Question about public land I found

This forum section is for the select few who believe in hard work and refuse to “Buy” success.
  • Advertisement

HB Store


User avatar
BigHills BuckHunter
500 Club
Posts: 2350
Joined: Sat Mar 20, 2010 6:14 pm
Location: West Central Wisconsin
Status: Offline

Question about public land I found

Unread postby BigHills BuckHunter » Wed Mar 24, 2010 5:17 pm

My dad owns 50 acres of great private land to hunt on 5 minutes from home but this year I am going for the challenge of public land. (Friends think im crazy by the way for doing so) During my scouting session I found a spot where I would like to set up about a mile from the road. Its riverbottom area with the river 100 yards to the north. There is a swamp about 5 acres in size surrounded by hardwoods. I confirmed that this swamp area is a doe bedding area. Its flat ground all around it except for a ridge to the south of it that runs East to West. Ridge isnt that big I would say 50 feet at most above the swamp area.During the fall with a NorthWest wind, which seems to be common in November, would a buck use that ridge to scent check the bedding area or would he just get on the southern end of it level with the bedding area to scent check. There is a trail that runs just to the south of the bedding area and a faded less used trail up on the ridge. Im just not sure if I should place the stand down low and hunt that trail or if I should put a stand on that ridge assuming that the bucks will scent check the bedding area from the ridge top. I remember on BBO Dan once told me bucks actually like to be on the far side of the ridge having the scent come up over the ridge to them. Which of these stand setups would you all reccomend I just cant quite figure it out. Thanks guys!


User avatar
Zap
Posts: 10056
Joined: Sat Feb 20, 2010 4:57 pm
Location: OK, I am in Kansas.....
Status: Offline

Re: Question about public land I found

Unread postby Zap » Wed Mar 24, 2010 6:31 pm

What wind are the does bedding in the swamp area?
Which of the trails has rubs on them?

If there are trails going into the bedding area from downwind, look for a faint trail crossing them, if there are rubs where those trails meet thats the buck trail where they scent check the doe bedding area.

If the wind comes over the swamp from the north and then goes up the ridge I doubt the bucks will be checking the far(leeward) side of the ridge.

But the does may bed on the leeward side of the ridge when there is a north wind. That would change things, then the bucks would trool along the upper 1/3 elevation of the leeward side of the ridge.
If you set up on the swamp edge, remember that the rising thermal will carry your scent up the ridge after the swamp area warms up. But if the wind is north it sounds like the wind would carry your scent that way also, unless it swirls 180 degrees when it hits the woodline on the south edge of the marsh.
If the wind swirls back out into the swamp when it hits the wood edge you could set up 20 yards into the swamp and be as good as gold, for anything checking the edge from east or west.
If you plan to hunt there with a certain wind maybe go out there with some milkweed seeds or a smoke bomb and watch what happens to the scent stream with that wind.

That should be as clear as mud. :lol:

marty
"Forged in fire lit long ago. Stand next to me and you will never stand alone".
User avatar
BigHills BuckHunter
500 Club
Posts: 2350
Joined: Sat Mar 20, 2010 6:14 pm
Location: West Central Wisconsin
Status: Offline

Re: Question about public land I found

Unread postby BigHills BuckHunter » Thu Mar 25, 2010 12:42 am

Thanks for the insight. You gave me alot to think about. Im gonna go out there and try the milkweed idea, I still got some from last fall bowhunting. There is one nice rub on the western edge of the bedding area. Its on the same trail that is south of the bedding area but then the trail follows the western edge of the area as well. Its a faint trail so hopefully its a buck trail. Im just not sure what wind would put those does to bed there. If bedding out of the wind is ideal for them it would be a south wind because of the ridge to the south of the bedding area that runs East West. (Looks like I got more homework to do) :)
User avatar
Zap
Posts: 10056
Joined: Sat Feb 20, 2010 4:57 pm
Location: OK, I am in Kansas.....
Status: Offline

Re: Question about public land I found

Unread postby Zap » Thu Mar 25, 2010 1:19 am

That kind of homework aint bad. :)
The other thing to think about is that if there is only 50' of elevation change the deer may not use thermals much when they bed.
Best to know for sure by checking a topo map. ACME mapper 2.0 works well.
marty
"Forged in fire lit long ago. Stand next to me and you will never stand alone".
dan
Site Owner
Posts: 41587
Joined: Sat Feb 13, 2010 6:11 am
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HuntingBeast/?ref=bookmarks
Location: S.E. Wisconsin
Contact:
Status: Offline

Re: Question about public land I found

Unread postby dan » Thu Mar 25, 2010 8:56 am

Zap hit most of my thoughts dead on... I would add a couple thoughts though... Does often bed the same areas regardless of wind direction. Both the trail on the ridge, and the trail on the swamp edge might both be being used by cruising bucks during rut. I would say its likely that the trail along the swamp edge is being cruised when the wind is blowing towards the does and the buck is smelling for hot does on the actual doe trails leading into the swamp... On the ridge would be a good place to cruise if they are picking up scent blowing from the does. However, one thing your saying is throwing me a curve. I would expect the cruising to be on the Lee side of the hill. So, maybe, the hill cruisers don't have anything to do with the doe bedding area?
User avatar
Zap
Posts: 10056
Joined: Sat Feb 20, 2010 4:57 pm
Location: OK, I am in Kansas.....
Status: Offline

Re: Question about public land I found

Unread postby Zap » Thu Mar 25, 2010 1:25 pm

dan wrote:Zap hit most of my thoughts dead on... I would add a couple thoughts though... Does often bed the same areas regardless of wind direction. Both the trail on the ridge, and the trail on the swamp edge might both be being used by cruising bucks during rut. I would say its likely that the trail along the swamp edge is being cruised when the wind is blowing towards the does and the buck is smelling for hot does on the actual doe trails leading into the swamp... On the ridge would be a good place to cruise if they are picking up scent blowing from the does. However, one thing your saying is throwing me a curve. I would expect the cruising to be on the Lee side of the hill. So, maybe, the hill cruisers don't have anything to do with the doe bedding area?




Good info, thanks Dan.

marty
"Forged in fire lit long ago. Stand next to me and you will never stand alone".
dan
Site Owner
Posts: 41587
Joined: Sat Feb 13, 2010 6:11 am
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HuntingBeast/?ref=bookmarks
Location: S.E. Wisconsin
Contact:
Status: Offline

Re: Question about public land I found

Unread postby dan » Thu Mar 25, 2010 1:56 pm

Zap if you ever watch how a lot of the does bed, they will form a circle and each one will watch a different direction... I think in regards to the hill country most of the time they use Leeward wind (not always) but in flat terrain like swamps they don't seem to have as much regard to wind as bucks do.
User avatar
Zap
Posts: 10056
Joined: Sat Feb 20, 2010 4:57 pm
Location: OK, I am in Kansas.....
Status: Offline

Re: Question about public land I found

Unread postby Zap » Thu Mar 25, 2010 2:52 pm

Thanks, Dan.

marty
"Forged in fire lit long ago. Stand next to me and you will never stand alone".
User avatar
BigHills BuckHunter
500 Club
Posts: 2350
Joined: Sat Mar 20, 2010 6:14 pm
Location: West Central Wisconsin
Status: Offline

Re: Question about public land I found

Unread postby BigHills BuckHunter » Fri Mar 26, 2010 2:44 am

Sorry Dan I meant the faded trail on the ridge IS on the lee side. Im thinkin about having a stand on the ridge with wind that pushes doe scent up to the ridge. Ground blind down low for different wind direction. I just have to make sure I play that wind to my advantage if I can. Thanks Dan and Zap for advice.
dan
Site Owner
Posts: 41587
Joined: Sat Feb 13, 2010 6:11 am
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HuntingBeast/?ref=bookmarks
Location: S.E. Wisconsin
Contact:
Status: Offline

Re: Question about public land I found

Unread postby dan » Fri Mar 26, 2010 9:00 am

Ahhh, makes sense now.


  • Advertisement

Return to “Public Land Hunting”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 36 guests