Mountain Ground

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Thesouthpaw
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Mountain Ground

Unread postby Thesouthpaw » Sat Feb 10, 2018 12:55 pm

Any tips and tricks for hunting in Appalachia? I have two giant pieces of public that are steep mountain ground, and are 100% wooded. I normally go to the midwest in November, so I am trying to figure out how to kill a nice buck in this type of terrain in early October. Any help would be greatly appreciated.


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RidgeGhost
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Re: Mountain Ground

Unread postby RidgeGhost » Sat Feb 10, 2018 2:06 pm

This is a good place to start:

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=40162

Bucks use hill country type bedding habits in the mountains but each situation is different. There will be no substitute for going out and walking places that you suspect bedding. Over time you will get a feel for how they are bedding in your particular habitat and terrain type.
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Re: Mountain Ground

Unread postby pewpewpew » Sun Feb 11, 2018 1:22 am

I tip my fedora to any man that goes into mountainous national forest and kills a deer with a bow.

I think very little deer hunting advice translates into scenarios like this. I’ll be tuning in.
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brancher147
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Re: Mountain Ground

Unread postby brancher147 » Sun Feb 11, 2018 1:49 am

Steep mountain ground 100% wooded is basically all I hunt, some public some private. But getting on a good buck in early October in that terrain is something I have not figured out yet. You will have to find consistent buck bedding to hunt, which I have thus far not been able to do that time of year when bucks are changing their patterns.

My main tip is find consistent buck bedding and hunt as close as possible or the closest terrain funnel and hunt the wind. A year with heavy mast should help keep a buck in one place in the woods this time of year.
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ghoasthunter
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Re: Mountain Ground

Unread postby ghoasthunter » Sun Feb 11, 2018 2:17 am

I hunt the same mountains so if you search my posts I have made a bunch of info on this topic. hunting the mountains is almost the same as hill country just on a bigger scale. the big difference is they can bed at much lower elevations on the on leeward sides think micro climates on western slopes. the biggest bucks bed in steep cliffs or highest peaks and benches between draws. they are very consistent early season till they get spooked then they wont be back for weeks. mountain deer are very spooky and should be made into there own sub species. alot of the biggest bucks core areas in Appalachia are not a big block but a long strip that goes for miles along the N to S ridges then they use drainages to drop down into the valleys at night. my success in mountain country boils down to finding the biggest pockets of deer sign don't hunt single beds you will wait the whole season and not see the buck. my best spots are benches in heavy cover with heavy bedding and sigh mountain bucks like rubbing trees in wind tunnels if I'm not finding rubs 6 to 10 inches in diameter I keep looking and if sign appears while your hunting hunt it immediately cuz its going to change fast.
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Re: Mountain Ground

Unread postby bh bowhunter » Sun Feb 11, 2018 4:24 am

I am also trying to kill a mature buck in October in steep big woods. I have much to learn and looking for advice also. A buck I have two years of trailcam pics of spends the summer months on the edge of a private meadow down in the lower elevation. The last two seasons he would leave this area around Sept. 1st.

I suspected he had shifted to the base of a huge steep thick and nasty ridge a quarter mile east of his summer range. At the base of that ridge is another private meadow with a house and a creek running thru the property. What I wouldn't give to own that place! I figured out this past November that the people that own it, go south for the winter. I glassed the place several times and observed many deer feeding early out in the meadow.

I moved two stands into the area and left two cams, one on a scrape, and one on a well used trail. Sure enough he was there, had him on both cams! Hunted there several times but didn't see my target buck. I played it safe and stayed out of the bedding areas, big mistake! I should have been more aggressive. The gun season had just started and I think hunting pressure caused him to shift again or he was killed? Gonna be doing a lot of scouting and shed hunting on the upper ridge!

The only piece of advice I can offer ya is to get to know the area and do a lot of in season scouting! What I've learned so far about mt bucks is they seem to have bigger home ranges and they move a lot.
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Re: Mountain Ground

Unread postby Zona1 » Sun Feb 11, 2018 7:12 am

If the mountains you are hunting has mountain laurel on the top, walk the edges and look for large beds, pellets and tracks. There will usually be many single beds when you find a core area. Don't be surprised if there are only a few rubs in the area. Mature bucks in the mountains love to relate to mountain laurel. I have seen it too many times to be a coincidences.
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ghoasthunter
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Re: Mountain Ground

Unread postby ghoasthunter » Sun Feb 11, 2018 12:26 pm

Zona1 wrote:If the mountains you are hunting has mountain laurel on the top, walk the edges and look for large beds, pellets and tracks. There will usually be many single beds when you find a core area. Don't be surprised if there are only a few rubs in the area. Mature bucks in the mountains love to relate to mountain laurel. I have seen it too many times to be a coincidences.
mountain laurel and hemlocks or pines they love putting there back up too the laurel then use the hemlock as an umbrella. Image don't expect to see many burned in beds they shift with the wind constantly up there. you are going to find a bench or point covered in beds facing different ways.
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Re: Mountain Ground

Unread postby ghoasthunter » Sun Feb 11, 2018 12:31 pm

ImageImageImageImageImagehear are some buck bed pics too give you an idea of what to look for
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ghoasthunter
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Re: Mountain Ground

Unread postby ghoasthunter » Sun Feb 11, 2018 12:32 pm

Image
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Re: Mountain Ground

Unread postby Zona1 » Sun Feb 11, 2018 2:09 pm

Great pics ghoast!
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ghoasthunter
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Re: Mountain Ground

Unread postby ghoasthunter » Sun Feb 11, 2018 2:38 pm

Zona1 wrote:Great pics ghoast!

take note on the features the beds use once you find what a buck beds on the trend seams to follow in the rest of an area for me its all about the hemlock tree overhead. and the first branches must start around 6 feet. then instead of just looking for a bed scouting you will just need to see the feature. which helps big when still hunting or tracking then all you need to do is spot the deer before he spots you. the does will bed under the tree in a circle but to but. the buck needs the extra backstop a big rock log laurel brush or blowdown. they bed in swamps same way in mountain country.
THE MOST IMPORTANT TOOL A HUNTER HAS IS BETWEEN HIS SHOULDERS


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