Hill Country Advice

[SidewayZ]

I have been hoping for a decent snow to lay and stick for a day or 2 here for the past couple of years and no snow as of yet. Dan was talking about bedding on the leeward side of the mountain. Lets hypothetically say the wind comes out of the north for a few days then you get a south wind for a day or 2. Will the buck cross to the other side of the mountain he was bedding at to stay on the leeward side or if it's a small cove like mine just cut across the valley and up to the other mountain to stay on the downwind side?

I would say based on what Dan teaches, yes the buck would shift to the other side of the mountain / hill on a wind shift.

Dan has a video where the guide discusses hunting the non leeward side where all of the sign was, but because wind shifted, Dan said to hunt opposite side of terrain....Low and behold, they guy and the guide harvested a heck of buck on the (shifted) or leeward side of terrain (even though no sign).

[Famous.]

20-30 hunters....very high pressure. I killed on of the biggest bucks ever on that farm by hunting about 50 yards from the edge ofthe road

i found while winter scouting this year that the deer were bedding on the hill side 50-100yards off the road. So as the trucks came in and stopped the deer could easily slip off before we even had guns out of cases. that is big to consider in this years hunting plan

This is a point that keeps being brought up and gave me a few ideas of places that may fall into this concept. I haven't had success at some of my closer setups but it was probably because I was trying the same places as everyone else! I have thought of one or two tucked away spots that are close but you almost have to walk in and then back around to probably avoid blowing everything out. These spots probably would receive little pressure outside of a couple days in gun season after thanksgiving.

[northeast beast]

20-30 hunters....very high pressure. I killed on of the biggest bucks ever on that farm by hunting about 50 yards from the edge ofthe road

i found while winter scouting this year that the deer were bedding on the hill side 50-100yards off the road. So as the trucks came in and stopped the deer could easily slip off before we even had guns out of cases. that is big to consider in this years hunting plan

This is a point that keeps being brought up and gave me a few ideas of places that may fall into this concept. I haven't had success at some of my closer setups but it was probably because I was trying the same places as everyone else! I have thought of one or two tucked away spots that are close but you almost have to walk in and then back around to probably avoid blowing everything out. These spots probably would receive little pressure outside of a couple days in gun season after thanksgiving.

yes my spots all have to be stuff that gets overlooked. I have lots of small parcels of state land but nothing more then a mile walk till you hit another road so the woods get pretty well walked through but again only during those few days of rifle and thanksgiving. Back to the beds...the deer are bedding on a southern slope(classic) and the road also runs the same slope so the deer bed basically next to the road. I found a dozen beds as i walked 75 yards parell with the road up the ridge. some bucks and a lot of doe I assume but still it taught me most afternoons I never stood a chance because as soon as the truck stops they were gone

[Rockytophunter]

I have been hoping for a decent snow to lay and stick for a day or 2 here for the past couple of years and no snow as of yet. Dan was talking about bedding on the leeward side of the mountain. Lets hypothetically say the wind comes out of the north for a few days then you get a south wind for a day or 2. Will the buck cross to the other side of the mountain he was bedding at to stay on the leeward side or if it's a small cove like mine just cut across the valley and up to the other mountain to stay on the downwind side?

I would say based on what Dan teaches, yes the buck would shift to the other side of the mountain / hill on a wind shift.

Dan has a video where the guide discusses hunting the non leeward side where all of the sign was, but because wind shifted, Dan said to hunt opposite side of terrain....Low and behold, they guy and the guide harvested a heck of buck on the (shifted) or leeward side of terrain (even though no sign).

Like I said I'm trying to throw all sorts of senarios out there and get answers from guys that are successful unlike me. There are 3 mountains that I can hunt that's at home and I'm trying to learn the techniques from here and apply them and then venture out to more public land. One side is a south/southwest facing slope. Then one is a north/northwest facing slope and the last one is a east/northeast facing slope. I'm looking at the topo's and trying to figure out all of the winds to hunt with these mountain sides. The winds here most of the time are coming from the north/northwest. There is one side of the mountain that I really haven't hunted hardly any at all because it's so thick and alot of little 10-15 yard flats all the way up it but I think it's going to be worth looking at now because of the winds. I think I have read also that deer like to bed on a east facing side due to the sun hit's it first and warms up. Is this true or am I wrong

[dan]

Depending on a lot of factors... Like distance. Bucks will bed on a windward side if leeward is not available. They may use a topo feature that gives them a leeward spot, or bed on edge/transition like in farm or swamp

[JoeRE]

I think the swamp bedding DVD would help as well. The "bedding" DVD's focus on how they bed in a certain terrain, but its not limited to that terrain. What I mean by that is you see hill bedding in flat land on a small hill or hump only a little higher than the rest, and you see swamp bedding in the hills where there is some low ground... Its good to know all the bedding habits even if you don't hunt all the terrains... You will probably find out you actually do...

This is very good advice, lots of other good advice has been given as well. One thing I have recently realized is that deer move around big brushy/overgrown bottoms just like a swamp. They move and bed on the edges and islands of timber just like it. I strongly recommend getting both DVDs under all circumstances even if you think you just hunt swamp or just hills. Everything is a spectrum.

Another think I noticed in the original posts, when hunting mature bucks you have to look for mature buck sign. Looking for trails was mentioned several times - trails are usually from does and little bucks. You have to focus on the sign left by big bucks.

That takes a lot of effort because of course there is only a tiny amount of mature buck sign by comparison, but that is what you have to focus on to get on the big bucks. One big buck scouting trip may yield one buck bed, a tall rub or two, maybe a set of big tracks....by comparison you might be walking over 20 doe trails and 50 doe beds! Focus on what you want to kill.

[Rockytophunter]

Depending on a lot of factors... Like distance. Bucks will bed on a windward side if leeward is not available. They may use a topo feature that gives them a leeward spot, or bed on edge/transition like in farm or swamp

Lol everytime I think I have something going my way you throw me a curve ball. I'm guessing that every deer is different because of his home range. As he gets older he becomes wiser and knows where he feels safe and has learned every small detail of his home range to use to his advantage. I'm also gonna guess this is going to take a little bit of time, patience and learning experiences to get everything locked in

[Famous.]

I feel like I am really nailing you guys with tons of questions as well. But I think I have already learned more useful information here than any other site I have visited. The all time tactical thread has been awesome. The knowledge in there is really amazing.

I had a question in regards to clear cuts in hill country. Will deer bed directly in the middle or more around the edges? Maybe down wind edges? I assume mature bucks and younger bucks or doe would use them differently? Would you focus on newer cuts over older? Most of the newer cuts that I have scouted contain a lot of left over tree tops that almost make it hard for the deer to walk through. Although there are small cleared two track roads zagging through them that would make it easier to get into the middle of them.

[dan]

I feel like I am really nailing you guys with tons of questions as well. But I think I have already learned more useful information here than any other site I have visited. The all time tactical thread has been awesome. The knowledge in there is really amazing.

I had a question in regards to clear cuts in hill country. Will deer bed directly in the middle or more around the edges? Maybe down wind edges? I assume mature bucks and younger bucks or doe would use them differently? Would you focus on newer cuts over older? Most of the newer cuts that I have scouted contain a lot of left over tree tops that almost make it hard for the deer to walk through. Although there are small cleared two track roads zagging through them that would make it easier to get into the middle of them.

Clear cuts attract both deer and hunters. Therefore your looking for the ones that have less pressure... Doe groups will bed in the middle, but bucks generally like the edges, down wind mostly. Just keep in mind there are 2 types of edges, an exterior hard edge, and softer interior edges. So buck bedding can be in the middle if there is an elevation or edge that gives them the security they need.

[dan]

Depending on a lot of factors... Like distance. Bucks will bed on a windward side if leeward is not available. They may use a topo feature that gives them a leeward spot, or bed on edge/transition like in farm or swamp

Lol everytime I think I have something going my way you throw me a curve ball. I'm guessing that every deer is different because of his home range. As he gets older he becomes wiser and knows where he feels safe and has learned every small detail of his home range to use to his advantage. I'm also gonna guess this is going to take a little bit of time, patience and learning experiences to get everything locked in

People seem to struggle there 1st year or 2, but once they start finding primary bedding all the pcs start falling together and it gets much easier.... Patience. Nothing good should come easy.

[JP<><]

I scout State Lands in the Catskills NY for buck beds and scout and find some rubs and scapes some poop even see a doe get up and move now and then and get trail cam picks of 8-10 pointers but I am getting concerned about getting lost in the woods without proper gps etc and still no buck beds have been found by me.
How far are these mature bucks traveling at night?
I must be missing something......
JP <><

[SidewayZ]

I scout State Lands in the Catskills NY for buck beds and scout and find some rubs and scapes some poop even see a doe get up and move now and then and get trail cam picks of 8-10 pointers but I am getting concerned about getting lost in the woods without proper gps etc and still no buck beds have been found by me.
How far are these mature bucks traveling at night?
I must be missing something......
JP <><

I also hunt the Catskills. Keep studying and keep scouting. You will come to find the techniques work, but the specifics vary. Not all, but most of the northeast is rolling hills. Look for transitions both in elevation and cover thickness / vegetation type. You will figure it out. I just found some great sign / tracks in a swamp area (overlooked area, small swamp) today in the Catskills area. I think in the Northeast it doesn't always layout exactly the way discussions on the board or Dan's videos portray. But what I have found is the tactics still apply.

[Jdaukontas]

I am a NYer and this is my 3rd year. I agree that northeast is a little different than most terrains in the videos, but I have stayed true to the beast and the process and every year my buck sightings increase. I have been most successful finding areas that have all the makings of a buck bedding area like described in the videos, and look for the closest area of converging edges I can find...these seem to be hot spots for me and all my biggest sightings have come from these areas. At this point, I know it is just a matter of time until I connect with a big one.

Don't be discouraged by not finding specific beds that are worn to the dirt, again focus on the areas. I think the terrain is so random that they bed in areas more than one specific bed imo. Stick with the process, you will get there.

[ODH]

I scout State Lands in the Catskills NY for buck beds and scout and find some rubs and scapes some poop even see a doe get up and move now and then and get trail cam picks of 8-10 pointers but I am getting concerned about getting lost in the woods without proper gps etc and still no buck beds have been found by me.
How far are these mature bucks traveling at night?
I must be missing something......
JP <><

Yeah you are probably closer than you think. I've found lots of buck beds in the catskills by doing exactly what everyone says - follow all the terrain features and transitions, at the right elevations. Catskills have really varied terrain - hills, steeps, plateaus, swamps, clearcuts, and a wide variety of tree species. A common characteristic is small sections of really thick stuff in otherwise open (relative) woods, often with overhanging cover. Just find one, then you'll start finding a bunch. Then the work starts! And if you don't have them yet get both dvds hill bedding and marsh bedding you need both in there.