Hunting large pine stands, anyone have much experience?

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mikew36
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Hunting large pine stands, anyone have much experience?

Unread postby mikew36 » Tue Jan 30, 2018 12:49 am

Hey guys,
I was looking at a property I recently got access to recently and a large portion of the pretty big property is a massive stand of pines and other evergreens. I have never hunting an area like that before. Do those areas hold deer much, or should I be looking into the transitions into other areas more? It does dump down into dogwood and cattail swamps in some areas, but those are much smaller than the pine stands. Also, do deer bed in these pine stands much, and if so, what types of areas? Any input would be greatly appreciated guys! Thanks!


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Net Guy
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Re: Hunting large pine stands, anyone have much experience?

Unread postby Net Guy » Tue Jan 30, 2018 12:54 am

I personally haven’t hunted them before but one of my employees swears by them. He always tells me that’s his favorite terrain to hunt. He’s not a Beast member but he said he likes to hunt the edges of them. After looking at some of his buck kills, I’m going to seek some out.
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Re: Hunting large pine stands, anyone have much experience?

Unread postby Rob loper » Tue Jan 30, 2018 1:00 am

mikew36 wrote:Hey guys,
I was looking at a property I recently got access to recently and a large portion of the pretty big property is a massive stand of pines and other evergreens. I have never hunting an area like that before. Do those areas hold deer much, or should I be looking into the transitions into other areas more? It does dump down into dogwood and cattail swamps in some areas, but those are much smaller than the pine stands. Also, do deer bed in these pine stands much, and if so, what types of areas? Any input would be greatly appreciated guys! Thanks!


Look down in those dogwood and tails walk the transitions of these small areas look in the bowls and point tips especially if it a soft transition going out into the dogwood and cattails. Look for single trees out there
That is what i learned this past weekend from the master himself
They might be on transitions of pines but any big mature animals are gonna be out in those dogwoods and cattails
Also pines usually have no ground cover or very little so any mature animsl is not going to go in there and make an appearance til way after dark. Im on learning curve to bro and im sure there are exceptions but thats what i just learned over the last 2 days
Get out there and get wet. Good luck keep is posted on your progress
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Re: Hunting large pine stands, anyone have much experience?

Unread postby Buckshot20 » Tue Jan 30, 2018 1:10 am

Thick pines can be awesome for holding deer but difficult at times to predict the exact movement. Too much good bedding. Hunting it in and around the rut can pay dividends. Find any wrinkle in it. Small openings, grassy ponds, cypress, hardwood, you name it. There will be soft transitions in there that they will use. Remember though, movement isn't as predictable
mikew36
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Re: Hunting large pine stands, anyone have much experience?

Unread postby mikew36 » Tue Jan 30, 2018 1:22 am

Yeah, I have heard others say what you mentioned, that the movement can be somewhat random compared to other more predicable areas. I suppose that makes sense when it can be very similar terrain through large sections.
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Re: Hunting large pine stands, anyone have much experience?

Unread postby Wolfofmibu » Tue Jan 30, 2018 2:01 am

Lopedog699 wrote:
mikew36 wrote:Hey guys,
I was looking at a property I recently got access to recently and a large portion of the pretty big property is a massive stand of pines and other evergreens. I have never hunting an area like that before. Do those areas hold deer much, or should I be looking into the transitions into other areas more? It does dump down into dogwood and cattail swamps in some areas, but those are much smaller than the pine stands. Also, do deer bed in these pine stands much, and if so, what types of areas? Any input would be greatly appreciated guys! Thanks!


Look down in those dogwood and tails walk the transitions of these small areas look in the bowls and point tips especially if it a soft transition going out into the dogwood and cattails. Look for single trees out there
That is what i learned this past weekend from the master himself
They might be on transitions of pines but any big mature animals are gonna be out in those dogwoods and cattails
Also pines usually have no ground cover or very little so any mature animsl is not going to go in there and make an appearance til way after dark. Im on learning curve to bro and im sure there are exceptions but thats what i just learned over the last 2 days
Get out there and get wet. Good luck keep is posted on your progress



I second this !, also look for lone oaks in the pine flat. These will be feeding hot spots since pines don’t offer much.
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Rob loper
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Re: Hunting large pine stands, anyone have much experience?

Unread postby Rob loper » Tue Jan 30, 2018 3:57 am

Buckshot20 wrote:Thick pines can be awesome for holding deer but difficult at times to predict the exact movement. Too much good bedding. Hunting it in and around the rut can pay dividends. Find any wrinkle in it. Small openings, grassy ponds, cypress, hardwood, you name it. There will be soft transitions in there that they will use. Remember though, movement isn't as predictable



Buckshot is right. Pines ae unpredictable
But Are they small pines or mature pines? Cause in mature pines they usually choke everything else out and Where they grow is usually wide open and from what ive learned any big mature buck is not gonna bed in the wide open. Get down in that red brush and cat tails
mikew36
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Re: Hunting large pine stands, anyone have much experience?

Unread postby mikew36 » Tue Jan 30, 2018 4:15 am

It seemed to be mostly larger, mature pines, but there was areas with smaller ones or smaller red cedars too. The main areas that weren't pine stands in the area were one bowl in the middle of all this with mostly tall grasses in the middle, and another that was mostly cattails with dogwood in spots. There was a large section of mostly just dogwood in one area opposite where the pines started. There is some random sections of hardwoods also, birches, aspens and some oaks and black walnuts, but they were spread out mostly among the pines.
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Re: Hunting large pine stands, anyone have much experience?

Unread postby dan » Tue Jan 30, 2018 5:26 am

Hit the small patches of dogwood and cattails. ;)
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Re: Hunting large pine stands, anyone have much experience?

Unread postby ghoasthunter » Tue Jan 30, 2018 5:51 am

I would be checking the swamps for mature bucks first if that does not hold deer. see if their are any areas where their have been major blowdowns when the pines get real tall they tend to dump over in windstorms like dominoes making a nest in a otherwise open area. under brush and briers will grow with nice grassy areas sometimes think 5 to 6 year old clear cut style bedding. a good buck will bed in those half acer clumps if they have advantage of sight. especially if they are on a side hill or other terrain feature that would generate natural bedding to begin with its good bedding year round to because the pines generate a nice micro climate for deer. I've had great success hunting tall overgrown pine stands in the past. also you can get some real good long range shooting lanes for gun season and find good scrape lines along the edges running north to south. or whatever the predominant wind line is in your area. bucks run wind to back or tail so that's that will be the most used scrape lines. also stay away from openings the wind swirls in them. (probably why the deer bed in the blow down sections) :think:
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