Oxbow or Military Crest (1/3 ridge)??

[KPnorthdakota]

So, if you have a ridge and slope with some spurs and at the bottom by the river you have a couple of nice oxbows...

Where do you hunt the bucks?

[NYBackcountry]

Need more info but a lot of the time those ridges come down into the oxbows. Essentially a finger jutting into the oxbow. They will create a natural funnel/pinch point for deer running the river corridor.

[KPnorthdakota]

Need more info but a lot of the time those ridges come down into the oxbows. Essentially a finger jutting into the oxbow. They will create a natural funnel/pinch point for deer running the river corridor.

You can see two oxbows that are side by side just about all wind directions covered.

I’m wondering if I’d be better off hunting the 1/3 or the oxbow?

[funderburk]

These are spots I'd check out. Good luck!

[KPnorthdakota]

These are spots I'd check out. Good luck!

Thanks. I’ve got a SW wind for the next few days...so, the lowest red circle is where I was planning on hunting this week.

So, you would hit the oxbow over the 1/3 mark on the slopes?

[funderburk]

These are spots I'd check out. Good luck!

Thanks. I’ve got a SW wind for the next few days...so, the lowest red circle is where I was planning on hunting this week.

So, you would hit the oxbow over the 1/3 mark on the slopes?

Depending on sign, but most likely. Only because most other hunters would think to hunt the ridges and points before the oxbows. Might be less pressure.

[KPnorthdakota]

These are spots I'd check out. Good luck!

Thanks. I’ve got a SW wind for the next few days...so, the lowest red circle is where I was planning on hunting this week.

So, you would hit the oxbow over the 1/3 mark on the slopes?

Depending on sign, but most likely. Only because most other hunters would think to hunt the ridges and points before the oxbows. Might be less pressure.

I’ve been wanting to hunt this piece of public. I’ve never seen anyone hunting it and it think that is because of the small size of it.

But, it’s getting late in the season and my normal spot is looking thin the last couple of weeks.

Thanks for the help.

[funderburk]

With it being late season, you might want to think about a bump and dump hunt: Sneak in to the 1/3 one morning, and if you bump him out of bed, set up right there and wait for him to calm down and come back to check things out (he may or may not). If you don’t bump him out, try the oxbow. Grid elimination.

Being more aggressive this time of year has helped me. Stay mobile. Good luck!

[KPnorthdakota]

With it being late season, you might want to think about a bump and dump hunt: Sneak in to the 1/3 one morning, and if you bump him out of bed, set up right there and wait for him to calm down and come back to check things out (he may or may not). If you don’t bump him out, try the oxbow. Grid elimination.

Being more aggressive this time of year has helped me. Stay mobile. Good luck!

Sounds like a good plan. Thanks.

[dan]

Do 5the ridge, then if nothing the oxbow... If your limited in time I would bet on the oxbows if there is good cover.

[d_rek]

The oxbows in the riverbottoms I hunt generally have good if not great bedding. The ridges tend to be open hardwoods with little understudy and make for poor bedding - especially with high pressure.

My observations that oxbows with good bedding are not used exclusively for certain winds, but that they stay on them and move around the bedding based on wind direction.

[KPnorthdakota]

Do 5the ridge, then if nothing the oxbow... If your limited in time I would bet on the oxbows if there is good cover.

Thanks, Dan. If the oxbow is normal for around here it will be like a well grown-up CRP.

BTW, my wife could care less about hunting. So, I usually start watching my hunting videos when she’s ready to go to sleep. The other night I was watching Farm Bedding again and right before she fell asleep the part with you smelling the hunter upwind smoking was playing. As you jokingly described all that you were smelling my wife started belly laughing. She thought it was absolutely hilarious...as I, also, did.

So, you now have a non-hunting fan. Thanks for all you do for us hunters...including the laughs.

[KPnorthdakota]

The oxbows in the riverbottoms I hunt generally have good if not great bedding. The ridges tend to be open hardwoods with little understudy and make for poor bedding - especially with high pressure.

My observations that oxbows with good bedding are not used exclusively for certain winds, but that they stay on them and move around the bedding based on wind direction.

There are two oxbows that would serve every wind direction and you can see the deer paths from one to the other when you zoom in to the satellite imagery.

Friday is now forecasting a SE wind with snow. Gonna be interesting.

[dan]

Do 5the ridge, then if nothing the oxbow... If your limited in time I would bet on the oxbows if there is good cover.

Thanks, Dan. If the oxbow is normal for around here it will be like a well grown-up CRP.

BTW, my wife could care less about hunting. So, I usually start watching my hunting videos when she’s ready to go to sleep. The other night I was watching Farm Bedding again and right before she fell asleep the part with you smelling the hunter upwind smoking was playing. As you jokingly described all that you were smelling my wife started belly laughing. She thought it was absolutely hilarious...as I, also, did.

So, you now have a non-hunting fan. Thanks for all you do for us hunters...including the laughs.

Awesome! Good luck!

[funderburk]

Do 5the ridge, then if nothing the oxbow... If your limited in time I would bet on the oxbows if there is good cover.

Could you explain ideal wind for bucks and oxbows?