Beginner - In need of help

[MnHunter]

Hi there,

I have never scouted a property prior to this summer and have been learning as I go in this whole process. I been having a hard time locating beds and the transition areas between the feeding areas. I have attached some pictures below to show what I am working with, as well as a topo of a WMA that is just to the north of our property.

Below is a picture of what I am working with. The property is very small - 40 acres, but I do have some access to the north. I will start with the key:

-The White box is the outline of our property.
-The red boxes suggest there is nothing planted - Straight dirt as we couldnt plant because of the wet spring.
-We have roughly 20 Acres on corn (middle of the page) - There is also a corn field to the NW that is not ours.
-There is a small bean field in the SE corner.
-I currently have a camera in the SE corner and have noticed deer are crossing from the S woods through the unplanted SE corner to get to the beans.
-The red circles are beds that I have found previously. The most far north bed has a nice sized tree that has been rubbed in previous years.

Also - The creek running through the center of the property is completely dried up - There is no water in any creek or pond.



Here is a low detailed topo of what I'm dealing with (also includes a public WMA to the north I can hunt)



Any and all help is appreciated. Stand placements... Transition areas... Bedding, ANYTHING.

[Singing Bridge]

I circled an area in orange that I find to have potential. Little potholes of water in farm country are some of the most overlooked buck bedding areas there are. If there is some tall grass, or some brush or a thicket next to it... game on. They are difficult to approach because the buck can often see very well downwind with the water and wind protecting his back. Many times there will be no tree anywhere near that pothole that you can hang a stand in... which is why the buck is there. He can water when he wants and he has multiple escape routes in various directions, what I call X-factor bedding.

I wouldn't go stomping around in there at this time of the year, save that for the spring. Playing the wind so it does not go into that area, I would set up an observation stand to glass and observe those potholes of water. don't be surprised when a buck stands up right before dark. Your job is to observe the bedding location and how the buck leaves while noting the wind direction and route he took. When the conditions repeat themselves you should already have formulated a plan on stand location to take out the buck.

It looks like there may be a road / lane or two near there, that wouldn't change my plan at all- the safety of the bedding and the ability of the buck to pick off predators is what counts.
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Your game area to the north has some high spots surrounded by swamp / water. Those islands and bridges of high ground likely contain buck bedding.

[PK_]

I would be very careful of the amount of boot prints I lay down on that 40 acres now 'til the end of season.

Looks like it is a prime piece of ground though, got the swamp for bedding and ag for food.

[MnHunter]

Thanks for the responses!

As far as the water goes on the property in correlation to bedding - There is 0 water in that creek, has been like that for well over a month. There is tall grass and patches of scraggly brush all along that creek though, I will have to check for beds up and down the creek next spring. I am a beginner at scouting, etc, but I am starting to think that the deer should be using that dried up creek as a travel corridor of some sort.

Also - As far as "high ground" on the WMA, would someone mind pointing out areas I should be looking? This is the first time I have looked at/studied a topo before.

Question - Where are you guys finding the more detailed topos?? I assume you have to pay for them?

[backstraps]

Thanks for the responses!



Question - Where are you guys finding the more detailed topos?? I assume you have to pay for them?

There are many topo sources that are free. The two I use the most are:

caltopo.com
and trimbleoutdoors.com


Both site will allow you alter your maps and switch from aerial - topo - street- ect ect

[MnHunter]

Thanks for the references.

Anyone else have any tips or suggestions on anything I can look for on this property?

[dan]

I marked orange lines along the transition lines I would expect bedding to occur on... When looking at these transitions look close for points or fingers that point down wind. Bucks will bed near the points with wind blowing down the point.
Also note the blue line I marked around your fields. Bucks will bed just inside the woods with the wind blowing towards the field they are facing.

[Singing Bridge]

Great post Dan

[ Post made via Android ]

[bigwoodsmn]

Thanks for the responses!

[glow=red]caltopo.com[/glow]

Both site will allow you alter your maps and switch from aerial - topo - street- ect ect

Thank you! Oh, Canada!

[jlh42581]

That property looks to have it all, im envious