Growing Big Bucks – The Best Methods For White-Tail Deer Management


Studies on Free Roaming white-tail Bucks indicate that their home range averages approximately 700 acres. Specific acreage depends on the configuration of his range. Configuration factors include quality and quantity of food crops, water supply, and a low pressure environment.

Many bucks within a 700 acre range NEVER reach the status of a Trophy Buck for the following reasons:

  1. They are harvested prior to reaching maturity.

  2. Their range lacks a quality water supply.

  3. Their range does not produce the nutrients needed to reach their full potential.

  4. Inferior bucks, like the one in the video here, are not being removed from this range.

  5. Many bucks move to a more remote location to escape the pressures of hunting.

The above requirements identify the First and Most Important Step in creating a successful Game Management Program: Selecting the Right Parcel of Land from which you will build your Management Program.

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This video of a buck from one of our properties shows he is comfortable during the day. This is a sure sign he feels little pressure from his surrounding environment.

Trophy Bucks can be consistently harvested on a parcel of land much smaller than 700 acres when it is properly located. Configuration and use of the lands surrounding your Game Management Program are the single biggest factors in determining the success and cost of producing the quantity and quality of deer you desire to harvest each season.

Extensive studies on High Fenced Game Management Properties, suggest 12% of your Game Management Land should be dedicated to the production of top quality food crops throughout the year to support a population of one quality deer per 3.5 acres on your Management Land.

This type of Game Management Program requires 96 of the 700 acres to be established into food production to maintain a deer population of 200 deer. The manager of the Hunting Program I reviewed harvested 33% of his heard annually, 50% does and 50% Trophy or cull bucks.

At an average cost of $400 per acre to double-crop this 96 acre Nutrition Program, your annual food production budget should be $38,400. This type program should produce 66 deer ready to be harvested each year at an average cost of $673 in a 700 acre Program.

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The right piece of land can hold a large density of white-tail deer.

The purchase or long term lease of a property this size combined with the cost of a Nutrition Program of this magnitude exceeds both the needs and budget of most Recreational Hunters.

Reducing the 700 acre range of a mature buck, without a high fence, is not an option in most cases as this is nature at work. With the exception of isolated cases, this type of Game Management Program requires the owner of a small property to work with the adjoining land owners in a joint venture Game Management Program. This strategy can be extremely difficult if it includes more than one or two additional members.

A better option is to locate a small parcel of land with these features:

  1. Surrounded by a large natural forest.

  2. Good water supply.

  3. Produces an abundance of natural foods.

The success of your hunting program is even better when this adjoining forest is closed to hunting. These unique properties will consistently produce Trophy Game, with minimal effort on your part.

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Trophy Bucks will exist even on a small piece of land, if the right conditions exist surrounding this property.

Self Contained Hunting Properties Do Exist

On rare occasions Small Properties appear that fulfill all the needs of a Mega Trophy Buck Production Program including a year around food supply at no extra cost to the Trophy Buck Hunter.

The maps on this website show our properties highlighted in green and yellow. The adjoining state lands, which are closed to hunting, are highlighted in red. These State Lands are sanctuaries for quality game. They already have the optimal configuration factors essential for a successful deer management program: fresh water, a large portion of the necessary food supply and a low pressure environment.

The State lands which border our Hunting Properties encompass some of Florida best known rivers including the Suwannee and Withlacoochee.

The forests in these areas are predominately hardwood. These forests produce an abundance of the natural foods needed to help maintain deer health in the late summer and fall including acorns, palmetto berries, magnolia seed, bay tree seed, wild blue berries, and many others. These food crops greatly reduce the cost of your Trophy Buck Management Program.

Our Hunting Properties are located in Madison County and Hamilton County Florida which are tied in 4th place for the production of 130″ + Bucks. Both of these counties are also located in the new Mega Agricultural Center of the South Eastern United States.

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On this map of one of our properties, you can see the large state-protected area (closed to hunting) adjoining our property.

Let Someone Else Feed & Grow Your Big Bucks!

The location of our properties is a huge advantage for a long term Trophy Buck Program as high quality food production throughout this area is on the rise. This will give the new owners of this land a head start in their Deer Management Program.

Several thousand acres of pivot irrigated farm land which produce peanuts, corn, small grains, soybeans, carrots, etc border several of our Hunting Parcels. Two of our Parcels border a pivot irrigated field over two miles in length and approximately 1.5 miles in width.

Two additional Parcels, from our selection, are only separated from these irrigated fields by the State Protected land itself. The unique locations of these properties make growing Trophy Bucks a low-effort situation.

With the exception of free choice mineral, all of the major factors necessary for the continuous production of Top Quality Trophy Bucks far exceed the needs of our small Hunting Lands.

When you take into account the number of deer residing in the large State Protected lands that travel through our small Parcels to access the large irrigated fields, the deer density on these small parcels far exceed the 1 deer per 3.5 acre ratio of the High Fenced Programs. The bucks on these small parcels remain qualified for Boon and Crockett or Pope and Young ranking as they are not in high fenced areas.

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The irrigated field in the above photograph and three additional fields similar in size adjoin one of our 11 acre parcels.  These fields produce corn, peanuts, soybeans, and other small grains throughout the year.  This 11 parcel also adjoins over 500 acres of native hardwood forest on its north and west boundary which is closed to hunting.

To complete a well balanced Deer Management Program, the new land owner must only maintain a well balanced source of free choice mineral and salt for their herd.

This part of your Trophy Buck Program is small in effort and cost in proportion to the results it produces when implemented correctly.

Free choice mineral also helps keep your doe population in top condition to produce larger and healthier offspring. This will progressively improve your herd in a much shorter time frame.

Successful managers of top quality white tail deer recommend feeding 2 calcium to 1 phosphorous ratio mineral with the proper mix of selenium, vitamin A, D3, E, and B 12. This keeps the overall health of your deer herd at its optimum level. This one addition to your management program is a very important and an economical part of maximizing your deer herds potential.

Keep all of the factors mentioned here in mind as you are considering your plans for Growing Big Bucks. The total size of a Game Management program is “a must” but having to purchase a large Parcel can now be a choice.

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With the right piece of property and a little bit of work, you will create the ideal scenario for growing a large number of trophy bucks.

Thank you for reviewing northfloridabigbucks.com I hope you enjoy your visit

See Our Available Properties

Click the picture or title below to see the properties we have for sale. All properties are located next to State Protected Land. On this protected land, hunting is not allowed. So all of our properties give you a great opportunity for hunting big game, recreation and more.

Hunter Creek - Hamilton County (SOLD!)

Hunter Creek - Hamilton County (SOLD!)

Both of the Hunter Creek properties have been sold, but we still have properties available! Our hand-picked properties give you the privacy and flexibility that comes with owning your own land. These properties, unlike most small properties for sale...

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Chitty Bend East (SOLD!)

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Jennings Bluff - Hamilton County (AVAILABLE!)

Jennings Bluff - Hamilton County (AVAILABLE!)

This property is next to approximately 700 acres of state land which is closed to hunting, camping, and ATVs (Suwannee River Water Management District). This rare feature in a hunting property is almost impossible to find anywhere else in Florida....
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El Trigal Lower 40 (SOLD!)

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