Need help on this land, but I'm trying to learn

[bulldawgfan007]

Let me start by saying I'm not lazy and love to walk and scout alot, but I'm young and really want to learn. I hunt 1500 acres of river bottom/hardwoods/pines and have always just set up on trails, but after watching Dan on the Marsh Bucks DVD I want to learn about finding beds and hunting the way he does it. Unfortunately, my job won't allow the amount of scouting I need to do until season almost comes in. Could you possibly identify some bedding/ tree stand areas to help me out? The area of land within the white borders is the property I have permission to hunt. I appreciate it.

[bulldawgfan007]

Do any of these appear to be significant spots to focus putting the boots on the ground? Also the predominant wind direct is NE or NW here in Georgia during the beginning of the season. I finally may have a weekend off of work to scout the weekend after next. It will be my first weekend off since January.

[bulldawgfan007]

Bump... Thanks

[Stanley]

Interesting looking land. Not going to find much flatter than that. I'm going to look at it tomorrow. My eyes are done for the day. I'm sure Dan will check it out also he is very busy right now.

[bulldawgfan007]

Ok I appreciate that Stanley. Rest them eyes.

[Stanley]

Is there cattle in there? I see a nice dammed up pond? I have looked it over pretty good I think that is a tough one with out walking the property some.

[bulldawgfan007]

No cattle anywhere close Stanley. I actually have a stand not too far off of that pond and had a P and Y walk by last year never to be seen again. However, like you said this land is so flat its hard for me pinpoint where to focus but I haven't done bad considering I haven't walked the whole 1500 acres. I killed a 4 year old a few years back, but that was luck. This is kind of what made me so interested in learning to read tracks and find bedding areas. I'll be able to do a lot of scouting next week, looking forward to it.

[cbigbear]

Interesting place for sure. Have you tried just walking or riding out all the sandy roads checking for tracks? The entire place looks to be intersected by rds or trials & everything looks to be sand. Just off the maps I would focus on the SW corner where the large bottom connects to the river swamp. That swamp looks to have some hard to access islands that should hold bucks if the area is pressured. Are the crop field to the east planted & drawing deer?

[PK_]

The second photo, the topo shows a 'drop off' into that swamp. They will be bedded right on that slope, on the very highest points of elevation and/or on small islands and/or points(peninsulas) of dry land in the swamp.

[bulldawgfan007]

I've used the roads to my advantage to find trails before, but that was before I knew about beast hunting and just set up on trails between what i thought was bedding and food. I've done alot of guess hunting in the past and havent seen big deer year after year. I have pictures of many mature big bucks so I know they are on our property, but I have just never patterned one for lack of knowledge and experience.Also I have never hunted the swamp, only oak flats and hard woods, but plan on hunting swamp mainly from now on if I can get on good sign. It just seems like we have so many more deer in the swamp than in the big woods. So now I think I may be able to use these sandy roads and new way of hunting to my advantage. I should finally have time to do some scouting this week and will check out those islands. Unfortunately between school and work I havent had near the time to scout as I have in years past, that's why i asked for some guidance on where to focus and now it's put me at a dilemma because of the season starting in a little over a month. If I don't scout and don't chance busting those bucks out of beds I'll never know where they bed and won't kill them anyways so I need to use these islands and that ridge to scout. If I mess things up this year by scouting late, atleast I can use this info for next year. And by the way, the fields in the east are not possible to access without trespassing because they are not close to the road but are off of the backyard of the neighbors so I do not know whether or not they are planted. I can see about getting the neighbors number to find out what and when they plant, that could be helpful.

[PK_]

I've done alot of guess hunting in the past and [glow=red]havent seen big deer year after year.[/glow] I have pictures of many mature big bucks so I know they are on our property, but I have just never patterned one for lack of knowledge and experience.[glow=red]Also I have never hunted the swamp[/glow]l.

I have hunted a lot of places that look very similar, those big bucks rarely leave the swamp during daylight.

Good luck with it man.

[dan]

Based on the aerial alone, and without the ability to zoom in, I would look at the red spots for bedding. You asked for potential hunting spots so I supplied them in blue, but keep in mind its easier to know a bucks bed than the direction of travel from it... So, I would at the very least walk a circle around some of those beds and find the trail coming in and out and plan your hunt from there... At this point maybe do it when you hunt with stand on your back so you hunt it the same day you find the trail rather than letting the buck know he is being hunted.

[dan]

Based on the number of human trails I can see, I would not think the dry land is going to be all that good, but, this is where I would look for beds based on elevation.

[bulldawgfan007]

Preciate it Dan, Ill post any kills this year and I'll check those out as I hunt them this year. Take it easy.

[Twenty Up]

That's pretty close to where I go to school (ABAC). It can be difficult finding swamp buck beds; I've noticed they opt for Privet or Wax Myrtles to bed near. Sounds like you're on the right track, good luck going after them!