Couple questions

[bowtarist]

I know I've seen the answer to this question, maybe on one of Dan's videos, I can't remember. These questions are referring to southern deer in the mountains. When a mature buck enters a field or a food plot, does he enter with the wind in his face or at his back? It seems like I remember seeing something about them entering with the wind at their back?

Next question. Say you have a couple thousand acres and most of it is very steep. There is north, south, east and west facing slopes on this particular property. 95% of the pressure is on the top and upper 1\3 part of the mtn. The way I'm thinking is, that this will push the mature deer toward the bottom. What would you look for as far as bedding goes in the lower part of the mountain and bottoms of the ravines that would give these deer the best advantage and make them bed there? These mtns are very steep and there are some old logging roads that the deer use alot.

[Kcbuckeye22]

I personally think its situational dependant. If he's entering from a low spot he could be using evening thermals to scent check the field. I think he's going to want to scent check the field first, unless he feels danger could come from his rear. I'm interested as well to see what the experts say.

The mountain scenario I would question the pressured areas and look for a stellar spot for a buck bed, just to make sure you dont have one hiding up top. My experience with old logging roads in steep 300-500 ft rise areas is the deer bed on them. I would think the bucks would be pushed down lower down the mountain, which could cause them to lose the leeward wind advantage. I would look for areas that have heavy brush followed by a slight bench. Those spots will give them a hearing advantage from the rear and visual to the front. I wouldn't be surprised if the beds would be found to have a unique wind advantage, some type of swirl.

[dan]

In hilly terrain they often enter a field in the lowest position to take advantage of the dropping thermals. Flat terrain, I have never really noticed a correlation between entrance and wind direction unless the field hasw stands that are hunted often, then in a lot of cases the go down wind of those stands 1st and see if there being used.

[backstraps]

Next question. Say you have a couple thousand acres and most of it is very steep. There is north, south, east and west facing slopes on this particular property. 95% of the pressure is on the top and upper 1\3 part of the mtn. The way I'm thinking is, that this will push the mature deer toward the bottom. What would you look for as far as bedding goes in the lower part of the mountain and bottoms of the ravines that would give these deer the best advantage and make them bed there? These mtns are very steep and there are some old logging roads that the deer use alot.

Couple thousand acres I would lay odds the mature bucks are still where they are supposed to be...they"re just in over looked spots, or really good tight bedding that a hunter will show his hand to the buck well before he gets close to him.

Also in the steep regions around my place, the 1/3rd bedding can vary a bunch. Depending on the points shapes, steepness, and terrain features around the points.

[bowtarist]

Thanks guys!