Railroad tracks?

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welded34
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Railroad tracks?

Unread postby welded34 » Tue Dec 20, 2016 1:22 pm

Will mature bucks bed close too railroad tracks?

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Re: Railroad tracks?

Unread postby Hawthorne » Tue Dec 20, 2016 1:24 pm

I jumped one once scouting laying right next to railroad tracks that split a marsh and farm fields.

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welded34
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Re: Railroad tracks?

Unread postby welded34 » Tue Dec 20, 2016 1:29 pm

Gotcha yeah I was just curious because I'm going to scout some land that has railroad tracks and a nice river going through it..the railroad tracks and river are very close to each other but I'm thinking there has to be one in there. Just don't know if the trains will scare them a bit

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Lockdown
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Re: Railroad tracks?

Unread postby Lockdown » Tue Dec 20, 2016 1:43 pm

Yes. I found the biggest shed of my life on a railroad right of way. He was bedded next to some trees (right of way is short grass) on the North side of the tracks likely taking advantage of the sun on a cold winter day.

I honestly think trains wont bother them much... less than a busy highway. People never jump off trains and harass them, but they do out of vehicles.

The place where I found that shed is actually a refuge. It's long and skinny with train tracks comprising the entire South border. They bed near it all the time.

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Re: Railroad tracks?

Unread postby Lockdown » Tue Dec 20, 2016 1:46 pm

I think if it's a low pressure area they'd PREFER to bed away from it. If they're low on options, they'll bed near those tracks and let that train roll by. Wouldn't surprise me if they got up while it went past then laid back down.

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matt1336
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Re: Railroad tracks?

Unread postby matt1336 » Tue Dec 20, 2016 2:05 pm

Trains don't bother them at all. I've seen it many times. They often use tracks as a wind break, just like any other hill on the terrian, cuz that's how they see the tracks. I'm referring to the tracks in a marsh where the actual tracks are 20 feet above the marsh built on a pile of stone.

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mauser06
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Re: Railroad tracks?

Unread postby mauser06 » Tue Dec 20, 2016 3:15 pm

Couple years ago during the opening day of bear we were pushing through and a train came.


The guys down low are convinced the train spooked the sow and cubs and they'd probably have walked right by them...


I don't know how frequently the train comes through or if that would have an effect or not.


Often times there is some real nasty stuff along the track bed. Could definitely hold some deer.


If it's used often though the deer can't hear..I don't know they'd like that if they have other options.


Another thing that crossed my mind is tracks are like highways for critters. Predators hunt them because of that thick stuff along them (here anyways that's very typical). And heck, if it's not used often hunters, dog walkers etc may use it to walk.



Only way to know would be to scout it...I think it's probably pretty situational.

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Buckshot20
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Re: Railroad tracks?

Unread postby Buckshot20 » Tue Dec 20, 2016 3:37 pm

I killed a nice buck in MO 50yrds from an active RR track. I saw 10 bucks in 3 days from the general area.

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Stanley
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Re: Railroad tracks?

Unread postby Stanley » Tue Dec 20, 2016 4:56 pm

Absolutely. Tracks offer a safe haven for a big old buck. There is often a fence the tracks and another fence making it difficult for people to get on them. I have killed a few good bucks within 100 yards of R/R tracks. One was within 20 yards of some tracks.
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Re: Railroad tracks?

Unread postby Nocturnal » Tue Dec 20, 2016 6:05 pm

As everyone else has said. Yes, and I have seen a few great bucks bed less than 100 yards from railroad tracks. Even in areas with no pressure. One spot in the big woods, bucks will bed in a pocket of pines along a swamp and next to the tracks. They use this every year during the rut. Train tracks are another edge for them to follow or bed by.

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Re: Railroad tracks?

Unread postby BigHunt » Tue Dec 20, 2016 11:12 pm

;)
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Kokes
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Re: Railroad tracks?

Unread postby Kokes » Wed Dec 21, 2016 1:51 am

tracks are definitely an overlooked area by most hunters.... I hunt a spot near train tracks and one other thing I like to mention about hunting near them is the cover noise of a train going by is helpful when entering the stand on real quiet days if you can time it right. One spot I hunt the train goes by pretty often so it def helps cut down on noise getting into the stand.
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Re: Railroad tracks?

Unread postby briar » Wed Dec 21, 2016 5:18 am

One of my favorite places to hang a cam is right on the edge of some tracks, prob 50 yards. It is like a bullet proof access and the tree is just awesome, but I never seem to get the wind I want on the day I can hunt it so I have been waiting over 2 years to sit it.......but the cameras usually show at least decent activity for a public parcel and I never ever get any people on it.
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Re: Railroad tracks?

Unread postby gjs4 » Wed Dec 21, 2016 12:56 pm

Part of family farm is bordered by rr. Can be great entry and exit but will stink your boots. To answer your question- they tend not to by me. Trains don't scare them at all..people, quads or rr trucks on or off rails send them away for the remainder of the day

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Re: Railroad tracks?

Unread postby BACKSTRAPALIEN » Wed Dec 21, 2016 3:15 pm

I was talking to one of the engineers at work a few days ago he saw one of the biggest bucks he's ever seen bedded 15yds from the tracks. He hunts and he knows what is big. I always pry the engineers for info about buck sightings. Shot a nice one 5 years ago within 100yds of the tracks, and there was a waaay bigger one in there.

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