Fork in the road

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brancher147
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Fork in the road

Unread postby brancher147 » Tue Aug 03, 2021 1:00 pm

I was listening to the recent Southern Outdoorsman podcasts about collared deer movement and one thing that stuck out to me was bucks bedding near a fork in a road. Their reasoning was people see a fork and are thinking left or right not thinking about what’s right there, like buck bedding. I guess it’s about the same as parking area buck bedding- people are thinking about getting their stuff and getting to their spots not about hunting near parking.
I know there must be the right terrain, cover, and wind for this to happen which is why I don’t see it in my area near parking areas. But a little light bulb did go off hearing about a fork in the road for a couple spots I know of. For me these would be gated Forest roads away from other hunters but it could be different for other people. Just wondering…Anybody else see something similar?


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Evanszach7
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Re: Fork in the road

Unread postby Evanszach7 » Tue Aug 03, 2021 11:54 pm

Was out scouting last week and ran into this. Busy park property with active hikers and trail runners. Most trails were high. Doe bedding areas were low. Finally got onto the bigger sign between 2 parellel hiking trails (80 yard wide parallel gap). Jumped a good 11 pointer at 20 yards. He was bedded 30 yards off the road. Back to road, watching a hiking trail 50 yards away. I popped out of thick cover on what looked to be an exit trail when I jumped him. This bedding area is 150 yards from a main parking lot.

Not the exact fork scenario, but the way the hiking trails lay out, most guys would take them to a ridge point, bench, or 2 very prominent saddles. I only found the buck because I was 1/2 following sign and 1/2 making my way back to the truck.
rhagenw
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Re: Fork in the road

Unread postby rhagenw » Wed Aug 04, 2021 1:48 am

I may be mistaking but I believe I also seen this being talk about in a singing bridge video or hunting beast video?? Correct me if I am wrong(happens often) but it does make since to me for several reasons!
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PK_
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Re: Fork in the road

Unread postby PK_ » Wed Aug 04, 2021 2:42 am

I remember this video from several years ago.

https://www.deer.psu.edu/we-spied-on-him-for-3-years/

It is definitely a thing I have found several bucks doing similar things over the years. But like you said the factors have to line up.
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A5BLASTER
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Re: Fork in the road

Unread postby A5BLASTER » Wed Aug 04, 2021 1:14 pm

Yep I have a spot that is exactly in the fork of the road.

Mature bucks love it but it's a soild rut bed and only when there is a northwest wind. The north west wind blows right into it down the main stretch right where it forks.

The middle is wma and everything around it is private.

When I have hunted it, i hunt from the ground in the evening, the bucks normally come out of the bed and stage down in the bottom to feed on acorns and wild onions, then at dark they cross the road and head off looking for some lovin.

I hunt it from the ground by parking a half mile down and sneaking back, that way nobody sees that it's there.

10 years and I have yet to find hunter sign or hunters in there, dispite the fact that you can easily see the big buck tracks on the dirt road.


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