Im looking at a possible lease thats 160 acres with mostly farm land/crop field and about 30 acres of woods. Does anybody hunt these types of properties and how do you set up? Since its only 30 acres of woods would i set up on the wood line? I just have hard time seeing bucks in the middle of a pasture except at night. Would early morning or evening be best?

I hunt a lease, 420 acres, which is mostly mesquite flats and with about 50-75 acres of seasonal creek with hardwoods drawn through the acreage. I have a nicely wooded area to the north, a wooded area separated from my lease by a small grassy field to the west, and open pasture land to the southwest and south. A road is the east border. I set up a feeder on the north side along the hardwoods between a tank and the north border, and another feeder in a nice protected area near the south hardwoods with a tank due east and seasonal water nearby. I am telling you this to give you an idea of what I am hunting.

I have seen many deer wandering the mesquite flats as I have driven out of the property. I also see quite a few deer using the fence line as a conduit from one property to another. When my feeder has corn slinging, I do a pretty good job of attracting deer along the hardwood line or coming out of the hardwoods and walking along the hardwood/creek bottom line to get to the north property with heavy cover. During the rut, we did have a decent buck come from behind us out if the pasture area responding to a younger buck, but my son couldn't get a shot on him.

I think if you set up at the border of the pasture and the hardwoods and between any source of cover and water, you will do fine. If you can plant some food plots closer to the cover, you will make it even more enjoyable for the deer and yourself.

Build you a buffet and they will come!

I hunt a lease in Montgomery County (East Texas) that is cattle ranch. The Bottom area of the ranch where I hunt is approx 70% pasture. I have one stand at the corner of a pasture with woods to my East and South and another stand out in a pasture next to a tree with a panoramic view. Deer come from all directions on both stands and will cross the middle of the pastures. We have to shoot a lot of does so I hold off on the bucks unless it is one I want to mount or a spike. Here is a link to some of the videos I have shot out of these stands if you want to take a look https://www.youtube.com/user/whitetaildeervideos. I can’t pass up a chance to plug my youtube videos.

This particular property is surrounded by mostley open crop fields. The nearest thick cover and woods is 1/4 mile. Im having my doubts that I will be able to draw any bucks that far from cover. They may cross the open fields at night but I dont know about shooting hours. Ive looked at the property and there is alot of hog sign but no deer tracks. The last two guys that were on it hunted it for two years and killed an 8 point but they didnt renew thier lease this year.

In my opinion, 1/4 mile is not that far if you can give them something to come for...food plots or corn slinging will draw deer in.

Most of our land is wheat fields... Just gotta be there at the right time. I've taken two 150 class bucks and one 120 in the past two years. If you put the time in you can catch them crossing through.

I checked it out...Good videos. The Montgomery cty 8 pt was really cool.

my old Midland Ranch was about 80% crp, 15% mesquite thicket, and 5% draw/creek.

It was difficult to get deer out in the open, but we set up feeders along the thicket border and had some success.

Pattern your does and then wait for your bucks.

I hunted 800 acres that was 1 side river, 1 side pasture, 1 side railroad track and the last milo. The 800 acres had 4 trees onit and was pasture. During the rut we took some nice bucks 140's and 150's. The does would come across the pasture to get away from the bucks. The bucks would get dumb at that time of year. I would be on the porch drinking coffee and see a doe come out of the bottom and watch 2 or 3 bucks follow her through the field. I had markers set up to help judge distance.

what is the crop?

im not sure what is planted during deer season. Right now it looks like sunflowers. Id hate to spend the money just to shoot hogs varmints. Should i set feeder or food plots on the edge of the tree line next the the crop field or should i set and plant them inside the 30 acres of cover in a small clearing?

Walk down the edge and find main trails that are being used in and out...it should be pretty easy to find right now and also check for some old scrapes then just set it 20-30yrds of the treeline

I walkied the tree line but saw nothing but hog tracks. Very few trails. There is a dried up creek that runs through the wooded cover and ends on the property.

what does it look like at the point or main run off of the creek? could something walk through it and not leave much tracks,,,and stay out of site?

Pretty much. The creek is bone dry. The grass is so tall i could only get to it in certain spots. This property has road frontage on both sides also.

Road frontage on both sides? I would pass and look for something better.


I was dropping a round bale in the pasture for some cattle, they heard the truck and came up to feed, a nice buck came with them...so, I shot him at 20 feet with a glock 17 a few days ago.


Deer can and will be in pasture, they can bed down and you wont see them in grass.

Id also have a lock on stand watching the creek bed...prolly the only stand I would have lol. Your best bet would to be set up a feeder off the fence line a bit and if not much hits it within a month clear you a place in the woods