Choosing the kill tree...

[SwampThing1980]

I’m curious and simultaneously looking for help.. since having been to Dan’s scouting session in Wisconsin and having watched swamp, marsh, hill country and bear dvd’s Multiple times; I still have an issue I struggle with..
I seem to always miss looking at something when I’m finding these beds.. I get home, read more threads on here and only the realize all the things I didn’t look at or consider.. does anybody have a system of items to look for or cross off as they sit in a buck’s bed to contemplate the scenario? I found what I thought to be a good bed; followed a rub line in to the bedding area onto an island in the swamps; but then once I was sitting in the bed; forgot about the rubs coming in and what it means in respect to where to set up, or the J-hook etc. this is probably just a rookie thing and will come with time; but I feel like if I had a system in place that basically follows a step by step, it would help me get way better at this section of finding and selecting a kill tree..
Do you have a step by step system? I’d love to hear about it.
Any advice is welcome:)

[Ack]

I don't have an actual checklist, but the most important thing to remember once you find the bed, is that you really need to just slow down and remember why you are out there....to ultimately find a place to hunt and the best way to execute the hunt in that place.

A real basic breakdown would be........find the bed, determine buck's exit route, figure out best wind, pick kill tree, pick best entrance route to kill tree, prep tree, and so on.

And you're right.....the more areas you scout and prep, the easier it will get.

[Tim H]

Ideally this is what my checklist would look like in a perfect world. But honestly it rarely works this way.

1. Find area to scout in aerials
2. Scout area on foot
3. Find anticipated sign
4. Analyze bed/sign, determining exit routes from bedding area.
5. Find multiple kill trees based on specific winds. Distance would depend on the terrain. The thicker the area, probably the closer I could get without getting busted.
6. Possibly prep shooting lanes if need be
7. Mark all kill trees and sign on gps or hunting app
8. Leave area alone until hunting season

[mauser06]

The rub line coming into the bed isn't so important if you're evening hunting IMO.


All the beds I've found that have rub lines going into them often have a different route leaving.


I've made that mistake...took a while for it all to "click".

I had big tracks in the snow basically bee-lining from the fields straight to the bed way out in the marsh. Why am I not seeing the deer?

The bucks leave that bedding area going that same direction...onto a finger covered in oaks. They stage and feed out there before heading for the fields. It's actually a bit tricky to hunt because deer use that oak finger almost all times of the day. I haven't seen a mature buck use it through the day...but they do leave the bed and hit it earlier than I expected...does and Young bucks are out there pretty often through the day though.


Look for the exit route and staging area...then find the kill tree.


Easier said than done...that trail coming in is often used much more and sticks out better from what I've seen...hard to hunt a faint trail with maybe a couple little rubs opposed to the highway littered with big rubs... I think when they leave, they leave in various directions based on wind and their destination etc. That's why it's important to get as close as possible...the farther from the bed, the more opportunities they have to take a different route. Could be as simple as a good oak dropping hard and they are heading for it.

[SwampThing1980]

Thanks Guys, so this may be another dumb question to add on top of this; but how do I know the difference between an exit trail and an entrance trail.. I’ve always assumed that the trail leading into the bed is the one with rubs facing away from the bed.. would this be the opposite for exit trails or are they generally unmarked? If unmarked, do I just assume that the trails that aren’t heavily rubbed is the varying exit trails?

[SwampThing1980]

IMG_0855.jpg

I’m not sure if you can see this picture? If so, the red v’s are the beds with the beds facing the point of the V. 3 in close proximity, 2 facing north (small hill) and one facing south on crest of the hill. This particular south one was under an old fallen down tree trunk with the closest rub about 10ft further south.. this is worked up from this past season. Thinking still fairly late in the season as I could still see the the bark pieces on the ground.. lots of hair in the beds too. Blue line is what I assume is the incoming trail from the NW point of the island (lots of rubs on this trail). The yellow dot is what I figured is the closest I can get without being seen, with green being my entry route.. from the bed to my tree is about 55yards.. any thoughts? I’m assuming this is predominantly a NW wind spot, but I do have capacity to enter from the north as well. What I didn’t do, Is look from the north facing beds and see what the deer can see. I didn’t check thermals either... in hindsight should’ve done that. The whole Island is kinda wave like with small hills but only about 200 yards wide at its widest point.. I will be going back in a couple weeks to check on the thermal effect and test going into island with marsh being ice free-never done this before so it should be interesting.. the rest of the island is pretty much buck sign free.. any thoughts? Should I sit the other points first to determine exit routes or go big right away?

[SwampThing1980]

http://photos.thehuntingbeast.com/displ ... play_media

Hope this worked:) trying to post a picture for the photobucket.. let me know if it worked.

[Bonehead]

Ideally this is what my checklist would look like in a perfect world. But honestly it rarely works this way.

1. Find area to scout in aerials
2. Scout area on foot
3. Find anticipated sign
4. Analyze bed/sign, determining exit routes from bedding area.
5. Find multiple kill trees based on specific winds. Distance would depend on the terrain. The thicker the area, probably the closer I could get without getting busted.
6. Possibly prep shooting lanes if need be
7. Mark all kill trees and sign on gps or hunting app
8. Leave area alone until hunting season

A very good list!

[Jdw]

I would add / emphasise the importance of finding a low impact entry route, to get into the area undetected. I have found that to be an important part of the puzzel that I used to overlook.

[Kokes]

one thing I didn't do last year but I am doing on a few of my kill tree sets when prepping this year is taking a quick picture or video of the tree and general area then logging them just so I have a refresher before I go in to hunt in the fall. I keep a log of the spots ive scouted and make some general notes as to observations made, wind direction I plan on hunting the spot, etc... some spots are pretty easy and a pic isn't required but I figure it cant hurt and is easy to do.