Holy Hill country believer now- Great story!
- dbltmn
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Holy Hill country believer now- Great story!
I have to share a story as I find myself beginning to follow the things that many of the experienced hunters on here share. This has truly made a believer out of your tactics and information.
Today is very windy and should be the beginning of pre rut activity starting. I hunt in the nicolet national forest. Lots of hill country with a few swamps and some flat rolling stuff too. But except for some new found clear cuts we are talking mostly big timber, and lots of it.
So I decided to do some scouting this morning in some of the most rugged hill country around me. I discovered that there has ben a HUGE area clear cut recently and I felt there could be deer holding on the outskirts as there is still good green feed in the clear cut.
I walked to the top of a huge ridge, saw a few tracks, couple beds, some old poop. Nothing to exciting. So I walked the ridge top back out and without realizing I was walking down the point of a ridge opposite the wind a deer pops out and bolts in what I first thought was a very unusual place. It was near the logging road intersection. I sat in his (small buck) bed and sure enough the wind was at my back as I overlooked both incoming roads but I was hidden by a couple of brushy piles of cut timber. It was a hill country bed. Probably not the safest one but none the less it had the right ingredients for a buck to bed there.
I followed his track down to the intersection in the road and I noticed about 7 sets of fresh tracks making a crossing to another set of clear cut. There was only the trail and a strip of woods maybe 40 yards wide dividing the cuts. so I walked all the way to the top of the big hill to see what was behind the cuttings. There was a very distinct ridge running away rom the clear cut. Small but very sharply defined. and parallel to the wind. I pulled out my phone and hit google maps where I saw that the ridge ended not too far away and made a classic point drop like Dan describes buck bed on.
I decided to walk the top of this ridge to the end. The ridge was clear cut maybe 25 years ago and is now all 5 inch popples. As a I came to the end I noticed 2 big rocks about 3 feet high with an OLD pine tree rotting across the rocks. Probably laying there for years. I said to myself that is a really nice spot for a buck to hide behind and look down the point. Something probably beds there, hopefully not a bear. It was such a defined "SPOT" I almost got nervous to approach it. I snuck up to the rock shelter and BAM a buck JUMPS up and heads down the hill snorting away at me. I was within 20 feet of him! He scared the BAJEEZUS out of me!!! I was so pumped to have discovered this spot. I found 3 beds. One on the point and one just to either side, probably for wind shift. I should have poked around more to find his staging area but I was so excited I just got out.
I cant put a stand any where near it because of the size of trees but I figure I can sneak in there for gun season and kill him dead right where he sleeps. Thanks beasts. I am truly a believer in the 90/10 rule now, in hill country tactics, and in finding beds. I feel this was one of my most successful scouting trips in my life simply due to the amount of land I have around me, and the fact that I found a common denominator between hill country beast tactics and the area hunt.
Today is very windy and should be the beginning of pre rut activity starting. I hunt in the nicolet national forest. Lots of hill country with a few swamps and some flat rolling stuff too. But except for some new found clear cuts we are talking mostly big timber, and lots of it.
So I decided to do some scouting this morning in some of the most rugged hill country around me. I discovered that there has ben a HUGE area clear cut recently and I felt there could be deer holding on the outskirts as there is still good green feed in the clear cut.
I walked to the top of a huge ridge, saw a few tracks, couple beds, some old poop. Nothing to exciting. So I walked the ridge top back out and without realizing I was walking down the point of a ridge opposite the wind a deer pops out and bolts in what I first thought was a very unusual place. It was near the logging road intersection. I sat in his (small buck) bed and sure enough the wind was at my back as I overlooked both incoming roads but I was hidden by a couple of brushy piles of cut timber. It was a hill country bed. Probably not the safest one but none the less it had the right ingredients for a buck to bed there.
I followed his track down to the intersection in the road and I noticed about 7 sets of fresh tracks making a crossing to another set of clear cut. There was only the trail and a strip of woods maybe 40 yards wide dividing the cuts. so I walked all the way to the top of the big hill to see what was behind the cuttings. There was a very distinct ridge running away rom the clear cut. Small but very sharply defined. and parallel to the wind. I pulled out my phone and hit google maps where I saw that the ridge ended not too far away and made a classic point drop like Dan describes buck bed on.
I decided to walk the top of this ridge to the end. The ridge was clear cut maybe 25 years ago and is now all 5 inch popples. As a I came to the end I noticed 2 big rocks about 3 feet high with an OLD pine tree rotting across the rocks. Probably laying there for years. I said to myself that is a really nice spot for a buck to hide behind and look down the point. Something probably beds there, hopefully not a bear. It was such a defined "SPOT" I almost got nervous to approach it. I snuck up to the rock shelter and BAM a buck JUMPS up and heads down the hill snorting away at me. I was within 20 feet of him! He scared the BAJEEZUS out of me!!! I was so pumped to have discovered this spot. I found 3 beds. One on the point and one just to either side, probably for wind shift. I should have poked around more to find his staging area but I was so excited I just got out.
I cant put a stand any where near it because of the size of trees but I figure I can sneak in there for gun season and kill him dead right where he sleeps. Thanks beasts. I am truly a believer in the 90/10 rule now, in hill country tactics, and in finding beds. I feel this was one of my most successful scouting trips in my life simply due to the amount of land I have around me, and the fact that I found a common denominator between hill country beast tactics and the area hunt.
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Re: Holy Hill country believer now- Great story!
dbltmn wrote:I have to share a story as I find myself beginning to follow the things that many of the experienced hunters on here share. This has truly made a believer out of your tactics and information.
Today is very windy and should be the beginning of pre rut activity starting. I hunt in the nicolet national forest. Lots of hill country with a few swamps and some flat rolling stuff too. But except for some new found clear cuts we are talking mostly big timber, and lots of it.
So I decided to do some scouting this morning in some of the most rugged hill country around me. I discovered that there has ben a HUGE area clear cut recently and I felt there could be deer holding on the outskirts as there is still good green feed in the clear cut.
I walked to the top of a huge ridge, saw a few tracks, couple beds, some old poop. Nothing to exciting. So I walked the ridge top back out and without realizing I was walking down the point of a ridge opposite the wind a deer pops out and bolts in what I first thought was a very unusual place. It was near the logging road intersection. I sat in his (small buck) bed and sure enough the wind was at my back as I overlooked both incoming roads but I was hidden by a couple of brushy piles of cut timber. It was a hill country bed. Probably not the safest one but none the less it had the right ingredients for a buck to bed there.
I followed his track down to the intersection in the road and I noticed about 7 sets of fresh tracks making a crossing to another set of clear cut. There was only the trail and a strip of woods maybe 40 yards wide dividing the cuts. so I walked all the way to the top of the big hill to see what was behind the cuttings. There was a very distinct ridge running away rom the clear cut. Small but very sharply defined. and parallel to the wind. I pulled out my phone and hit google maps where I saw that the ridge ended not too far away and made a classic point drop like Dan describes buck bed on.
I decided to walk the top of this ridge to the end. The ridge was clear cut maybe 25 years ago and is now all 5 inch popples. As a I came to the end I noticed 2 big rocks about 3 feet high with an OLD pine tree rotting across the rocks. Probably laying there for years. I said to myself that is a really nice spot for a buck to hide behind and look down the point. Something probably beds there, hopefully not a bear. It was such a defined "SPOT" I almost got nervous to approach it. I snuck up to the rock shelter and BAM a buck JUMPS up and heads down the hill snorting away at me. I was within 20 feet of him! He scared the BAJEEZUS out of me!!! I was so pumped to have discovered this spot. I found 3 beds. One on the point and one just to either side, probably for wind shift. I should have poked around more to find his staging area but I was so excited I just got out.
I cant put a stand any where near it because of the size of trees but I figure I can sneak in there for gun season and kill him dead right where he sleeps. Thanks beasts. I am truly a believer in the 90/10 rule now, in hill country tactics, and in finding beds. I feel this was one of my most successful scouting trips in my life simply due to the amount of land I have around me, and the fact that I found a common denominator between hill country beast tactics and the area hunt.
That's awesome. Great learning experience and now confidence to find more spots like that.
- hunter_mike
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Re: Holy Hill country believer now- Great story!
Really awesome. How cool would that be to stalk that spot and kill a buck!
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- dbltmn
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Re: Holy Hill country believer now- Great story!
This afternoon I went to a spot I was planning to hunt where I jumped 2 suspected doe last weekend. I figured I would set up close to them and see what happened.
On the way I remembered a high sharp ridge right along the highway that sits in between 2 logging roads. Since the hills are super steep and they were clear cut about 15 years ago I have never seen anyone (gun hunters) probe this area. Everyone including myself walks the logging roads straight back. Google shows a pretty good looking buck bedding point so before I hunted tonight I decided to strip down to my skivies for the anticipated sweaty hike straight up the hill and check it out. DAMN if I didn't jump another deer right out of a bed! I climbed up pretty quietly and it was very windy so I got within about 30 yards. I didn't see antlers, I only got a glimpse of the back end, but I examined the bed and it was bigger than average, was a single bed overlooking a steep drop, and had 2 super fresh rubs within 30 yards. Who's in favor of buck bed say I?
I think I am starting to like scouting more than hunting!
On the way I remembered a high sharp ridge right along the highway that sits in between 2 logging roads. Since the hills are super steep and they were clear cut about 15 years ago I have never seen anyone (gun hunters) probe this area. Everyone including myself walks the logging roads straight back. Google shows a pretty good looking buck bedding point so before I hunted tonight I decided to strip down to my skivies for the anticipated sweaty hike straight up the hill and check it out. DAMN if I didn't jump another deer right out of a bed! I climbed up pretty quietly and it was very windy so I got within about 30 yards. I didn't see antlers, I only got a glimpse of the back end, but I examined the bed and it was bigger than average, was a single bed overlooking a steep drop, and had 2 super fresh rubs within 30 yards. Who's in favor of buck bed say I?
I think I am starting to like scouting more than hunting!
- BigHills BuckHunter
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Re: Holy Hill country believer now- Great story!
Cool.
You can fool some of the bucks, all of the time, and fool all of the bucks, some of the time, however you certainly can't fool all of the bucks, all of the time.
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Re: Holy Hill country believer now- Great story!
Awesome! I'm planning on hunting hill country public land next year and will start scouting at the end of the season. All I can say is I can't wait to put what I've learned to use and hopefully have similar results as you!
- justdirtyfun
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Re: Holy Hill country believer now- Great story!
Bump for the new folks here.
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Re: Holy Hill country believer now- Great story!
That is the best when you are looking at a terrain feature or a piece of structure in a certain location and you know it will be a bed. So exciting. I do a lot of still hunting with a gun during midday when I want to scout new ground. It is so much fun when you come across something like that and bam deer pops out… It's like bird hunting for bucks.
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Re: Holy Hill country believer now- Great story!
Good stuff!
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