Evaluate this spot #2

[Elite]

This is a second spot I'm really excited about! I decided to scout for beds along the river and transition spots last April. For the last two seasons, I hunted 1/4 mile+ from the river and only saw bucks during late October through November. Along the river is public, with a small chunk to the east being private I don't have permission to hunt or cross.

The red dots are possible buck beds, and the icons that look like lanterns are rubs. The river had flooded during the time I scouted so beds could've been washed away. There are 2-3 major trails entering the bedding area along the river (dotted lines) with scrapes and rubs facing towards the bedding. There's oaks to the east of the bedding and the deer are filtering out to feed on them.

The dilemma is the thermals in the evening. The tree I picked out (stand icon) is on a western facing slope 10 yards from the major trail, but the dropping thermals will fall right into the bedding.

A southwest to west wind would be best, I think, to hunt this spot, but what do you think? Where would be a better spot to sit so I don't get busted?

[Tennhunter3]

I dont have any experience hunting river systems.
I do know where the river creates a peninsula is good for bedding.
And turns in a river are great rut travel other then that its outta my comfort zone.

[Elite]

Anyone have any insight?

[may21581]

It looks like you have a nice oxbow in the creek and some natural crp where you have the beds marked. I hunt a farm that is similiar to the picture you showed and I will tell you what I have discovered.
First you mentioned you seen bucks in there during the rut, this makes sense because I'm sure the does are in there and it sounds like there is alot of natural browse, mast, and nuts. This is probably excellent doe bedding but lacks one or two things the big buck may need and one of those things is space from the rest of the herd. So this would most likely be a rut area. It peaks out in that time frame and then turns into a ghost town after that. The farm in which I hunt does the same thing.
It would be my guess that mr. Big will bed in the crp and brushy areas near the creek. The creek will act as security for natural predators behind him. He would then bed there with a wind blowing in his general area to scent check any does up wind of him or predators. So the wind would be blowing towards the creek in a north, northeast, north west direction when it would benefit him the most.
The wind you mentioned would be best for you to enter but most likely he wouldnt bed with that wind. You will hear it alot on hear and I dont want to sound like a broken record but an off wind is what you need. Usually what works for you and makes your life easier is not what works for them. They are masters at scent detection and looking out for predators. You will need to get eyes on him and see where he is traveling. Set up close enough to get a shot but not too close to tip him off.
Also his escape routes are critical. He prolly has one or two that cross the creek, and the same traveling along it. His core area is prolly up higher where people seldom venture on the other side of the creek. He comes down at dark or on the edge of darkness and scent checks for does. When one is ready or close he will use those beds to monitor them until she is ready. Dont hunt the spot until the peak period is in and you have a correct wind. It can be a magical spot if done properly of a disaster if it gets pressured at the wrong time. Hope this helps

[Elite]

It looks like you have a nice oxbow in the creek and some natural crp where you have the beds marked. I hunt a farm that is similiar to the picture you showed and I will tell you what I have discovered.
First you mentioned you seen bucks in there during the rut, this makes sense because I'm sure the does are in there and it sounds like there is alot of natural browse, mast, and nuts. This is probably excellent doe bedding but lacks one or two things the big buck may need and one of those things is space from the rest of the herd. So this would most likely be a rut area. It peaks out in that time frame and then turns into a ghost town after that. The farm in which I hunt does the same thing.
It would be my guess that mr. Big will bed in the crp and brushy areas near the creek. The creek will act as security for natural predators behind him. He would then bed there with a wind blowing in his general area to scent check any does up wind of him or predators. So the wind would be blowing towards the creek in a north, northeast, north west direction when it would benefit him the most.
The wind you mentioned would be best for you to enter but most likely he wouldnt bed with that wind. You will hear it alot on hear and I dont want to sound like a broken record but an off wind is what you need. Usually what works for you and makes your life easier is not what works for them. They are masters at scent detection and looking out for predators. You will need to get eyes on him and see where he is traveling. Set up close enough to get a shot but not too close to tip him off.
Also his escape routes are critical. He prolly has one or two that cross the creek, and the same traveling along it. His core area is prolly up higher where people seldom venture on the other side of the creek. He comes down at dark or on the edge of darkness and scent checks for does. When one is ready or close he will use those beds to monitor them until she is ready. Dont hunt the spot until the peak period is in and you have a correct wind. It can be a magical spot if done properly of a disaster if it gets pressured at the wrong time. Hope this helps

Thanks for the help!
I should clarify. The stand icon is one of 3 I have out there. I decided to scout the river last April as i believed my stands were nowhere close to the buck bedding. The area circled in blue is doe bedding, and the area circled in orange is where I've seen bucks but mostly during the rut. I have hundreds of pictures of does entering and exiting the doe bedding but it's private and I can't hunt it.

The river is about 500 yards to the west of the treestand icon, so they would bed close to the river and then feed on acorns.

[may21581]

Those fields will be nice to watch them in the summer but once September rolls around they will abandon them for secure cover. Can you provide an aerial with where you are able to hunt on? When you say you seen bucks were they on camera at night or did you see them during the day? Was this in season?

[Elite]

Fixed stands are the dots
White outlined areas are known doe bedding
Red lines are private and dont have permission
Yellow lines are areas I have permission to hunt and public land
The "fields " at the top of the screen are clear cuts that were cut at least 5 years ago
You can see how far my stands are from the river. The bucks would travel by those stands during daylight only late October through mid November.

Hope this helps!

[may21581]

I would really focus on that crp on the creek oxbow. It would also be down wind with a north and north west wind for monitoring does. Also where the does head in the evening would be a killer set up between the oxbow and doe evening food source. Tricky part would be access, off wind, and exit plan. What is the predominant wind in that area?

[may21581]

Also in that "s" bend will be a wider spot that wont be as deep. That will be a crossing area. This would be an escape route.

[Elite]

Also in that "s" bend will be a wider spot that wont be as deep. That will be a crossing area. This would be an escape route.

Are you able to draw where this "s" is located so I know where you're talking about? If you look at the top right red dot the OnX screenshot, that's where I found a creek crossing with a huge rub facing the creek.

The predominant wind is wnw. We also get a lot of east winds up here so if I can get that in the morning and sit on the ridge above the crp, the wind and thermals would be great.

[may21581]

So that makes perfect sense. Your predominant wind is in a general wnw direction and that would put the suspected crossing and bedding area directly down wind from the doe bedding area. I apologize but I haven't taken the time to learn how to upload photos yet. However if you look at your one photo I believe it was the first uploaded with the three white circles this area I'm talking about is directly to the north west of the circle on the left. There are three red lines in it traveling north to south. That area is where your "s" bend is. This area sets up perfectly for a deer to cross the creek, the wind will be in his favor the majority of the time, and they can monitor the does upwind without ever stepping out into the open. That crp and brushy areas downwind of doe bedding will be dynamite during the peak rut. When a doe is close he will bed very close to them down wind to monitor her.

[may21581]

Sorry, three yellow lines not red lines to nw of white circle.

[Elite]

So that makes perfect sense. Your predominant wind is in a general wnw direction and that would put the suspected crossing and bedding area directly down wind from the doe bedding area. However if you look at your one photo I believe it was the first uploaded with the three white circles this area I'm talking about is directly to the north west of the circle on the left. There are three red lines in it traveling north to south. That area is where your "s" bend is. This area sets up perfectly for a deer to cross the creek, the wind will be in his favor the majority of the time, and they can monitor the does upwind without ever stepping out into the open. That crp and brushy areas downwind of doe bedding will be dynamite during the peak rut. When a doe is close he will bed very close to them down wind to monitor her.

May, I'm a bit confused. With the wind blowing from wnw, the doe bedding (white circles) would be downwind from the crossings. A south east wind would be blowing from the doe bedding to the crossings and buck bedding. Is this what you mean?

[matt1336]

If you’re concerned with dropping thermals, hunt it in the morning.

[may21581]

When you are talking winds are you referring to them as to or from? And lastly looking at your map with circles is to the left west and the top north? I was assuming this.