Farmland/hill country

[attackone]

My main area that is hunt is a mixture of farm and hill country....i have noticed that not all the deer will use the leeward side, doesnt anyone else hunt areas like this and if so how do you go about it

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[Zap]

nothing is absolute except that most of the time deer will bed in and travel thru the spots that offer them the most safety.

[attackone]

nothing is absolute except that most of the time deer will bed in and travel thru the spots that offer them the most safety.

I understand what you saying zap and agree with you, but it seems like when there are a mixture of both hilly and flat terrain they seem to do a few things different or atleast i think that they do

[JoeRE]

nothing is absolute except that most of the time deer will bed in and travel thru the spots that offer them the most safety.

I understand what you saying zap and agree with you, but it seems like when there are a mixture of both hilly and flat terrain they seem to do a few things different or atleast i think that they do

Yea, I agree with you. A while back we had a thread about hills the different types of hill country out there. I can't find it right now but it had some good info in it. I hunt some big 300 foot river bluffs which are really just one sided hills, as well as smaller hills and farm country where the only cover is ravines, draws, creekbottoms, that sort of thing. With big hills and ridges deer can really use leeward slopes as travel routes, they are easy travel for long distances. When hills get smaller and more broken then I think you see a lot more activity in various other directions not just up and down ridges. Deer cross ridges in big hills too of course, just the predominant movement seems to be along the slope more often - its easier.

[dan]

Your hunting two terrains... Hunt the hills like hills, hunt the flat farm like a flat farm. They bed and move differently thru different sections of land.

[attackone]

Your hunting two terrains... Hunt the hills like hills, hunt the flat farm like a flat farm. They bed and move differently thru different sections of land.

is there any links about hunting flat areas or farm country

[dan]

Your hunting two terrains... Hunt the hills like hills, hunt the flat farm like a flat farm. They bed and move differently thru different sections of land.

is there any links about hunting flat areas or farm country

Look in here:
viewtopic.php?f=3&t=24471

If you don't find what your looking for use the search function

[msailor]

Your hunting two terrains... Hunt the hills like hills, hunt the flat farm like a flat farm. They bed and move differently thru different sections of land.

is there any links about hunting flat areas or farm country

Like Zap said, the link would be they go to where they aren't molested.

I hunt a similar terrain in the Midwest. What I have discovered if I am hunting a mix of hills and Farmland (usually small riverbottoms and ridgetops) the bucks usually stick to the hills unless the crops remain unharvested. I think they prefer the cover and protection of the hills/forest. the exception would be large riverbottoms that contain enough habitat to meet all a buck's demands, these hunt like flat farmland.

[mauser06]

My area is similar...its farmland and smaller woodlots....but also has elevation...not always woods or even fields at that magic elevation...


The deer are also highly molested...high archery pressure...rifle and flintlock they are chased by a few different crews..sometimes the same woods will be pushed more than once in a day...

What I've found is the bigger bucks typically bed where they can see...typically places they aren't molested but I know of a few places now where they can see 3 directions and smell the 4th..getting near them is about impossible...


The biggest ones are almost NEVER seen by us pushing them..why? They know us and got big by avoiding us...some have to die of old age or get hit on the road when they aren't carrying a rack...


I'd get out in the winter (assuming you live where it snows...). Jump on big tracks and follow them to the beds...I'd do it close to the season so they are likely still on a pressure type pattern not a winter feeding pattern and bedding...



Its frustrating...in the hills and in the Marsh I can walk directly to beds on ground I've never stepped foot on...in the woods I hunt the most I struggle to see deer and really struggle at seeing decent bucks...

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[BassBoysLLP]

Bedding is all over the board in this terrain. Sometimes high, sometimes low, sometimes in between. Access can be miserable hunting blind. Winds swirl. Thermals are fickle. If possible, do a fair amount of glassing, run cameras, and cluster cameras as necessary and formulatr a plan. Otherwise hunt mobile with a stand on your back. Scout until you find something exciting. Don't be afraid of an unproductive death march through the whole thing. Its better than sitting in a random location and hoping...

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