Scouting help for newer property

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mdnabors
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Scouting help for newer property

Unread postby mdnabors » Thu Jul 14, 2011 5:49 pm

This is a 1000 acre property that I'm able to hunt with a friend of mine here in TX just outside of DFW. I don't have full access to it so I can only go when he goes to work, scout, and hunt. That being said, we both are diehard hunters and make alot of time to get out there during the season to hunt. We aren't as fortunate with our free time lately since we both have newborns and both momma's aren't real keen on us going to play at the land. Anyway, since this is only my 2nd year out there on this piece of land and I don't have the luxury of doing near as much scouting as i like to do before season, what are the opinions from the attached maps to look for buck beds, travel corridors, stand locations, etc...? I've never learned how to decipher these from a Topo since I grew up huntng flat land. This place isn't too hilly but has a few big steep ridges that hold alot of mature buck sign. I got pretty familiar with it last year and found some jam-up spots but wanted to be more prepared this year and need to capitalize on the few times I'll be able to get out there before the season starts to scout. The family runs cattle on the land. The green fields will be planted to wheat to graze the cattle. We are going to plant a few small 1/4-1/2 acre fall plots too. It's very low pressure hunting from us and the adjacent land (over 30K acres) is rarely hunted at all. Lots of big mature bucks on this tract and we had some great encounters last year. Thanks for any advice!

Red Line marks the property lines


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kenn1320
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Re: Scouting help for newer property

Unread postby kenn1320 » Fri Jul 15, 2011 4:52 am

I see a few spots I think you would find doe beds and a few for bucks, but Hills arent my thing. I cant wait to see some of the guru's mark this up for ya.
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Re: Scouting help for newer property

Unread postby Zap » Fri Jul 15, 2011 7:54 am

The north south strip of timber on the west side of the green field/west property boundry looks like a good spot to me.
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Re: Scouting help for newer property

Unread postby dan » Fri Jul 15, 2011 10:07 am

My editing function is down at the moment... :?
Maybe someone else can mark it up? I would expect bucks to bed along the steep hills hear the tops there are some good looking spots over looking the fields. They like points and they like the wind over there back from above while they face down hill... Right along that bedding elevation would be a great area to catch bucks cruising during the pre-rut.
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Re: Scouting help for newer property

Unread postby mdnabors » Fri Jul 15, 2011 12:20 pm

Thanks for the replies. I have spots picked out on the W side on both sides of the double inside corners of the adjacent property. There is a mature buck bedding area just across the small river that is basically like a small island. Also there is alot of good sign at the bottom of the steep ridge. Plnning a good stand on top to intercept rutting bucks.
All opinions are appreciated. Maybe someone will mark some spots up they see. :D
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Re: Scouting help for newer property

Unread postby BigHunt » Fri Jul 15, 2011 2:08 pm

Image i marked the suspected bedding areas in red dots.
are you going to scout this land soon? if you do just fallow the elevation line "850" one third from the top, thats were youll find most of your beds, they might not be buck beds they could be doe beds so make sure you look at the bed and whats around it carfully. typically one bed, look for rubs about belly button high, look for good tracks, use the three finger rule to gage the track. to my understanding a three finger track is 2 1/2 or better , a four finger track isa three year old or better. if your rut hunter, hunt the cuts on the lee side of the hill in the thermal tunnels,bucks will usally pass on the first high side of the cut, its a good spot to catch a crusing buck! i use milkweed seeds to check my wind., they also help by finding those thermal tunnels ;) if your hunting beds in early season, i would set up just left or right of the bedding area, depending on the wind.
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Re: Scouting help for newer property

Unread postby kenn1320 » Fri Jul 15, 2011 2:13 pm

Well I dont hunt hills, but going by what I have seen on here Ill take a stab at it.

Red area is where I would look for does to be bedded and blue dots are where I would look for bucks.

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Re: Scouting help for newer property

Unread postby mdnabors » Fri Jul 15, 2011 4:23 pm

bighunt & kenn, thanks for the tips on possible bedding areas. Some of the spots marked I already found some beds. I will be checking the others in the next week or two. The Hill Country dvd definitely made me think of the spots near the top 1/3 of the hills out there. I should be able to find some hot spots and be hanging stands by end of July. Thanks again
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Re: Scouting help for newer property

Unread postby Autumn Ninja » Mon Jul 18, 2011 4:11 am

Here are a few spots and areas that I would take a good look at...P.S., Not sure if you can hunt here, but the under side of this bridge has the potential to be an AWESOME stand site. Not just for the rut but early and late season as well, depending on whats in the fields. Good luck!!Image
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mdnabors
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Re: Scouting help for newer property

Unread postby mdnabors » Mon Jul 18, 2011 9:46 am

Good stuff Ninja...I'll check em out! I can hunt bridge area. Only bad thing is it's "considered" a public area (the river) even though our land border both banks. Have to deal with poachers walking river trying to kill our deer. So may be more pressure near bridge than expected.
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Re: Scouting help for newer property

Unread postby DEERSLAYER » Mon Jul 18, 2011 9:49 am

mdnabors, have you checked out the Birds Eye view on Bing maps? If you zoom in close it changes from an aerial satellite view to an actual photograph. I looked at your property on Bing and you can clearly see the cows, cow paths, the dam, etc. Nice piece of Texas ground.
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mdnabors
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Re: Scouting help for newer property

Unread postby mdnabors » Mon Jul 18, 2011 1:30 pm

DEERSLAYER wrote:mdnabors, have you checked out the Birds Eye view on Bing maps? If you zoom in close it changes from an aerial satellite view to an actual photograph. I looked at your property on Bing and you can clearly see the cows, cow paths, the dam, etc. Nice piece of Texas ground.



Yes ...I use Bing and really like that bird's eye. Just didn't know how, or if you can, do topo overlay.
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Re: Scouting help for newer property

Unread postby DEERSLAYER » Mon Jul 18, 2011 3:27 pm

Can't do a topo overlay with Bing, but I sure wish you could. That would be sweet.
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