Questions about a setup

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Drenalin
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Questions about a setup

Unread postby Drenalin » Fri Aug 10, 2018 4:33 am

Image

The pic above is a potential setup that I've scouted in the last few weeks. The bed I've marked on the point is a lone bed backed up against a blackberry tangle, which I assume would be used primarily in a south wind. The yellow area down the point from the bed is a thicket and is full beds. I'm assuming the lone bed is a buck and the beds in the thicket are does. There is a well defined trail that leads from the lone bed into the thicket in one direction. In the other direction, the trail drops off the point slightly on the west and heads back "up" the point right by the red marker, which is a potential stand location. I can get into this set 70 yards away from the lone bed by coming down the drainage and then walking in the creek almost to the base of tree (I'm out of water for about 15 feet). The area to the south and to the east is pasture - I'm certain deer would expect people to be in these areas. The area to the north sees some hunting pressure - not a lot, but enough. This would fall into the overlooked spots category I think. But I've got some questions:

1. I didn't find any old rubs or other buck sign in or near the bed. There are a handful of rubs in the doe thicket. Really the only evidence I have that the lone bed is a buck bed is that it's by itself and it sets up right for a buck (topography, wind, good spot to monitor does down the point). How much stock do you guys put into those factors without any actual buck sign? In other words, am I just as likely hunting a doe bed that happens to be off by itself a bit? I'm probably going to try this when the conditions are right, but I am concerned about the absence of buck sign.

2. My entry into this set seems good with a south wind, and assuming I don't make any noise at all. Based on my understanding of thermals, my scent should pull off into the drainage and go undetected by the buck in his bed, correct?

3. I have no idea why a buck would be heading up the point rather than down the point toward the does. There is no agriculture to the south, east, or west and only a very old apple orchard to the north. There are oaks in all directions, and it looks like a good year for acorns. Being there are no rubs for me to figure out a direction, and I couldn't find a single track that I could determine direction from, how in the world do I figure out which way this guys is going? I've read on here that bucks often travel wind to back or crosswind, so even though I'd like to believe he'll get up and come up that trail with the wind in his face, it doesn't seem like that's a given. If the answer is that since I can't think of a reason for him to come toward me, he probably won't, I'm ok with that. I just need to figure out where I should be instead.

4. If this is a buck bed, is it more likely that he's dropping off that point into the thermal hub before he heads off to feed at night? If so, has anyone had any experience with setting up down in a thermal hub and attempting to get a shot before he makes you? I'm thinking maybe setting up down low just north of the thicket (and north of the creek) at the base of that hill and hoping that the south wind combined with the topography will give me a short window before he catches my scent in the thermals.

I know a lot of this is probably pretty elementary, and I appreciate any advice.


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NYBackcountry
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Re: Questions about a setup

Unread postby NYBackcountry » Fri Aug 10, 2018 6:24 am

Cant really help a whole lot with the set up portion, as im still learning that myself. What I will say is, dont be concerned with lack of rubs. It sounds like you saw some in or around the doe bedding, so its likely that he's in the area.

Sounds like a rut hunt. Have you been able to identify which direction the does are entering the bedding area? I personally would hunt it once really early before rut and try your original plan, try and gain as much info as possible. And then rut time I'd try to get a day where the downwind side of the doe bedding lines up with the entry trails into the doe bedding and then set up on a crosswind on the buck bed side.

As an example, if you had a south wind, and the entry trails are predominately on the north side of the bedding id set up on the north west corner of the doe bedding. And vice versa. Thanks for posting these, helps me think through hypotheticals. That's what I would try, but i'm also green so take it for what it is.
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Re: Questions about a setup

Unread postby Babshaft » Fri Aug 10, 2018 6:33 am

Any chance to observe this area from a distance? This may help the guys who know what they're talking about help you out a bit.

It seems somewhat complicated to me being a rookie with these tactics. For me, I'd make it as simple as possible. If I were you and this was one of my best spots, I'd hunt it the first time when the wind and thermals were optimal for the buck to be bedded in that area and for you to be able to access it and not blow him out. If it doesn't work, I'd move on to my next bedding area. If I didn't get on to anything else, I'd come back here some time later, probably in the rut. Then I'd have two sits at it at different points in the season and I'd be making a decision if I was going to give it a go in the late season or write it off if I couldn't figure it out.
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Re: Questions about a setup

Unread postby Drenalin » Fri Aug 10, 2018 6:39 am

NYBackcountry wrote:Have you been able to identify which direction the does are entering the bedding area?

Seems to be primarily from the northeast. I'm basing this off the direction to the old orchard, and the amount of doe activity I see to the northeast of the thicket. I should also mention that even that area is fairly thick with laurels, and there are trails, water, and food everywhere there.

NYBackcountry wrote:Thanks for posting these, helps me think through hypotheticals. That's what I would try, but I'm also green so take it for what it is.

I appreciate the feedback! And I'm even greener than you are with this style of hunting ;) . I look at most of the maps and aerials people post on here and think what I would do, then compare it back what the other guys post. I would say I have a long way to go. I'm leaning toward a fairly early sit like you said, but I might wait till some leaves start dropping so I can see what's what if it does turn into strictly an observation post. Then I could base a rut hunt off that information, if it turns out a good buck is using the area.
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Re: Questions about a setup

Unread postby Babshaft » Fri Aug 10, 2018 6:43 am

NYBackcountry wrote:Cant really help a whole lot with the set up portion, as im still learning that myself. What I will say is, dont be concerned with lack of rubs. It sounds like you saw some in or around the doe bedding, so its likely that he's in the area.

Sounds like a rut hunt. Have you been able to identify which direction the does are entering the bedding area? I personally would hunt it once really early before rut and try your original plan, try and gain as much info as possible. And then rut time I'd try to get a day where the downwind side of the doe bedding lines up with the entry trails into the doe bedding and then set up on a crosswind on the buck bed side.

As an example, if you had a south wind, and the entry trails are predominately on the north side of the bedding id set up on the north west corner of the doe bedding. And vice versa. Thanks for posting these, helps me think through hypotheticals. That's what I would try, but i'm also green so take it for what it is.


Funny how we were thinking along the same lines :lol: . You definitely have a better attention to detail than I do!

I think NY is on to something. If you sit it early and observe what's happening it may give you what you need to figure the spot out. Are there any deer (bucks or does) using this bedding yet? If they are, what direction are they entering and leaving it from? What's the wind direction and time of day you're seeing them move on? Where are they going from there? What would be the best spots to setup on for specific winds? If you don't connect early, take that info into a rut hunt and see what happens.
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Re: Questions about a setup

Unread postby Drenalin » Fri Aug 10, 2018 6:53 am

Babshaft wrote:Any chance to observe this area from a distance?

I initially was going to say no, I can't really observe it from a distance due to the way the terrain and cover lays out. But as I was starting to type that answer, it occurred to me that there are a couple of openings toward the northeast corner of the doe thicket that a I could potentially watch from a high point about 150 yards to the east. Would also be a good spot not to get noticed by other hunters, and I could confirm whether the does are exiting in that direction as I suspect and potentially get a look at the buck (if there is one). I don't know why I didn't think of that - thanks Babshaft!

Babshaft wrote:It seems somewhat complicated to me being a rookie with these tactics. For me, I'd make it as simple as possible. If I were you and this was one of my best spots...

I probably made it more complicated than it is. At this point, I'd say the only things that makes this spot appealing to me is that I found a bed within 20 yards of where I expected to find one based off topo scouting and there's a clearly defined trail to it and away from it. I'm struggling enough with piecing together the puzzle for this type of hunting that I consider all of my spots to be pretty mediocre at this point. I do know there are lot of deer right here, and not so much in the surrounding woods, so a rut hunt later might just be the ticket.
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Re: Questions about a setup

Unread postby NYBackcountry » Fri Aug 10, 2018 6:59 am

Hah, thanks Babs, as far as attention to detail im just trying to put as many things in my favor as possible because this style of hunting is so new to me :lol:

Im in the same boat dren, tend to over think. Another option for rut on any south wind or N/W wind would be to sit that northeast corner where it looks like the drainges might connect and the ridge drops down o a point. Seems like a lot of topography coming together.

Curious to see what the vets say.


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