Monday, July 05, 2010
Young Guns and Big Bucks on Small Plots
by Blaine Burley
Many of today’s small landowners have discovered that big bucks can be grown and harvested on small acreage. What is still being debated, however, is the best way to achieve this lofty goal, and what opportunities it opens up (especially for young hunters). In the past, we were taught that you needed large tracts of land (over 5,000 acres of contiguous land) or high-fenced operations to effectively and consistently produce quality whitetails. However, many of today’s wildlife managers and biologists have realized that you can consistently produce trophy-class bucks on small tracts of land if you manage these tracts properly. The cornerstone of managing small tracts effectively is to provide everything your deer herd needs within the boundaries of your property. The basics may be obvious: adequate amounts of food, water, and cover. Yet, most small tracts of land lack one or more of these three components. You, as a wildlife manager and landowner, must provide these three key ingredients in order to attract, grow, and keep quality bucks on your property.
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