Big-Buck Hotspot: East-Coast Suburbia

The June issue of Quality Whitetails magazine had an article on the Top 10 Zones for Record-Book Bucks: Wisconsin, southern Iowa and Indiana, Kansas…and coming in at No. 10, East Coast Suburbia:

…counties around Washington D.C, New York and Philadelphia harbor small pockets of habitat that allow bucks to mature with little hunting pressure. Each year savvy bowhunters gain access to these small tracts and harvest some dandy bucks.

Like the one in the picture from a northern VA suburb. Imagine if you had permission to bowhunt the 2 to 5 private acres between the park field and the houses/streets? You’d have a decent shot at that giant.

This weekend would be a good time to put on civilian clothes (no camo) and a smile and start knocking on doors in subdivisions and small estates where the woods out back look prime for deer. No other hunters are asking for permission now, so you’ll have a leg up. Most people will probably say no; the Bambi-lovers will tell you, hell no. Say thanks for your time and move on. It only takes one good person with the right 5 or so wooded acres to put you on some P&Y bucks.

Another big benefit to all the un-pressured bucks you'll see: Think about all the $5 gas you’ll save by hunting closer to home this fall. You won’t even have to trade your F-150 for a greenie-weenie :)

Comments

[jstreet]

The biggest 8 pointer I've ever seen was behind a buddy's house on his 4-5 acre tract. It just happens to back up to a power line that sits across from 200 acres that is off limits to hunting.

The hardest thing about hunting these types of spots are the dogs, kids, noise and hikers. It can be worth it, but it definetly can try your patience too.

Jim

[hanback]

Jim, I agree it's a diff world and type of hunting--dogs barking, you see houselights, hear commuters heading off to work in their cars at 5:00 AM. Sign of the times in many areas and ironic the big bucks just live there, pretty much undisturbed. One time a guy fired up a weed-whacker (a neighbor of the place I hunted) and worked for 20 minutes behind my stand, I could see him off in the distance. He stopped and 10 minutes later 4 does walked by 10 yards from my stand, go figure!

[Flatlander]

suburbs and rural subdivisions are great....my biggest bow kill stood for an hour tending doe, feeding, relaxing just 200 yards from a guy shooting his 44 mag at the edge of town.... he didn't even blink until the guy pulled out a .22 a shot a few and the buck and doe bolted (tell me they haven't been shot at by 22's from poachers!!!) the buck did come back following the doe (his last mistake)..... he's now resting in my family room Gross 146
Net 131 :)

most people wouldn't hunt that spot and put up with the neighbors outdoor activities.....but remember when it gets cold and rainy in November they go in the house for the winter :)....... our time to shine then

[bill reiman]

First time I hunted an urban zone area in Indianapolis I had my doubts. One of the best stand sites backs up against the interstate. Weird being in that tree before day break and hearing cars and trucks going behind me. It turns out to be a great travel route. They go from Park property on the otherside of the interstate, follow a creek under the interstate and move through the property. Two 10 pointers and a good sized 8 were taken on that property last year

[Big Daddy]

I put an end to hunting in backyards with an unpleasant experience I had several years ago...I owned a home in one of Pittsburg's suburbian areas named Fox Chapel. The neighborhood was over run with deer as no hunting of any sort was allowed. Homeowner's pleas for relief was met with the opening of archery only hunting with the owner's permission. I was sitting on my shed roof listening to my neighbor's mow their lawns and blow fallen leaves, their children playing on swing sets,etc. when a nice 8pt walked into my yard an I slid a Wasp broadhead thru his ribs...he ran over to the neighbor's yard and fell into a sandbox with kids playing not 50' away. Let me tell you i sure didn't feel like I had accomplished much with those kids crying and yelling as I went to rtetrieve my 18" 8 pt from their yard all the while being berated by their mother!
Soory but that isn't for me anymore!

[Doug In Wisconsin]

DB, I was thinking about that exact thing happening. I bet that was no fun at all.

[Doug In Wisconsin]

Oops. I mean, BD.

[jstreet]

BD illustrates a good point about the downside of hunting "subdivision deer".

When you shoot one with a bow, you run the risk of the deer dying in someone's azalea bush and the lady of the house complaining to the homeowner's association!

Jim

[Flatlander]

it is really sad that i was a bad situation and even worse that the kids were traumitzed. but if it fell in my kids sand box (2 year old) she would say "good buck' and then say looks like dinner!!

at what point did our society quit teaching where our meals come from...... my ancestors from the depression era say they celibrated when someone shot something, because it meant protein for dinner......

if that family had educated the kids about the reality of building a house where deer would frequent and the impact that can have they might have understood better......and at worst been a life lesson in science and agriculture

just a thought, maybe i am crazy

[hanback]

not crazy, i agree with you and like I said this suburban hunting is a sign of our changing times. this whole good discussion has sparked me to write a how-to-hunt-suburbs deer post sometime soon, thanks all for your perspectives

[Doug In Wisconsin]

Mike, that's a good idea. I've been eyeing some spots on my to/from work that I could hit mid-week this year and could use some tips. Most of the ones I'm looking at aren't really suburbs though. Small farms, mostly. Although, there are some of the "rural mansions" sprinkled in.

[Dirty]

Largest buck I've ever hunted was right smack dab in the middle of town, watched him pre-season, rut kicked in and never saw him again till he was run over about 50 yards from the tree I was climing.