Looking for insight???

[mathews418]

So now that the season is closed I ventured out to the farm I hunted this past year which is also the same farm I killed my bow buck on during rifle season. I thought I had a few things figured out but after yesterday I learned that I was never really in the game as far as big bucks go.
The property isn't that large only about 50 acres and doesn't hold any bedding on but I have an idea of where the bed are.

The property lays out long and kinda narrow north to south and the majority is open bean/corn field. There is a narrow wooded ridge on the east side that separates the neighboring farmers field which is also where I hunted the most and killed my buck. However yesterday during my lunch I found things that I knew would be there more than likely but in the early season I had know idea how to set up and didn't have a stand at the time that I could get set up in (that has since changed).

There is a draw, cut, drainage ditch, take your pick that runs n/s at the southern end of the property between 2 small ridges that is about 10-15 yards wide and 20' deep and it was tore up with sign. Following it all the down to its end it dumps out into another larger valley that runs e/w caused by another hill that runs e/w across the valley floor and let me tell you it looks like an interstate coming through there. All the trails converge at the mouth of the ditch I first mentioned where there is what I believe to be a primary scrape area. I do not think this is an early season property but as eveident by pics I was getting 300-400 yards back up closer to the field of mature bucks 45 minutes to an hour after dark during the rut in red to be down near that ditch next season to catch daylight movement.

Before finding the beast I wouldn't have cared about the wind or thermals and would have dove right in there and ruined it before i ever had a chance.

So I am seeking some advice on how to approach this in the 2017 season.

Below is an aerial and a topo of the area in question.

Red is the ditch all the trails converge to leading up to my properties field.

Green is a rub line that is tore up and drops down to the ditch.

And the blue is multiple trails that are coming through the valley and entering the ditch

North is to the top and also the only access I have to this area






I was thinking that the narrow strip of trees to south coming off the point would be my best bet. However I do not know how to approach it because of the thermals would fall into the e/w valley (blue line) and I would get busted.

How would you set up on this or is it even possible.

Just some eye candy here!!!


Thanks beasts for any and all information!!!

[cbay]

I Would try to find the beds first by scouting where the rubline was coming from. Based on that coming down those points along the rubline and setting up on a north wind during early rut may be an option.

[Peeps22]

Next year, I would hunt it a couple of times first, and then i would throw a couple of cameras out early october that cover that ditch you're talking about. Leave your cams out until December or longer without checking them.

You should have a pretty good idea how the deer are moving through the area or if its worth hunting. JoeRe does this alot with his cams and uses the intel for the following year.

[jwilkstn]

I agree the on one of the best approaches long term being setting cameras up and leaving them all season. It's difficult the first year, especially if you don't have other hot areas. However, the intel is worth it.

One thing to remember with all the worn down trails is that the higher ground won't show sign as readily as that draw. Traffic could be more even between the two, but with the dry fall we had it not appear like it