Going in blind...

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SHoff10
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Going in blind...

Unread postby SHoff10 » Fri Oct 05, 2012 1:22 am

What would you guys do if you were going in blind to a 200 acre chunk of mature hardwoods? I have aerials and topos but all of the aerials are of thick canopy. You can't really distinguish anything because it is all thick tree tops.

The property consists of mature hardwoods, oaks, ridges, river bottoms, and a small swamp. I'll be hunting tomorrow afternoon and am curious what you guys would do? Look for fresh sign and setup? Find oak trees and set up?

I know this is not the ideal situation but I just got access to this property this week.

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Re: Going in blind...

Unread postby Sweet Shot 7 » Fri Oct 05, 2012 1:55 am

Welcome to the Beast! Definitly scout for fresh sighn. Maybe try to position yourself close to the bedding if its the swamp or river bottom. Somewhere between bedding and the oaks. Do you have a aerial pic or a topo?
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Re: Going in blind...

Unread postby Bucky » Fri Oct 05, 2012 2:09 am

Post a topo pic..... you in WI? Water and oaks would be a safe bet

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Re: Going in blind...

Unread postby Stanley » Fri Oct 05, 2012 2:22 am

Welcome to the Beast.
You can fool some of the bucks, all of the time, and fool all of the bucks, some of the time, however you certainly can't fool all of the bucks, all of the time.
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Re: Going in blind...

Unread postby whitetail007 » Fri Oct 05, 2012 4:31 am

i love going in blind, scout til you find hot sign and hunt it. some of my best hunts are on property that ive never walked before.
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SHoff10
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Re: Going in blind...

Unread postby SHoff10 » Fri Oct 05, 2012 4:48 am

I will post a topo when I have a second. My only worry is bumping a buck out of his bed while I am looking for hot sign. Do you look for more rubs and tracks and stop looking as soon as you find hot sign, or do you keep looking to find the most prime spot??
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Re: Going in blind...

Unread postby headgear » Fri Oct 05, 2012 5:26 am

If you can't find any bedding via topo I would scout the edges of the swamp and riverbottem, if/when you find fresh sign setup and hunt. As usually be very careful with the wind while doing this.
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SHoff10
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Re: Going in blind...

Unread postby SHoff10 » Fri Oct 05, 2012 2:15 pm

Here is a topo of this 180 acre chunk of property that I will be hunting tomorrow. Like I said it is made up of mature woods mostly. The acorn mast is good this year and there are a few food plots but they are located up on the highest elevation. There is a swamp to the far east and the ridgeline runs the entire western line of the property along the river.

What do you guys think? Where would you begin scouting for sign? Like I said, I just got permission to hunt and I am not used to very mature woods like this.


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“If some animals are good at hunting and others are suitable for hunting, then the Gods must clearly smile on hunting.” –Aristotle
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SHoff10
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Re: Going in blind...

Unread postby SHoff10 » Fri Oct 05, 2012 2:16 pm

OK...and apparently I don't know how to directly post pictures. Haha so if anyone could post the pic I would appreciate it. Thank you.
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Re: Going in blind...

Unread postby SHoff10 » Fri Oct 05, 2012 2:19 pm

Here is an arial photo mapping out where the main trails are along with some of the pre-existing stand locations.

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Re: Going in blind...

Unread postby SHoff10 » Fri Oct 05, 2012 2:20 pm

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Re: Going in blind...

Unread postby DropTyne » Fri Oct 05, 2012 2:24 pm

If we knew what type of wind is predicted for the days you want to hunt would help also.

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SHoff10
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Re: Going in blind...

Unread postby SHoff10 » Fri Oct 05, 2012 2:30 pm

Wind is supposed to be outa the WSW.
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Re: Going in blind...

Unread postby SHoff10 » Sat Oct 06, 2012 1:57 am

Where would you hunt?

What do you guys think? I was planning on leaving around noon to head to this property and scout and hunt tonight.
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Re: Going in blind...

Unread postby bowhunter15 » Sat Oct 06, 2012 4:35 am

Image

Love this type of land with high country that drops down steep to a river or creek. Typical "lee-side logic" would tell you that a WSW wind wouldn't be great for any of those bluff tops; however, you'll notice that there are not really any hill sides that are on the lee side of a WSW wind. Do the deer just disappear when that happens? No. They could bed along that marshy transition, but that'll be really hard to pinpoint going in blind, unless you just walk through the middle of the hardwoods and try to find a hot food source like a dropping oak (which there seems to be a shortage of this year from many people I've talked to), and then the wind is blowing right towards where you think they'll be coming from.

What I personally would do is go to the area I circled in red. It's along the trail leaving a potential bedding area that's the closest to lee side that you're going to get. I've had success hunting those types of spots before, where there really isn't a true lee side for a given wind. The red circle is far enough back to avoid spooking anything bedding there hopefully, and now that I look at it, the areal photo shows there might already be a stand there. It's where I would check out.

Then again, that NE stand spot could be good too, assuming deer are bedded in the "swampy terrain assuming its still wet" and your wind happens to be just off the beds. Maybe check for hot sign there first, and if its cold check out that SE stand spot where the red circle also is.


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