What's the smallest acreage one can expect to own and still have the opportunity to see quantity as well as quality deer?

depends on where its at, but I would say from my experiance at least 150 acres. alot depends of the shape of property, its layout and what not.

one of my properties for sale is only 173 acres but its rectangular and at each of the 4 blinds you will see 6-8 deer per sit.

Do you have a link to that property? Doing my search of lands I instinctively was staying at 150 or higher. I'm looking mason,menard , San saba area

Unless you have a huge spread, the deer aren't going to "live" on your land. They have a range of up to a couple of miles in the case of some bucks. On small acreage you just try to catch them passing through. The good news is, if you make your place attractive to them (food, water, cover)they will find it and make it part of their routine. Quantity will depend on how many deer live in the general vicinity. I only have 35 acres, but it is heavily wooded and is part of a funnel to other, bigger woodlands, so I see some deer. Aerial photos can tell you a lot about the potential of a property for hunting.

its north of hondo....probably about the same distance as san saba from austin.

http://www.texasranchco.com/property_detail.php?pid=44

Nice place. unfortunately outa my price range....hunted with a friend lastvwknd in bandera and liked the area though. first time in that neck of the woods and had a blast!

bandera is high dollar.

if you don't mind me asking, what budget are you looking to stay around?

From what I've seen in the above areas....2-3k/ acre...on average. would.like to already have water and electricity on site too. So 300-400k

thats doable. especially in the menard area/mason area.

i have a small 18 acre low fence place about 3 miles from Bandera. This year have taken 3 Axis and an 8 point whitetail off it. This afternoon I went over there and sat in my kubota to watch the feeder go off. 12 whitetail does and fawns and one axis. It doesn't matter on the size, it depends on the deer population.

I live in a Country Sub Division above Medina Lake beside what was the Medina River..have 2.53 acres..2 acres is my old horse trap..I had 21 whitetails and 4 Axis at my feeder, course they come from all the neighbors and the brush..but if I get on the
lawn mower and they hear it they come running..If I knew how to
download the pictures I've taken I'd post them..I hunt on 50 acres in Tarpley that has quite a bit of land around it and I've
always been able to fill several limits should I wish to, plus sometimes we have turkeys and hogs..A lot depends on the way
one tends his place..I can drive up within 10 to 20 ft. of the pets on my place, and yes they get shot at regularly, but the hard headed neighbors don't kill the spikes or does..DD

Yall are right, if the deer are there thry will come!
Im currently on a lease in Austin . Almost 900 acres. I have seen 3 deer since opening wknd. Have hunted every spot at various times, weather, etc...Im getting tired of payin someone to hunt there land and be restricted with every rule in the book....its time to buy! Bandera was a treat this last wknd with the small town feel! Hung out at Archy Blues Silver Dollar and saw him there! The feed store there is way beyond cool

Yep not much living on some of those small places but you can entice them over from the neighbors until they high fence it.

next best thing to buying would be getting on a place out there in west texas! any word on things out there JR?

Man I havent seen the landowner in a couple weeks. I will see him Monday though.

sounds good! I dont mean to be a bur in the saddle

No prob...the neighboring landowner called me yesterday about his place and I may look at adding it as well. It's another 6,000 acres.

We are on 200 acres with over half being kinda open but we got good neighbors with not much hunting around us and when all 3 of us are hunting at same time we will usually have 4 to 8 deer in front of each of us the majority of out hunts some days are slower but for the most part. We have really nice bucks too

txhunter:

where do ya'll hunt?

Totally depends on where you're at. I hunted an 11 acre tract of family land in Refugio County for a couple of years & saw lots of good deer there. I live on 5 acres in Aransas County & have some pretty darn nice bucks in my yard sometimes. Got a buddy that leased a 200 acre tract in Goliad County with some of the biggest bucks I've ever seen in my life!! A small place that is bordered by a large ranch (LF of course )can surprise you. I've hunted on some big ranches, but have been really surprised at the deer I've seen on some of these really small places. All about the location.

When the neighbors don't hunt someone has to thin the herd.

the Izoro area.....

I think alot of it depends on your neighbors and your property and what you make of it.

We have 300+ acres rectangle shaped in south texas. A row crop field wraps us that isnt hunted. We have had pretty good luck, but I think alot of that is to do with our farming neighbor the work we have done, keeping our place quiet and always having feed and water available to the deer.

We by no means drive around and shoot rabits or yotes at night.

Looking to buy a small place. 35 acres in the hill country. Seems to have a bunch of potential. 1.07K. Hogs and deer. Don't have to have thousands of acres to be successful at hunting.

I am going to look at a place that borders the Wagonner Ranch after Christmas. It's about 200 acres. I hope it's a good place.