old overgrown strip mines?

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briar
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old overgrown strip mines?

Unread postby briar » Mon Mar 17, 2014 3:28 am

Anyone ever hunt one? Its not pleasant and a place most wont go which is what im trying for...what are your experiences?

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MOBIGBUCKS
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Re: old overgrown strip mines?

Unread postby MOBIGBUCKS » Tue Mar 18, 2014 7:03 am

briar wrote:Anyone ever hunt one? Its not pleasant and a place most wont go which is what im trying for...what are your experiences?

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I've fished these areas and seen some monsters around the shores. I've always thought about hunting those places and think a boat would be the ticket. Lots of humps mixed in and around the water. I would guess there would all kinds of funnels created close to good bedding. If you got access I would hunt it for sure.
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Re: old overgrown strip mines?

Unread postby MOBIGBUCKS » Tue Mar 18, 2014 7:08 am

What state are you hunting that has strip pits? All over KS and Missouri where I hunt.
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backstraps
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Re: old overgrown strip mines?

Unread postby backstraps » Tue Mar 18, 2014 7:25 am

I am assuming you are referring to the thick nasty reclaimed mine aress, not the rolling fields of native grass. If so I hunt them. They are not easy to hunt but the lack of pressure provides an older age structure from what I have seen.

I have also noticed buck beds are easier to locate using Beast methods. Seems like the beds are where they "should" be when reading topo maps.

The biggest downfall of hunting these areas for me, are the lack of trees to hunt from within distance to catch a mature during daylight. In these situations I generally prepare areas just after post season to hunt during the next fall

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briar
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Re: old overgrown strip mines?

Unread postby briar » Tue Mar 18, 2014 8:14 am

I am hunting in Pennsylvania and yes backstraps, you nailed what I am talking about. ITs basically as series of small hills or humps covered with thick easy growing ground cover, plenty of briars and low growing junk that makes it tough to get through. It looks like a place a guy could do some good rabbit hunting, but by reading on the beast I am looking for those overlooked spots that people may not look to in Archery season. This particular spot was an overlooked area maybe 50 acres in size. I found a nice tree with a series of old scrapes and several rubs. I did not find any beds, but our snow it gone so that will get super hard at this point.

To me it looked like a deer could bed about anyplace on the tops of those humps left by the mining. it was so thick that escape cover is all over. Where I found the sign was at the edge of a field, maybe 50 yards in..I think setting up in the actual mine would be tough to get into and be quiet enough to go undetected.
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Jay
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Re: old overgrown strip mines?

Unread postby Jay » Sun Mar 23, 2014 11:31 am

Strip mines are prime time here in east KY. Some of them are even turned into WMA's. Great cover for big bucks.
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Bigb
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Re: old overgrown strip mines?

Unread postby Bigb » Mon Mar 24, 2014 12:18 pm

Two of my biggest bucks came off of old strip mines in Illinois, they were private old mines, but did they hold deer. I've only hunted them in gun season due to only being able to get down there at that time but we saw lots of deer. I think if I would have had more time to scout/hunt I would be able to find a giant in there (180 plus). The day before the gun season in 2012 we pre hung some stands and wanted to take one last drive through the area where we would be hunting. We mad it to where the strip mines met and open field then went into another batch of strip mines. I have never seen so many 130 bucks running everywhere. There was a couple chasing a doe down in one pit, another two running in a little open area and a really nice one jumped out about 30 yards behind us chasing another doe. I think this one was the one I shot the following night. They can get old in those strip mines. If they are smart bucks, they know that they are perfectly safe in them. They are fun to hunt though, you never know what you are going to see!
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yungbuck
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Re: old overgrown strip mines?

Unread postby yungbuck » Mon Mar 24, 2014 4:55 pm

new thoughts....never hunted a strip mine seems promising for the future, If ihave the opportunity
nothing but a simple minded god fearing public land bow hunter


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