Ridge hunting advice

[Colddriver]

What is a better approach to hunting a ridge top.
Come in and hour or so before legal shooting time climb a tree or gray light sneak along the top still hunting. Would be second gun season soulthern Il.
And can some one answer me this,not all deer bed at the same time correct? Joking but not really is there like a specific time they seem to bed?

[mheichelbech]

I am 100% tree stand hunter so I can’t comment on the still hunting. Best bets are to find ridges where the wind is blowing over one side or the other as much as possible and hunt the leeward side (downwind side) of the Ridge. I don’t think he’d timing is as important as bedding area. You will notice doe bedding by small “spots” where the leaves are depressed or flattened out in an oval pattern usually. Often will be 3-5 in the same small area. Buck bedding will be larger beds, isolated, usually against a stump or lay down or other backdrop with his back facing the prevailing wind and looking downwind.

During the rut it’s good to be between these two or downwind of doe bedding. Where I hunt I have noticed that does will bed for a while then get back up and feed. For example in my back yard where I feed deer, the same 3 deer (mom and 2 babies) came up to eat almost every 2 hours on the dot..

I have also seen them along a trail stop and bed for a while then get up and move along to wherever.

Buck will parallel a ridge along the military crest on the leeward side. They will usually bed on the leeward side in the thickest cover available and at the military crest if available.

There are always exceptions. This week I watched a buck walking along the bottom of ridge along a logging road in the morning. Not what you’d think he’d be doing with rising thermals and all however the wind currents were swirly and switching directions that morning so he may have taking advantage of that.

In the absence of sign along ridges (happens a lot due to dry weather where I hunt) find stands of oak trees, especially if you can find acorns on the ground and the place is clearly browsed down compared to tiers areas.

[mauser06]

Do you have a known stand location you are heading to regardlessly??? If so, I'd like to be nestled in there early.


If not, I like to go in gray light. Scout and hunt my way in.


And I'd say no....there's no "bed time" where all the deer go-to bed. It varies. Time of year, moon phase, rut phase, barometric pressure, other weather, etc effect deer movement. If we could accurately predict bedding times, I think a lot of us would spend a lot less time in the woods.

Bullwinkle could get bumped by another hunter. He might get a whiff of a hot doe. He might get hungry. Gotta be in the woods. 2 times of year I would spend every second I can in the woods.... through the rut...and gun season.


Another tactic I like during gun season is just still hunting if you have enough disposable ground. Meaning you don't plan to stand hunt there. I will sneak around checking bedding areas and such. I can cover more ground that way. A lot of times here after the first day, pressure is high enough to have deer hunkered down pretty hard but not enough to keep them moving. So I like to go find them.

[Colddriver]

Thanks for the replys, opening moring I will be early to my stand and spend the whole day there.
Mauser06 I will then use your tactics the following day's I have 900acres to pick away at.
Thanks again guys, kind new to the site and have not hunted in 5 years.

[Horizontal Hunter]

Thanks for the replys, opening moring I will be early to my stand and spend the whole day there.
Mauser06 I will then use your tactics the following day's I have 900acres to pick away at.
Thanks again guys, kind new to the site and have not hunted in 5 years.

Opening day of gun season, the second day, and the two Saturdays I always make it a point to sit solid between 10:00 AM and 2:00 PM when hunters are going back to their trucks for lunch and to get warmed up. I have killed a lot of deer between 10 and 2.

A saddle or bench that deer would likely use to get to thick cover is a great location for opening day.

Bob

[MichiganMike]

Do you have a known stand location you are heading to regardlessly??? If so, I'd like to be nestled in there early.


If not, I like to go in gray light. Scout and hunt my way in.


And I'd say no....there's no "bed time" where all the deer go-to bed. It varies. Time of year, moon phase, rut phase, barometric pressure, other weather, etc effect deer movement. If we could accurately predict bedding times, I think a lot of us would spend a lot less time in the woods.

Bullwinkle could get bumped by another hunter. He might get a whiff of a hot doe. He might get hungry. Gotta be in the woods. 2 times of year I would spend every second I can in the woods.... through the rut...and gun season.


Another tactic I like during gun season is just still hunting if you have enough disposable ground. Meaning you don't plan to stand hunt there. I will sneak around checking bedding areas and such. I can cover more ground that way. A lot of times here after the first day, pressure is high enough to have deer hunkered down pretty hard but not enough to keep them moving. So I like to go find them.

Good insight Mauser. I couldnt agree more. I had a "tree" -not a stand- I prepped and scouted and tried to hit it hour and a half before light. My OnX was either off or I crossed the wrong creek channel- it splits into a Y but couldnt tell exactly which in the dark. Ended up bumping the buck I was after. So I blew the spot.
Hindsight- should of sat back waited until Grey Light to have a better visual, and then quietly stalk then climb and set up once the coast is clear.