Flat land guys

[Bowhunter0829]

I’m hunting flat land for the first time where all of it is thick wether it’s thick crp fields, thinned pines with thick undergrowth, or sparse oaks with thick undergrowth. How are y’all going about pinning down travel in this type of habitat and terrain

[MrT]

From satellite, look for diversity in the foliage. Then get boots on the ground, work the edges, and hope for the best.

[Lockdown]

Identify all the transitions on the aerial. Take note of anything unique, for example 1 patch of cattails. Or one small cedar thicket. They often gravitate to whatever is different. Make your best guess at where the bedding is and try to prove/disprove your hypothesis.

Take note of all the details. Concentration of rubs, scrapes, etc.

Pinpointing bedding on flat tracts of land can be tough. Sometimes the bedding can be fairly random and a good set up will be where multiple transitions meet.

Typically you will find the best bedding in the thickest part of the property.

[Prairie Sasquatch]

It’s also never as flat as you think on a micro scale. Look for 1-2 foot elevation changes. They will travel the low spots often times. The deer will use those slight elevation changes to stay hidden. Transitions in crop type are also important even though there is no change in cover. They will walk the edge of two different types of combined fields in ag areas.

They will not consistently bed which makes it tough.

[PK_]

Wet edges.

[CattailCommander]

It’s also never as flat as you think on a micro scale. Look for 1-2 foot elevation changes. They will travel the low spots often times. The deer will use those slight elevation changes to stay hidden. Transitions in crop type are also important even though there is no change in cover. They will walk the edge of two different types of combined fields in ag areas.

They will not consistently bed which makes it tough.

Also, a lot of those 1-2ft elevation changes correlate into a slight change in habitat creating an edge/transition.

[Bowhunter0829]

Thank you all for the reply’s, I am new to this forum. I’ve been hunting the edges and have had some really good encounters. One particular with around 150-160” 10pt and messed that one up. Once they shifted off their early season pattern I have been able to find the sign and of course get pictures but pinning them down has been a struggle to say the least.