Appalachian Mountain terrain and tactics

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Bentstraight
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Re: Appalachian Mountain terrain and tactics

Unread postby Bentstraight » Mon Nov 25, 2019 12:12 pm

Blue Ridge wrote:Bentstraight - Could you elaborate a bit more on why or what other evidence you have found to support that those high, hard to access beds are not wind based ? Just wondering if you personally observed them bedding in those spots on windward days, or whatever evidence you may have. Nice bucks and thanks for chiming in.
Also, sticking to this windward topic. Do you have any thoughts on bucks (in your area / mountains) preferring to cruise on leeward vs windward sides or what you have observed most.


Thank you, and thanks to all the guys keeping thos thread going, alot of good info here for those of us hunting this part of the country
I have observed them bedding on windward sides on some occasions, but i believe that depends alot on what terrain and cover they can use to their advantage. I think there was a little talk of this in the mountain laurel thread on here. The bucks ive observed bedding windward have a sea of laurel on the top of the mountain and they are using that as their security on that backside. 1 situation i have observed this is when you have a parking area at the bottom of the mountain on a leeward side. After a few weeks of pressure on that side of the mountain a buck can eventually get tired of being busted out of there and start bedding on the backside of the mountain with wind in his face and the laurel to his back, he will here anything coming from behind long before it gets there . He could also use that bed when its leeward as well.
Last edited by Bentstraight on Mon Nov 25, 2019 12:28 pm, edited 2 times in total.


Bentstraight
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Re: Appalachian Mountain terrain and tactics

Unread postby Bentstraight » Mon Nov 25, 2019 12:22 pm

Bud TN wrote:B7A24FCC-EF75-4FC4-883E-06171D8C0C9D.jpegatt 1[attachment=0]B7A24FCC-EF75-4FC4-883E-06171D8C0C9D.jpeg[/attachmenFinally!!!!

It’s been 3 years since I’ve connected with a TN mountain buck. I caught this guy locked down with a doe while I was sneaking a.round a bedding area.

Even though I had the wind at my favor for the trails I was watching, I hadn’t even seen a single squirrel all morning and I decided I would get down and still hunt/ scout a while.

I decided I would circle around with the wind to a mountain top where I had found some beds last season. I didn’t find any “hunt here dummy” type sign so I vented on down the leeward side from the top toward the head of a holler/drain. I have a tendency to move to quick in the woods so I kept telling myself to “move little-look lot”.

Anyway I slowly worked my way down the drain when I saw a deer walking an old logging road below me. I couldn’t get a good look at first, so I moved slowly another 75yrds downhill. When I stopped I saw the deer and confirmed it was a doe. She was looking at me, and spooked below the road she was walking. I then noticed that she was not alone as I saw a large body with antlers following her. As they moved out of sight I got into a drain where my noise would be low and moved quickly to the road.
I slowly walked up the road peeking over the steep side when I saw this guy at about 80 yards or so staring up at me. Needless to say I made short work of his neck as it was all I could see. You could have heard my yelling

He is my biggest buck @5 y/o and a solid 150”and my first spot and stalk in the Appalachian mountains.

Here’s to scouting into the wind and moving slow!

I have been truly blessed this year!! :dance: :pray:


Congrats, excellent buck :clap:
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Bud TN
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Re: Appalachian Mountain terrain and tactics

Unread postby Bud TN » Fri Dec 13, 2019 3:48 am

well, What can i say, blessed and lucky to say the least. I was able to connect with another east TN public land mountain buck. This was a 4yr old 8point. He had 6 main points plus 1-1inch point on his base and the broke point on the other beam was just over an inch too. I caught him trailing a hot doe at the head of a couple secondary ridges (~2500ft El) half way down from the main top (3800ft el). This place is a classic big woods mountain terrain funnel where several coves head up within a few hundred yards of my stand. Getting there requires a 500ft elevation gain over a half mile then it flattens out slightly for another mile until it connects perpendicularly (north/south) to the base of the main top/ridge line(runs east/west). Total walk about 1.5 miles.My wind was a south westerly wind.
Around 1000am I saw a lone doe walking easterly on the opposite side of the cove I was watching And just behind her was the gentleman below. They were walking exactly where I expected and cutting through the head of the coves with the wind hitting them in the side. So our wind parallel between us.
I went to this spot because it is difficult to access due to the climb it takes to get back there and I knew the area would be low pressure. This was the last day of gun season for this WMA. So I knew I would need to hunt my “way back” stands like this to have a chance. This is also one of those places that there was no way in I would drag a deer out or even use a cart or sled if I got lucky enough to put one down (I.e. pack out only spot). Thankfully today was my day! 8-) :D

So I got to test out the backwoods game hoist setup that i learned from the "traditional bowhunting and wilderness podcast" youtube page. the setup uses 2 bundles of paracord, 2each 3 chain link sections and 1 quick link. It weighs nothing and will pick up a 150lb deer with ease. See photos below. Basically you create a 4 to one pulley system. Watch the link below on how to set it up and use it.


check out https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4krSGkLXu4

I can say positively that this thing works great And is an easy addition to your pack! It makes it nice to not have to neal on the ground to work a deer up or get leaves and dirt on your meat during the process.

I have never tagged out on deer in my life after 20+ years of hunting these TN mountains. Even if it never happens again, I’ll always be thankful for this year of hunting. :dance: :pray: :D
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Bud TN
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Re: Appalachian Mountain terrain and tactics

Unread postby Bud TN » Fri Dec 13, 2019 4:45 am

Well I really don’t know what say other than someone must REALLY be raining some good down on me more like feeding blessing from a fire hose i’d Say lol :lol

With 5 kids ages ranging from 22yrs to 9 months, I can firmly say it was time to get “clipped”. My appointment was at 3pm and with a fresh snow over night there was only one thing Any reasonable hunter could do with a few free hours. :twisted: :lol:

I must say that I am a lifetime license holder in Tennessee and North Carolina. Being done in TN means I can now focus on NC.

So I got up early and made plans to just walk some logging roads looking for tracks with the intent of circling through a 2yr old clear cut in the western NC mountains. I was mostly walking the skid roads that weaved throughout. I went there because of the newly regrown browse and I knew critters would either be coming there to eat or would already be there sheltering from the snow feeding around. The cut was right on the edge of a dead end forest service road and less than a half mile from my truck. The cut was on the side of a south facing slope where the sun hits first. With a northerly wind I walked from bottom to top along the roads peaking through brush that is just under head high and is thick!!
I walked slowly to the back big timber edge looking over into a cove and just enjoying the views and sparkling snow. Around 830am I caught movement again working the head of the cove about 100-150 yards moving towards the clear cut above me.
With my bare eyes I couldn’t tell exactly how big but he was a definitely a shooter to me!!! Two free hand shots with my 7mm mag later I got to lay hands on him. Needless to say I was thrilled. This guy is a 3-4yr old 10pt.
I really don’t know what to say other than pure gratitude. As I sit now with a ice cold bag of peas between my legs :? It is all still just so surreal. Truly blessed is all I can think and wow I will NEVER forget this hunting season :lol: :D 8-) :pray:

On a side note getting “clipped” is NO WHERE near as bad as I thought or had heard. Getting a cavity or root canal hurts worse.....
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backstraps
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Re: Appalachian Mountain terrain and tactics

Unread postby backstraps » Fri Dec 13, 2019 5:09 am

Awesome job Bud!!! Solid buck resume there this year :clap: :clap: :clap:
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Bud TN
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Re: Appalachian Mountain terrain and tactics

Unread postby Bud TN » Fri Dec 13, 2019 5:54 am

Thank you and thank you for the milkweed!!! It has made all the difference!
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Re: Appalachian Mountain terrain and tactics

Unread postby jcraig0313 » Fri Dec 13, 2019 6:14 am

Awesome deer, Bud! You've had one heck of a season, congrats!
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Re: Appalachian Mountain terrain and tactics

Unread postby NYBackcountry » Fri Dec 13, 2019 9:10 am

Congrats Bud, awesome work!
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Re: Appalachian Mountain terrain and tactics

Unread postby Bud TN » Fri Dec 13, 2019 10:31 am

I appreciate all the congratulations! But it’s not my intention to hi-Jack this thread. I want to ensure that the story behind the hunt tells the tale. The key to my success was realizing the conditions I was given and making a plan based on that. I promise that it’s just as much luck as anything. I by no means am not as good most hunters on here, I just want to offer my experiences and successes. I have a lot more failures that don’t go reported on here because there is not enough time to type them all. The key things to my success was keeping my eyes peeled, paying attention to the wind, know your hunting ground, weather and being mobile. Basically all the same things you hear for from everyone else from YouTube and podcasts. Sometimes It does take extra sweat and shoe leather to locate potential spots. Study your topo’s, watch and listen for logging operations in your areas because those drive deer movements just as much as topos. Look for edges and terrain funnels and throw hunts at them. Often it takes me several... years...to be successful in a location. And yes I will sit in these spots a multiple times in a row if I don’t see anything which is usually the case. Sit as long as you think and trust your gut and move if you want it’s all up to you.

All I know is to Take my advice with a grain of salt. Pick and choose tactics from everyone’s successes and apply them to your situation. Try everything you learn because you never know what might work. The key to success is repetition (be in the woods). You can’t kill them sitting on the couch. Just get in the woods and hunt. This coming from a guy with a more than full time job and 3 kiddos 3 yrs and younger.
Forget this trophy hunting crap. kill what makes you happy and your heart race. this makes your efforts worth while. we put in all this effort and money into hunting, take something to make it worth your while.
Everyone gets lucky eventually on a big buck. Just be sure to put in the leg work or food plots...etc(whatever your situation). to put the odds in your favor.

I’ve not killed a deer in 3 yrs, so again take what I say with a grain of salt and be patient.

I really do hope something I said helps you, because It sure has helped me reading it from others in here.

I really wish you all good luck and to aim small. :D 8-)
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Re: Appalachian Mountain terrain and tactics

Unread postby Moccasin Hunter » Thu Dec 19, 2019 7:32 am

Well congratulations to everyone on your great bucks. I really didn't expect this thread to take off like this when I made the original post. It continues to thrill me every time I get a notification from this thread. Keep up the great stories. My season was interrupted when my father passed away in October, I have struggled since then to maintain enthusiasm for the hunt this year. But I have taken great comfort from the continuing posts here. It is always a welcome distraction from the other things in my life. Thank you all! And again keep it going!
"I have but one lamp by which my feet are guided, and that is the lamp of experience. I know of no way of judging the future but by the past" (Patrick Henry)
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Re: Appalachian Mountain terrain and tactics

Unread postby Danny1977 » Fri Dec 20, 2019 8:01 am

Bentstraight wrote:Thanks Moccasin,
I think my scouting is pretty typical to what alot guys here are doing. Im looking for bedding, scrapes and rubs from previous years. Im also trying to read the terrain; looking for all the thickets and edges, where there are blow downs and basically everything that doesnt show up on a topo map.

As far as my hunting method, im looking for where people are hunting as much as im looking for deer sign. I dont find alot of the "overlooked" spots right next to parking areas like some of the midwest guys find. I think that has alot to due with that being where most of the hunters are sitting because they dont want to hike up the mountain ( or down if the access road is from the top). One of the biggest things ive had success on that might seem a little counter intuitive (spelling?) is that im not afraid to walk past really great sign to hunt somewhere that may not have a rub or scrape within 300 yards of it. Sort of taking the sign and then tracking it back to the source based of where i think hes bedding. For instance, the buck picture with my wife in the picture was taken in such a spot. I went out on a hunt after work 2 days before i shot him where i only had about an hour and a half of daylight. I didnt have time to get up the mountain very far so i was more or less scouting for fresh sign. I found alot of really fresh sign not far from the main access path. Lots of big tall rubs and a few scrapes that were made within the last day. I tell myself alot "if it looks to good to be true, then it probably is". This sign was way to close to where other guys were walking and setting up and i figured it had to be night sign and that the buck was coming from higher up the mountain. So when i came back 2 days later i walked right past all that sign to hunt a spot where there wasnt a rub within 250 yards. Knowing the layout of the mountain is what really payed off as i was able to use a blow down to funnel the buck 10 yards in front of me. I will also mention that this was a virgin sit. Almost all of the nice bucks i have taken have been on virgin sits which isnt surprising.

I think the most important thing is to keep an open mind and avoid being stagnant. Be willing take risks. Everyone hunting the mountains knows the wind and thermals are tough and you can sit around waiting for the "perfect" wind to hunt, but that buck might be gone by then. You gotta hunt them when they are in the area and that might mean rolling the dice with the wind and thermals. Hopefully this might help somebody out a little bit.


Man no one could have said this better. "Rolling the dice" seems to have been a lot of my hunts in the mountains of northern VA and WV. Once I get to one of my spots, I simply feel as if I do not have the time to move to a better wind location
Spent all of my money on archery and hunting gear.....the rest I just wasted
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Re: Appalachian Mountain terrain and tactics

Unread postby kylehey » Wed Dec 25, 2019 1:04 am

Question for the board: Do you notice bedding along the same elevation lines? I have found beds along a certain line, its not the upper 3rd, not sure if its because of a subtle bench or something else. I am hunting the ride and valley area of the Appalachians in PA. Good luck everyone!
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Re: Appalachian Mountain terrain and tactics

Unread postby Hawthorne » Tue Mar 03, 2020 6:36 am

Bump. I scouted at the beginning of the Appalachian mountains over the last 3 days. Was really steep and rugged for a flat lander and I’m in good shape. It has me wanting to come back for more. I was finding good sign on the narrow ridge tops and out on points right where there was a steep drop off. I jumped a big buck off a steep knob still holding both sides. I also saw tons of turkey sign and a big flock yesterday. I found one narrow saddle that had 4 different ridges funneling in. It had a few big rubs , new and old from generations past. Might give it rut sit. It is remote and tough to get to. Chestnut oaks and green briar are the two main plants I saw. They browse the green briar similar to red dog wood to the north. Lots of acorns still on the ground but everywhere I looked green briar was browsed. Some clear cutting going on. Those were choked full of rose. Definitely some ingredients there for a deer to get old. I found an old skull. Teeth were worn down to the gums. Just the antler pedicles were on it so it must of been a shed buck
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Re: Appalachian Mountain terrain and tactics

Unread postby AppalachianArcher » Tue Mar 03, 2020 11:09 am

Hawthorne wrote:Bump. I scouted at the beginning of the Appalachian mountains over the last 3 days. Was really steep and rugged for a flat lander and I’m in good shape. It has me wanting to come back for more. I was finding good sign on the narrow ridge tops and out on points right where there was a steep drop off. I jumped a big buck off a steep knob still holding both sides. I also saw tons of turkey sign and a big flock yesterday. I found one narrow saddle that had 4 different ridges funneling in. It had a few big rubs , new and old from generations past. Might give it rut sit. It is remote and tough to get to. Chestnut oaks and green briar are the two main plants I saw. They browse the green briar similar to red dog wood to the north. Lots of acorns still on the ground but everywhere I looked green briar was browsed. Some clear cutting going on. Those were choked full of rose. Definitely some ingredients there for a deer to get old. I found an old skull. Teeth were worn down to the gums. Just the antler pedicles were on it so it must of been a shed buck


They love that green briar! If you come across any privet thickets in the flats, they will browse it pretty heavily too. I guess they like them because they're green all year.
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backstraps
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Re: Appalachian Mountain terrain and tactics

Unread postby backstraps » Fri Mar 06, 2020 1:33 pm

Hawthorne sounds like you had a good time :clap: :clap:

One thing id add and you probably already know it
Foliage will change wind patterns, especially in Hill Country! Hope you can make it back scouting and slay a slob there this fall


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