How Long Do I Have?

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Jrichard
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How Long Do I Have?

Unread postby Jrichard » Tue Jan 17, 2017 10:15 am

So below is a map of the property I just got permission to hunt. I went out and scouted Saturday and put out two trail cameras where I thought the deer may be running. But based off of what I found I would like to know what order I should go in because I dont want to get too too aggressive but I dont want to miss out on anything because it may take a few sits to figure everything out. And time off is not easy to come by between now and January 31st.

So on the map I have marked different things in different colors. The blue boxes are pine thickets. Almost perfectly placed. The box to the right is where I found the best sign. Its on top of the hill. It had a ton of fresh scat, it even had the light green mucus on it. So I am guessing it was from early morning at the latest. Most likely from the night before. The purple circle with the question mark is potential bedding? That's a south facing hill that I feel the deer will bed on to soak up some sun on these very sunny days we are having here in RI. Now Between that big blue box, and that purple circle, there is an open field. That too, also had good sign in it. Seems like place they like to mill around and browse. But in the pine thicket the bed of pines were all disturbed. Torn up practically. But there was also a ton of scat. So I am thinking because this land has not been pressured the deer pretty much do what they want. Between my buddies property (outlined by the thick black line) and the Indian preserve (all of the land with the purple circle and then some ). These deer have not been pressured for about 5 or 6 years since my friends dad hunted it once in a great while.

Anyway the orange line is a stone wall. The pine thicket literally looks like it is contained by the stone wall. Because it stops right there. Its unbelievable lol. There are only 2 openings in the wall at the top of the hill. This has sign all over it. And looks like there are good amounts of tracks coming out of both. Then there is one at the bottom of the hill going into that swampy area. Its pretty dry down there right now, and it did not look like there were any tracks or scat going in or out of that third hole. But that swamp is a low spot compared to the top of the hill. So I am thinking maybe they are bedding in the swamp down low? Then walking up the hill along the rock wall into the big pine thicket until around night fall then going out into the yellow box? The yellow box is an open area. It is LOADED with white and red oak trees. then that opening runs down the hill into another pine thicket where it flattens out. Some good sign there as well. Looks like there is a good amount of feeding going on there as well. Then after that second pine thicket the two main trails split into the swamp in my buddies back yard. The red lines are the runs I am thinking they use to head out to an AG field.

Now the grayish blue boxes I placed are the spots that I would like to visit. They are numbered 1, 2 , and 3. Now #1 is the most aggressive. although I could not find beds in that pine thicket it looked like a place the deer would go late season when it gets cold. And if they bed in the swamp just on the other side of the hill then they will probably see me getting into my tree. And I may blow my chances. Then #2 is a little less agressive. It would be trying to nail them just before they go down into the swamp. And the swampy area in my buddies property is where I am thinking it would be a good idea to try for spot 3. There are a few really thick areas and a good amount of scat in this area. But I feel like it all might be night sign. It runs along a transition of a really dense area of saplings and the swamp bottom. Seems like a good travel route.

Now most the sign I found was REAL fresh. Now another question is, how long do you think this will last? I feel like these deer may eat up all those acorns relatively quickly. Kind of thinking that is why they are there right now. Any ideas? Any input would be great!!


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Rich M
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Re: How Long Do I Have?

Unread postby Rich M » Tue Jan 17, 2017 11:27 am

Did you hunt or sit this past weekend?

If the deer do what they did on the farm I hunted in CT, (seems very similar)... The deer would stage in the AM in a hemlock/pine grove and wait for thermals to flow up prior to working down a hillside into the swamp. In the evening, the deer would wait for thermals to start down and then come up out of the swamp. It was tough hunting in the evening - the best deer to target were the ones that went side-slope.

It looks similar.

I would try an evening sit/hunt west of 2 and east of 3, on the downside of the red line intersection. Morning I would sit west of the pine grove (2) on the hillside above the trails and watch where they go. Move in next morning.
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jwilkstn
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Re: How Long Do I Have?

Unread postby jwilkstn » Tue Jan 17, 2017 4:50 pm

Personally, I wouldn't worry about being too aggressive unless you could hunt every day the rest of the month. Go hunt the best areas based on the wind for the days you get to go and learn what you can about the property.
Not all those who wander are lost...
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Horizontal Hunter
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Re: How Long Do I Have?

Unread postby Horizontal Hunter » Wed Jan 18, 2017 2:07 am

jwilkstn wrote:Personally, I wouldn't worry about being too aggressive unless you could hunt every day the rest of the month. Go hunt the best areas based on the wind for the days you get to go and learn what you can about the property.


Absolutely agree. Hunt the hottest sign. That's where the deer are.

Bob
Vegetarian: vejiˈte(ə)rēən/noun: old Indian word for lousy hunter. :o

Excalibur Exocet, GT Laser II, 2" Bhoning Blazers 125g NAP Spitfire


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