River/creek travel during the rut.

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Southern Buck
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River/creek travel during the rut.

Unread postby Southern Buck » Tue May 23, 2017 1:33 am

Has anyone ever noticed if deer will cruise the leeward side of a river or creek checking for hot does on the opposite side much like they do with ridges, or are they much more likely to cross that water and check from the upwind bank?

I'm new to this and something tells me that water thermals (which I'm still trying to figure out) will play a role in the answer, but I wanted to see what you guys think or have observed.


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Rich M
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Re: River/creek travel during the rut.

Unread postby Rich M » Tue May 23, 2017 2:30 am

I had a spot last year that was on the opposite side of a ditch from a firebreak deer crossing - does and young bucks but I did have a few cam pics of larger bucks walking the firebreak at night and 2 or 3 times at 10 am. The ditch connected to a small pond on the S and ended at a clear cut on the N. Stand was on the east side at the south end, main crossing was 30 yards to the west of it.

You can see the ditch on here (skinny finger) - ignore the icons.

Image

It was a wind tunnel - on either side of the ditch was thermally controlled. The ditch had a 5-10 mph breeze flowing N most days. It was a wind wall blocking the scent from crossing.

Had my stepson in there 2 evenings running and he had deer all over him - he said he saw roughly 24 deer, multiple times each in the 2 evenings - said they would work up and down the firebreak, in and out of the woods. I should have hunted it peak rut but never did.
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Southern Buck
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Re: River/creek travel during the rut.

Unread postby Southern Buck » Tue May 23, 2017 4:46 am

Ok so basically what you're saying is the wind wall that ran along the ditch created what was the equivalent of two leeward ridges running parallel to one another, and by sitting along the ditch you could cover deer traveling both banks.

Is that correct?
But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name. John 20:31
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Stanley
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Re: River/creek travel during the rut.

Unread postby Stanley » Tue May 23, 2017 5:26 am

It is hard to set up on the north side of a river with a south wind. I always set up on the North side of a river with a North wind. Killed a lot of good bucks doing this.
You can fool some of the bucks, all of the time, and fool all of the bucks, some of the time, however you certainly can't fool all of the bucks, all of the time.
Rich M
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Re: River/creek travel during the rut.

Unread postby Rich M » Tue May 23, 2017 5:38 am

Southern Buck wrote:Ok so basically what you're saying is the wind wall that ran along the ditch created what was the equivalent of two leeward ridges running parallel to one another, and by sitting along the ditch you could cover deer traveling both banks.

Is that correct?


Basically, I set up on one side and knew the other side could not smell me.

Stanley knows a lot more about this stuff than I do - just relaying what happened with me...
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Re: River/creek travel during the rut.

Unread postby <DK> » Wed May 24, 2017 5:35 am

I really enjoyed this MW episode talking about creeks.
https://youtu.be/eD7L9vIzTmE
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Re: River/creek travel during the rut.

Unread postby Rich M » Wed May 24, 2017 7:45 am

He's got a book on it too.
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magicman54494
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Re: River/creek travel during the rut.

Unread postby magicman54494 » Wed May 24, 2017 9:21 am

the bucks i have followed just basically follow the side they happen to be on. in a lot of cases they seem to be heading along the stream to get to a crossing point. often times once they cross they leave the stream which is why i believe the above statement.
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Re: River/creek travel during the rut.

Unread postby mainebowhunter » Wed May 24, 2017 9:54 am

I do love creek terrain features in the midwest!!


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