Methods to identify bucks sign in season in the Thick South?

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buttonbuck
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Methods to identify bucks sign in season in the Thick South?

Unread postby buttonbuck » Sat Jul 06, 2019 2:03 am

What are some methods southern hunters use to identify that a buck or bucks are using a ridge in season. I found a lot of beds, rubs and scrapes along a few ridges. Only very close to there beds. How in season with all the thickness of the south am I supposed to know if a buck is still using the ridge. These ridges are way to thick to check rubs, and scrapes. While a game camera can be put on food source it seems these bucks are so close to the food source they almost over watch it while they are bedding, its right below the ridges. I feel that if I go in, it had better be to hunt it and most these areas strike me as morning hunts just cause if the bucks bedding on the ridge ill be busted in daylight.


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Dpierce72
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Re: Methods to identify bucks sign in season in the Thick South?

Unread postby Dpierce72 » Sat Jul 06, 2019 3:42 am

Sometimes throwing a sit at a high probability location is the best bet given how you described the scenario.
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Re: Methods to identify bucks sign in season in the Thick South?

Unread postby mheichelbech » Sat Jul 06, 2019 7:39 am

Bucks will often bed on the edge of woods to oversee the food source. Key, if possible is to sit an observation stand where he can’t see you and watch what the deer do and plan your approach from that.

If you listen to very many of Dan’s podcast interviews, he talks about this subject a lot.

The key is seeing what the buck is doing before moving in.
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Re: Methods to identify bucks sign in season in the Thick South?

Unread postby Dalton916 » Sat Jul 06, 2019 8:48 am

I agree with the above. I’ve hunted the south all my life and fully appreciate what you’re up against. I was making observation sits long before I had ever heard the term. I just called it hunting from the outside in when I tried to tell folks what I was doing. I mean, let’s face it, is there any better information than what you see with your own eyes? Why guess when you can know what the answer is?

It ain’t always as easy as sitting at a distance and refining your stalk over days or weeks; sometimes you start out too far away and learn nothing and sometimes you start in too close and blow it from the get go.

I think one thing that gets way overlooked is knowing EVERYTHING you can about the topography and the vegetation on the land you hunt. The more you know it, the less you have to have boots on the ground to figure out why the deer are doing what they’re doing. This is what more of my offseason scouting on unfamiliar ground is all about. Yes it’s important to know the trails, scrapes and rub lines, but to me it’s far more important to know the terrain.
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Re: Methods to identify bucks sign in season in the Thick South?

Unread postby Bonecrusher101 » Sat Jul 06, 2019 10:02 pm

Dalton916 wrote:I agree with the above. I’ve hunted the south all my life and fully appreciate what you’re up against. I was making observation sits long before I had ever heard the term. I just called it hunting from the outside in when I tried to tell folks what I was doing. I mean, let’s face it, is there any better information than what you see with your own eyes? Why guess when you can know what the answer is?

It ain’t always as easy as sitting at a distance and refining your stalk over days or weeks; sometimes you start out too far away and learn nothing and sometimes you start in too close and blow it from the get go.

I think one thing that gets way overlooked is knowing EVERYTHING you can about the topography and the vegetation on the land you hunt. The more you know it, the less you have to have boots on the ground to figure out why the deer are doing what they’re doing. This is what more of my offseason scouting on unfamiliar ground is all about. Yes it’s important to know the trails, scrapes and rub lines, but to me it’s far more important to know the terrain.


This is a great.

If it's in season it's game on for me. I'm at a point where I've got way too much public land to hunt and not enough hunting time. Fresh tracks are great, but droppings are better. The best way for me to know is to get very close. If I bump him then at least I caught a glimpse. If he's small I will remember and try again next season. If he's nice I will have better Intel for when come back and how I need to approach differently the next few days. If he's his bed works and wind is staying mostly the same I like my odds of getting another chance. If I'm on small acreage private I'm going to be slower and more methodical.

I've found here in the south adequate bedding cover, terrain, and preferred food, are important. The deer here have a lot of seasonal beds, and seasonal patterns that can be hard to hunt and follow for me early season. But this is what I've seen. I usually focus on food till gun season. Soy beans and are best right now, and deer will bed in them and near them from now till September. September they will pound corn till its harvested. When hunting pressure increases and the beans get sprayed deer can usually best found in new acorns, mid to late October.

After the guns start going off hunting gets easier for me because most of the Bucks and does will focus on good cover and bedding over anything else.
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Re: Methods to identify bucks sign in season in the Thick South?

Unread postby Dpierce72 » Sat Jul 06, 2019 11:40 pm

Totally agree if observation sit is an option. I was picturing woods, not ag and the ridge being in an area where an observation sit would not work. If that is the case, for sure take an observation sit or two.
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Re: Methods to identify bucks sign in season in the Thick South?

Unread postby monstamike » Sun Jul 21, 2019 3:08 am

I have a nice buck that beds every year on the leeward side of this same ridge and the bottom it overlooks has a creek running through it. I hunted him last year by approaching from the downwind side and he went the other way the one opportunity I had. So this year I waited until a rain and little wind. I went in with the purpose of hanging a camera but also to scout this other side. It is tore up with rubs (last year and previous) before I got within 200 yards he busted me and blew me out. I slowly proceeded in and found that he had not busted completely out of the area and he blew me out again. We never made eye contact but he definitely heard and smelled me. I hung the camera and got out of there. I plan on hunting him this year, what advice do you have. Thanks


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