Where a saddle and bench meet
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Where a saddle and bench meet
While scouting for turkeys yesterday on public land, I found a ridgeline that has a bench that runs parallel to it about 75 yards from the top. As I was walking this ridge, I found a saddle on the ridge the bench connects to the saddle (the bench may be an old tram road). According to the GPS it was about 1.0 mile from the parking lot. I was surprised there was not a lot of deer sign at this location. My question is should I still hunt this spot? There are several red oak trees on this bench near this location largest enough to place a stand.
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Re: Where a saddle and bench meet
I would certainly give it a sit during the rut... A lot of my best ridges don't have a lot of deer sign. They tend to leave more sign at night down in the bottoms and up on the tops.
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Re: Where a saddle and bench meet
Thanks Dan. The ridge runs north and South. The bench is on the west side of the hill. Would you hunt it with a east wind or either wind? Thanks
It is great to see someone who is about the hunt not sponsors who can pay for the kill like so many TV shows.
Oh btw Dan, if you ever see Andre, tell him his original V-bar climbing stand in my opinion ranks up there as one of the greatest innovations in hunting. As you well know, it folded flat and packed in with ease. The other climbing stands 20 years ago would slip on trees amd were noisy. But not the Lone Wolf, it was quiet and I could climb any tree without slipping.
It is great to see someone who is about the hunt not sponsors who can pay for the kill like so many TV shows.
Oh btw Dan, if you ever see Andre, tell him his original V-bar climbing stand in my opinion ranks up there as one of the greatest innovations in hunting. As you well know, it folded flat and packed in with ease. The other climbing stands 20 years ago would slip on trees amd were noisy. But not the Lone Wolf, it was quiet and I could climb any tree without slipping.
- Stanley
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Re: Where a saddle and bench meet
harveywallhanger wrote:While scouting for turkeys yesterday on public land, I found a ridgeline that has a bench that runs parallel to it about 75 yards from the top. As I was walking this ridge, I found a saddle on the ridge the bench connects to the saddle (the bench may be an old tram road). According to the GPS it was about 1.0 mile from the parking lot. I was surprised there was not a lot of deer sign at this location. My question is should I still hunt this spot? There are several red oak trees on this bench near this location largest enough to place a stand.
This time of year when there isn't much/any green the majority of deer movement will be at the best food source available. More than likely the acorns from the red oaks are long gone. A shelf with some white oaks bearing acorns would be a great place to hunt. I too would hunt it next fall.
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: Where a saddle and bench meet
harveywallhanger wrote:Thanks Dan. The ridge runs north and South. The bench is on the west side of the hill. Would you hunt it with a east wind or either wind? Thanks
It is great to see someone who is about the hunt not sponsors who can pay for the kill like so many TV shows.
Oh btw Dan, if you ever see Andre, tell him his original V-bar climbing stand in my opinion ranks up there as one of the greatest innovations in hunting. As you well know, it folded flat and packed in with ease. The other climbing stands 20 years ago would slip on trees amd were noisy. But not the Lone Wolf, it was quiet and I could climb any tree without slipping.
I remember when the "V" bar 1st came out... It was super light. I drove my truck over the top of mine on a hunting trip and other than a little bend to one of the angle parts it still worked great.
Andrae's daughter Ashley is going to be running the "Whitetail addictions forum". You can find it by going to the main forum page and scolling down till you see "whitetail addictions" You can leave messages there for Andrae and she will relay them... Even though he ain't much for commenting, I am pretty sure he will be reading the comments on that page himself too...
Here is a direct link:
viewforum.php?f=290
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Re: Where a saddle and bench meet
some of my best spots are void of sign. that used to deter me from hunting spots, now i know better.
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Re: Where a saddle and bench meet
I didnt catch where harvey is from, but we are in full green here.Stanley wrote:This time of year when there isn't much/any green the majority of deer movement will be at the best food source available.
Your bench could be productive year around. Look for spurs that connect to the bench, good luck.
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Re: Where a saddle and bench meet
Can you post a pic of the topo by chance to see what the area looks like?
[ Post made via iPhone ]
[ Post made via iPhone ]
- Stanley
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Re: Where a saddle and bench meet
Autumn Ninja wrote:I didnt catch where harvey is from, but we are in full green here.Stanley wrote:This time of year when there isn't much/any green the majority of deer movement will be at the best food source available.
Your bench could be productive year around. Look for spurs that connect to the bench, good luck.
Wish we had some green here, this is what it looks like and there are very few deer in this area until some green starts showing. The area has plenty of red (pin) oaks but the acorns are long gone. Now come fall this place will have grass 3 feet high and red acorns all over the ground. This is why you can get a false reading (no deer sign) on an area, early in the spring time of the year.
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: Where a saddle and bench meet
Ninja-
What are "spurs"? First I've heard the term in reference to topographic features. Wondering if its what we call "fingers" down here (fingers are like a small version of a draw)
[ Post made via iPhone ]
What are "spurs"? First I've heard the term in reference to topographic features. Wondering if its what we call "fingers" down here (fingers are like a small version of a draw)
[ Post made via iPhone ]
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Re: Where a saddle and bench meet
huntinsonovagun wrote:Ninja-
What are "spurs"? First I've heard the term in reference to topographic features. Wondering if its what we call "fingers" down here (fingers are like a small version of a draw)
[ Post made via iPhone ]
That is how I interpreted a spur.
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: Where a saddle and bench meet
Just something to keep in mind....I read a post from Magic a couple weeks ago about how much time he wasted hunting funnels that looked as good on paper as you can get. The only problem was, there was no reason for deer to be moving through it and as such, he burned a lot of the prime rut hunting time sitting in a funnel that was useless.
I can certainly relate to his experience and what I started doing the last couple years is writing down spots that look promising on a map, but are devoid of deer sign. Then during the rut, I'll check out that list and start running cams in those spots while I hunt areas that I know will produce. You have to look at it as investing in your deer hunting future, because the intel you gain might not help you in the current season (if you wait till after the rut to pull the cam), but you will have all that information for next year and you can weed out the benches/funnels/saddles that don't have any activity without burning valuable hunting time in a spot that you aren't confident in.
Now don't get me wrong, I hunt some new spots on a whim and have discovered some great locations by trial & error, but I only have so much time in any given season so I try to maximize how much I can learn about an area in any way possible.
I can certainly relate to his experience and what I started doing the last couple years is writing down spots that look promising on a map, but are devoid of deer sign. Then during the rut, I'll check out that list and start running cams in those spots while I hunt areas that I know will produce. You have to look at it as investing in your deer hunting future, because the intel you gain might not help you in the current season (if you wait till after the rut to pull the cam), but you will have all that information for next year and you can weed out the benches/funnels/saddles that don't have any activity without burning valuable hunting time in a spot that you aren't confident in.
Now don't get me wrong, I hunt some new spots on a whim and have discovered some great locations by trial & error, but I only have so much time in any given season so I try to maximize how much I can learn about an area in any way possible.
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Re: Where a saddle and bench meet
I am having difficulty inseting images from imageshack. Does anyone have some tips?
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Re: Where a saddle and bench meet
use the [IMG][IMG] code. should be the one on the bottom of the list.
Does this funnel separate bed and food, bed and bed, high pressure to low pressure? Figure out when and why the deer will be using the funnel. That will tell you if it is an early/late season, rut ,or escape route option...
Does this funnel separate bed and food, bed and bed, high pressure to low pressure? Figure out when and why the deer will be using the funnel. That will tell you if it is an early/late season, rut ,or escape route option...
No Shortcuts. No Excuses. No Regrets.
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Everybody's selling dreams. I'm too cheap to buy one.
Rich M wrote:Typically, hunting FL has been like getting a root canal
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Re: Where a saddle and bench meet
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/89/dscf4017tz.jpg/
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/19/dscf4018b.jpg
Let me explain the map. First,North is up. The shaded area is game lands non shaded area is private land, which consists mainly of pastures and yards. The saddle lies between the 1300' and 1372' elevation marks. There is an electric power line that hits the middle of the saddle. East and West of the ridge south of the saddle, there are benches. The western bench which has a mixture of red and white oaks about 10. There are 2 old rubs and I found no scrapes on this bench. The eastern bench only has maple and cherry. On the top of the ridge and through the saddle there is a gas pipeline which was about 4 years old, there is clover and ryegrass on this pipeline.
Thoughts on a place for a setup?
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/19/dscf4018b.jpg
Let me explain the map. First,North is up. The shaded area is game lands non shaded area is private land, which consists mainly of pastures and yards. The saddle lies between the 1300' and 1372' elevation marks. There is an electric power line that hits the middle of the saddle. East and West of the ridge south of the saddle, there are benches. The western bench which has a mixture of red and white oaks about 10. There are 2 old rubs and I found no scrapes on this bench. The eastern bench only has maple and cherry. On the top of the ridge and through the saddle there is a gas pipeline which was about 4 years old, there is clover and ryegrass on this pipeline.
Thoughts on a place for a setup?
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