size of overlooked spots

[briar]

Generally what are the size in acreage that you find the greatest success in overlooked spots? I keep finding these small corners and spots that are either bordering posted ground and or roads but seems to have deer sign....especially trails. They tend to lack stands and hunter sign. Are these what I am looking for?

[dan]

The area might be big or small, but I am zoning in on a bedding area that is anywhere from 10 foot square to 2 acres.

[briar]

Thanks Dan!

[DaveT1963]

The area might be big or small, but I am zoning in on a bedding area that is anywhere from 10 foot square to 2 acres.

Dan how much do you feel direct sunlight and temperature plays a role? For us way down south, it can be 90 degrees or above during most of archery season - wonder if these smaller spots require more shade effect during hot days? I believe they do as I never seem to jump many deer during early season from isolated spots even though I might find a bed there. Perhaps during cold days the exact opposite may be true, they seek these out for added warmth??? I know pressure will be the biggest factor.... Curious what you have seen.

[hunter10]

My best spot is about 2 acres in size beside a gravel road. It's a thicket full of briars and a creek. Everyone hunts the 200+ acres to the north. All the action is in this overlooked 2 acre bedding spot

[ Post made via iPhone ]

[briar]

My best spot is about 2 acres in size beside a gravel road. It's a thicket full of briars and a creek. Everyone hunts the 200+ acres to the north. All the action is in this overlooked 2 acre bedding spot

[ Post made via iPhone ]

This is similar to my situation. What I am looking at is an old overgrown strip mine. I walked it yesterday and it seem the deer will follow the tip edge of the mounds left over from the mining. There is lots of cover and the posted ground has a lot of big timber providing mast I am sure. The really nice thing is it provides super access from the road, you dont' cross the deer trails and you can get in quiet and out of sight.

[whitetailassasin]

The area might be big or small, but I am zoning in on a bedding area that is anywhere from 10 foot square to 2 acres.

Dan how much do you feel direct sunlight and temperature plays a role? For us way down south, it can be 90 degrees or above during most of archery season - wonder if these smaller spots require more shade effect during hot days? I believe they do as I never seem to jump many deer during early season from isolated spots even though I might find a bed there. Perhaps during cold days the exact opposite may be true, they seek these out for added warmth??? I know pressure will be the biggest factor.... Curious what you have seen.

I'm not Dan, but here I find deer in general will bed in shaded areas on hot days.

[ Post made via iPhone ]

[dan]

The area might be big or small, but I am zoning in on a bedding area that is anywhere from 10 foot square to 2 acres.

Dan how much do you feel direct sunlight and temperature plays a role? For us way down south, it can be 90 degrees or above during most of archery season - wonder if these smaller spots require more shade effect during hot days? I believe they do as I never seem to jump many deer during early season from isolated spots even though I might find a bed there. Perhaps during cold days the exact opposite may be true, they seek these out for added warmth??? I know pressure will be the biggest factor.... Curious what you have seen.

Im not sure, about the heat factor, but the areas I find them bedded in are usually near water, and are well shaded early season... We can get in the 80's. 90 or higher in season is rare here.

The thing with these over looked areas is that they are bedding in the same type of terrain they bed in in other spots in the same area, just that they are in spots that get over looked... Like in hill country the O/L spot is usually a big point right over the parking spot everybody ignores... In marshes its usually thick nasty crap that's right along the road in water that don't look like deer habitat to most, and small game guys stay out... still gotta have the habitat. So, look at where your seeing big bucks bed in your terrain, and then find spots like that that get left alone for one reason or another...

The area might be big or small, but I am zoning in on a bedding area that is anywhere from 10 foot square to 2 acres

This quote is the same at bedding areas a mile back, or anywhere...

[Edcyclopedia]

For suburban style hunts I've watched deer bed on the other side of a field stone property line that is against bushes, literally 35-yards from the house.
It's where they feel safe and they have an uncanny ability to know that they can not get shot...

In hill country or big woods it is likely as close as a couple hundred yards away or the next knoll.
This is noticed especially well when tracking in snow and seeing the deer's response to the intruder.
It usually starts out as an all out run or gallop, slows down to a trot, then a fast walk and lastly into a position of advantage (wind and/or sight oriented).
If this happens repeatedly, I suspect they really grasp onto the thicker spots for their temporary sanctuary.
From there the deer may evacuate altogether or go nocturnal...

[justdirtyfun]

This is a PRIME example of overlooked spot. All the characteristics add up to minimal or zero human intrusion and maximum sense of security for the deer bedded here.

As dan mentioned, this point is generally similar to the rest of the area. Prevailing winds normally flow off the top of the elevation. A water obstacle funnels people further past into the main area. And the property boundary is literally the top of the hill.

A typical public hunter says he can see the end of the property and the private ground hunter,if there is one, walks near the edge of high ground and dismisses the hill as too close to the public parking area.


I have not set foot here but the cyberscout is awesome.

[bblefty]

This past year one of the local public spots had the whole herd piled into a wood lot smaller than 1 acre between the parking area and the road, when everyone hunted, we all drove + walked right by them. You could see their rubs from the parking lot after the leaves fell.

[whitetailassasin]

The area might be big or small, but I am zoning in on a bedding area that is anywhere from 10 foot square to 2 acres.

Overlooked areas don't have a size limit to me. Wherever they feel safe and human intrusion is none or limited. That's why it's overlooked.

[ Post made via iPhone ]

[ADKMtnTrapper]

I know of a bedding area that is in a 50 yard brushy patch between 2 houses and an old barn. I unfortunately don't have permission to hunt that property. But I do have permission to hunt an adjacent property that is a transition zone from bedding to a big block of woods. Most people overlook this spot because it is so close to the houses, while other hunters are setting up on the field edges waiting til "dark thirty" to see deer, I set up with the bow and no one is the wiser to it.

[Bayshorebuck8]

Most overlooked areas holding mature buck sign i find are fairly small only a couple acres.

[ Post made via Android ]