Hill Country Access

[dubbs]

I'm looking for some advice on how to access a public land hill country hunting spot. This piece of public land is in a neighborhood that regularly produces nice bucks. I am particularly interested in the orange highlighted area. See attached pics for reference.

I hunted the orange area once last fall and found the doe bedding area. The does were bedded on the old logging road/bench in some pretty thick cover downhill from the cluster of tall pines. Just below the bench drops off pretty steep. I suspect bucks use the bench as a travel corridor with a NW wind. Everything I read on here leads me to suspect that a buck might bed on the point east of the hay field/pines. Adjacent to the point is a ravine that appears to create a nice pinch point.

Overall area with 1991 aerial photo. Blue line is public land boundary. Orange rectangle is hunting spot. Parking only in two spots shown.


Overall area 2015 aerial photo.


Grayscale contour modeling.


Grayscale contour modeling zoomed into area of interest.


2015 aerial photo of area of interest.


My question is, how would you hunt/access this area? From the parking area it is a 3/4 mile walk with 400' elevation to the top of the hill. Due to distance from home I may only have 1 or 2 chances on this property, and it may have to be a rut hunt.

Thanks for any advice.

[seazofcheeze]

If the logging road/bench isn't heavily used by human traffic, I would set up on it just below the east end of the pines. If the Pines aren't overly mature, it could be a good doe bedding location. I would expect bucks to be cruising below the Pines on the bench on a north wind or variations of N wind (e.g. NW,N,NE). If you sit the east end, you'd also be hunting on or near the inside corner of the hay field and close to the big draw that runs up near the edge of the hay field. Lots of good terrain features converging there.

I would access from the south to the north, starting in the creek bed that is about straight south of the orange circle. It's a little risky because you should probably setup just above the bench, which means you would put down ground scent where you cross it, but I'd rather do that than come in from the top. If you come in from the top you risk scenting up the doe bedding if you come from the west or possibly blowing deer off the hay if you come from the east. Just be prepared to shoot any buck before they cross the bench where you crossed.

[ Post made via Android ]

[<DK>]

I ask for access advice as much as possible, but I'll pass on some advice. Get creative with it. They know where pressure can come from, it's amazing when you scout and add it all up on a map.

[ Post made via Android ]

[ODH]

I agree it seems on any north wind you need to go all the way around and approach from the south. As prime as that pinch point looks it is going to be very tough to get an advantage on any north wind if your bedding assumptions are correct. My only concern with the south approach is if you climb the hill between the two bedding areas either the does or the buck will prob pick you out. If you go for the rut you may have to start on the west side of the pines first then keep working closer to sign. But in the rut and on doe bedding you are in the game.

Any time before that I would try this more radical idea: in my area I find a lot of times as sunset approaches and the wind dies the thermals will drain down those creek draws. So on a wind out of the NW or preferably WNW I would hang out on the eastern boundary around the area of the orange "S" in your zoomed map and wait for the wind to die. Then rush in to the pinch point and set up. If I am right the drain will carry your scent downhill and you might catch him when he gets up. If you see him go the other way you know where to be the next night.

[Razorhead]

I too would try to gain the access if you can to access the ridge from the south and hunt it on a N, NW wind. I would probably set up in the thermal tunnel on the leeward side but also try to be close enough to be able to shoot the logging road east of the doe bedding area. I'm assuming the logging road is very close to running the top of the ridge. If your hunting it at rut time you want to be set up on the leeward side of that logging road. Bucks love to travel those roads when the rut is on and they are covering a lot of ground. You may not get a crack at the buck that you suppose may be bedded on that point but you are in a good position to shoot a transient buck just passing through scent checking for does. Some of those bucks may have only been using that road for the first time this year as they put on miles runnin' the ridges.

[ Post made via iPhone ]

[dubbs]

Thanks for the input guys. You have confirmed my thoughts that the terrain features are good, but the access is difficult. I think I will try to hunt it during the rut, hoping to find a buck cruising through the doe bedding area.