Primary bedding area and active thermal hub

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tbunao
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Re: Primary bedding area and active thermal hub

Unread postby tbunao » Wed Apr 25, 2018 2:09 am

NYBackcountry wrote:Great post and video Tim. Some great insight on actually picking a tree and using the thermal hub as an observation point. It opens up a few spots I had in mind, I was thinking a little bit to linear and never really considered using those hubs as an observation point. When you decide to try and inventory bucks using that scrape what is your method? I know you mentioned cameras in the video, would you throw observation sits at it during season?

The video is huge for me, I absorb so much more information visually, really appreciate it.



Awesome I’m glad it could make some spot click for you. The way I’m really looking at these videos is like scouting with another person. It’s always good to see someone else’s point of view.

That access to the scrape is pretty sweet with the camera tree actually being in the creek. I don’t think an observation sit would be possible, from my experience being in the bottom of those steep hill sides those winds would be a swirling mess. By using video mode I hope to catch a better feel of movement. I did prep 2 more spots that should work wind wise before the deer make it to that area. I’m still betting that most videos would be close to dark.


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Re: Primary bedding area and active thermal hub

Unread postby matt1336 » Wed Apr 25, 2018 3:35 am

That access to the scrape is pretty sweet with the camera tree actually being in the creek. I don’t think an observation sit would be possible, from my experience being in the bottom of those steep hill sides those winds would be a swirling mess. By using video mode I hope to catch a better feel of movement. I did prep 2 more spots that should work wind wise before the deer make it to that area. I’m still betting that most videos would be close to dark.[/quote]


I thought you said “observation sit” in that valley and thought to myself...good luck Tim, cuz the wind would like be a mess down there. But man a camera there with a bullet proof access is a great situation to have there. Hopefully the cool creek water will help keep your scent low when your going in to check the cams. Will that happen?

I’m looking forward to following your hunts here. You are definitely doing the work! I wish I could say the same for me. Although my deer scouting season is this week. Turkey hunting! I usually find myself bored with the birds after a couple hours and start scouting for deer. Hopefully I can develop some plans similar to yours Tim!
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NYBackcountry
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Re: Primary bedding area and active thermal hub

Unread postby NYBackcountry » Wed Apr 25, 2018 5:56 am

[/quote]I don’t think an observation sit would be possible, from my experience being in the bottom of those steep hill sides those winds would be a swirling mess. By using video mode I hope to catch a better feel of movement.[/quote]

Good call, I really need to utilize video mode more often, just so much more information packed in especially on scrapes. I'm actually considering revisiting some spots I scouted in Feb. now that the snows gone. See if I cant find some scrapes or other sign I may have missed.
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Re: Primary bedding area and active thermal hub

Unread postby tbunao » Thu Apr 26, 2018 2:50 am

matt1336 wrote:That access to the scrape is pretty sweet with the camera tree actually being in the creek. I don’t think an observation sit would be possible, from my experience being in the bottom of those steep hill sides those winds would be a swirling mess. By using video mode I hope to catch a better feel of movement. I did prep 2 more spots that should work wind wise before the deer make it to that area. I’m still betting that most videos would be close to dark.



I thought you said “observation sit” in that valley and thought to myself...good luck Tim, cuz the wind would like be a mess down there. But man a camera there with a bullet proof access is a great situation to have there. Hopefully the cool creek water will help keep your scent low when your going in to check the cams. Will that happen?

I’m looking forward to following your hunts here. You are definitely doing the work! I wish I could say the same for me. Although my deer scouting season is this week. Turkey hunting! I usually find myself bored with the birds after a couple hours and start scouting for deer. Hopefully I can develop some plans similar to yours Tim![/quote]


That spot has 3 main creeks dumping in around 40-80 yards above, each one of those streams have at least 1 additional feeder creek dumping into them. So that probably means it will be dry lol. I’m hoping it will have some continuous flow but I’m also a “the worst weather is the best weather” for checking cams kind of guy.

I’m the same way with turkey, after that first sit I usually find myself scouting. A lot of the times I’ll call and scout at the same time.
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Re: Primary bedding area and active thermal hub

Unread postby tbunao » Thu Apr 26, 2018 2:52 am

NYBackcountry wrote:
I don’t think an observation sit would be possible, from my experience being in the bottom of those steep hill sides those winds would be a swirling mess. By using video mode I hope to catch a better feel of movement.[/quote]

Good call, I really need to utilize video mode more often, just so much more information packed in especially on scrapes. I'm actually considering revisiting some spots I scouted in Feb. now that the snows gone. See if I cant find some scrapes or other sign I may have missed.[/quote]

I think going back in is an excellent idea. Compare your notes with travel sign the snow gives and the sign the bare ground shows. Connect those dots my friend
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Re: Primary bedding area and active thermal hub

Unread postby JoeRE » Sun Apr 29, 2018 12:16 am

Great example man. Well done with the video too! Will be interesting to hear what that camera down in the hub shows....that is how I have been using them too. You are def on the right track of how to hunt that area.
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Re: Primary bedding area and active thermal hub

Unread postby boldlygo » Sun Apr 29, 2018 9:43 am

Sick video man! You are always trying to step up your game
“A grindstone that had not grit in it, how long would it take to sharpen an ax? And affairs that had not grit in them, how long would they take to make a man?”
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Re: Primary bedding area and active thermal hub

Unread postby Divergent » Sun Apr 29, 2018 7:22 pm

RidgeGhost wrote:
tbunao wrote:
RidgeGhost wrote:Good work man. I think those hubs are really a powerful tool if you can figure out how to get into them. And it looks like you have that one nailed down.



I’ve been working on one for the past 2 seasons and still can’t figure out how to hunt it properly. This one everything just works.

Any tips?


I'm just learning all this stuff too man, so I'm hesitant to say that I know anything about them. But, I feel pretty good about one that I spent some time in this winter. Basically what I found was:

- There are about 7 or 8 points that drop into the hub, some prominent, some less noticeable
- The only places I found beds were on points that had a military crest. Gently sloping points had nothing.
- Of the points with military crests, the best beds were on the thickest of those. A point with a military crest probably will have a bed, but the best were only on the thick points.
- Most of the beds are unhuntable for access reasons. Which is why they are there. Of the beds I found, I can only hunt one in the evening. I may be able to pull off a morning sit lower into the hub, but it will be a huge risk. The morning hunt will be a last resort type hunt.
- As usual, I'm going against the grain as far as setting up on the evening hunt. I expect him to move from the point back up the ridge, not down into the hub. I think he loops into the hub in the morning before climbing the ridge up to his bed from downwind. In other words, this hub is not a destination, but rather a central area where he feels safe and can gather intel on other deer in the area on his way back to bed in the am.

I have no idea if any of that applies to all hubs. But I do intend to look for the same concepts on some of the other hubs on my list(won't get to them until next off season now). Something else I'll mention - What I thought were going to be the best points while map scouting turned out not to be. The military crest and thick cover trumped all other factors. That may seem obvious, but looking on the map, most would probably not pick out the spots where I found beds. It surprised me, but it also makes sense.

Bedding between the hill country(where I'm talking about finding this hub) and the mountain terrain that I'm used to hunting are quite different from what I've found so far. Hill country provides many more options and less defined bedding.

I have a feeling that wall of brush in your video is going to be killer :twisted:


You nailed it on your observations!
1. The more points dropping into a hub, the better. 7-8 points sounds like a killer hub.
2. Military crests are so important. I won’t even scout a point if I see gentle sloping topo lines.
3. Cover is key. You can have identical points in topography, but you’re wasting time if one doesn’t have cover.

Some of these thermal hubs setup differently from my observations too. Some are evening spots because deer want to head to preferred food acrosss the draw. All of these points in one area allow more deer to have better bedding positions as a herd. I think this is one reason why you see a higher concentration of rubs.

Some of them do setup better for morning hunts. Either way, I always hunt just below the bottom two ridges that create the bottom of the hub. It seems to be a perfect crossing point from one ridge to the other. Your thermals should still pull your scent into the creek/creek bed and further down the valley/draw as long as you’re at a lower elevation than the crossing.

I’ve just started branching out from hill country to more rugged terrain. The bedding and trails appear more defined. There seems to be a trade off though. Deer density appears lower in rugged terrain, but patterns are easier. Deer density is higher in hill country, but patterns are less defined.
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Re: Primary bedding area and active thermal hub

Unread postby wolverinebuckman » Mon Apr 30, 2018 12:06 am

Nice video, very informative. That orange hat in the bed is a great idea! I'm putting one with my scouting stuff today so I don't forget my next time out. Good luck with hunting this spot!
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