Just got back from my annual 2 week trip to the farm and did a lot of thinking on the drive home. In 27 sits I saw deer 5 times. Saw 14 does and 5 bucks only one which was a marginal shooter. I have kept records of this trip for about 7 years now and have watched sighting drop from over 2 deer per sit to .7 or so this year. This is on 320 acres of very diverse good deer habitat which had less than 20 sits on it all season until my trip. So very minimal pressure on my place, and also on another 600 acres surrounding me. I have spent years improving the place for hunting including timber mgmt, food plots including summer crops. I have just about concluded I am beating a dead horse wasting my time and money on my property.

Did a little cost benefit analysis and am seriously considering doing my deer hunting somewhere else. I figure I could get at least $7/ac or about $2400 if I lease it out. So I take on 2 guys and put $1600 in my pocket and keep the ability to hunt on family trips. Stop planting plots which gets me another $1500 or so in my pocket and work the two weeks I usually take off every year to plant which puts another $5000 to $6000 in my pocket. So I am guessing for $8000 to $9000 I could maybe get 2 week long trips hunting places that actually have deer, probably large deer. I am no trophy hunter I really just want. to see deer on a fairly regular basis and a good un every now and then.

Gonna have to think it over because this year absolutely was not worth the time effort and money invested.