by Keith Schmidt
Sometimes the biggest challenge for deer hunters in Texas is finding the perfect parcel of land to hunt.
So, when my two oldest grandsons (ages 18 and 11 at the time) expressed an interest in learning more about the great outdoors, it was up to me to figure out how to make that happen. Just where was I going to take them? My options included public land permits; private deer leases; or, a small parcel of land that was affordable to either lease or purchase. I already knew that large private deer leases with multiple hunters can be rather expensive so I was hoping I could come up with another plan. I barely had time to research the public land options in Texas before a seven (7) acre property, adjacent to our home became available. We live in a gated community in Wood County, TX that does not allow hunting, but this new property is outside of the boundaries of our community. However, it shared a common boundary with our current homesite. We bought the property and immediately started looking into the different hunting methods allowed on this relatively small hunting tract.
I grew up hunting large areas of land in the Sabine National Forest in the Hemphill, TX area. My grandfather and uncle “still” hunted those lands since the 1950’s and they taught me and my brother everything we know about deer and squirrel hunting with rifles and shotguns. “Still” hunting was basically sitting on a tree stump or at the base of a pine tree and being as still as possible, hoping a deer would walk by you. This 7-acre property was going to be a different sort of challenge. We have neighbors who’s homes back up on two sides of our rectangle shaped tract. Gun hunting was not an option due to the small size of the land and proximity to homes. After looking at compound bows and crossbows, I choose a moderately priced crossbow to start with. As a “senior” hunter I was more comfortable giving this method a try. Hey, it had a scope just like my old .30-30 rifle, and that was something that I was very familiar with.
We closed the real estate deal on our new property in late October 2018, right in the middle of whitetail season in Texas. I was extremely excited about owning a place we could hunt that was just outside my back door! I immediately set up a small “pop-up” ground blind in the center of our heavily wooded land. I had practiced shooting bolts at a stationary target for weeks in my backyard, and I felt pretty confident about taking a deer from roughly 25 yards. With rifles our average shot distance was 100 yards plus. I was fearful that I couldn’t get a deer to come close enough for an ethical shot but, I was ready to get out in the woods to see what happens.
Since I hadn’t really scouted the property much yet, or set up tree stands and a feeder, those first few days of hunting were not very successful, until a few weeks later. After a couple of long days with no activity, I decided to regroup and do it right. I needed to thoroughly scout the property and put myself in position to see deer as they crossed my property. I found a nice area with a well-travelled game trail so I placed a ladder stand with camo netting against a large pine tree close by. Roughly 40 yards away I set up a deer feeder full of corn and placed a game camera in the area so I could see just what was coming thru the property, and when. I really hated stirring up the woods right when the “rut” was about to get rolling but I didn’t have anything to lose. My first attempt at hunting didn’t work at all, but I was at least giving myself a chance with the new set-up. Within a week, I started seeing activity. I watched several does with yearlings; small bucks; and a couple of 2 1/2-year-old bucks that were not legal yet. Wood County allows a hunter to harvest two bucks per season. A spike buck and one mature buck that has a minimum 13” inside spread between the antlers.
Finally, I felt prepared to shoot my first whitetail with a crossbow. I have to admit that I was quite nervous about how this would turn out. I chose a healthy spike buck and let my bolt fly. The shot was true and the buck didn’t run far before expiring. I was very relieved. With this relatively small hunting property, the possibility of wounding an animal and having it run off of my land was very high. But, it worked and I knew my grandsons and I would really enjoy this style of hunting.
I started planning right away for the next early bow season, where I could introduce the boys to the sport. I had the spring and summer to clear walking paths, and create shooting lanes. I cut small tree limbs and cleared vines and branches that would give hunters better visibility while in the blinds, and prevent deflecting a crossbow bolt in flight. The boys lived two hours away in Dallas, but practiced shooting skills in the woods when they came for weekend visits. My brother came down from Idaho in 2020 and shot a family record deer on our little land. Over a six-year period (and several bouts of “buck fever” for the boys) we all tagged decent bucks and enjoyed eating venison thru out the year. It has been so much more productive than I ever dreamed. But there are several factors that made this property a success. Easy access; abundance of deer in surrounding timber land, and a commitment to put the work in the land that is needed to make it successful.
When you have easy access to your deer blind, you naturally spend more time in the woods. If every hunting trip is several hours or more away from home, you can only get away so many times during the season. With young kids involved, that means it’s even harder to coordinate. Thanksgiving has been a big week for deer hunting in our family for a long time, and this hunting spot enabled everyone to come to our home and spend time together while the boys would hunt for a few hours in the mornings and afternoons.
I used to think that the only way you could shoot a trophy buck was by spending a small fortune on a guided hunt, or hunting on a big acreage lease. Not anymore. I encourage all hunters to not overlook smaller parcels of land when looking for place to hunt. There may even be a spot near your home. You will be surprised at how productive it can be. And on the days that the deer aren’t moving, it’s still satisfying to sit around the firepit with your sons, daughters, grandkids, and friends sharing stories about the wildlife that you saw that day. You will be making memories for those kids that will last a lifetime.
