How Would You Hunt This Property?

babzog · Post by **babzog** » Sun Oct 22, 2006 10:06 am

Hey all,

Thought I'd solicit some advice as I think I might have judged the property poorly.

You'll see from the pic, the pink shaded area that I'm allowed to hunt. I've built two stands as depicted. I took a doe from the field stand last year (saw nothing from the creek stand even though I'd previously seen evidence of deer crossing the creek nr that location).

Normally, I see deer in the third field where I have the stand, but this year, I've only seen one and that was a couple of weeks ago before I had barely begun walking to my stand (so I went to the rocky knoll field instead). Saw nothing this AM and saw no tracks in the snow when I climbed down. I've also seen a couple of deer in the second field nr the finger of bush, and in previous years, in the neighbouring field with the rocky knoll. In early Sept, when I was clearing the trail, I spotted/spooked a couple of deer on the trail.

I've been keeping out of the bush when not hunting, although, historically, I've gone and done many things back there without disturbing deer. Usually I have a whole herd back there, but lately, hardly a one.

When tromping through the bush, I've located what was a large bedding area (roughly in the indicated area on the pic) to the west, but haven't confirmed that this year (area is extremely difficult to access). I also believe there's a bedding area 100 or so yards SE from my stand.

There are a couple of small-med clearings (not indicated) in the mixed bush between my creek stand and the house. The property is approx 1km from the road to the back. It's largely swamp back there but there are sections of higher ground with bush. There's a very large section of old-growth cedar bush quite a ways back. Until the freeze comes, I pretty much stay on the north side of the creek. The field of replanted pines is probably 20 or so yrs old and is quite dense.

The wind here I think is my greatest enemy. The properties and the area in general are great deer habitat and I know they're there, but I'm interested now in optimizing my stand placement to take advantage of the attributes. Thoughts? Critiques? How would you hunt this place?

Quickshot · Post by **Quickshot** » Sun Oct 22, 2006 1:14 pm

Hey babzog, it is hard to say exactly were to put stands just from a pic, but if it looked right here is what I would do.

First of all I would move the stand you have in the cedars by the creek to the east side in the south end of the replanted pines. I'll bet if you look real good you will find the deer are moving through there and probably coming from the thin mixed bush to the south as they make their way to the hay. Next I would move the hay field stand up to the south end of the small mixed bush that you show in the hay field. This should be a good morning stand. You must keep your access to the far east to keep your sent out of the bush you are hunting. As I said this my be totaly off base but by the picture I think these would be spots I would try for a while, and then adjust them as needed.

Good luck

Bucko · Post by **Bucko** » Sun Oct 22, 2006 1:22 pm

With a normal wind coming from the west to the east I think I would spend some morning or evening time at the Rocky area scouting with bino's about the 3 o'clock position on the map.The wind would be blowing in your face while your facing the direction you've been hunting.

Use that scouting expierence to see where the deer are moving this year.Possibly a trail camera in the out of the way areas to pin down movement.

So far this year at a new spot I've hunting I got about a dozen trips there scouting and a camera set-up.I just now feel I'm ready to hunt it and use the info. I've gained to take full advantage of the oncomeing rut.This eve. I'm fall turkey hunting a hay field area I deer hunt and I've found out the apples are low in amount this year and they are tearing up the 2ed. cut hay.I guess what I'm coming out with for ya is to put in a little trial and error scouting yet

crazyfarmer · Post by **crazyfarmer** » Sun Oct 22, 2006 6:56 pm

I cant say by the pic either, but find the funnel areas.. their should be somewhere between the open fields and the brush where the funnel into before coming in the open. Bsck off of those open fields into the woods about 75-100yards if you can. Bucks always tend to circle whole fields just i nthe woods scent checking for doe. If they find a hot doe that crossed, then they enter the field after here. But if not, then you wouldnt ever see them since they stay in cover(the big ones anyway).

I would back off the creek also.. seems you have nothing at your back by water so really you are only hunting deer that might come drink. Move away from it some so you can get deer coming from all directions.

goodluck:)

crazyfarmer · Post by **crazyfarmer** » Sun Oct 22, 2006 6:57 pm

oh and your best weapon is you memory.. stude where you see the deer and move to them. I fnot the first year, then the next. I had a stand last year about 40yards off a field and always saw the deer crossing about 60yards farther down the ridge.. moved my stand this year to that spot and killed a nice 8 my first day in the stand;) Its hard to go into apaice of land and kill a nice deer right off the bat, it takes learning the land and seeing the deer move

babzog · Post by **babzog** » Wed Oct 25, 2006 10:15 pm

Thanks everyone for the advice. Oddly enough, I don't recall seeing many deer tracks nr the pines, except for some footy prints in a strip between the hayfield where I have my stand and the pines. I'd have thought it'd be excellent cover, but I mostly just see bunny tracks. I intend to observe it more carefully though when the snow starts to fall to verify that. I do know there's a deer trail in the bush behind my stand but getting in there without crashing and banging my way through the deadfall in the dark would be very challenging. As you've also noted, I've pretty much given up on the creek stand as I've never seen a thing while up there (heard lots in the bush behind though.. figured that since it was near a crossing area, it'd be dynamite, but not so). I've seen more on the path to that stand than while on the stand itself. LOL

I like your comments on repositioning the field stand. While hunting the rocky knoll, I believe a buck in that little bit of bush winded me somehow (not sure how given the wind direction.. maybe he saw me) as I heard all sorts of snorts and a few moments of something crashing away, followed by a few subsequent steps back toward my direction). Also heard noises coming from there while on my field stand, so it seems they like that spot.

All very interesting analysis... much fodder for the mill.

Thank you!

pphoenix · Post by **pphoenix** » Wed Oct 25, 2006 11:28 pm

The best thing you can do is spend has much time as you can watching the are, even if it's too late for a set-up after work, maybe try to watch from far away with some binoculars to see where the deer are coming out to feed.