My cousin and I have been trying to figure out how to keep deer on his property for late bow season.  They just seem to vanish after the first good snowfall and come back in the early spring.  Any ideas?

Any food sources available? How much hunting pressure has been put on the deer? Use some trail cams, I'll bet they're still there, but are probably nocturnal.

Build a high fence around it and keep the gate closed and locked. LOL

I have noticed the same every yr the deeer seem to vanish from area around my favorite stand once rifle season opens (Nov. 30 - Dec. 11). I feel it is partly due to the bucks going into a resting phase after main rut and are hitting food sources more than roaming woods looking for does. I have a corn feeder set up which normally brings in a few does but this yr. have only had 1 doe come to it while I was there.

A late season food plot would be your best bet. A local feed & seed store etc. would be the best for what works in your area.

I was going to hunt open disced up corn field the last week this yr before i saw 6 fresh sets of tracks on sand bar by my stand so I hunted it . The last morning of rifle season had a small spike come by then around 10:00 had 2 does and a fawn come out on opposite sand bar played in river making their way down river then the came back to sand bar and made their way back in my direction, crossed river and followed same route the spike had taken. Shot the first one that stepped out into open and she dropped in her tracks 50yds. Strange part was when I got to her I couldn't find where I hit her. no blood or visible bullet holes (was shooting a 243). I was afraid to go back to get my truck thinking she could wake up and run off. Didn't notice any blood in cavity until I reached in and cut the throat, then the blood came gushing out.

Well.  We have a late season food plot on the south end of the property away from the house.  There is wide open field on three sides and a swamp that the deer seem to follow to get into the woods.  I think they may just be heading to the north toward the river bottom.  Would more pine trees maybe help between the road and the woods?  The field between the woods and the road is about 100 yds deep.

During the early growth stages of planted pines, there will be a lot of good bedding cover, but not a lot of food. Once pines get big enough to shade out the undergrowth, deer will use them for travel routes and staging areas before entering food plots or fields that have been planted.