How would you hunt this?

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Black Squirrel
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How would you hunt this?

Unread postby Black Squirrel » Wed Apr 07, 2010 2:05 pm

Image
Here is a piece I have hunted for over 10 years. North is to the top. The black line delineates the property line. The broken blue line is an intermitten stream. And the yellow dots are stands I have hunted out of. I have taken one 3.5 year old, and several does. Crop fields are to the south, a rotation of corn, beans, wheat, and alfalfa. I have found buck beds in the center of the woods and another buck bed in the west end along the stream, on a little knoll. I have also jumped the 3.5 year old along the west end 10 yards in from the edge of the woods. A powerline right away runs along the west end of the woods. I don't think big bucks bed here too consistently, however I think they cruise it during the rut, as there are several doe bedding areas. There are some small cedar thickets to the east, on the neighbors property, where I think most of the bedding is. The area is relatively flat, and Lake Michigan lies 1 mile to the east. This gives me alot of Easterly winds. Any thoughts on how to hunts this?


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PredatorTC
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Re: How would you hunt this?

Unread postby PredatorTC » Wed Apr 07, 2010 2:13 pm

Sorry i am terrible at looking at these maps, but im sure u know this already, but ill throw it out there.

Today, a friend wanted me to walk with him so i did. He showed me where his stand was and where the buck bed was and how he got to his stand, The one thing i caught immediately was that the buck could see him walk down from the farm house from his bed. It was pretty simple and we found him a better way to walk in that the buck would not spot him. But its one thing to keep in mind.

Im not sure if you land is flat and they can use there eyes to there advantage?
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magicman54494
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Re: How would you hunt this?

Unread postby magicman54494 » Wed Apr 07, 2010 3:31 pm

I'm guessing there is about 35 Acres of wooded land? There only seems to be entry / exit places for deer travel. Not many options. Maybe you could develope a bedding area in the NW corner to hold deer. Hunt the exit points during the rut. These small woodlots are easy to overhunt and ruin any chance of taking a good one. By the looks of your stand sites you may be doing just that.
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Black Squirrel
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Re: How would you hunt this?

Unread postby Black Squirrel » Thu Apr 08, 2010 1:46 am

Right on Magicman, it's 35 acres. I hunted it about 5 times last season. I use a treesaddle so I have alot of trees ready to go. But yes, I am concerned about over hunting it. I usually give it 2 hunts in the early season, maybe 3 hunts during the rut and once again in late season. I have trail cam pics of bucks cruising the west edge, during the rut. Sometimes as many as 5 different bucks. It just is really difficult to hunt.
TC, it is flat, there are some old atv trails that wind around through that I can acces on, the bedding areas are pretty thick cedar/spruce mix, I try to access down wind and out of sight.
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Re: How would you hunt this?

Unread postby NatureBoy » Thu Apr 08, 2010 5:54 am

I'm no expert, but I'll try...
#1. What have you found up on the North side of the funnel by the NE corner of the field along that funnel? Looks like there's a little swale in there that might get thick. Deer cutting the inside edge of the field to the North might use that for cover. Depending on what crops are growing in that N field you could set up on the N side of it 20 yards inside the field edge and hunt it on an S, SE or possibly wind.
#2. Look for new rub lines and primary scrapes that open up in the early part of the rut and hunt those that day.
Scout, scout, scout, hunt
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Re: How would you hunt this?

Unread postby dan » Thu Apr 08, 2010 11:33 am

I hunted it about 5 times last season.

Sounds like you have a pretty good plan now.
Are you the only person hunting there? Is anybody walking around back there, or driving ATV's?
Looks like your missing a large section to the North.. No buck bedding back there?

Flat farm land is hard to look at in an aerial and give tips other than rut funnels. I would generally grid a property like that and search each section of the grid. If its your property, I would consider altering it to add more bedding area... Your land can only hold as many big bucks as it has big buck bedding areas.
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Black Squirrel
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Re: How would you hunt this?

Unread postby Black Squirrel » Thu Apr 08, 2010 1:56 pm

Natureboy, yes that is a tall grassy area to the NE. 2 years ago there were rubs all around the edge of that area. I put a camera over them, and it was a 2.5 year old doing the damage. He was showing up about an hour after dark, so he was bedding a little away from there, probably to the east. You can find rubs all over that woods.
Dan, I am the only one who bow hunts it. My father in law owns it. My brother in law and his friends hammer it during the gun season. My father in law allows one of his friends to fall turkey hunt it, he usually shows up once or twice a year. He also drives his ATV through the trails occasionly. So yes, there is other pressure there. I can't find any buck beds to the North. How should I alter it, to create buck bedding areas?
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AC Rider
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Re: How would you hunt this?

Unread postby AC Rider » Fri Apr 09, 2010 2:35 am

If bucks are bedding on the property to the East, I like your stand on the SE corner along the creek. Can you catch a buck moving through that pinch point on opening evening as he goes to feed on your crops? Seems like a pretty good "hub" near the creek/property line/field corner.
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Black Squirrel
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Re: How would you hunt this?

Unread postby Black Squirrel » Fri Apr 09, 2010 6:28 am

AC, that has been one of my most productive stands. Seems to produce at anytime of year. Never shot one out of it, but have had several close encounters.


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