on the best bucks in the areas the guys hunt. They end up hunting the top ten percent of the bucks in the area they have to hunt. The guys show you how they have been successful with these tactics. They hit on some of the things they do for these opportunities. As always thanks for watching and we appreciate each of you. Have a great week.

Morning entrances in the dark are you just educating deer? Jason from Iowa asks the guys their views on morning entrance on small properties or any property in general. Are we just educating deer going in on your hunt in the dark. Well Jason Mike and Karl Discuss how they see the entrance in the dark for your hunt. They have many years of doing it so they tell you some of the things they have found of the years of bowhunting. We appreciate each of you remember to put your views in the comments right here on the channel. Have a great week.

Hunting deer on plots only? One of our listeners was at a seminar and believes he heard a well known whitetail expert say you should only hunt deer on plots. Well this is our thoughts on the statement. The listener from Michigan may have misheard the information given or misinterpreted what was said. Karl and Mike discuss about the views that they have. How they lay their property and customers properties to hunt plots. Which plots to hunt and which plots not to hunt. When to hunt them and also when to leave them alone. Hunting plots smartly can be productive but only at the right times, and the right places and the guys lay out those time and places in this video. Let us know your thoughts on plot hunting and the results you have had in your experience we really want to hear your thoughts. As always thanks for watching and we appreciate each of you. We will see you next week.

Listener says trail cams are cheating! Well imagine that! Carl tells the guys that he believes that he thinks the use of trail cams is cheating for hunting?? Well the guys talk about their views on Carls statement. Mike and our Karl have some pretty strong views on the use and ability to use cameras as a hunting aid. So the guys talk about how they see things, and the proper use of cams, and other we guess hunting aids. What are your thoughts on cameras and camera use when hunting for animals. Be sure to let us and everyone know what you think right here in the comments. Like always we appreciate each of you and your views let us know, and have a great weekend. Happy Memorial day.

The importance of summer buck pics? Skip asked the guys is it important for them to have pics of bucks on the property in the summer time, and what effects have they seen with buck pics over this summer time imagery? Karl and Mike discuss what they have found over the years when it comes to having bucks on your property at this time and if they think it is important to have these pics at this time. They both talk about the chances they have seen with being able to hunt these deer in the fall. Let us know in the comments what your thoughts are on summer buck pics, and the success you have had on taking these bucks during the season if you have pics of them over the summer.

Ron from New York asks the guys what are the top property enhancements that they think you need for year one success on your new hunting spots. Well Karl and Mike layout how they go about laying out a new property and how they look at it when setting up your new place for year one success. The guys have a few things they think work the best for getting your place up and running for whitetails. We appreciate you checking out the show subscribe and like for more podcasts that come to you weekly. Have a great week and we will see you next week.

Waterholes are they really a great addon and why? Well Kevin asks the guy waterhole are they really worth the time and money as a addon on your hunting property. The guy explain their views on the water and hunting on in around it and even if it is worth the time and money to install it on your property. With 30 plus years of hunting under their belts each the guys have strong view on if water will actually help you kill a big buck on your hunting property. Thanks for watching we appreciate each of you have a great week we will see you next Saturday right here on The Obsession Podcast. Let us know your thoughts.

Morning and evening stands explained for success. Mike and Karl discuss morning and evening stands locations how to decide which stand is morning and which are evening hunts. the guys also hit on the importance on having both on for property for success. Karl and Mike also talk about when to hunt each of these setups as they are very different when it comes to time of year, and when you should spend time in each. As always remember to subscribe to the channel we would appreciate that. We appreciate each of you checking out our show have a great week!