Setting up between bedding points & wind

[pewpewpew]

In doing research on hill country strategy, a common thing is setting up on a pinch point near bedding. I don't think I've scouted a secondary point that does not have a deer bed on it, and it's almost impossible to know which points have actively bedded deer.

An easy pinch point that sticks out to me are the draws/ditches/hollows between the secondary points... specifically where deer trails converge, at the point where the ditch erosion stops (black X on map). Has anyone had success hunting the draw crossings between beddings on points? If so, how did you do it in relation to the wind? It seems to me that no matter where you set up, your scent could be blowing to the next point over with deer bedded.



Red stars = Beds
Black X= Pinch point

[WV Bowhunter]

Looks like a south wind would work for your left two pinch points marked. Enter from the north straight up the draw to your stand site. Sometimes I've found some swirling winds trying to hunt those draws. Maybe confirm what the wind is going to do with some milkweed.

[Grasshopper]

I hunt the tops of draws often. I like to access from the bottom of the ditch, and walk up until I can see the converging trails at the top. I don't like to have to cross the trails usually climb a tree right next to the top of the ditch. I like having the wind blowing as straight towards the ditch as I can. It puts your ground scent and your falling thermals in one place, and when you have rising thermals the wind blows them out over the ditch.

[Jeff G]

In areas like this you need to stage hunt the area. If the wind blows from left to right I hunt the nob on the right first and move your way left. You are stacking you are stage hunting.

Also always access from the top. If you enter from the bottom you will be picked off by the bedded buck and you are also leaving a scent trail. Any cruising deer will pick tht trail up and blow out of there. Minimal disturbance from entering from top.

I have land in se mn that we will be doing a work shop this spring on. I have this exact set up on the property which we will show kill set ups and explain how we tackle it.

[PK_]

Yes that is probably the most common hill country setup. Just need to be able to access the draw without blowing the deer obviously.

[pewpewpew]

In areas like this you need to stage hunt the area. If the wind blows from left to right I hunt the nob on the right first and move your way left. You are stacking you are stage hunting.

Also always access from the top. If you enter from the bottom you will be picked off by the bedded buck and you are also leaving a scent trail. Any cruising deer will pick tht trail up and blow out of there. Minimal disturbance from entering from top.

I have land in se mn that we will be doing a work shop this spring on. I have this exact set up on the property which we will show kill set ups and explain how we tackle it.

I've never heard of stage hunting. Is it some variation of still hunting?

[Jeff25]

In areas like this you need to stage hunt the area. If the wind blows from left to right I hunt the nob on the right first and move your way left. You are stacking you are stage hunting.

Also always access from the top. If you enter from the bottom you will be picked off by the bedded buck and you are also leaving a scent trail. Any cruising deer will pick tht trail up and blow out of there. Minimal disturbance from entering from top.

I have land in se mn that we will be doing a work shop this spring on. I have this exact set up on the property which we will show kill set ups and explain how we tackle it.

I've never heard of stage hunting. Is it some variation of still hunting?

I think he is just saying burn one bridge at a time. Don't hunt the middle one first because you may ruin one of the other set ups. If the wind is blowing left to right and you hunt the far left draw, your scent is blowing towards your other set ups and ruining them. But if you hunted them from right to left one day at a time your scent would be blowing towards where you already hunted the day before. So that bridge was already burned so it doesn't matter that your scent is blowing there. This will also stack the deer on the far left point once your scent is left behind on the right two set ups from the previous two days.

[Jeff G]

In areas like this you need to stage hunt the area. If the wind blows from left to right I hunt the nob on the right first and move your way left. You are stacking you are stage hunting.

Also always access from the top. If you enter from the bottom you will be picked off by the bedded buck and you are also leaving a scent trail. Any cruising deer will pick tht trail up and blow out of there. Minimal disturbance from entering from top.

I have land in se mn that we will be doing a work shop this spring on. I have this exact set up on the property which we will show kill set ups and explain how we tackle it.

I've never heard of stage hunting. Is it some variation of still hunting?

I think he is just saying burn one bridge at a time. Don't hunt the middle one first because you may ruin one of the other set ups. If the wind is blowing left to right and you hunt the far left draw, your scent is blowing towards your other set ups and ruining them. But if you hunted them from right to left one day at a time your scent would be blowing towards where you already hunted the day before. So that bridge was already burned so it doesn't matter that your scent is blowing there. This will also stack the deer on the far left point once your scent is left behind on the right two set ups from the previous two days.

Correct. Come to the hill workshop in spring and see first hand example.

[flinginairos]

I hunt the tops of draws often. I like to access from the bottom of the ditch, and walk up until I can see the converging trails at the top. I don't like to have to cross the trails usually climb a tree right next to the top of the ditch. I like having the wind blowing as straight towards the ditch as I can. It puts your ground scent and your falling thermals in one place, and when you have rising thermals the wind blows them out over the ditch.

This is exactly what I try to do and it's how I killed my buck last year. I was set up toward the top end of the ditch within range of the trails coming out of the bedding. Most of my areas set up like this and I normally have to access them from the bottom.