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First lease and first time hunting Kentucky- any tips?

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gjs4

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Discussion starter · #1 ·
So I ended up on a 300ac lease outside of Lexington near the KY River. Super excited and hoping to have some great bowhunting adventures. The piece has a lot of topography, all wooded with a little ag nearby.

What kind of sign are bucks in the area likely to leave? Stated as I have seen monster rubs and scrapes in the Great Lakes areas whereas I tend to see bigger/older bucks in Midwest leave lesser sign. Guessing chasing starts around the second week of November, right? I’ve never baited before and was wondering if there was some worthwhile intel with putting out a few bait piles when I can get down there in a month. Is it worth spilling a few bags with cams? Any thoughts or comments on age structure, tactics, etc?

Thank you.
 
Discussion starter · #3 ·
Tenn47 said:
Congratulations on your new lease. I would put some cameras out on some well used trails. I feel like you are in a good area from what I have heard. No experience hunting ky though
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I appreciate it. Genuinely super excited to hunt Kentucky. I’m not a guy that needs to fill a tag so that is being stated from the adventure standpoint (but would love to harvest a great buck and maybe a doe of opportunity affords it).

Know how deer tend to use topography just not sure of the KY whitetail tendencies and/or if bait is big deal (like it is in areas of Ohio).
 
#4 ·
This is my 3rd year of having a lease in KY. My observations:

  • This isn't unique to Kentucky, but you will be much more at peace if your lease is isolated from nearby houses and roads. Mine very much is and I have zero concerns about trespassers when I'm not there.
  • Baiting is very popular. Whether or not you want to do it is personal preference, but if you have neighbors who hunt, high likelihood they will be baiting.
  • My lease is about 70/30 ag/hay vs. timber. They transition hard off ag to mast as soon as the beans start to yellow, but transition hard back when the beans fully turn and acorns get swept up.
  • Maybe it's just this property, but I don't find a ton of sign.
  • From the farmers I've talked to, not much bowhunting pressure, but lots of gun hunters.
  • My biggest bucks were up and moving the first week of November and for late season from mid-December forward.

Enjoy putting the puzzle together. Learning a new property and figuring out a strategy is my favoring part of hunting!
 
#6 ·
sunnysideup said:
How did you guys find your leases in KY ?

Basecamp?
Craigslist ?

I think this is the route I am going to go next year
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I found mine through networking. Wife's friend had family in Kentucky. She put me in touch with them. They didn't have anything, but knew a guy who guides and gave me his contact info. He put me in touch with a farmer they leased from in the past. Farmer has a dozen+ farms and just by sheer luck they had a guy not renewing right around the same time I reached out to them.

I know it's becoming more and more rare, but I also gained permission access to another farm near the lease just by knocking on doors this summer.
 
Discussion starter · #7 ·
irishiup said:
This is my 3rd year of having a lease in KY. My observations:

  • This isn't unique to Kentucky, but you will be much more at peace if your lease is isolated from nearby houses and roads. Mine very much is and I have zero concerns about trespassers when I'm not there.
  • Baiting is very popular. Whether or not you want to do it is personal preference, but if you have neighbors who hunt, high likelihood they will be baiting.
  • My lease is about 70/30 ag/hay vs. timber. They transition hard off ag to mast as soon as the beans start to yellow, but transition hard back when the beans fully turn and acorns get swept up.
  • Maybe it's just this property, but I don't find a ton of sign.
  • From the farmers I've talked to, not much bowhunting pressure, but lots of gun hunters.
  • My biggest bucks were up and moving the first week of November and for late season from mid-December forward.

Enjoy putting the puzzle together. Learning a new property and figuring out a strategy is my favoring part of hunting!
Click to expand...
Can’t thank you enough. This is gold and exactly what I was looking for (and wondered if anyone would share on AT). I really appreciate the help.

Do you bait? If so, what is your technique?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Discussion starter · #8 ·
irishiup said:
I found mine through networking. Wife's friend had family in Kentucky. She put me in touch with them. They didn't have anything, but knew a guy who guides and gave me his contact info. He put me in touch with a farmer they leased from in the past. Farmer has a dozen+ farms and just by sheer luck they had a guy not renewing right around the same time I reached out to them.

I know it's becoming more and more rare, but I also gained permission access to another farm near the lease just by knocking on doors this summer.
Click to expand...
Same here with networking but pm me if you can’t find anything. May have a resource for you.


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#9 ·
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#10 ·
Haven't hunted Kentucky, but I would really like to one day. Best of luck with your lease, I hope you have great success. Keep us updated!
 
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#11 ·
#12 ·
gjs4 said:
Can’t thank you enough. This is gold and exactly what I was looking for (and wondered if anyone would share on AT). I really appreciate the help.

Do you bait? If so, what is your technique?
Click to expand...
I do in the summer. It definitely helps take inventory (and get you excited), but it can be fool's gold. Only one shooter I picked up in summer '21 stayed around for most of the season. One was there all summer, disappeared all fall and showed back up in late December. A couple went MIA. All other shooters moved in from late October on. Again, this could all be unique to my property, but just passing along my observations.
 
#13 ·
Gun season here is a spectacle for sure, but it doesn't compare to Michigan where I'm originally from!
OOS hunter flock here every year for gun season. Buy tag over the counter, you can hunt with a rifle, hunt during the rut and if you don't tag out you are still good for archery or muzzleloader.

Certain parts of the state are better than others, but generally speaking its pretty darn good. I'm about 75 miles SW of Louisville, Breckinridge County, which is outstanding for hunting.

Chasing, especially younger bucks, will start around Halloween, give or take a week. First week of November is usually good, depending on weather.

Congratulations on your lease! Over the years I've lost about 5000 acres of PRIME hunting ground to OOS hunters that pay $20-$30 acre to lease, some even higher.
 
#14 ·
(Full disclosure, I'm not a baiter, but experienced hunter and live in Ky)
Unless you are hunting the early season (basically over at this point) I don't think bait is going to yield results for bigger deer. Early season it can be deadly, but even then, you need to be pretty consistent in order for the deer to be consistent. With that said, you are in a great area, assuming that your general neighborhood is good. Roughly this week, deer will be transitioning into the woods and big woods pieces will start picking up new faces that have been gone all summer. Acorns will be top destinations as the ag fields become a less intriguing food source. You will find best movement from Oct 20th- Dec 5th. With a big timber river farm, you should probably focus on long cruising ridges, pinches, and funnels that will focus the most activity to certain areas when they are cruising and chasing. If your lease actually has true bottomland along a river, those can be great rut corridors as well. Kentucky has great opportunity, but I wouldn't come here expecting a 160. It could happen, but a new lease, without prior knowledge is hard to know what to expect. Put out as many cams as you can and you should be able to gauge what is realistic. For an out of stater, I would think a 130s would be a realistic goal unless you just want to hold out for a bigger deer.
 
Discussion starter · #15 ·
Discussion starter · #16 ·
irishiup said:
I do in the summer. It definitely helps take inventory (and get you excited), but it can be fool's gold. Only one shooter I picked up in summer '21 stayed around for most of the season. One was there all summer, disappeared all fall and showed back up in late December. A couple went MIA. All other shooters moved in from late October on. Again, this could all be unique to my property, but just passing along my observations.
Click to expand...
Thank you. While baiting is legal in most of the states I’ve hunted… it never seemed attractive until being on a nothing but timbered piece. Getting some intel on the movement and neighbors approach will be huge. Again- I really appreciate all of the help.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Discussion starter · #17 ·
ksp107 said:
Gun season here is a spectacle for sure, but it doesn't compare to Michigan where I'm originally from!
OOS hunter flock here every year for gun season. Buy tag over the counter, you can hunt with a rifle, hunt during the rut and if you don't tag out you are still good for archery or muzzleloader.

Certain parts of the state are better than others, but generally speaking its pretty darn good. I'm about 75 miles SW of Louisville, Breckinridge County, which is outstanding for hunting.

Chasing, especially younger bucks, will start around Halloween, give or take a week. First week of November is usually good, depending on weather.

Congratulations on your lease! Over the years I've lost about 5000 acres of PRIME hunting ground to OOS hunters that pay $20-$30 acre to lease, some even higher.
Click to expand...
I’m sorry about the leasing deal becoming something displacing good folks. It’s legit be part of why I never wanted to do it. Putting myself in those shoes, and have been, sucked. We lost some primo Ohio ground that way.

Here in western NY gun season is a chit show. I’ve heard 200shots on opening day. I love guns and shooting… not deer hunting with guns. It sure brings out the idiots too.

Same with little guys- it’s a mature buck or a 150ish that is where my goal is at having a few other states on the docket. Experience means more than outcome too.

This is Garrard Co.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Discussion starter · #18 ·
nthewild said:
(Full disclosure, I'm not a baiter, but experienced hunter and live in Ky)
Unless you are hunting the early season (basically over at this point) I don't think bait is going to yield results for bigger deer. Early season it can be deadly, but even then, you need to be pretty consistent in order for the deer to be consistent. With that said, you are in a great area, assuming that your general neighborhood is good. Roughly this week, deer will be transitioning into the woods and big woods pieces will start picking up new faces that have been gone all summer. Acorns will be top destinations as the ag fields become a less intriguing food source. You will find best movement from Oct 20th- Dec 5th. With a big timber river farm, you should probably focus on long cruising ridges, pinches, and funnels that will focus the most activity to certain areas when they are cruising and chasing. If your lease actually has true bottomland along a river, those can be great rut corridors as well. Kentucky has great opportunity, but I wouldn't come here expecting a 160. It could happen, but a new lease, without prior knowledge is hard to know what to expect. Put out as many cams as you can and you should be able to gauge what is realistic. For an out of stater, I would think a 130s would be a realistic goal unless you just want to hold out for a bigger deer.
Click to expand...
You’re a gentlemen and scholar. I owe you and couple other guys a cup of coffee for your help. Thank you so much.


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#19 ·
gjs4 said:
I’m sorry about the leasing deal becoming something displacing good folks. It’s legit be part of why I never wanted to do it. Putting myself in those shoes, and have been, sucked. We lost some primo Ohio ground that way.

Here in western NY gun season is a chit show. I’ve heard 200shots on opening day. I love guns and shooting… not deer hunting with guns. It sure brings out the idiots too.

Same with little guys- it’s a mature buck or a 150ish that is where my goal is at having a few other states on the docket. Experience means more than outcome too.

This is Garrard Co.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
I hold no ill will at all for those that lease their land out, I totally understand. I had permission on about 270 acres of really nice ground for about 10 years. I asked the landowner about leasing, he just said "you can hunt anytime you want, help yourself" which was great. All of a sudden he leased it to an outfitter here in my county for $10 acre, I about crapped my pants. I would have leased all of it for sure. Thats the way things go.

I have two family farms, 52 acres and 100 acres that I have food plots on where I do a little hunting. Its mostly for my wife and kids, then family from Michigan that come down during gun season.

I had thought about offering those farms up for an "early season" archery hunt (we are open now) for guys wanting a crack at a velvet buck. Id just charge a nominal "tresspass" fee and it would be a DIY. May do it next year, or maybe offer a "late season" bowhunt in late December/January.

Garrard County is a good ways from me, probably 3 hours or so.
 
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ksp107
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