Aerial Scouting Help

[412bowhunter]

Hey guys, new to the beast style, and new to archery in general. I have been an avid angler for a long time now, targeting musky and steelhead. I learned so much about musky fishing and fly fishing, I really think it helped on my journey as a new archery hunter, and kind of is the reason I latched onto this style of hunting so early on in my career. With that being said, I hunt the heavily pressured state of PA. I happen to live in an area of western pa where there tends to be some really nice mature deer. I have been glassing fields all summer, and I came across a really nice mature deer on a piece of property I have permission to hunt this fall.

Now understanding the beast style is hunting bedding, I guess my question would be how do I look at an aerial picture below, and try and figure out where he might be bedding? I can put a stand up on the edge of where he feeds, but I feel like that would be clean entry / exit very difficult. Also, how would you depict a rut funnel on a piece of property that I have below?

I feel like most of these topics come easily to me, but the map reading and locating buck bedding I just cant seem to grasp. Below I have outlined (in blue) where I have permission, as well as the areas I have seem him enter the field (white waypoints) and where he is feeding (yellow waypoints). He currently feeds on alfalfa, but there is corn right next to it which will be cut by the season opener. Thanks in advance for any tips. It is much appreciated.

[thepennsylvanian]

I can't tell what the surrounding terrain looks like, that being said there's a potential that this buck is only there utilizing seasonal bedding. I've found bedding in western pa to be relatively inconsistent, even though our dominant wind is westerly. Now, most of the bucks I've located are using text book wind movement, meaning am wind to nose approach to areas I expected them to be bedding. I would start trying to identify the thickest areas around where you are commonly seeing him. Then, of the thick areas you found look for ones the have terrain features that would give him a wind over the back and looking down hill advantage. This would be the most ideal bedding location, but you can narrow down areas by starting there.

[Tennhunter3]

I think the reason your seeing him where you are is because it sits up best for bedding in that area. The transition along with water makes that area perfect. Food , water ,cover.

That's the best bedding in that area theirs not enough edge, transition , bedding on other areas of the farm. At least none that jump out at me others might read something different.

I circled my favorite one.
If you have no access to any of those your best bet is to hunt that south field edge on a North wind and find a slight off wind. Entry would be very difficult and I wouldn't from from a area by the house.

The wind blows out of that south field across the transition and down that tiny point torward the pond. It's probably thick but appears open enough for the buck to have good visibility of his back trail going upto bed.

He can then on a south wind shift to the north bed on one of those tiny points by the south field and look Southeast torwards the house where he can watch hunters enter the area.

Wouldn't surprise me a bit if he isn't bedded right on that edge your markers show on a wind blowing from north to south. I'd bet money at least one of that bucks beds is watching the houses.

20190730_095544.jpg

I think the bedding will be almost identical to Dan's island bedding where they bed on or just off the tips.

[Tennhunter3]

If I were drawing this up this is how I would predict it.

If your in that red zone or walk through that red zone hunt over.

Yellow line along that transition would be the buck travel prediction.

Screenshot_20190730-102115_Photo Editor.jpg

Any beast would hunt this or look at it different then I am?
I'm not a expert so if I'm missing anything please let me know.

You might want to build a small brushy ground blind as close to or just west of it on the boundary. If you can't hunt the trees on the edge.

[Tennhunter3]

Hopefully this helped you in some way.
I'm not a expert and still learning.

I have become addicted to reading maps.
I really wish some of the expert beast marked these more so I can continue to learn little things I may be missing.

My prediction for each wind direction.

Screenshot_20190730-105729_Photo Editor.jpg

[412bowhunter]

Thanks everyone for all the help. Definitely everything is super helpful. I am trying to get permission in that treeline you guys marked up, but the guy rifle hunts and is house is right there so chances are hes seen that buck.. Fingers crossed. If I cant get access to that tree line I was going to try and hunt south of the field he feeds in, in the opposite tree line by the driveway. But its a far shot.

[412bowhunter]

Getting in that tree line would be ideal, as I could hunt that transition line you guys marked up. But who knows, PA archery season doesnt start until the first weekend in october so he might completely change his habits before the season even starts. Was thinking maybe towards the back of the property referenced in some of the other pictures, he might be back there during the rut. But who knows

[Tennhunter3]

You mention the guy rifle hunting.

Where does he sit and how does he access? You could possibly take advantage of this and hunt his escape route he would probably escape down the transition to the east. Not sure if you can see that far from the property edge or if your allowed to shoot over their.

Like I say I think the buck probably watches both houses on different winds. The red dot he could lay right their and slip out everytime the rifle hunter walks in to hunt. His bedding might be watching that hunters access trail and be different then I marked from pressure.

Bucks often pattern and spy on humans in farmland areas. They also watch public parking areas.

[whi52873]

"Also, how would you depict a rut funnel on a piece of property that I have below?"

If it were the rut, I'd hunt the little fingers of timber between fields (red dots).

Funnel 2.jpg

[Tennhunter3]

"Also, how would you depict a rut funnel on a piece of property that I have below?"

If it were the rut, I'd hunt the little fingers of timber between fields (red dots).

Funnel 2.jpg

For rut I agree they are pinch points but alot of people hunt those predictable funnel areas so the neighbors prob already hit it. Definitely worth him checking out though.

[whi52873]

"Also, how would you depict a rut funnel on a piece of property that I have below?"

If it were the rut, I'd hunt the little fingers of timber between fields (red dots).

Funnel 2.jpg

For rut I agree they are pinch points but alot of people hunt those predictable funnel areas so the neighbors prob already hit it. Definitely worth him checking out though.

I gotcha. So several people have permission to hunt the same property? That will be your biggest challenge for sure.

[Tennhunter3]

"Also, how would you depict a rut funnel on a piece of property that I have below?"

If it were the rut, I'd hunt the little fingers of timber between fields (red dots).

Funnel 2.jpg

For rut I agree they are pinch points but alot of people hunt those predictable funnel areas so the neighbors prob already hit it. Definitely worth him checking out though.

I gotcha. So several people have permission to hunt the same property? That will be your biggest challenge for sure.

David L line is super close to those.
Like on ones I marked he is getting alot of neighbor competition.

He might get lucky and David have box stands over the field though and those rut spots be even better.

[whi52873]

David L line is super close to those.
Like on ones I marked he is getting alot of neighbor competition.

Sorry, just saw where you said neighbors...yeah, that makes sense. That's definitely the down side to hunting small parcels of land.....you can't control what your neighbors do.

[412bowhunter]

The guy who owns the house to the north, rifle hunts. As far as the "cleland" property, that is what I have access too. The hosue their is empty, and I am the only one with permission on that property. As far as the back of the property and as far as rut tunnels, I have no idea if those neighbors back there hunt or not. I like the idea of setting up where you guys marked.

[412bowhunter]

I may have to setup in that middle of the cornfield right below where hes feeding. The treeline to the south I was thinking of setting up on has no good trees to sit. Anyone ever done a sit like this in a cornfield? With the wind to your face obviously.