Travel Routes

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Hildebrand
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Travel Routes

Unread postby Hildebrand » Mon Mar 18, 2019 11:15 pm

Hi, I am more of a reader and not much of a poster. I have come to this page to gather as much information as I can on deer hunting. First off I would like to say i am pretty new to hunting. I kind of just took it up and I am teaching myself, thats why i read a lot.
I am trying to learn how and why deer use travel routes. I hunt a woods that sits pretty much all alone. I am surrounded by 4 fields. The deer have to cross fields in order to get into the woods. The woods is probably about 40 acers. The one section was logged out about 10 years ago and has made for some really good bedding but you cant really hunt it because i have no way to get in and set up without bumping deer. The other have was just select cut and just finished up friday. I went yesterday and pushed deer just to see how things were. They left all the tops and left ruts and paths through out the woods. My questions are, what makes a deer choose a path to head to food at night ? i know two fields are going to be corn this year,one is wheat right now and one will be split with beans and pumpkins. I am having a hard time trying to understand why a deer chooses certain way to dinner and back. I do want to add this is all flat land in michigan and we have no water on this land besides way off the woods theres a creek. Two rivers 400 yards away or soo too. I always have great pictures all summer but but truthfully not many repeats of the deer using that path i have my cam set up on. I might catch them a handful of times one way but hardly ever using the bath to enter and exit. I will catch them on other cameras the same way.
Next was i always had trouble keeping doe groups in this woods. Always tons of bucks but hardly doe but last year we help many doe and it seems they are holding tight for some reason. Should i set up cameras on all the new paths the loggers made to see what ones the deer will use most or what? A lot of them have tops all over so the deer will have to make their own ways around that stuff from the bedding they already use. Any information would be great and thanks for your time


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oldrank
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Re: Travel Routes

Unread postby oldrank » Mon Mar 18, 2019 11:54 pm

40 acres should be pretty small and easy to break down.

I am also from Michigan and have hunted the same setup.

There should be a couple areas for the deer to bed in that 40 acres woods. Any low spots?

I would focus on hunting the bedding. Watch your wind and themals. Do some observation sits and pattern them.

Those areas are great during rut cause bucks are cruising through and looking for does in them and also stopping n hanging out for a day or two.

They don't take pressure well so I would hunt it very smart. Don't burn it.
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Boogieman1
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Re: Travel Routes

Unread postby Boogieman1 » Tue Mar 19, 2019 12:09 am

Tough hunting those small woodlots surrounded by fields. More times than not u run them out the back door as u enter the front. The deer in the fields b4 daylight see u coming and any that didn't scent check it b4 they enter. Evenings are tough cause the bed on the downwind edge of woodlot and once again see u coming or u have to blow your scent in the woodlot and try to loop around.

Only way I've had remote success in such conditions is with a partner and a curious mind. Don't mean to be Debbie Downer but just being honest. Spread your wings and find u some other ground as well. Then u can still give it your best shot on the 40 acres but u also have options, which is a good thing. Have fun and good luck.
Life is hard; It’s even harder if you are stupid.
-John Wayne-
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oldrank
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Re: Travel Routes

Unread postby oldrank » Tue Mar 19, 2019 12:15 am

Soft pushes with a buddy and stalking works well to.
Hildebrand
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Re: Travel Routes

Unread postby Hildebrand » Tue Mar 19, 2019 12:36 am

I have had good luck so far. I started hunting it in 2015 and and i have taken 8 deer , 6 bucks and 2 doe. It is hard to hunt but with Michigan being so hard to find land to hunt I am lucky enough to hunt this for free. Like i said above, tons of big bucks come over and use it for a few days and move on. It really seems they have no pattern out here. They just kinda mosey around and either come out and feed,come back to bed or they come out feed and then head across to the next woods. I have also been out and have had bucks come across the field to me. They will get into the woods just after day break and head to the thicket. I try to stay closer to the edges to try and keep my pressure off them but i do hunt it a lot because its my only spot but i cant resist not being in the woods. Last year i sat probably 60-70 sits and i seen deer every time but maybe 3 times.

Yea there is a lower spot up front which is the south side of the woods. Also, the bigger section that got logged out years ago is pretty much a whole bedding area. Tons and tons of beds in the hole thing and tons and tons of rub lines year after year. I will hang cameras in may or so and have pictures of 20 different bucks every year. Some are pretty big bucks.
Hildebrand
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Re: Travel Routes

Unread postby Hildebrand » Tue Mar 19, 2019 12:50 am

https://share.icloud.com/photos/0Ve7J9R ... Monroe,_MI

https://share.icloud.com/photos/0M2Z0QO ... Monroe,_MI

https://share.icloud.com/photos/0Wp1C9l ... e_&_Dundee

Heres a few pictures of the bigger ones i have had come around but i have tons more. Just wanted to learn more. Thanks
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oldrank
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Re: Travel Routes

Unread postby oldrank » Tue Mar 19, 2019 12:56 am

Hildebrand wrote:I have had good luck so far. I started hunting it in 2015 and and i have taken 8 deer , 6 bucks and 2 doe. It is hard to hunt but with Michigan being so hard to find land to hunt I am lucky enough to hunt this for free. Like i said above, tons of big bucks come over and use it for a few days and move on. It really seems they have no pattern out here. They just kinda mosey around and either come out and feed,come back to bed or they come out feed and then head across to the next woods. I have also been out and have had bucks come across the field to me. They will get into the woods just after day break and head to the thicket. I try to stay closer to the edges to try and keep my pressure off them but i do hunt it a lot because its my only spot but i cant resist not being in the woods. Last year i sat probably 60-70 sits and i seen deer every time but maybe 3 times.

Yea there is a lower spot up front which is the south side of the woods. Also, the bigger section that got logged out years ago is pretty much a whole bedding area. Tons and tons of beds in the hole thing and tons and tons of rub lines year after year. I will hang cameras in may or so and have pictures of 20 different bucks every year. Some are pretty big bucks.



I would only move in for the kill. So take this how you may. If I had access to that same land I would find another 20 spots on different properties. When I moved in on the 40 I would only hunt it on my perfect wind days with some type of plan as to where I would suspect the bucks to be bedded.

I would go in with 100% intention to kill that night.

If nothing payed off I wouldn't hunt it again until I had the perfect set up again.
Hildebrand
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Re: Travel Routes

Unread postby Hildebrand » Tue Mar 19, 2019 1:15 am

oldrank wrote:
Hildebrand wrote:I have had good luck so far. I started hunting it in 2015 and and i have taken 8 deer , 6 bucks and 2 doe. It is hard to hunt but with Michigan being so hard to find land to hunt I am lucky enough to hunt this for free. Like i said above, tons of big bucks come over and use it for a few days and move on. It really seems they have no pattern out here. They just kinda mosey around and either come out and feed,come back to bed or they come out feed and then head across to the next woods. I have also been out and have had bucks come across the field to me. They will get into the woods just after day break and head to the thicket. I try to stay closer to the edges to try and keep my pressure off them but i do hunt it a lot because its my only spot but i cant resist not being in the woods. Last year i sat probably 60-70 sits and i seen deer every time but maybe 3 times.

Yea there is a lower spot up front which is the south side of the woods. Also, the bigger section that got logged out years ago is pretty much a whole bedding area. Tons and tons of beds in the hole thing and tons and tons of rub lines year after year. I will hang cameras in may or so and have pictures of 20 different bucks every year. Some are pretty big bucks.



I would only move in for the kill. So take this how you may. If I had access to that same land I would find another 20 spots on different properties. When I moved in on the 40 I would only hunt it on my perfect wind days with some type of plan as to where I would suspect the bucks to be bedded.

I would go in with 100% intention to kill that night.

If nothing payed off I wouldn't hunt it again until I had the perfect set up again.





Thank you for the information. I do plan on working hard here soon to get some other spots.


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