Tim talks north woods scrapes...

[Net Guy]

Great video Tim! Very informative. I see the same thing by me. I've gone back to look for some hidden trails but it's easier said than done. By me, the "main" logging roads receive decent deer movement but mostly at night. As for primary scrapes, especially in the Northwoods, I put a lot of stock in them. I've got a couple of scrapes that are routinely hit year-round and a lot during the daylight. To me, up north, they're almost as good as bedding areas (since primary bedding areas can be hard to find).

Great job!

[Bonecrusher101]

I’ve got a chunk of big woods here in TN, that I struggle figuring out. I’ve killed one good buck in it, and have seen some studs but I’m never consistently on the deer like I am with some of my other public lands.

This one is mostly mature hardwoods, but also has areas of swamp and briars and cane thickets especially when one of the giant trees come down in a storm and opens up the canopy. Everything you mentioned applies!

There’s very few deer, but they have potential to reach maturity better than some of the other areas I hunt. The deer also seem nomadic, and bedding Is extremely hard to pinpoint and from what I’ve been able to see is that the deer don’t keep consistent bedding.

I feel like watching your video was a complete DUHH!!! Moment for me when I’m walking around lost trying to pinpoint constant bedding. I need to focus on what the deer are giving me, which is fresh scrapes that are isolated and have adequate cover for daytime activity. Thank you much for making this video! Very informative!

[Tim H]

Great video Tim! Very informative. I see the same thing by me. I've gone back to look for some hidden trails but it's easier said than done. By me, the "main" logging roads receive decent deer movement but mostly at night. As for primary scrapes, especially in the Northwoods, I put a lot of stock in them. I've got a couple of scrapes that are routinely hit year-round and a lot during the daylight. To me, up north, they're almost as good as bedding areas (since primary bedding areas can be hard to find).

Great job!

Thanks Les! If you read KLEMZ posts he's got some more insight! I'd wager he has way more experience in the Northwoods than I do.

[Tim H]

I’ve got a chunk of big woods here in TN, that I struggle figuring out. I’ve killed one good buck in it, and have seen some studs but I’m never consistently on the deer like I am with some of my other public lands.

This one is mostly mature hardwoods, but also has areas of swamp and briars and cane thickets especially when one of the giant trees come down in a storm and opens up the canopy. Everything you mentioned applies!

There’s very few deer, but they have potential to reach maturity better than some of the other areas I hunt. The deer also seem nomadic, and bedding Is extremely hard to pinpoint and from what I’ve been able to see is that the deer don’t keep consistent bedding.

I feel like watching your video was a complete DUHH!!! Moment for me when I’m walking around lost trying to pinpoint constant bedding. I need to focus on what the deer are giving me, which is fresh scrapes that are isolated and have adequate cover for daytime activity. Thank you much for making this video! Very informative!

Thank you sir! Don't get me wrong. I love bedding areas. Especially Doe bedding areas in pre rut time, but they are just harder to find with a low density of deer. I think the term nomadic means a little bit different for everyone. Some it means across the country. For me I'd think a few miles away is nomadic. But Magic Man Todd Havel believes in a rut circuit. I also believe that. The deer might leave but in a few days they usually are back. Thanks for watching! I appreciate it!

[Bonecrusher101]

I’ve got a chunk of big woods here in TN, that I struggle figuring out. I’ve killed one good buck in it, and have seen some studs but I’m never consistently on the deer like I am with some of my other public lands.

This one is mostly mature hardwoods, but also has areas of swamp and briars and cane thickets especially when one of the giant trees come down in a storm and opens up the canopy. Everything you mentioned applies!

There’s very few deer, but they have potential to reach maturity better than some of the other areas I hunt. The deer also seem nomadic, and bedding Is extremely hard to pinpoint and from what I’ve been able to see is that the deer don’t keep consistent bedding.

I feel like watching your video was a complete DUHH!!! Moment for me when I’m walking around lost trying to pinpoint constant bedding. I need to focus on what the deer are giving me, which is fresh scrapes that are isolated and have adequate cover for daytime activity. Thank you much for making this video! Very informative!

Thank you sir! Don't get me wrong. I love bedding areas. Especially Doe bedding areas in pre rut time, but they are just harder to find with a low density of deer. I think the term nomadic means a little bit different for everyone. Some it means across the country. For me I'd think a few miles away is nomadic. But Magic Man Todd Havel believes in a rut circuit. I also believe that. The deer might leave but in a few days they usually are back. Thanks for watching! I appreciate it!

Is there a link or podcast on rut circuit? I’d love to learn more about that! Thanks again for the video.

[Tim H]

I’ve got a chunk of big woods here in TN, that I struggle figuring out. I’ve killed one good buck in it, and have seen some studs but I’m never consistently on the deer like I am with some of my other public lands.

This one is mostly mature hardwoods, but also has areas of swamp and briars and cane thickets especially when one of the giant trees come down in a storm and opens up the canopy. Everything you mentioned applies!

There’s very few deer, but they have potential to reach maturity better than some of the other areas I hunt. The deer also seem nomadic, and bedding Is extremely hard to pinpoint and from what I’ve been able to see is that the deer don’t keep consistent bedding.

I feel like watching your video was a complete DUHH!!! Moment for me when I’m walking around lost trying to pinpoint constant bedding. I need to focus on what the deer are giving me, which is fresh scrapes that are isolated and have adequate cover for daytime activity. Thank you much for making this video! Very informative!

Thank you sir! Don't get me wrong. I love bedding areas. Especially Doe bedding areas in pre rut time, but they are just harder to find with a low density of deer. I think the term nomadic means a little bit different for everyone. Some it means across the country. For me I'd think a few miles away is nomadic. But Magic Man Todd Havel believes in a rut circuit. I also believe that. The deer might leave but in a few days they usually are back. Thanks for watching! I appreciate it!

Is there a link or podcast on rut circuit? I’d love to learn more about that! Thanks again for the video.

He probably talks about it in this podcast with Kevin Vistisen.

https://youtu.be/Hc9OmztpIHI

[Bonecrusher101]

I’ve got a chunk of big woods here in TN, that I struggle figuring out. I’ve killed one good buck in it, and have seen some studs but I’m never consistently on the deer like I am with some of my other public lands.

This one is mostly mature hardwoods, but also has areas of swamp and briars and cane thickets especially when one of the giant trees come down in a storm and opens up the canopy. Everything you mentioned applies!

There’s very few deer, but they have potential to reach maturity better than some of the other areas I hunt. The deer also seem nomadic, and bedding Is extremely hard to pinpoint and from what I’ve been able to see is that the deer don’t keep consistent bedding.

I feel like watching your video was a complete DUHH!!! Moment for me when I’m walking around lost trying to pinpoint constant bedding. I need to focus on what the deer are giving me, which is fresh scrapes that are isolated and have adequate cover for daytime activity. Thank you much for making this video! Very informative!

Thank you sir! Don't get me wrong. I love bedding areas. Especially Doe bedding areas in pre rut time, but they are just harder to find with a low density of deer. I think the term nomadic means a little bit different for everyone. Some it means across the country. For me I'd think a few miles away is nomadic. But Magic Man Todd Havel believes in a rut circuit. I also believe that. The deer might leave but in a few days they usually are back. Thanks for watching! I appreciate it!

Is there a link or podcast on rut circuit? I’d love to learn more about that! Thanks again for the video.

He probably talks about it in this podcast with Kevin Vistisen.

https://youtu.be/Hc9OmztpIHI

Thank you!

[KLEMZ]

Now that I'm looking back at it, I've had some great buck encounters in recent seasons on secondary fire trails with scrapes (north woods). These hunts we're not pre-planned to be on the secondary trails, but were the result of finding fresh sign and hunting it. Some of these areas were related to active bedding, some were related to active feeding areas. Looking forward, I will definitely be on the lookout for strategically placed hidden fire trails. I'm beginning to think that knowing the locations of these old trails in the north woods is as important as knowing the location of the bedding or feeding.

I'm thinking that the scrapes on these fire trails are active during the two weeks that Tim stated...Last part of October, first part of November. But, I have suspicions that the trails themselves may be more universally used (if close to bedding/feeding). In fact, the reason the scrapes are on the secondary trails might be because of the universal usage?

The buck encounters I've had on the secondary trails (with scrapes), were all AFTER the peak scrape working time frame. They were during the actual breeding time frame (lock down, as some people call it). A time when bucks don't have time to be running around working scrapes. Yet the bucks were still using the secondary trail. In one case, the buck left the doe he was tending, hopped through some dead fall branches just to get to his comfy secondary fire trail, I killed him before he could reach the scrape he was heading towards. For a mature buck to divert away from a doe in estrus that he is tending is powerful proof that the scrapes on the hidden corridors are a huge deal.

KLEMZ, this is really great information! A lot of the fresh sign I find are are the secondary trails too. The sign normally begins October. Thanks for sharing some of your experience with hunting in the northwoods! By chance are you able to send me a pic of the buck you killed that left the doe?

Here is a picture of the buck that left the hot doe to check out his minor logging road corridor scrapes.



Here is a LIDAR map image of how this hunt played out. I chose this style of map because it clearly shows hidden logging trails from long ago. Topo maps only show about 25% of the trails that exist. LIDAR shows every one of them. None of the trails seen on this image are shown on any topo map.
Black-my access trail and stand tree
Blue oval- open hardwood pocket near thicker vegetation to the west.
White- scrapes found upon entering the area that morning
Yellow- doe bedding found the previous spring
Red- estrus doe path
White- buck path...I believe he was still in the scent stream of the doe when I shot him, but he definitely veered course and was 50 yards from her when I killed him.



Here is a link to LIDAR maps for the whole state of Wisconsin
https://www.arcgis.com/home/webmap/view ... 408279da9d


I know Minnesota has the whole state available also. DNR website I believe. Definitely worth searching you're hunting area. LIDAR is getting more available all the time. Some county GIS sites will have it. It is also very useful to show subtle elevation rise to find bedding areas.

[Net Guy]

Now that I'm looking back at it, I've had some great buck encounters in recent seasons on secondary fire trails with scrapes (north woods). These hunts we're not pre-planned to be on the secondary trails, but were the result of finding fresh sign and hunting it. Some of these areas were related to active bedding, some were related to active feeding areas. Looking forward, I will definitely be on the lookout for strategically placed hidden fire trails. I'm beginning to think that knowing the locations of these old trails in the north woods is as important as knowing the location of the bedding or feeding.

I'm thinking that the scrapes on these fire trails are active during the two weeks that Tim stated...Last part of October, first part of November. But, I have suspicions that the trails themselves may be more universally used (if close to bedding/feeding). In fact, the reason the scrapes are on the secondary trails might be because of the universal usage?

The buck encounters I've had on the secondary trails (with scrapes), were all AFTER the peak scrape working time frame. They were during the actual breeding time frame (lock down, as some people call it). A time when bucks don't have time to be running around working scrapes. Yet the bucks were still using the secondary trail. In one case, the buck left the doe he was tending, hopped through some dead fall branches just to get to his comfy secondary fire trail, I killed him before he could reach the scrape he was heading towards. For a mature buck to divert away from a doe in estrus that he is tending is powerful proof that the scrapes on the hidden corridors are a huge deal.

KLEMZ, this is really great information! A lot of the fresh sign I find are are the secondary trails too. The sign normally begins October. Thanks for sharing some of your experience with hunting in the northwoods! By chance are you able to send me a pic of the buck you killed that left the doe?

Here is a picture of the buck that left the hot doe to check out his minor logging road corridor scrapes.



Here is a LIDAR map image of how this hunt played out. I chose this style of map because it clearly shows hidden logging trails from long ago. Topo maps only show about 25% of the trails that exist. LIDAR shows every one of them. None of the trails seen on this image are shown on any topo map.
Black-my access trail and stand tree
Blue oval- open hardwood pocket near thicker vegetation to the west.
White- scrapes found upon entering the area that morning
Yellow- doe bedding found the previous spring
Red- estrus doe path
White- buck path...I believe he was still in the scent stream of the doe when I shot him, but he definitely veered course and was 50 yards from her when I killed him.



Here is a link to LIDAR maps for the whole state of Wisconsin
https://www.arcgis.com/home/webmap/view ... 408279da9d


I know Minnesota has the whole state available also. DNR website I believe. Definitely worth searching you're hunting area. LIDAR is getting more available all the time. Some county GIS sites will have it. It is also very useful to show subtle elevation rise to find bedding areas.

Fantastic info and example! Thanks for sharing!

[Uncle Lou]

Wow KLEMZ, that is some impressive information. Thanks for sharing

[brancher147]

I hunted northern adirondacks for a few years and definitely keyed in on scrapes. A lot of times they were on old log roads as mentioned. I ran a camera for 2 years on a primary scrape and used that info to help kill a big buck.
I had an encounter with a big buck the first year at the scrape in October archery season but ended up killing the buck the second year over a mile away the last week of gun season while tracking in the snow.
I never really thought about bedding back then just focused on buck sign and terrain. The funny thing is when I shot that buck I had followed the buck track through multiple beds and a couple of them were within sight of trees I had hunted and I was actually standing in a buck bed when I shot him. So looking back-even though I was not aware that I was hunting bedding I definitely was but it was mostly based off of fresh sign including scrapes and the terrain I had been hunting.

[Boogieman1]

Haven’t had a chance to give it a listen yet but certainly will. I just wanna know what is considered North Woods? Don’t mean it in any negative way. I asked the same question about what the heck is big woods. For me North woods is Amarillo Texas close to 8 hrs away. Guessing not the same North Woods Maybe you would understand what I mean if someone said the Big South Woods!

[Tim H]

Haven’t had a chance to give it a listen yet but certainly will. I just wanna know what is considered North Woods? Don’t mean it in any negative way. I asked the same question about what the heck is big woods. For me North woods is Amarillo Texas close to 8 hrs away. Guessing not the same North Woods Maybe you would understand what I mean if someone said the Big South Woods!

Thanks for the comment Boogie! Yeah I try to be cautious when I say bigwoods because I know that it means something different for everyone else and the tactics are different. Some guys are in hill country and have their bigwoods. Some guys are even in mountain ranges and it's bigwoods. Heck, a guy in farm land is hunting a 400 acre woodlot and it's bigwoods to him. The bigwoods I hunt is probably comparable to some parts in Canada. But even then it's probably less vast and remote as Canada. In Wisconsin we have a saying about going up north. It's really not a destination but a way of life and a mindset.

[Tim H]

Now that I'm looking back at it, I've had some great buck encounters in recent seasons on secondary fire trails with scrapes (north woods). These hunts we're not pre-planned to be on the secondary trails, but were the result of finding fresh sign and hunting it. Some of these areas were related to active bedding, some were related to active feeding areas. Looking forward, I will definitely be on the lookout for strategically placed hidden fire trails. I'm beginning to think that knowing the locations of these old trails in the north woods is as important as knowing the location of the bedding or feeding.

I'm thinking that the scrapes on these fire trails are active during the two weeks that Tim stated...Last part of October, first part of November. But, I have suspicions that the trails themselves may be more universally used (if close to bedding/feeding). In fact, the reason the scrapes are on the secondary trails might be because of the universal usage?

The buck encounters I've had on the secondary trails (with scrapes), were all AFTER the peak scrape working time frame. They were during the actual breeding time frame (lock down, as some people call it). A time when bucks don't have time to be running around working scrapes. Yet the bucks were still using the secondary trail. In one case, the buck left the doe he was tending, hopped through some dead fall branches just to get to his comfy secondary fire trail, I killed him before he could reach the scrape he was heading towards. For a mature buck to divert away from a doe in estrus that he is tending is powerful proof that the scrapes on the hidden corridors are a huge deal.

KLEMZ, this is really great information! A lot of the fresh sign I find are are the secondary trails too. The sign normally begins October. Thanks for sharing some of your experience with hunting in the northwoods! By chance are you able to send me a pic of the buck you killed that left the doe?

Here is a picture of the buck that left the hot doe to check out his minor logging road corridor scrapes.



Here is a LIDAR map image of how this hunt played out. I chose this style of map because it clearly shows hidden logging trails from long ago. Topo maps only show about 25% of the trails that exist. LIDAR shows every one of them. None of the trails seen on this image are shown on any topo map.
Black-my access trail and stand tree
Blue oval- open hardwood pocket near thicker vegetation to the west.
White- scrapes found upon entering the area that morning
Yellow- doe bedding found the previous spring
Red- estrus doe path
White- buck path...I believe he was still in the scent stream of the doe when I shot him, but he definitely veered course and was 50 yards from her when I killed him.



Here is a link to LIDAR maps for the whole state of Wisconsin
https://www.arcgis.com/home/webmap/view ... 408279da9d


I know Minnesota has the whole state available also. DNR website I believe. Definitely worth searching you're hunting area. LIDAR is getting more available all the time. Some county GIS sites will have it. It is also very useful to show subtle elevation rise to find bedding areas.

Wow KLEMZ! I don't know what to say to this but THANK YOU! That's awesome information to share and that's a fantastic trophy! And you killed him with a longbow! Congrats Man!

[Uncle Lou]

Wow KLEMZ! I don't know what to say to this but THANK YOU! That's awesome information to share and that's a fantastic trophy! And you killed him with a longbow! Congrats Man!

Yeh no kidding. I haven't been on the BEAST in a while and was going to catch up. Guess what I did in stead. Yep, studied these maps all night of my up north hunting area. I couldn't get the layer with topos, but was interested in the trails, or access. For my area it only marked the forest services roads. Not the railroad grades and logging roads, but I will have to look closer and at other map sources.