For those successful rut hunters.

[Divergent]

I've got an area that I have intel from two post season scouting sessions. The does seem to bed low along the lower crest near the creek. This is where the transition is from select cut pines to thick cedar along the creek. The pines have thick undergrowth. The top blue pins are known beds( jumped 3 bucks from one pin up top in march). The light blue are beds that I've jumped does. The red pins are scrapes with rubs. The pink are trails. Are the bucks using rising thermals to check the scrapes below them? Ive always heard they use the down wind side of doe bedding and scrapes, but do they typically use rising thermals if all of the doe bedding and scrapes are lower along the creek? I don't see how they would wind from downwind.

[PK_]

Yes. They can monitor those doe beds from those scrapes and they can monitor the scrapes from their beds...

More or less.

[PK_]

But they also may just lay those scrapes there along that elevation wherever those does entry trails are... if that makes sense.

Did you drop milkweed everywhere? That will tell you so much.

[Divergent]

But they also may just lay those scrapes there along that elevation wherever those does entry trails are... if that makes sense.

Did you drop milkweed everywhere? That will tell you so much.

The transition has a fire break, so the deer seem to prefer to lay scrapes on it. I did notice that ALL of the scrapes fell inside the center of the draws, so they would be able to monitor the scrapes during the day from the beds above.

What I don't know is if they're laying these scrapes as they're checking these doe bedding areas during the day or if they're running at a higher elevation. The best cover seems to be along the transition. The doe beds are only about 20-30 yards from where the bucks are laying the scrapes though...and the scrapes are on the upwind side of the doe bedding.

[Wlog]

My guess is they are checking those scrapes as they are going back in to bed in the early am. Thermals dropping down to them to scent check their beds uphill. When the thermals turn around and start rising they are bedded up above smelling the scrapes and does down low.

[Divergent]

My guess is they are checking those scrapes as they are going back in to bed in the early am. Thermals dropping down to them to scent check their beds uphill. When the thermals turn around and start rising they are bedded up above smelling the scrapes and does down low.

I haven't thought of it that way. I think you're right though. I just checked the direction of travel according to my rub notes and they are heading back up hill towards the beds. I will place a camera after my first hunt in there to verify for next year.

So, would you plan for an AM hunt, after a rain, in hopes of catching him freshening it up?

[<DK>]

Great map Divergent and tough deal! Man them thermals just kill ya... I agree w PK for sure. Those scrapes are a perfect zone for thermal rise. Aside from some of thise stuff im about to kick around... If what were talking about is actually happening then I would target between the 2 light blue dots. Go in early in the morning w a red or green light and setup. Id come in from the bottoms if possible. Any all day or evening sit, look for more consistency in the wind.

You can go check that creek for tracks right now to get some intel on those buck beds. If its raining I would poke up that draw while there and see if those two scrapes are open year round.

Since the top blue dot is the primary, plus the does and scrapes are on the same ridge... I would consider diving in on the blue dots to the left in the AM once and first. Let the tracks you find coming back to the area tell you where to sit. For a evening buck bed sit I like the Northeast ridge w the trail heading away from the area or the upper trail between the two areas. For another rut sit consider that left scrape bc if your on that ridge side instead then maybe the thermals rise away from the ridge where you jumped 3 bucks.

Youre right I think, about whether they'll use the upper trails or lower trails. That is tough to say bc of how the ridge lays out. In general majority of evenings I see them on the 1/3. Thats why I threw out the suggestion of hunting the bucks beds to the left in the morning before the rut, higher elevation in the evengin, then hunt between doe bedding during the rut.

Obviously the scrapes, trails and draw intersection is the hot spot but thermals are tough. So my goal would be finding the sweet spot and right wind to get away w everything. So in the future you can do it the first time in.

Im no expert man, my new favorite thing is tight between primary doe bedding so I wish you luck. Your map is well done, youve done the groundwork, your posts are solid so trust your gut! Since youve jumped 3 bucks out of this location then id say it deserves 3 sits. Adjust set locations accordingly, re sit when rain gives you a free pass. If you alert them to being hunted then give tourself a buffer to keep the place what it is. If you get fed up dive in on the primary.

[PK_]

For rut I would just be over that trail with the scrapes...

You keep saying it is upwind of the bedding but I am pretty sure it isn't, that wind will likely roll in that tight valley and follow the thermals back up the ridge... so technically it is setup to scent check during daylight cruising.

Don't think of downwind being in terms of the major wind direction, think of it as which the deer can scent check.

That really is the best case when the bucks are scent checking on the same side as the doe entry trails direction. It concentrates all (or most) of the cruisers to the same side.

I think I would sit real close to where the purple line ends up to the east to try to keep from blowing everything out.

[Divergent]

I'm gonna give it a few sits this year and hopefully I can lay eyes on how they move thru the area. Cameras on that transition and scrapes should be able to help me decide time of day to hunt it too. It might take a couple of seasons of hunting it before I can nail it down completely.

[SplitG2]

I wish I could see this photo

Sounds like a similar situation/setup that I have and I could maybe learn something.