Going in blind rut location

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Leibinger
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Going in blind rut location

Unread postby Leibinger » Tue Nov 02, 2021 4:54 am

Hey Beast crew, need someone’s help!

My buddies and I are heading to northern Michigan on a DIY 3 day trip this upcoming weekend (Nov. 4-7). We always do a friendly competition of who can shoot the biggest deer. New location annually. I have yet to win.

The area we are hunting is full of open hardwood with some hills, but for the most part monotonous landscape. There is one major River system near our camp, as well as a couple smaller tributaries. My Beast knowledge and instincts tell me to focus on funnels or draws near and coming out of the rivers/tributaries.

I attached a couple photos of a spot I have marked. It’s a section of what seems like would be decent bedding, bordered on the south by the big river, and bordered to the north by a smaller stream. I’ve heard beast members say deer and/or big bucks like wet feet, as it isolates them from predators. My question is do you think, based off the images and information, this would be a location you’d expect to see doe bedding and therefore bucks cruising? If so, would there be a desirable wind? I have waders to cross the creek but probably don’t need to bring them if spots like these are a waste of time. My other option would be sit leeward side of the hills between or downwind of suspected bedding. I have a few of those spots marked as well.

Lastly, do you guys have any advice on how to hunt river bottoms/systems where the mainland is relatively flat but drops off semi-steeply to the bottoms? Hunt draws coming out? Windward side of slopes along river? Get into the bottoms? Thanks in advance!
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UncleBuck3268
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Re: Going in blind rut location

Unread postby UncleBuck3268 » Tue Nov 02, 2021 4:17 pm

I am no dan Infalt but in my personal opinion what comes to mind is the easy access. Looks like a power line clearing and you said no waders. It seems like too easy of an access to me but I could be wrong, granted cruising bucks sometimes pay no attention to humans while in search of a estrus doe. In my personal opinion move on. Historically it seems like hunters can get in there pretty easily and any good buck knows that.
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<DK>
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Re: Going in blind rut location

Unread postby <DK> » Wed Nov 03, 2021 1:26 am

With peak rut coming and that water way, I would hunt downwind of the timber on the edge of the water to catch cruising bucks. Both of those ox bows likely have bedding and they are setup so you could hunt each one based on the winds.
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Trout
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Re: Going in blind rut location

Unread postby Trout » Wed Nov 03, 2021 1:47 am

I travel for the rut every year and have had success in a strange land spending at least the first full day or two scouting. I am looking for buck sign, sure, but what I really hope for is good doe sign, and even better if I can bump into doe groups. If I can find the does that first day or two, I stay on em until it's time to find new ones. As soon as I find the doe groups, I pull my maps out and try to make sense of their area and how a buck would scent check it and set up on whatever that feature is he will use. If I find multiple doe groups near each other, I try to figure out how a buck would go from one group to the next and set up on that. I've been fortunate in a few cases to locate rut buck beds and had encounters setting up on those, too.

Going in blind and setting up in good looking terrain features regardless of sign has produced encounters for me, but its been nowhere near as productive as setting up on does.
Leibinger
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Re: Going in blind rut location

Unread postby Leibinger » Wed Nov 03, 2021 2:57 am

UncleBuck3268 wrote:I am no dan Infalt but in my personal opinion what comes to mind is the easy access. Looks like a power line clearing and you said no waders. It seems like too easy of an access to me but I could be wrong, granted cruising bucks sometimes pay no attention to humans while in search of a estrus doe. In my personal opinion move on. Historically it seems like hunters can get in there pretty easily and any good buck knows that.


You do in fact need waders or a vessel to cross that stream


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