Transitional Hubs

[Trout]

When I first started learning about beast tactics, I was confused at first when you guys would call edges transitions. One of the first things you learn about deer is that they’re edge creatures. I knew that, but never thought about an edge as a transition, so when guys would talk about transitions in posts, I would think they were talking about one cover type transitioning into another. Yeah, that’s an edge, but my brain overthinks things a lot of the time and it didn’t click that it was an edge. Then one day it clicked, and I started to try to figure out a way to quantify edges. Here is an example.

transitional hub metaphor.jpg

This map shows major highways. Check out the transitional hubs- Chicago, Detroit, Cincinnati, etc. Those highways are just like edges and where a bunch of them intersect is where you’re going to find the most human activity. In the deer woods, those areas with a higher number of edge intersections (transitional hubs) are where you’re going to find the most deer activity.

Like I said, I tend to overthink things, I can’t just do it a little, I have to go overboard. So I developed the system below to help me find what I’ve started to call transitional hubs. A transitional hub is not a new idea, I didn’t invent it. Dan and other successful hunters have talked about places where multiple edges/transitions meet as being good hunting spots for decades. But a transitional hub sounds really cool. Here is how I find these transitional hubs, its really simple and I’ve been able to repeat this a few times now to identify overlooked spots or to refine stand locations with good results.

aerial.JPG

Here is an aerial view of one of my favorite hunting spots. I’ve observed a lot of deer activity over the years and had some great buck encounters. It would be your classic transitional hub.

transition mapping.jpg

Here is the topo view. The black lines are edges/transitions. There are 5 primary edges. I’ve simplified them into straight lines. One for the field edge, one for the ridge line, one for travel route past the north end of the waterbody, one that navigates through the cliff faces, one that follow the treeline funnel across the field. These lines intersect one another 8 times.

transitional hub with core square.jpg

7 of those intersections are inside the red square. That red square is fairly small- 150x150yds. That’s the transitional hub.

I’ve got a lot to learn still, but from my experience so far, the best time to hunt a transitional hub is during the early rut phases when deer are on their feet covering ground. They’re also great when you don’t have a specific target deer located, but just want to be in the game and have an encounter or two or a starting point. Another trend I’m starting to see is that in my best transitional hub spots, its that there isn’t a crazy amount of sign like you would think there should be. For example, the one I’ve been hunting the longest- about six years now- I’ve never seen a well defined deer runway, rub or scrape. But every time I hunt it, I have deer all over me. The spot in the screenshots above is similar in that there isn’t a bunch of sign, but I have seen a couple scrapes where bucks are running that ridge. Another key factor in a good transitional hub vs others is that my best ones are in close proximity to bedding areas. I also think this is a great strategy to use when you’re hunting deer, not a deer.

So I do my cyberscouting pretty much the same as everyone else here does, then get on the ground and find the sign and edges/transitions you don’t see on a map, and then I draw these transition lines over top of everything. The area with the highest concentration of lines is my hub. THe best hub in an area might be three instersection points, it might be 12. If I’ve never hunted the area before or I don’t have hot sign somewhere, I’m going to make my first sit or observation sit somewhere in that best transitional hub I can find there.

Hope that helps someone!

[Drenalin]

Good post Trout

[greenhorndave]

Dude, that’s an excellent representation.

Thanks!

I will definitely put that to use

[PaPublicLandHunter]

Thanks trout!

[oldrank]

Never thought of it like that. Great observation.

[Boogieman1]

Good stuff! I have heard a lot of the term transitional hubS around here and never thought much about it. For me I use the term funnel, but for a lot of folks funnel refers to an hour glass piece of woods. I look for anything that forces parallel movement around something much like your highway description. In such a description the best scenario is a 4 way bridge over a lake. One highway East/west the other intersection north/south. These, although rare are what I specifically scout for. Much easier to find when u r specifically looking for em. Water is a easy example but there are many more. Just like highway traffic!

[SILhunter]

Nice post Trout, looks like with a west or northwest wind and water access this set up is $$$

[naternate]

I like the term transitional hub. It takes into account not only topographic features but also vegetational features.

[Moose]

Awesome post!

[mheichelbech]

When I first started learning about beast tactics, I was confused at first when you guys would call edges transitions. One of the first things you learn about deer is that they’re edge creatures. I knew that, but never thought about an edge as a transition, so when guys would talk about transitions in posts, I would think they were talking about one cover type transitioning into another. Yeah, that’s an edge, but my brain overthinks things a lot of the time and it didn’t click that it was an edge. Then one day it clicked, and I started to try to figure out a way to quantify edges. Here is an example.

transitional hub metaphor.jpg

This map shows major highways. Check out the transitional hubs- Chicago, Detroit, Cincinnati, etc. Those highways are just like edges and where a bunch of them intersect is where you’re going to find the most human activity. In the deer woods, those areas with a higher number of edge intersections (transitional hubs) are where you’re going to find the most deer activity.

Like I said, I tend to overthink things, I can’t just do it a little, I have to go overboard. So I developed the system below to help me find what I’ve started to call transitional hubs. A transitional hub is not a new idea, I didn’t invent it. Dan and other successful hunters have talked about places where multiple edges/transitions meet as being good hunting spots for decades. But a transitional hub sounds really cool. Here is how I find these transitional hubs, its really simple and I’ve been able to repeat this a few times now to identify overlooked spots or to refine stand locations with good results.

aerial.JPG

Here is an aerial view of one of my favorite hunting spots. I’ve observed a lot of deer activity over the years and had some great buck encounters. It would be your classic transitional hub.

transition mapping.jpg

Here is the topo view. The black lines are edges/transitions. There are 5 primary edges. I’ve simplified them into straight lines. One for the field edge, one for the ridge line, one for travel route past the north end of the waterbody, one that navigates through the cliff faces, one that follow the treeline funnel across the field. These lines intersect one another 8 times.

transitional hub with core square.jpg

7 of those intersections are inside the red square. That red square is fairly small- 150x150yds. That’s the transitional hub.

I’ve got a lot to learn still, but from my experience so far, the best time to hunt a transitional hub is during the early rut phases when deer are on their feet covering ground. They’re also great when you don’t have a specific target deer located, but just want to be in the game and have an encounter or two or a starting point. Another trend I’m starting to see is that in my best transitional hub spots, its that there isn’t a crazy amount of sign like you would think there should be. For example, the one I’ve been hunting the longest- about six years now- I’ve never seen a well defined deer runway, rub or scrape. But every time I hunt it, I have deer all over me. The spot in the screenshots above is similar in that there isn’t a bunch of sign, but I have seen a couple scrapes where bucks are running that ridge. Another key factor in a good transitional hub vs others is that my best ones are in close proximity to bedding areas. I also think this is a great strategy to use when you’re hunting deer, not a deer.

So I do my cyberscouting pretty much the same as everyone else here does, then get on the ground and find the sign and edges/transitions you don’t see on a map, and then I draw these transition lines over top of everything. The area with the highest concentration of lines is my hub. THe best hub in an area might be three instersection points, it might be 12. If I’ve never hunted the area before or I don’t have hot sign somewhere, I’m going to make my first sit or observation sit somewhere in that best transitional hub I can find there.

Hope that helps someone!

Some of my best areas don't have much deer sign most of the year. This is partly because they tend to traverse it in a meandering fashion. Also, some of my best buck areas don't have a lot of deer traveling period.

[Swedishbowhunter]

Thanks for the pictures, they are helpful, I never thought to look at it this way!!

[oldrank]

The areas I hunt that have this feature seem to have certain particular spot where a smart buck will travel through. Does and young bucks will be running all of the trails. The older bucks will travel some way with an advantage. Sometimes it's slightly higher stem count that meanders through the woods, or below the line of sight. But when an older buck does move through they almost all will travel the same path.. Of course during rut they can follow a doe down the other trails.

[Trout]

Thanks, feel good to give a little bit back after learning so much here.

Nice post Trout, looks like with a west or northwest wind and water access this set up is $$$

You read my mind. I've never accessed this spot via water. Have always hiked in, it's about a mile and a half from the nearest access. But I scouted a water access route and landing spot this offaeason. I can basically canoe straight to my tree in about 10 minutes vs a 40 minute hike

I hunt it on a west or nw wind and have a lot of fun there. I hunted it once on a very light east wind from the upper left corner of that square. Evening sit. 8pt came in from the creek bottom to the ne and quartered up the ridge around the water body and steep cliff face. I was at full draw and needed him to make one or two more steps before he winded me despite being upwind. I think it was a water thermal. I dropped milkweed immediately after he moved off and nothing went his direction but am convinced that's what got me.

[jkelley1487]

Great post and thanks for the info.

[Smitty]

Thanks for posting that observation I will definitely be thinking like that while scouting.