Confused a little???

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mathews418
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Confused a little???

Unread postby mathews418 » Fri Dec 16, 2016 3:04 am

After being here on the beast learning more about the travel of bucks and doing some still hunting / scouting this morning I've found myself to be a little confused.

Here's why,

I have a small east to west ridge with a little more than 100' of elevation change from the top to bottom. I know that bucks travel this small ridge especially during the rut, however after going back in memory from checking it out before and from what I have seen this morning all of the buck sign is on the predominant windward side (north facing slope) with rubs ruining crossways both directions. The leeward side has a very small amount of sign on it from bucks only a handful of small rubs. The predominant leeward side theoretically would be the side to hunt right. Here's the problem though our predominant wind is a north/northwest and although not rare but seldom is there a south wind. My question is this will a mature buck choose cover in this situation over smell as the north facing side is thick and has great cover and the south facing side is pretty much wide open? Total length of this small ridge is about 150 yards from point to end, this is making me think he is choosing cover over smell in that distance. There is a ton of sign there rubs galore of all sizes new and old and new ones started where the old tree has died and fallen.

Any thoughts on if he or they are choosing the cover over smell or am I missing something that the wind may be doing on this small ridge??

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mathews418
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Re: Confused a little???

Unread postby mathews418 » Fri Dec 16, 2016 3:08 am

I just think there is too much sign, runs, rubs, on that side for it to only be used on a south wind which as stated earlier not very common.

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tgreeno
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Re: Confused a little???

Unread postby tgreeno » Fri Dec 16, 2016 3:48 am

My experiences on the public I hunt, the bucks will almost always take thick cover over open terrain. Using the wind as much as they can. However that is public that has some pressure.
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Re: Confused a little???

Unread postby justdirtyfun » Fri Dec 16, 2016 4:31 am

I heard about a few different things but did you find beds?

That is the true judge of where you have bucks in daylight.

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mathews418
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Re: Confused a little???

Unread postby mathews418 » Fri Dec 16, 2016 4:43 am

justdirtyfun wrote:I heard about a few different things but did you find beds?

That is the true judge of where you have bucks in daylight.

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No true primary bed(s) no, but a couple of beds yes. They were not worn to the dirt but you could definitely see where one bedded down a few times. I am looking at this as more of a rut spot than anything.

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Re: Confused a little???

Unread postby SEMObowhunter » Fri Dec 16, 2016 2:52 pm

Sounds to me more like a staging area. I bet if you get over on the lee side a stomp around a bit more you will find the bed. A map would tell more about what you are talking about but normally areas like this are 200 yards or less of the bed. Could just be rut based bedding which would result in beds not being as noticeable. I'm new to all of this, but I'm just relating from my experiences. Sounds like a spot to hunt the first week of November for sure.
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Re: Confused a little???

Unread postby PK_ » Fri Dec 16, 2016 2:58 pm

I recently posted about this in the thread titiled '10k acres' or whatever...

Bucks stick to thick cover. Cover being equal they will be on the leeward side. But from what I have seen and talking to other hunters seeing the same is if they have to choose, they pick the cover over the leeward side for travel and bedding.


PK_ wrote:...
I would study aerials from winter and look for the cover. We talk a lot about elevation and topography here but when it comes down to it. In high pressure states like PA that hunt with rifles, bucks grow old by sticking to heavy cover, period. Any buck that beds on an open ridge during gun is likely dead early in life. Keep this in mind as bucks will even prefer the windward side if it is thicker than the leeward and no other leeward thick areas are nearby.

I wouldn't go strictly with the top 1/3rd as pressure and cover can manipulate the bedding down the the middle or bottom elevations. Especially in a 'horseshoe' or 'bowl' type ridge system. You are going to have a lot of tumbling, twisting and swirling winds creating a lot of areas that are very safe for deer to bed...

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Re: Confused a little???

Unread postby Crazinamatese » Fri Dec 16, 2016 3:56 pm

The monster I shot at in early November was cruising the non-leeward side of a ridge. I was facing the leeward side in the thermal tunnel and he came in parallel behind me. I wasn't expecting that. That kinda changed the way I perceived how big bucks move in hill country. For sure a learning moment.
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mathews418
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Re: Confused a little???

Unread postby mathews418 » Fri Dec 16, 2016 3:57 pm

here is an aerial of the area in question with a couple of pics and what i know to be fact

blue circle is the small ridge and pic orientation is north to the top

green lines are rub lines
rub line is the blue circle has big rubs made by a big deer
rub line on east side of the small cut over are decent but nothing to right home about

red mark to the east is a 100% confirmed buck bed that is used for any northerly wind

stars to the east and west are cam locations

aerial view
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pic at cam located to the west which is baited with corn but not hunted over and he shows up here 3-5 days a week
earliest pics in the evening is about an hour after dark all through the night and then always gone by about an hour before light.
Image

these 2 pics were taken at the cam to east on a small logging rd that was only there for about 5 days on a scrape and i removed the cam when i found out there was atvs heard in the area :(
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Crazinamatese
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Re: Confused a little???

Unread postby Crazinamatese » Fri Dec 16, 2016 4:03 pm

Looks like a good cruise funnel. Doe bedding area???
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Re: Confused a little???

Unread postby mathews418 » Fri Dec 16, 2016 4:20 pm

Crazinamatese wrote:Looks like a good cruise funnel. Doe bedding area???


doe will bed in that small cut over from time to time but its not a predominant bedding area no. on a scouting mission this past monday i was able to locate a confirmed doe bedding area with several worn beds with hair in them and old and fresh droppings. however there was minimal buck sign there only 1 large rub that is about 140 yards away from the area but it was heading right towards it along with some nice sized tracks where they have to cross a small stream a couple of times back and forth to navigate the area. ive selected a tree to set up in 118 yards away on the creek when the rut rolls around again.
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Re: Confused a little???

Unread postby dan » Fri Dec 16, 2016 9:31 pm

They don't always follow the rules or read the text books... One thing is for sure, if your assesment is correct in that area, there is a reason they are doing it. The majority of the time they bed and cruise on Leeward ridges. Nothing is 100% we hunt and set up based on percentages.
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Re: Confused a little???

Unread postby mathews418 » Sat Dec 17, 2016 2:47 am

dan wrote:They don't always follow the rules or read the text books... One thing is for sure, if your assesment is correct in that area, there is a reason they are doing it. The majority of the time they bed and cruise on Leeward ridges. Nothing is 100% we hunt and set up based on percentages.


After being here and learning and watching hill country bucks and seeing your friend killing that great buck on a leeward side with absolutely no sign on it is what has me confused. That leads me to this question, since I have no pics of a buck in daylight at either cam location I am beginning to think the majority of that sign is made at night, so after dark does the wind direction really mater that much to them due to having the cover of darkness?

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Re: Confused a little???

Unread postby dan » Sat Dec 17, 2016 5:24 am

After dark wind direction means a lot less... And, as stated many times here, most sign is made at night. Not sure whats going on there, but it could be a lot of things...


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