How to hunt a thermal tunnel/buck cruising route

[JoeRE]

Great example Jeff.

Maybe I missed you saying it, but is the buck travel route marked by a series of perennial rubs? Not always a lot of them, but if you walk that route do you notice rubs from last year, the year before, 2-3 years ago all along it?

This is something I have really noticed on those perennial cruising routes. Often there is virtually no trail....but if you shot every rub along there with a GPS you would notice them clearly stringing along the travel route. Its pretty cool when you can see it on a map like that.

[Jeff G]

Great example Jeff.

Maybe I missed you saying it, but is the buck travel route marked by a series of perennial rubs? Not always a lot of them, but if you walk that route do you notice rubs from last year, the year before, 2-3 years ago all along it?

This is something I have really noticed on those perennial cruising routes. Often there is virtually no trail....but if you shot every rub along there with a GPS you would notice them clearly stringing along the travel route. Its pretty cool when you can see it on a map like that.

Exactly. Makes it very easy to follow you string the old and new together. The old are just as important.

[ghoasthunter]

My situation here is long ridge lines that run for miles. Hardly any good points or knobs like shown here. Benches work OK but not all the time. I hunted all season this year and had deer sightings all but a few sits so I know I'm pretty good at finding deer. Only one really good buck was seen this year and it was textbook for what info I have studied here over the years. My big problems are...1, I overthink EVERYTHING! I get into a spot that I feel is good but second guess it. 2, I never really know whether I should walk the ridge top out and then drop down to the top 1/3 or if I should access from the bottom and climb up the hill. So much stuff to think about and it's frustrating but very rewarding all the times it does pay off! Thanks for all the info!!

when I hunt the same setup as you I try to come up threw cover to conceal myself from bedded bucks the bucks bed on the top 1/3 but a lot of times the does are up higher so their is a chance of busting the does with ground scent or while walking down too stand. even if top is only access I will cut down threw a boulder field and j hook to my stand. I've been seeing way more deer since I started doing it.

[ghoasthunter]

How to hunt a thermal tunnel/buck cruising route

I wanted to share an example of a classic thermal tunnel buck cruising route.

This is my property in SE MN. I only hunt it about 2 weekends of the year. When I get a SW wind or a S wind I kill a good buck almost every sit.

Most people think the wind has to come directly over the hill at a 90 degree angle, not true. I have just as much success hunting this spot on an off wind thermal tunnel. The bucks still cruise the hillside on an off wind. Thermals are still working on the hill side and the buck can still scent check the most ground cruising the hillside.

The way the property works out is there are nobs that contain the buck and doe bedding. I chose a spot to intercept the buck as they cruise the thermal tunnel and then cross over to cruise around the doe bedding,

I have observed this for 20 years. Same route, same wind. I always kill them in the same spot. I do not over hunt the spot. This year 2017 opening day i hunted it on the SE wind just to see what happened. Nothing. Hunted it last weekend on a south wind and killed a nice 10 point who followed the script.

The map is pretty much self explanatory.

Reason I want to share is a lot of discussion in hill country revolves around setting up waiting for a buck to leave a point/bedding area. This is another tactic on how bucks leave the leeward side to cross and check bedding areas.

Kill pics are bucks from the last 3 years (2015, 2016, 2017), there are a lot more, but this is a sample.

Try it out, it works!!

nice setup on the bad wind days like you showed on map I find the bucks cruse the same way but at a different level high or low the tunnel shifts with wind angle

[HighNtree]

Jeff,

Outstanding post! There is about 3 decades of acquired knowledge in your post. Thanks for sharing.

[BigHunt]

Great example Jeff.

Maybe I missed you saying it, but is the buck travel route marked by a series of perennial rubs? Not always a lot of them, but if you walk that route do you notice rubs from last year, the year before, 2-3 years ago all along it?

This is something I have really noticed on those perennial cruising routes. Often there is virtually no trail....but if you shot every rub along there with a GPS you would notice them clearly stringing along the travel route. Its pretty cool when you can see it on a map like that.

I notice this big time ^^^^^^
.... I see this especially when you have two doe bedding points right next to each other. 90% of the time there is a heavy rub Trail leading from one to the next. .. I'm out scouting right now in the hills and just logged an area like this to focus on during the rut..there is virtually no Trail

[Wolfofmibu]

Thanks for the informative post Jeff G!, I read this during the season and came back to it now . The more I read it the more it makes sense . Thanks again!

[ghoasthunter]

Just curious...

Why do the bucks bed on the windward side? Seems like those green dots for buck bedding on those points would only apply for a NE wind.

Thank you for this post though. Perfect timing for us all with the rut here and rifle soon approaching! This is my game plan for Rifle season on public here in PA.

Nice work!!!!

they will bed there on a west, north and east winds. they shift around the points. when i hunt it i am hunting it on a south to south west. I am not bed hunting the bucks then. I am intercepting the bucks as they cruise the leeward ridge and cross over to check the doe bedding on the top of the nobs. in early season we hunt the top of the draws and intercept the bucks as they leave the bedding on the points.

check out my post on (how I killed my 2017 buck) I did a very similar setup on a morning j hook

[Bonehead]

Great thread made
Greater with illustrations