How to hunt a thermal tunnel/buck cruising route

[Jeff G]

How to hunt a thermal tunnel/buck cruising route

I wanted to share an example of a classic thermal tunnel buck cruising route.

This is my property in SE MN. I only hunt it about 2 weekends of the year. When I get a SW wind or a S wind I kill a good buck almost every sit.

Most people think the wind has to come directly over the hill at a 90 degree angle, not true. I have just as much success hunting this spot on an off wind thermal tunnel. The bucks still cruise the hillside on an off wind. Thermals are still working on the hill side and the buck can still scent check the most ground cruising the hillside.

The way the property works out is there are nobs that contain the buck and doe bedding. I chose a spot to intercept the buck as they cruise the thermal tunnel and then cross over to cruise around the doe bedding,

I have observed this for 20 years. Same route, same wind. I always kill them in the same spot. I do not over hunt the spot. This year 2017 opening day i hunted it on the SE wind just to see what happened. Nothing. Hunted it last weekend on a south wind and killed a nice 10 point who followed the script.

The map is pretty much self explanatory.

Reason I want to share is a lot of discussion in hill country revolves around setting up waiting for a buck to leave a point/bedding area. This is another tactic on how bucks leave the leeward side to cross and check bedding areas.

Kill pics are bucks from the last 3 years (2015, 2016, 2017), there are a lot more, but this is a sample.

Try it out, it works!!

[BA-IV]

Man this mark up is excellent, thanks for it!

[rfickes87]

Just curious...

Why do the bucks bed on the windward side? Seems like those green dots for buck bedding on those points would only apply for a NE wind.

Thank you for this post though. Perfect timing for us all with the rut here and rifle soon approaching! This is my game plan for Rifle season on public here in PA.

Nice work!!!!

[Jeff G]

Just curious...

Why do the bucks bed on the windward side? Seems like those green dots for buck bedding on those points would only apply for a NE wind.

Thank you for this post though. Perfect timing for us all with the rut here and rifle soon approaching! This is my game plan for Rifle season on public here in PA.

Nice work!!!!

they will bed there on a west, north and east winds. they shift around the points. when i hunt it i am hunting it on a south to south west. I am not bed hunting the bucks then. I am intercepting the bucks as they cruise the leeward ridge and cross over to check the doe bedding on the top of the nobs. in early season we hunt the top of the draws and intercept the bucks as they leave the bedding on the points.

[RidgeReaper]

My situation here is long ridge lines that run for miles. Hardly any good points or knobs like shown here. Benches work OK but not all the time. I hunted all season this year and had deer sightings all but a few sits so I know I'm pretty good at finding deer. Only one really good buck was seen this year and it was textbook for what info I have studied here over the years. My big problems are...1, I overthink EVERYTHING! I get into a spot that I feel is good but second guess it. 2, I never really know whether I should walk the ridge top out and then drop down to the top 1/3 or if I should access from the bottom and climb up the hill. So much stuff to think about and it's frustrating but very rewarding all the times it does pay off! Thanks for all the info!!

[Kokes]

great post jeff, the visual map you drew up is excellent, it really helps convey how to hunt hill country - thanks for taking the time to do this..

[dan]

[Jeff G]

My situation here is long ridge lines that run for miles. Hardly any good points or knobs like shown here. Benches work OK but not all the time. I hunted all season this year and had deer sightings all but a few sits so I know I'm pretty good at finding deer. Only one really good buck was seen this year and it was textbook for what info I have studied here over the years. My big problems are...1, I overthink EVERYTHING! I get into a spot that I feel is good but second guess it. 2, I never really know whether I should walk the ridge top out and then drop down to the top 1/3 or if I should access from the bottom and climb up the hill. So much stuff to think about and it's frustrating but very rewarding all the times it does pay off! Thanks for all the info!!

I always enter from the top. They bust you so fast if you walk to the bottom. You also leave an awful scent trail that will last all night, and when they cruise and your not there, the big boys remember.

[rutjunkie]

Great post Jeff.

[Buckshot20]

Awesome visual. Quick question, could you post another with access route? I think that burns more people than we could even know. Thanks.

[Jeff G]

Awesome visual. Quick question, could you post another with access route? I think that burns more people than we could even know. Thanks.

[basspro05]

How to hunt a thermal tunnel/buck cruising route

I wanted to share an example of a classic thermal tunnel buck cruising route.

This is my property in SE MN. I only hunt it about 2 weekends of the year. When I get a SW wind or a S wind I kill a good buck almost every sit.

Most people think the wind has to come directly over the hill at a 90 degree angle, not true. I have just as much success hunting this spot on an off wind thermal tunnel. The bucks still cruise the hillside on an off wind. Thermals are still working on the hill side and the buck can still scent check the most ground cruising the hillside.

The way the property works out is there are nobs that contain the buck and doe bedding. I chose a spot to intercept the buck as they cruise the thermal tunnel and then cross over to cruise around the doe bedding,

I have observed this for 20 years. Same route, same wind. I always kill them in the same spot. I do not over hunt the spot. This year 2017 opening day i hunted it on the SE wind just to see what happened. Nothing. Hunted it last weekend on a south wind and killed a nice 10 point who followed the script.

The map is pretty much self explanatory.

Reason I want to share is a lot of discussion in hill country revolves around setting up waiting for a buck to leave a point/bedding area. This is another tactic on how bucks leave the leeward side to cross and check bedding areas.

Kill pics are bucks from the last 3 years (2015, 2016, 2017), there are a lot more, but this is a sample.

Try it out, it works!!

I guess I am not understanding the picture, is the center a low valley with a ridge on each side of it heading up, or is the center the high spot with a ridge on each side heading down?

[Jeff G]

[Jeff G]

How to hunt a thermal tunnel/buck cruising route

I wanted to share an example of a classic thermal tunnel buck cruising route.

This is my property in SE MN. I only hunt it about 2 weekends of the year. When I get a SW wind or a S wind I kill a good buck almost every sit.

Most people think the wind has to come directly over the hill at a 90 degree angle, not true. I have just as much success hunting this spot on an off wind thermal tunnel. The bucks still cruise the hillside on an off wind. Thermals are still working on the hill side and the buck can still scent check the most ground cruising the hillside.

The way the property works out is there are nobs that contain the buck and doe bedding. I chose a spot to intercept the buck as they cruise the thermal tunnel and then cross over to cruise around the doe bedding,

I have observed this for 20 years. Same route, same wind. I always kill them in the same spot. I do not over hunt the spot. This year 2017 opening day i hunted it on the SE wind just to see what happened. Nothing. Hunted it last weekend on a south wind and killed a nice 10 point who followed the script.

The map is pretty much self explanatory.

Reason I want to share is a lot of discussion in hill country revolves around setting up waiting for a buck to leave a point/bedding area. This is another tactic on how bucks leave the leeward side to cross and check bedding areas.

Kill pics are bucks from the last 3 years (2015, 2016, 2017), there are a lot more, but this is a sample.

Try it out, it works!!

I guess I am not understanding the picture, is the center a low valley with a ridge on each side of it heading up, or is the center the high spot with a ridge on each side heading down?

The center is a ridge, dropping off to a valley, then up to the top again. See the topo I just added.

[ckprax]

I find the access interesting, my first thought is that your wind blows right to the bedding and I would go from the south. I suppose that knowing the bucks are cruising from the south negates this concern. Thanks for the write up and images. Lots of food for thought.