I just did a morning scouting session today to see if I could locate some buck beds; we had a light dusting of snow last night so finding exact bedding is very difficult. I checked all the areas I knew bucks have bedded in the past to see if I could locate their beds and or new sign. I have shown these areas with the blue star. In all the areas shown I did find new rubs but again could not locate exact beds. The yellow line is the property line. There are not very many big woodlots in this area; it is mostly farm lands with small 40 acre woodlots scattered around.
Because the areas I hunt are relatively flat how you would go about scouting via topo or Bing maps, are there any areas or factors I could be overlooking? BTW all the areas I hunt it seems that the deer disappear by the 1week of December I believe this is due to lack of good thermal cover.
Flat properties how to analyze?
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Re: Flat properties how to analyze?
In flat terrain bucks bed based on transition... Edges... They tend to bed on the edge of fields with wind to back watching the field, smelling the woods... The bed on fingers or points that jut out into the openings, and they bed at interior transitions... Interior transitions are where two different vegetation types or ages meet.
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Re: Flat properties how to analyze?
Blue is hard transitions (exterior) yellow is soft (interior)
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Re: Flat properties how to analyze?
Thanks for the insight Dan. Considering everything you just said and let’s say that we had a buck bedding on the blue line looking out into the field and wind at his back from the interior of the woods. How would you approach for an evening hunt? Would you set up just inside the woods and play the wind so you blow just off his direct location? or would you enter from the field trying to stay out of sight? I am sorry if the question should be asked in a different section of the forum.
Also, I will walk all the transitions interior and outside looking for signs ie. Rubs. Once sign is located do you look for bedding in close proximity?
Also, I will walk all the transitions interior and outside looking for signs ie. Rubs. Once sign is located do you look for bedding in close proximity?
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Re: Flat properties how to analyze?
Another thing to consider is structure. Sometimes what looks like nothing can be something. You may have a slight berm, or fallen tree, or old fence line, or a dry hump in a wet area. I have hunted areas and it took some time to figure out why the bucks moved from point A to point B.
You can fool some of the bucks, all of the time, and fool all of the bucks, some of the time, however you certainly can't fool all of the bucks, all of the time.
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Re: Flat properties how to analyze?
I would look for bedding and "bedding structure" as Stan pointed out. Sign can show up anywhere... Once you know where he beds on an outer transition you can sit back and watch him. In some of these spots while scouting a bright colored ribbon can be tied off above the bed so you know where it is from a distance. Sometimes you can actually see them in there beds from a secure location with optics. An observing the bucks movements are probably the most critical thing. Most guys want to dive in, but seeing how he comes out into the field, and if he tends to expose himself to a spot where you can kill him, in advance of moving in for the kill is a big advantage.
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