how to hunt a small property

One word---

Persistance!

YOU will prevail!

 

I used to hunt a very similar situation hthrly.

One thing I did was keep activity to a MINIMUM during the season. I wouldn't even walk around looking for shrooms in the afternoon. The reason is obvious, the less activity in that particular area there is, the more like a refuge it is gonna be.

I'd walk in to exactly the same spot the exact same way every day. And out the same way.

I din't use a pop-up because I didn't need to. I sat under some cedars that I had cut a hole out of right next to a small clearing on a flat. Most of my kills in that spot came AFTER things settled down in the morning and the birds were looking for a place to loaf.

Again. I believe the most important thing on that tract is to keep activity down to ZERO during the season.

It's not much help but it's all this guy knows.

 

Excellent Pic hthrly! Looks like a really nice setting!

 

It's turkey season. It looks to me like you have your priorities straight. (As if there was any doubt.)

Another thing (seriously) that I found to work on my small property (28 acres) was not to do any mowing during turkey season. You may think that is funny but I kept it groomed like a golf course. It was tough to let it go for that month but it sure seemed to draw the birds. All the bugs I guess.

 

I have a smaller piece of property and baited it one week before the season opened. Left it along till the end of the season (legal then) and had turks everywhere.

 

It sounds to me like you already figured it out. Do the same thing you did last year when you took that awesome tom.
I have permission to hunt on a 22 acre plot, 10 minutes from home. Have taken 1 bird a year for three years in a row. Probably gonna jinx myself. But I have found out that just staying on a particular ridge has paid off. 2 years ago I didn't hear one gobble that morning. At 12:00 I decided to head off the ridge. At 12:15 I began to take off a few layers, I slammed the car door and I hear two Toms gobble. Yep they were on top of the hill. I told myself I will put the vest back on and slam the door a second time to see if they gobble again. Sure enough and they were moving right where I was sitting at. I figured what the heck and started back up the hill. I got half way up and did some cutting. Double gobbles and they were right where I had been sitting earlier. Well I b-lined for the top and on the way did some more cutting. the birds had turned and were headed my way. As I got to the edge of the top I kneeled behind a tree and pulled out a decoy, reached out and stuck in the ground. All of a sudden these birds gobbled and they were right on top of me at 20 yards. I just lowered the gun and when one came around a tree at 12 yards I nailed him. I didn't see these birds for 30 seconds when I dropped the first one. In fact I didn't see the second bird until I shot and he flew off. The bird I shot rolled behind a tree and I thought I had missed until I stood up and looked at where I shot. Kill time was 12:45. One of my best hunts ever!!!

 

Ha Ha, Well that wasn't really how I planned it but that's how it happened. I think that was the most tired I had ever been when turkey hunting. That hill climb was steep and long. I made it up there in about 10 minutes. Oh and I don't go up on the ridge unless I am hunting. I leave it alone. I hardly ever see any turkey birds around until it's spring.
Good luck to you this year.

 

we have a small 42 acre property, and all i can say is "build it, and they will come"

meaning wildlife habitat. as soon as last years prayers for rain quit drownin us out, were goin to make a nice little clover and chufa patch in an area that recieves no activity by us. its one of those overlooked gems that i get to rough the diamond out of!

but seriously, create strutting ground and nesting cover, and food, there will be birds

 

I to have a small 40 acre patch of timber surrounded by hundreds of acres of trees. Most of the turkeys roost on my neighbors creek that has lots of bottom land where they feed on beans and corn residue. The only way at least in the spring for me to get a shot at a bird is when someone hunts on my neighbors and flushes birds up onto my place. That is when I usually get a bird if I get one at all. I do have permission to hunt his place but I prefer to take one on my place. Especially when I have a land owners tag. Sure I could sneak over there and take a bird and sneak back without anyone knowing the difference.....but I would know. That's just me. If I hang in there I get a bird every other year. This is my off year but I'm still going to give it my all (with my new calls in my pocket)

 

My dad would take crack corn and throw it up in the trees BEFORE turkey season, not baiting. Some stayed on the limbs and allot ended up on the ground. The turks would tear the place up looking for the corn and eventually roost in the trees. Just an idea.

 

ok, then, here is what i suggest.... if you can, open up about 4-5 acres, clear it to create a field. Gobblers need strutting areas and hens need nesting habitat... you then food plot that bad boy and let grasses come up along the edges, and wala... you have just created a perfect micro habitat, a hilton on the hill top!

 

Try not to spend much time on the 30 .... it dosen't take them critters long to figure out there is someone in their living room. If you can find another place to put in some time .....let others push them off of their ground on to yours. I have permission to hunt a small acerage here in northwest Mo. were I only go too when the birds are not cooperating elsewere. I don't even scout it. When all else fails either my son or I will slip in there and usually get in on some birds. The least amount of preasure the better.

 

Steve,,,,,,,,,I'd try and find a path to the back of your place that the turkey don't roost along, and concentrate my efforts along the edge where the tree farm starts. I think you'll find them gobblers are going to head towards open ground in the mornings while its still cool. They want to strut and show off for the ladies, and that open ground is good for that.