I felt like Yukon Cornelius

[iplan]

So last year in my first year of Beast style hunting I posted a public property that I never saw any bucks on, and VERY few does. Further, the does I did see were as skittish as a government mule, and would never allow themselves in bow range. I had pretty much decided that this place was wasting my time.

I posted the property anyway, and Dan pointed to a very specific spot on the topo and said, "Buck Bed Here." ~ marked in yellow on the attached topo. It was late season, when I went and unfortunately didn't see any sign (because I stayed too low on the hill.

So today, I had some free time in the afternoon and went back to the spot to check again ~ and struck scouting paydirt.

I have never seen so many rubs in one tiny area ~ and these things were HUGE (especially by SC standards). Never seen anything like it. I've attached the topo, and some pics of the rubs..... Once I found the first couple on rubs in the area, it was easy.... All I had to do was look for the next tree as big around as your knee and there would be a rub on it). I took pictures of some of them. That said, I could never find the buck bed ~ and I spent about 2 hours on the ground looking for it.

This is the same West/ South west setup as the other bed I found on the other side of the creek ~ but with big deer sign (instead of 'deer sign').

I highlighted 2 places I was thinking of hunting (bot marked in black).... One is to water.... His tracks are coming and going. It was near 90 degrees today also ~ so that got me thinking about the water.

It doesn't show it on the topo, but there is a little ravine/ creek basin between the black marks of the stand and the buck sign. The buck sign goes in that direction. I looked and looked but could not find any sign on the southern slope. I'm fairly confident he is exiting to the north ~ which would be "wind to his back" like Dan says. There is a bench that heads north through that ravine.... The inland black dot covers the bench.....

Thoughts?

Pics of rubs (all within 100 feet of one another)
copper/displayimage.php?pid=4524
copper/displayimage.php?pid=4525
copper/displayimage.php?pid=4527
copper/displayimage.php?pid=4526

Topo:
copper/displayimage.php?pid=4528

[iplan]

Sorry the topo map up there doesn't have the two stand sites (in black) up there.

This version of the topo map has both stand locations marked

copper/displayimage.php?pid=4529