Anyone hunt ravines?

[Tennhunter3]

Several of my spots I've found this year I plan to setup where the buck goes around 20-40 foot deep ravines.

Have you guys had success hunting ravines?? How do thermals work in Ravines??

[Tjterry]

One of my most productive Ohio spots is at the head of a deep ditch/revine. It's on the east side of a thicket were does like to bed. It's a great all day spot during the rut.

[<DK>]

One of my most productive Ohio spots is at the head of a deep ditch/revine. It's on the east side of a thicket were does like to bed. It's a great all day spot during the rut.

x2!!

[Mschmeiske]

I'm curious to read some responses. I hunt 130 acres with a ravine on the left that I'm able to hunt and a ravine on the right that's maybe 200 yards off the land I can hunt.

[Tennhunter3]

Bump

[matt1336]

In my experience they're not easy due to swirling wind. I could see being at the head of a ravine being a great place. But in the middle....I been busted many times in the past in set ups like that. Evening hunts especially

[tbunao]

I use them for access, some good steep ones that the deer like to travel on the top side or bottom of. Spring scouting reveals where I need to exit the ravine in order to access spots without crossing trails. I wouldn't think of the bottom just due to swirling winds but that's all terrain specific IMO. One of my bottoms I think would work but it will need a few years worth of faild sits to learn. Most of the top sides are good pinch points for the cruise phase.

[Bowhunter4life]

I have taken several bucks at the head of them. You do have to watch for a buck to cross down through them as well so make sure you do your scouting. Naturally the bucks are cruising on the side of the ridge, could be the top 1/3 or could be the bottom 1/3 or anywhere in between, lot of that depends on the terrain and pressure.

Big nasty ones are great cause it pushes a lot of movement up above them but I have seen bucks cross right through them. I like to take a good look at them and make sure there isn't a faint crossing down below the head of it. Sometimes you might even find rubs down lower showing about where the bucks will cruise through them.

I believe that goes back to most bucks and especially ones with age just don't like these areas that a lot of other deer are funneled too. I believe they know that things get tight there and is easier for a predator to ambush them.

[elk yinzer]

While I would hardly ever climb a tree "in" the ravine itself, they are definitely features I highlight when map scouting. But I need to see the sign that deer are using them and have bedding nearby. Bucks do often bed on the fingers where they can drop down into thick steep crap in either direction. Deer will use them to stay hidden. Typically the better stands are higher up where they end at a bench or saddle or converge with other ravines. If they end at a bench 3/4 from the top of the mountain especially.

[Ridgerunner7]

I have taken several bucks at the head of them. You do have to watch for a buck to cross down through them as well so make sure you do your scouting. Naturally the bucks are cruising on the side of the ridge, could be the top 1/3 or could be the bottom 1/3 or anywhere in between, lot of that depends on the terrain and pressure.

Big nasty ones are great cause it pushes a lot of movement up above them but I have seen bucks cross right through them. I like to take a good look at them and make sure there isn't a faint crossing down below the head of it. Sometimes you might even find rubs down lower showing about where the bucks will cruise through them.

I believe that goes back to most bucks and especially ones with age just don't like these areas that a lot of other deer are funneled too. I believe they know that things get tight there and is easier for a predator to ambush them.

This has been my experience as well. I haven't hunted as much hill country has a lot of these guys though. The obvious approach and deer sign tends to lead you to the top of the ravine. I certainly have had some great encounters and killed a couple bucks at the head. What I did notice is that it seems like the more mature bucks tended to cross somewhere down lower in the middle. This was in heavily hunted public hill country. I moved down after seeing two big bucks cruise through a faint trail in the middle of the ravine. I set up as high as possible directly over it as I thought that was my only chance to not get winded. I had a nice buck come cruising through he caught my wind but only after he was in very close bow range. The negative about that set up is that it gave me a very bad shot angle.

Because my experience was so limited I really wanted to get a season of Intel so I popped a camera at the head of that ravine and at the crossing in the middle. Of course the one at the head came up stolen but the one in the middle had some very mature deer coming through from late October to the end of November.

[mheichelbech]

What differences do you observe in how mature bucks use a shallow ravine versus a deeper ravine?

[cbay]

:hand:

I have taken several bucks at the head of them. You do have to watch for a buck to cross down through them as well so make sure you do your scouting. Naturally the bucks are cruising on the side of the ridge, could be the top 1/3 or could be the bottom 1/3 or anywhere in between, lot of that depends on the terrain and pressure.

Big nasty ones are great cause it pushes a lot of movement up above them but I have seen bucks cross right through them. I like to take a good look at them and make sure there isn't a faint crossing down below the head of it. Sometimes you might even find rubs down lower showing about where the bucks will cruise through them.

I believe that goes back to most bucks and especially ones with age just don't like these areas that a lot of other deer are funneled too. I believe they know that things get tight there and is easier for a predator to ambush them.

This has been my experience as well. I haven't hunted as much hill country has a lot of these guys though. The obvious approach and deer sign tends to lead you to the top of the ravine. I certainly have had some great encounters and killed a couple bucks at the head. What I did notice is that it seems like the more mature bucks tended to cross somewhere down lower in the middle. This was in heavily hunted public hill country. I moved down after seeing two big bucks cruise through a faint trail in the middle of the ravine. I set up as high as possible directly over it as I thought that was my only chance to not get winded. I had a nice buck come cruising through he caught my wind but only after he was in very close bow range. The negative about that set up is that it gave me a very bad shot angle.

Because my experience was so limited I really wanted to get a season of Intel so I popped a camera at the head of that ravine and at the crossing in the middle. Of course the one at the head came up stolen but the one in the middle had some very mature deer coming through from late October to the end of November.

These are my experiences as well. Couple years ago i killed a nice buck at the head of a ravine dogging a doe, but earlier in the day i watched a number of bucks cross this ravine down low - including a really big one. Since then i've tried to hunt this ravine down low with mostly poor luck due to the thermals running back up the sides. Like an ebb n flow of scent working in the ravine. Did get another buck down there but have since learned where they are coming from and have better options right before they break down in the ravine.
This is similar to other ravines i hunt where most of the good spots (wind wise checking with milkweed, travel routes, etc.) are found off to one side or the other of the cut.
If you can get in stealth and get them before they smell you they can be fantastic though.

[hunter10]

What are you guys referring to as a head of the ravine? Any pics ?

[Bowhunter4life]

What are you guys referring to as a head of the ravine? Any pics ?

White X is head of the ravine. Red was an example of where a buck could cross so I make sure I scout the the whole ravine if this is where I am planning my kill at.

[JoeRE]

:hand:

I have taken several bucks at the head of them. You do have to watch for a buck to cross down through them as well so make sure you do your scouting. Naturally the bucks are cruising on the side of the ridge, could be the top 1/3 or could be the bottom 1/3 or anywhere in between, lot of that depends on the terrain and pressure.

Big nasty ones are great cause it pushes a lot of movement up above them but I have seen bucks cross right through them. I like to take a good look at them and make sure there isn't a faint crossing down below the head of it. Sometimes you might even find rubs down lower showing about where the bucks will cruise through them.

I believe that goes back to most bucks and especially ones with age just don't like these areas that a lot of other deer are funneled too. I believe they know that things get tight there and is easier for a predator to ambush them.

This has been my experience as well. I haven't hunted as much hill country has a lot of these guys though. The obvious approach and deer sign tends to lead you to the top of the ravine. I certainly have had some great encounters and killed a couple bucks at the head. What I did notice is that it seems like the more mature bucks tended to cross somewhere down lower in the middle. This was in heavily hunted public hill country. I moved down after seeing two big bucks cruise through a faint trail in the middle of the ravine. I set up as high as possible directly over it as I thought that was my only chance to not get winded. I had a nice buck come cruising through he caught my wind but only after he was in very close bow range. The negative about that set up is that it gave me a very bad shot angle.

Because my experience was so limited I really wanted to get a season of Intel so I popped a camera at the head of that ravine and at the crossing in the middle. Of course the one at the head came up stolen but the one in the middle had some very mature deer coming through from late October to the end of November.

These are my experiences as well. Couple years ago i killed a nice buck at the head of a ravine dogging a doe, but earlier in the day i watched a number of bucks cross this ravine down low - including a really big one. Since then i've tried to hunt this ravine down low with mostly poor luck due to the thermals running back up the sides. Like an ebb n flow of scent working in the ravine. Did get another buck down there but have since learned where they are coming from and have better options right before they break down in the ravine.
This is similar to other ravines i hunt where most of the good spots (wind wise checking with milkweed, travel routes, etc.) are found off to one side or the other of the cut.
If you can get in stealth and get them before they smell you they can be fantastic though.

Yea, Im seeing exactly what you guys are seeing. Several times I have been set up at the head of what I thought was an impassible ravine only to see a big buck cross on a faint trail I overlooked down slope of me. Now if there is a faint crossing part way down the hill and a heavy crossing at the very top, I favor the faint one. Bowhunter4life's example is exactly that scenario.

In general ravines are awesome because falling thermals funnel right down into them. Unless a deer is down in the ravine you don't get busted in that circumstance....assuming little wind and dominant thermals. Ravines also make killer access to stands although some get clogged with brush or debris. I like hunting the fall after a big gully washer earlier in the year, in steeper hills that actually cleans out ravines. Strong rising thermals come up out of the ravine, can be challenging but also can mean anything on the far side is unlikely to wind you till it gets on your side of the ditch