Is this a good example of a parallel trail and how to hunt?

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Brad
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Is this a good example of a parallel trail and how to hunt?

Unread postby Brad » Mon Oct 22, 2012 12:39 am

This is the spot where I saw a really nice buck a few weeks ago (the night I shot the doe). Where I saw him is across the creek with the two dots as I saw him twice the same night, and the dot closest across the creek on our side was my stand position. Anyway this spot has a creek running through it and creates a natural funnel anyways (though they do cross the creek pretty often it appears) and has all sorts of trails leading into the fields in the south end of the picture. This year it was corn but its cut, still lots of waste still on the ground though. This spot also has plenty of openings in the fence or lowspots for deer to cross, probably 10 or more, and of course the trails all lead back away from the fields to the creek. Would this be a good spot for a buck to cruise in a few weeks and try to cover those parallel trails all in one shot while coming through the funnel? It is relatively open in there but there is cover in some spots, its mostly grasses though but there are doe trails everywhere. The teal colored spot is my thoughts on a stand location because it is thicker there and I can shoot most of the way to the creek and back to the field accept for maybe 20 yards on both sides. Also, what do you think of the access traill in? I would be parking a ways back off the picture and crossing the open cut corn field to get in, the reason I picked the spot was so I could get in with the least noise and there is a low spot with water I may be able to sneak in and not leave much of a scent trail. I imagine this would be a spot where the wind would need to blow to the corn out of the north or northwest?

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Ack
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Re: Is this a good example of a parallel trail and how to hu

Unread postby Ack » Mon Oct 22, 2012 2:05 am

My thoughts are that bucks will cruise the woods side of the creek more than they would the field side. They have a longer route and can cover all of doe trails crossing the creek. Walk the trail through the field all the way back to the woods, then use the creek (to the west) to get into the area where the creek dips farthest into the woods and set up. Bucks will travel a straight line along the creek, so the "high spots" will be your best bets for a stand site.
Brad
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Re: Is this a good example of a parallel trail and how to hu

Unread postby Brad » Mon Oct 22, 2012 2:11 am

Ack wrote:My thoughts are that bucks will cruise the woods side of the creek more than they would the field side. They have a longer route and can cover all of doe trails crossing the creek. Walk the trail through the field all the way back to the woods, then use the creek (to the west) to get into the area where the creek dips farthest into the woods and set up. Bucks will travel a straight line along the creek, so the "high spots" will be your best bets for a stand site.


I can only hunt the side of the creek closest to the field unfortunately, that is a great tip though on traveling a straight line on the high spots, I imagine that would apply to my side of the creek too?
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Ack
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Re: Is this a good example of a parallel trail and how to hu

Unread postby Ack » Mon Oct 22, 2012 2:15 am

Brad Lamont wrote:
Ack wrote:My thoughts are that bucks will cruise the woods side of the creek more than they would the field side. They have a longer route and can cover all of doe trails crossing the creek. Walk the trail through the field all the way back to the woods, then use the creek (to the west) to get into the area where the creek dips farthest into the woods and set up. Bucks will travel a straight line along the creek, so the "high spots" will be your best bets for a stand site.


I can only hunt the side of the creek closest to the field unfortunately, that is a great tip though on traveling a straight line on the high spots, I imagine that would apply to my side of the creek too?


Possibly.....would probably depend on the terrain features and whether or not there are any "obstacles" that might impede their movement.
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Stanley
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Re: Is this a good example of a parallel trail and how to hu

Unread postby Stanley » Mon Oct 22, 2012 2:29 am

The thing to kind of keep in mind is; bucks use the parallel trails to stay out of sight. A bucks biggest concern is detection. I think ACK is correct back in the thick stuff on the other side of the creek. I can almost guarantee you'll see more activity there than on the south side of the creek. Oops I just read you can only hunt the south side.

I like the spots I circled in blue as neck downs. Notice there is good cover and trees on both sides of the neck down. I don't like the funnel you have selected, it is to sparse where I circled in white. I think you have the right idea using the low spots to approach and from that direction South. I would hunt with a N, NE, NW wind.



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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: Is this a good example of a parallel trail and how to hu

Unread postby Bucky » Mon Oct 22, 2012 12:20 pm

The good news is you are hunting a major creek crossing area going from timber to ag and back. On the South side of creek I like both Stans circles... If big timber to East then I would park my hinder in the East circle

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"When a hunter is in a tree stand with high moral values, with the proper hunting ethics and richer for the experience, that hunter is 20 feet closer to God." Fred Bear
Brad
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Re: Is this a good example of a parallel trail and how to hu

Unread postby Brad » Mon Oct 22, 2012 1:50 pm

Bucky wrote:The good news is you are hunting a major creek crossing area going from timber to ag and back. On the South side of creek I like both Stans circles... If big timber to East then I would park my hinder in the East circle

[ Post made via iPad ] Image



I have never gone in to where Stanley circled in blue to hunt but to the right of it I did see a big buck during broad daylight cruising on halloween in 2010, that was about 200 yards to the right. I will load another picture showing the other side of this spot. The spot circled in white that is open is actually tall grass and cattails, its thick nasty and wet in there, for sure a doe bedding area.


Here is a picture of the general view from above

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here is what is to the right of the original picture, its all cut corn this year

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Here is to the left of the original photo, I have never even stepped foot in this area, its cut corn and hay this year.

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Re: Is this a good example of a parallel trail and how to hu

Unread postby spiker2930 » Mon Oct 22, 2012 2:19 pm

Stanley wrote:The thing to kind of keep in mind is; bucks use the parallel trails to stay out of sight. A bucks biggest concern is detection. I think ACK is correct back in the thick stuff on the other side of the creek. I can almost guarantee you'll see more activity there than on the south side of the creek. Oops I just read you can only hunt the south side.

I like the spots I circled in blue as neck downs. Notice there is good cover and trees on both sides of the neck down. I don't like the funnel you have selected, it is to sparse where I circled in white. I think you have the right idea using the low spots to approach and from that direction South. I would hunt with a N, NE, NW wind.



Image

I agree with Stanley on the inside corner and outside bend in the creek.
Sometimes things look totaly different when you actually walk them from the ground but I would check them out for sure


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