Any suggestions on this bedding area?

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rfickes87
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Any suggestions on this bedding area?

Unread postby rfickes87 » Thu Dec 21, 2017 3:50 pm

To the west of the road (not shown) is 95% of the public land. I like hunting it, I've scouted it many times, however its been pounded by hunters. My dad drove it out to me pushing 30 deer out just by himself. Later in the day i saw about 10 guys line up and push it again. Its a well known area for driving deer apparently. Anyway... We were parked on this road and i noticed on my phone that there was another bedding area right beside us to the east. (Shown in this picture). Its much smaller than what we had driven out prior to this but we gave it a chance anyway and drove it out...

Image

We didn't chase any out on this drive but I was very interested by the hot sign. I labeled the beds in red but honestly there were beds all over. Rubs everywhere. Old rubs from years past. Fresh green rubs with shavings on the ground still, height was almost up to my chest. Thinking 3 year old at least. The fresh rubs were along a beaten path on the military crest as I marked in brown and also marked some trails leading up to bedding. The crest is basically the property line.

Being that it was a week into rifle season with the orange army in full, I was shocked to see large fresh green rubs. This tells me a buck or bucks are being pushed to this bedding area or they are just not being pressured here. A nice over looked spot right along the road where no one is bothering them...

Now how to hunt it?? Common west winds almost always. Its been SW for a week at least so i bet he's been using this area a lot recently. He's got a great spot. If anyone walks up from the road he's got a great escape down thru the private woods. (White line is private) So my plan is to sneak by via one of those 2 green arrows... In early morning before daylight...and sit just up on the military crest. He should approach from left or right on the trial and J hook in. The private property has some random food plots I see. If I can have him come back to bed in daylight after he's been feeding that could give me a shot early in the morning. Or someone could push him to me midday from somewhere else to this spot.

I also thought to just sneak in right before dark on one of the edges (north arrow or south arrow) and wait for him to make a move. But i don't think i can be quiet enough for an evening hunt, unless the leaves are wet or we have snow...

I only have a climber so this will need to be a ground sit. No mature trees to climb. They're all on private. Everything on public would be just the thicket. Here's a pic of a rub i took just to give you an idea how thick it is. I really like hunting these areas. Hardly any visual unless you set up on the edges like i want too...

Image

My weapon will either be bow or flintlock. Thinking flintlock. Can anyone suggest a date to hunt this in the morning based on moon? Im in PA if that matters. Im a little new to understanding moon phases. Dan if you read this didn't you say in a podcast that Andrae says to do it on an overhead moon?

Im really excited about this area. Hunt hot sign when hot sign is hot. Right?? :think:

Thanks guys!


"Pressure and Time. That's all it takes, really. Pressure, and time..."
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rfickes87
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Re: Any suggestions on this bedding area?

Unread postby rfickes87 » Fri Dec 22, 2017 5:20 am

Bump
"Pressure and Time. That's all it takes, really. Pressure, and time..."
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Ashreve93
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Re: Any suggestions on this bedding area?

Unread postby Ashreve93 » Mon Dec 25, 2017 7:10 pm

Seems like a good plan to me. I hope someone a little more knowledgeable than me will reply soon. The issue with this spot in the morning is if it's a west wind (which is what you want) I'm thinking he may want to bed on the Eastern side of the thicket for visibility purposes,while smelling anyone coming from the road. This will make it tough to reach him on public land. I hope one of those red dots are his. Good find btw!

Plus, if he's coming from the NE food plot, and you're sitting on the NE part of the thicket, he will be able to smell you, but you won't be able to see him. And if you're sitting on the SE side, neither one will know either one exists. That's if he's not late coming to his bed. If he is late, you may want to come in with a NW wind and hope you see him before he smells you..

I think this is more of an evening spot. But, if you give it a go, I'd do it on January 2nd. I've had a lot of luck on the morning after a full moon over head, and that's what you'll get on the 2nd and 3rd. I'd be in the woods all morning of the 2nd if I were you.
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rfickes87
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Re: Any suggestions on this bedding area?

Unread postby rfickes87 » Tue Dec 26, 2017 7:42 am

Ashreve93 wrote:Seems like a good plan to me. I hope someone a little more knowledgeable than me will reply soon. The issue with this spot in the morning is if it's a west wind (which is what you want) I'm thinking he may want to bed on the Eastern side of the thicket for visibility purposes,while smelling anyone coming from the road. This will make it tough to reach him on public land. I hope one of those red dots are his. Good find btw!

Plus, if he's coming from the NE food plot, and you're sitting on the NE part of the thicket, he will be able to smell you, but you won't be able to see him. And if you're sitting on the SE side, neither one will know either one exists. That's if he's not late coming to his bed. If he is late, you may want to come in with a NW wind and hope you see him before he smells you..

I think this is more of an evening spot. But, if you give it a go, I'd do it on January 2nd. I've had a lot of luck on the morning after a full moon over head, and that's what you'll get on the 2nd and 3rd. I'd be in the woods all morning of the 2nd if I were you.


Thanks! I'm trying to wrap my head around moon phase. That really helps.
"Pressure and Time. That's all it takes, really. Pressure, and time..."


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