More Than LandMAHA does offer more than just private deer bow hunting land access. MAHA has two fulltime and one part-time staff that whitetail hunt. Two are successful archery hunters and the third is a muzzleloader hunter. The value these hunters and MAHA staff (Jon Nee, John Wenzel and Bruce Johnson) bring to the member is they are out on the ground throughout the year and will give recommendations of where to deer hunt. These recommendations are based on several facets. The first is that John Nee and John Wenzel are out on the ground 12 months of the year as land contracting does occur through the year. If they recommend a farm for a hunt there is a specific reason for it. Deer Hunt Equipment 
Take note of the deer cart. We not not allow off road access to our lease land. Put an ATV out on the land and that is 10 hunters worth of pressure. Those controls in addition to others such as no guests, no camping on key deer leases, no drive or gang hunts, one hunter per numbered/lettered farm per day and so on all contribute to the hunt quality that brings hunters back for years of hunts. The poles at upper left are fro a tripod stand this hunter uses in his home state that does not have trees to support lock-on or climbing stands. That should give good indication of the thousands of miles he drive to hunt with his Association. Finally, see the rack sticking up out of the bucket. |
The next reason for recommending any farm to a hunter is that farm is within a region of the state that has a history of trophy production and that farm has the habitat to support that trophy whitetail. For the do it yourself archery hunter that land must also have what is frequently described as “bow huntable ground” meaning trees for stand within deer movement corridors. When reviewing the MAHA lease land maps showing the acreage within each county of each state where we lease land not all those regions with counties marked are within the best trophy whitetail deer areas and not all are suited for the archery hunter. Some of that land is within the better upland bird regions for example void of good deer habitat.
The next value based decision of where to recommend for deer bow hunting is when the staff has spotted quality racked bucks. These bucks may have been spotted with or without the landowner's tip of where to look. We gain a lot of landowner contact and they are after us knowing the perceived deer hunting value of their land and readily tell of what they have seen in hopes we will be amicable to increasing their lease payments. From these two experiences we are able to offer a good many recommendations of where to hunt and a fair percentage payoff for our hunters.
Another criteria for a deer bow hunting spot is based on the presence of good deer sign or that sign that is too good to ignore. There are many situations where we have not personally seen the racked buck. The landowner, typically a non-hunter, will tell of the deer he has seen without quality judgment and that combined with the scrape, rub or herd size along with the right habitat in the productive region of the state may all combine into a hunt recommendation. Classic central mid-west deer habitat of the small wood patch. The ridgeline in the far ground is 3/4 mile distant. The dry draw runs from the road across onto the next section. 
The picture above shows an isolated draw. Contrast that with the two pictures below of a long running creek bottom with several branches all with various sized small wood patches. Either could be productive within this well known trophy deer region. 
From the one above though the one below looking from left to right from the top of one ridge on one lease. 
These pictures are a region in Kansas where the larger and lower elevation watersheds give way to the higher elevation quicker to drain watersheds. The difference in this region are the fields separating the branches of the watershed are larger. This is also the furthest west we would recommend bow hunting as any further west and it becomes largely rifle county where 300 yard shooting ability is a must. This lease with its distinct local habitat is a benefit and a frustration. The woody cover provides a constricting effect to deer patterns making scouting easy. The large open fields give the bucks in rut plenty of maneuver space with many peak rut hunters frustrated with much eyes on quality racks and no hope of a shot opportunity. |
Page 3 of this archery deer hunting discussion. | 
