The Perfect Storm

[Boogieman1]

Very often i here the word “timing” getting thrown around. Don’t get me wrong nothing good happens without proper timing. But I think there are various different kinds of timing. Suspect a lot of folks who are just getting serious into hunting might get the wrong idea. Guessing some think proper timing is picking the correct dates on the calendar. While that is sometimes true, there are also a lot of others that put deer where they do at a certain time. I thought I would share one. The beauty of this one is I really struggled with it for a long time and made a lot of mistakes that I will share to help paint the picture. Some times timing up a spot is quite simple and easy to crack. Other times it takes a variety of things to come together and the right time. This spot is that way. But when you get those conditions lookout cause it’s as good as it gets.

I will include a hand drawn sketch to give a visual. There’s a few easy landmarks that could be recognized from an aerial so forgive me.

Originally I thought this spot was junk cause all I ever got was random night pics of bucks. The times I did hunt it I either blew deer out trying to get in, got busted by crazy air currents, or just didn’t see squat. I moved cameras all over the property. Then finally one day I had pics of numerous good bucks in daylight I have never seen. Just a one time deal that baffled me.

But I got the date from camera and decided to hammer it during that time the following year. Wasted my time! But shortly after my cams exploded with daylight pics again. So I researched the days in both years and low an behold a rare east wind on both. I had cracked the code! Atleast I thought....

Next east wind I hit it and saw a doe or 2 and maybe a scrub buck. But where were the biggens at that I saw running around on camera? This all transpired some years ago and to keep from turning this into a book I will get to the nitty gritty.

There’s a combo effect that must take place to stack the deck. And east wind will put some deer here, a rainy day will put some deer here, and days of high winds will put deer here. Now, if u get all 3 of those conditions during the rut. Lookout! Things are about to get ugly.

2 years ago I shot a buck the day after Christmas shortly after daylight on first time in. This past Sunday, I basically called my shot cause I had those conditions. I saw 14 different bucks and a few monsters. Just had a lil bad luck and couldnt get a shot.

So what is this spot? A tall hardwoods ridge system makes a horseshoe. Below is just basic open woods. But coming out the back of the oxbow is a thick cedar finger that slides through the open woods.It’s just a lil higher ground than the valley floor. But rain and high winds bring the deer off the high ridges and down to this thick finger. East wind blows straight down the finger and out the mouth. Most the older bucks pop out right at the tip of the finger and can smell everything with the dropping air.

Guess my point is there is a reason so many guys say u need to know your woods like the back of your hand. There is always conditions that stack the odds. The journey is learning to discover them and how to capitalize on them. To me that’s what hunting is.

[Dewey]

Good post Boogie. It’s all about the details. Hard to put the puzzle together if your missing half the pieces. Sounds like you did your homework.

[Primetime]

Very often i here the word “timing” getting thrown around. Don’t get me wrong nothing good happens without proper timing. But I think there are various different kinds of timing. Suspect a lot of folks who are just getting serious into hunting might get the wrong idea. Guessing some think proper timing is picking the correct dates on the calendar. While that is sometimes true, there are also a lot of others that put deer where they do at a certain time. I thought I would share one. The beauty of this one is I really struggled with it for a long time and made a lot of mistakes that I will share to help paint the picture. Some times timing up a spot is quite simple and easy to crack. Other times it takes a variety of things to come together and the right time. This spot is that way. But when you get those conditions lookout cause it’s as good as it gets.

I will include a hand drawn sketch to give a visual. There’s a few easy landmarks that could be recognized from an aerial so forgive me.

Originally I thought this spot was junk cause all I ever got was random night pics of bucks. The times I did hunt it I either blew deer out trying to get in, got busted by crazy air currents, or just didn’t see squat. I moved cameras all over the property. Then finally one day I had pics of numerous good bucks in daylight I have never seen. Just a one time deal that baffled me.

But I got the date from camera and decided to hammer it during that time the following year. Wasted my time! But shortly after my cams exploded with daylight pics again. So I researched the days in both years and low an behold a rare east wind on both. I had cracked the code! Atleast I thought....

Next east wind I hit it and saw a doe or 2 and maybe a scrub buck. But where were the biggens at that I saw running around on camera? This all transpired some years ago and to keep from turning this into a book I will get to the nitty gritty.

There’s a combo effect that must take place to stack the deck. And east wind will put some deer here, a rainy day will put some deer here, and days of high winds will put deer here. Now, if u get all 3 of those conditions during the rut. Lookout! Things are about to get ugly.

2 years ago I shot a buck the day after Christmas shortly after daylight on first time in. This past Sunday, I basically called my shot cause I had those conditions. I saw 14 different bucks and a few monsters. Just had a lil bad luck and couldnt get a shot.

So what is this spot? A tall hardwoods ridge system makes a horseshoe. Below is just basic open woods. But coming out the back of the oxbow is a thick cedar finger that slides through the open woods.It’s just a lil higher ground than the valley floor. But rain and high winds bring the deer off the high ridges and down to this thick finger. East wind blows straight down the finger and out the mouth. Most the older bucks pop out right at the tip of the finger and can smell everything with the dropping air.

Guess my point is there is a reason so many guys say u need to know your woods like the back of your hand. There is always conditions that stack the odds. The journey is learning to discover them and how to capitalize on them. To me that’s what hunting is.

Good post Boogie. What do you believe makes this a good post rut spot for mature bucks? The way I read it, your hunting there in the morning. I assume the bucks are going to bed from the ag field to the east but you have bedding right next to the ag field. Why do you believe they are going past the bedding to your stand? Are you saying that their bedding changes when all of the conditions you mentioned happen at the same time?

[PAbowhunter10]

Very often i here the word “timing” getting thrown around. Don’t get me wrong nothing good happens without proper timing. But I think there are various different kinds of timing. Suspect a lot of folks who are just getting serious into hunting might get the wrong idea. Guessing some think proper timing is picking the correct dates on the calendar. While that is sometimes true, there are also a lot of others that put deer where they do at a certain time. I thought I would share one. The beauty of this one is I really struggled with it for a long time and made a lot of mistakes that I will share to help paint the picture. Some times timing up a spot is quite simple and easy to crack. Other times it takes a variety of things to come together and the right time. This spot is that way. But when you get those conditions lookout cause it’s as good as it gets.

I will include a hand drawn sketch to give a visual. There’s a few easy landmarks that could be recognized from an aerial so forgive me.

Originally I thought this spot was junk cause all I ever got was random night pics of bucks. The times I did hunt it I either blew deer out trying to get in, got busted by crazy air currents, or just didn’t see squat. I moved cameras all over the property. Then finally one day I had pics of numerous good bucks in daylight I have never seen. Just a one time deal that baffled me.

But I got the date from camera and decided to hammer it during that time the following year. Wasted my time! But shortly after my cams exploded with daylight pics again. So I researched the days in both years and low an behold a rare east wind on both. I had cracked the code! Atleast I thought....

Next east wind I hit it and saw a doe or 2 and maybe a scrub buck. But where were the biggens at that I saw running around on camera? This all transpired some years ago and to keep from turning this into a book I will get to the nitty gritty.

There’s a combo effect that must take place to stack the deck. And east wind will put some deer here, a rainy day will put some deer here, and days of high winds will put deer here. Now, if u get all 3 of those conditions during the rut. Lookout! Things are about to get ugly.

2 years ago I shot a buck the day after Christmas shortly after daylight on first time in. This past Sunday, I basically called my shot cause I had those conditions. I saw 14 different bucks and a few monsters. Just had a lil bad luck and couldnt get a shot.

So what is this spot? A tall hardwoods ridge system makes a horseshoe. Below is just basic open woods. But coming out the back of the oxbow is a thick cedar finger that slides through the open woods.It’s just a lil higher ground than the valley floor. But rain and high winds bring the deer off the high ridges and down to this thick finger. East wind blows straight down the finger and out the mouth. Most the older bucks pop out right at the tip of the finger and can smell everything with the dropping air.

Guess my point is there is a reason so many guys say u need to know your woods like the back of your hand. There is always conditions that stack the odds. The journey is learning to discover them and how to capitalize on them. To me that’s what hunting is.

Had a similar experience last year with the buck I shot on a different type of terrain set up. I killed the buck because of a rare east wind, rut funnel, and sweet creek access that was only good with that specific wind. I agree with you Boogie, once you figure out an area and put all the puzzle pieces together it will drastically increase your odds. Ever since that kill, I have always looked at properties differently trying to put those puzzle pieces together.

[hunting_dad]

Great post. Nothing helps you out like learning the intricacies and unique things about where you hunt. No 2 areas are alike and there’s always some little details you learn over time that make you think “aha I get it now”. One of the best parts of hunting different properties for sure. Makes it a lot of fun.

[Boogieman1]

Very often i here the word “timing” getting thrown around. Don’t get me wrong nothing good happens without proper timing. But I think there are various different kinds of timing. Suspect a lot of folks who are just getting serious into hunting might get the wrong idea. Guessing some think proper timing is picking the correct dates on the calendar. While that is sometimes true, there are also a lot of others that put deer where they do at a certain time. I thought I would share one. The beauty of this one is I really struggled with it for a long time and made a lot of mistakes that I will share to help paint the picture. Some times timing up a spot is quite simple and easy to crack. Other times it takes a variety of things to come together and the right time. This spot is that way. But when you get those conditions lookout cause it’s as good as it gets.

I will include a hand drawn sketch to give a visual. There’s a few easy landmarks that could be recognized from an aerial so forgive me.

Originally I thought this spot was junk cause all I ever got was random night pics of bucks. The times I did hunt it I either blew deer out trying to get in, got busted by crazy air currents, or just didn’t see squat. I moved cameras all over the property. Then finally one day I had pics of numerous good bucks in daylight I have never seen. Just a one time deal that baffled me.

But I got the date from camera and decided to hammer it during that time the following year. Wasted my time! But shortly after my cams exploded with daylight pics again. So I researched the days in both years and low an behold a rare east wind on both. I had cracked the code! Atleast I thought....

Next east wind I hit it and saw a doe or 2 and maybe a scrub buck. But where were the biggens at that I saw running around on camera? This all transpired some years ago and to keep from turning this into a book I will get to the nitty gritty.

There’s a combo effect that must take place to stack the deck. And east wind will put some deer here, a rainy day will put some deer here, and days of high winds will put deer here. Now, if u get all 3 of those conditions during the rut. Lookout! Things are about to get ugly.

2 years ago I shot a buck the day after Christmas shortly after daylight on first time in. This past Sunday, I basically called my shot cause I had those conditions. I saw 14 different bucks and a few monsters. Just had a lil bad luck and couldnt get a shot.

So what is this spot? A tall hardwoods ridge system makes a horseshoe. Below is just basic open woods. But coming out the back of the oxbow is a thick cedar finger that slides through the open woods.It’s just a lil higher ground than the valley floor. But rain and high winds bring the deer off the high ridges and down to this thick finger. East wind blows straight down the finger and out the mouth. Most the older bucks pop out right at the tip of the finger and can smell everything with the dropping air.

Guess my point is there is a reason so many guys say u need to know your woods like the back of your hand. There is always conditions that stack the odds. The journey is learning to discover them and how to capitalize on them. To me that’s what hunting is.

Good post Boogie. What do you believe makes this a good post rut spot for mature bucks? The way I read it, your hunting there in the morning. I assume the bucks are going to bed from the ag field to the east but you have bedding right next to the ag field. Why do you believe they are going past the bedding to your stand? Are you saying that their bedding changes when all of the conditions you mentioned happen at the same time?

I don’t really have a post rut. My favorite time to be in a tree is from thanksgiving through the end of December. I call a spot like this a funnel which confuses some I guess. Because there’s no physical restriction or hour glassed shaped woods for them to wrap there head around. But what it is are a set of conditions and a spot that puts all roads traveled in front of my tree.

I will do my best to explain. If u look at the pic I scratched out there are numerous bedding areas along the ridge system . And there’s literally probably a 100 of individual bucks personal trails. All the sign is up there. The conditions that puts em where I’m talking does not occur enough to make much sign.

Now let’s say I hunted part of that ridge system under any ole conditions. Which ever side I chose I am blowing into the other. My entry is through the front open pasture. Most the older bucks are off those back fields well b4 daylight and set up shop trying to catch does returning. 99% of the time I would run them out going in. Hunting any of the single bedding areas is kinda low odds. If it’s not his first spot he’s gonna smell me from the others.

Now what does this perfect storm do that stacks the odds? Well it takes those 3 doe bedding areas and turns them into 1. I have a friendly wind that blows to where to deer don’t go and makes them feel secure. No matter what a rutting buck wants to do he ends up in front of my tree. Scent checking either side of cedar finger puts him in front of me, just going to the spot he can smell the entire finger puts him in front of me, wanting to bed below the doe due to sinking air and east wind puts him in front of me. Just a lot of stuff going on that stacks the odds there.

[greenhorndave]

Really cool example Boog.

Appreciate the food for thought.

[oldrank]

Hmmm... very interesting. Got to love it when you put em in check mate.

[Boogieman1]

Hmmm... very interesting. Got to love it when you put em in check mate.

Man, I will confess somethings I write come out sounding rather easy. But it simply ain’t the case for me. When I do get one down I am a rather happy guy.

Just think sometimes guys just starting out get confused, don’t realize it takes time/effort, and set unrealistic goals. Guess I’m just trying to say there’s a method to any madness. Personally believe you wouldn’t think a guy just starting out in your area could expect the same results. Seems to me most want the reward without paying the price.

There is numerous ways to consistently kill big bucks. Work hard, get a good job, and get on some low pressured private. Save your money and pay someone to do the actual hunting part for you. Have some real money and just pick a buck out of a catalog. All fine an dandy when folks are honest about it. But when film doctoring, and bold lies try to make one sound better then the ones in the trenches I find it sad. Your a go getter who I always enjoy a smiling kill pick or holding a big fish. Some are not!

For me, in the real world u better be able to figure out a perfect storm that stacks the odds or u are screwed, blued, and tattooed.

[Elite]

What a great example!! Out of curiosity, where do you place your cameras and how many do you use in this particular spot?

[Boogieman1]

What a great example!! Out of curiosity, where do you place your cameras and how many do you use in this particular spot?

Good question! Personally I don’t run cameras here anymore. Once I finally got it figured out felt it only lowered my odds checking cams. I also don’t hunt down one particular buck and in my head believe something that will get my heart rate up will be there if I get those conditions.

Now in the past I put them everywhere but never got any consistency. I didn’t run many cams back then so guessing 2 or 3. The bedding I sketched is primarily doe bedding. Outside of one particular buck who made me look like a fool I never have had another homebody there. I placed cams on the popular stuff along the ridges. Like rub lines, where the points of the ridge brought a few trails together, and downwind of doe bedding. At that point of my hunting life I mainly just focused on edge. I noticed a edge formed by the thick cedar down in the bottom and put a camera on the point just so I could capture 2 edges coming together. Got lucky, and have since gained more knowledge.

Personally I feel starting out hunting small acreage was a big advantage for me. Makes things easier to figure out and what u learn u can translate over to bigger properties. This particular property under the conditions I laid out allows for a dead quiet entry with the wind in your face. I wouldn’t waste my time hunting it in the late evening cause they are gonna leave through the back. But mornings are a stunner! Also had a biggen the other day come from the backside around 2. The doe came out the point in front of me and once he hit her trail put him there to.

[mipubbucks24]

Great posts this is the kind of stuff you will only get on the beast, thanks for posting!

[Boogieman1]

Great posts this is the kind of stuff you will only get on the beast, thanks for posting!

Thanks. I believe this sort of stuff is mentioned a lot on the beast for those who can read between the lines. I’ve heard Dan mention the importance of timing around pheasant hunters, others in years of crop rotation or opening day of rifle. The best spot I have ever had the privilege to hunt was only good on thanksgiving and Christmas week. Guys who leased the neighboring property only hunted those 2 weeks. They were some atv riding fools. My fence line was lined with round bails of hay for miles. I threw a hearty supply of fish to the farmer to pull a bail or 2 from the middle of fence. When them city slickers drove all over there property in atvs you wouldn’t believe the deer coming through that gap. I figured out another beauty not to many years ago. But I gotta have a year of high water and a north wind. But they are out there on every single property. Some are big game changers and some just minor. Now don’t get me wrong it’s not a quick fix and prob won’t pull it off in a few days of post season scouting. The good ones take time but are worth it IMO. It’s really no diff than learning bucks like to bed on this ridge under this wind. But the more pieces I can gather about when, why, and how can really change the game. Like said many times old bucks do things for a reason. When u can figure out the reasons u can be there ahead of them waiting. Trust me if I can do it the avg guy shouldn’t have a problem. I pride myself on repeatedly making the same mistakes. What takes me 3 or 4 times to say duh most will get it the first time. Deer are said to be creatures of habit but yet how many folks can get pics of good bucks every day on the same camera? Wind, weather, pressure are the big 3 imo. Yes food is important but that can wait til dark. These 3 I pointed out will put deer where they do consistently and repeatedly until 1 of the 3 changes.

[Coalcracker]

Great post Boog! Thanks for sharing!

Between reading your post and watching the most recent videos by The BEAST, I feel human!!! LOL!!

I'm on year three of figuring out and killing mature bucks in a specific area of public land. Each year, the sign is there and it screams big, mature buck/s for anywhere in Pa. I found some of their favorite bedding, tried different access routes, conservative approaches, aggressive ones and outside the box tactics. Identified the primary doe hang outs, other hunter access and their hunting sites. Another words, I'm doing my homework while trying to kill and it's taking time, a lot of time in some eyes but its worth the effort. In the end, all the effort is making me a better hunter. Paying more attention to detail. Its a win, win, mature buck or not.

Your post couldn't ring truer in my eyes for this location. Figure out the TIMING and correlating conditions!

[Hunter74]

Boogie, I’d like to hear in more detail why you wouldn’t hunt this setup in the evening? Would you bother hunting it if there wasn’t any rut activity going on? If I’m reading this right the bucks are coming to the point of that cedar finger because they can scent check the 3 bedding areas on the ridge from this one spot?