Public land with variety of terrain...which do you hunt?
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Public land with variety of terrain...which do you hunt?
Curious to see what you guys say about this...we hunt a piece of public land in the midwest that gets a ton of pressure. The property has a little bit of everything: farm country, hill country, small piece of marsh, etc.
In a case like this where it's pretty diversified, what do you key in on knowing that the property gets hit hard with pressure? Do you back off of the crop fields, get way back in the hilly timber?
In a case like this where it's pretty diversified, what do you key in on knowing that the property gets hit hard with pressure? Do you back off of the crop fields, get way back in the hilly timber?
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Re: Public land with variety of terrain...which do you hunt?
I am trying to find where the deer are and hunters ain't, regardless of terrain. This usually leads me to the nastiest, steepest, wettest, least accessible or most overlooked spots on the area.
- Ashreve93
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Re: Public land with variety of terrain...which do you hunt?
You're not hunting deer, you're playing golf with people sign. The lower your score, the more likely you are to be in the game.
Overlooked spots are prime, but they can be tough to see
I like swamps and marsh a lot, but i usually get good luck a few hills from the parking lot. Any type of natural barrier is the goal. Is there a tough creek to cross? How big are the hills? Big enough to stop most people after two? Do the hills even have tickets? Deer habitat has to be on those hills for them to even be considered. Are there thickets you would struggle to walk through? What terrain would you hide in if you were running for your life?
There's your book answer. Your best solution is to put boots on the ground and actually see where deer go and people don't. Follow the sign.
What's your answer? From your experience, what is the best terrain in your area?
Overlooked spots are prime, but they can be tough to see
I like swamps and marsh a lot, but i usually get good luck a few hills from the parking lot. Any type of natural barrier is the goal. Is there a tough creek to cross? How big are the hills? Big enough to stop most people after two? Do the hills even have tickets? Deer habitat has to be on those hills for them to even be considered. Are there thickets you would struggle to walk through? What terrain would you hide in if you were running for your life?
There's your book answer. Your best solution is to put boots on the ground and actually see where deer go and people don't. Follow the sign.
What's your answer? From your experience, what is the best terrain in your area?
It's not the destination, it's the journey getting there!
- headgear
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Re: Public land with variety of terrain...which do you hunt?
You hunt where you scouting tells you to hunt, let the deer tell you where they are.
- peteherbst
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Re: Public land with variety of terrain...which do you hunt?
I'm new to the hunting beast this year and am just learning everything as fast as possible and had this question recently when I'm looking at new pieces. I've found early on this season that after you get boots on the ground, you'll want to look at where the hunter pressure is, and that'll decide where you go.
Everyone's comments previous to mine are 100% right, but you won't know until you get out there. I've found the best sign when I take a look at a map from the start and look for the spots that look good from a topo or arial and are easy to get to, and cross them off. I find my good spots when there's an obstacle in the way. That can be distance, steep terrain, a creek/river, marsh, anything that would make a guy say, "I'm not dragging a deer out of that."
I haven't gotten one on the ground using this info yet. But I'm seeing way more promising sign because of it.
BOL
Everyone's comments previous to mine are 100% right, but you won't know until you get out there. I've found the best sign when I take a look at a map from the start and look for the spots that look good from a topo or arial and are easy to get to, and cross them off. I find my good spots when there's an obstacle in the way. That can be distance, steep terrain, a creek/river, marsh, anything that would make a guy say, "I'm not dragging a deer out of that."
I haven't gotten one on the ground using this info yet. But I'm seeing way more promising sign because of it.
BOL
“You have to pay your dues”
- bowfreak8
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Re: Public land with variety of terrain...which do you hunt?
If you watch the last 3 episodes of THP it kind of relates to this topic. Basically they are all hunting different terrain and having success. The one common theme is getting away from human pressure.
- Ashreve93
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Re: Public land with variety of terrain...which do you hunt?
bowfreak8 wrote:If you watch the last 3 episodes of THP it kind of relates to this topic. Basically they are all hunting different terrain and having success. The one common theme is getting away from human pressure.
X2
Just listened to WKP podcast with zach, curtisabed Dan individually; the question was asked: how important is your hunt based on pressure? They all responded 100% its completely dependent. It does to show that these three greats find it only possible to kill bucks away from the pressure. I mean it's completely logical, but shouldn't be taken as a grain of salt if all 3 say it's essential.
It's not the destination, it's the journey getting there!
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Re: Public land with variety of terrain...which do you hunt?
headgear wrote:You hunt where you scouting tells you to hunt, let the deer tell you where they are.
X2
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Re: Public land with variety of terrain...which do you hunt?
I have this problem in hill country i hunt. At the bottoms of the steep hills are cattails marsh. So where do i hunt? Everyone says u cant kill em down low in hill country
- Brandonkinchen
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Re: Public land with variety of terrain...which do you hunt?
lilcajun wrote:Curious to see what you guys say about this...we hunt a piece of public land in the midwest that gets a ton of pressure. The property has a little bit of everything: farm country, hill country, small piece of marsh, etc.
In a case like this where it's pretty diversified, what do you key in on knowing that the property gets hit hard with pressure? Do you back off of the crop fields, get way back in the hilly timber?
I'd choose the least pressured area
"The archer is the true weapon; the bow is just a long piece of wood." -Sebastien de Castell
- oldrank
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Re: Public land with variety of terrain...which do you hunt?
I hunt blended terrain. Bucks bed where they are secure.
It may be any style but they will always have a security advantage.
I've found hill style beds next to a river. I've found a little hidden cave bed in a thicket of Autumn olive next to a marsh. I find alot of visual advatage beds right off human trails.
Bucks follow the basic rules Dan lays out but that doesn't mean those rules are written in stone. Sometimes they criss cross. Scout, scout, scout n you will see they will always be doing something that makes us look stupid.....lol
It may be any style but they will always have a security advantage.
I've found hill style beds next to a river. I've found a little hidden cave bed in a thicket of Autumn olive next to a marsh. I find alot of visual advatage beds right off human trails.
Bucks follow the basic rules Dan lays out but that doesn't mean those rules are written in stone. Sometimes they criss cross. Scout, scout, scout n you will see they will always be doing something that makes us look stupid.....lol
- Rob loper
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Re: Public land with variety of terrain...which do you hunt?
brkissl82 wrote:I have this problem in hill country i hunt. At the bottoms of the steep hills are cattails marsh. So where do i hunt? Everyone says u cant kill em down low in hill country
If there is pressure. Deer will bed in the cattail marshes and swamps down below even in hill country. Ive heard dan say this on a few podcasts
Hunt where the sign is hot and fresh very close too bedding Thats the whole deal.
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Re: Public land with variety of terrain...which do you hunt?
I've got a question that goes somewhat along with this thread. Lets say your on a 10 day "rutcation" in the midwest. There is 8 or 9 different pieces of public ground close by that have just about every type of terrain you can think of. What type of terrain would you try to key in on not factoring pressure into the equation? Would you check all the pieces out and see how crowded they were and dive in to the least crowded one? Or would you pick the hilly terrain and try to locate areas away from the crowd with does? Or would you try and key in on a piece of river bottom thats close to ag land and has a ton of marshy terrain? Would you bed hunt if the rut hadn't kicked in good?
- Hunter271995
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Re: Public land with variety of terrain...which do you hunt?
bowtarist wrote:I've got a question that goes somewhat along with this thread. Lets say your on a 10 day "rutcation" in the midwest. There is 8 or 9 different pieces of public ground close by that have just about every type of terrain you can think of. What type of terrain would you try to key in on not factoring pressure into the equation? Would you check all the pieces out and see how crowded they were and dive in to the least crowded one? Or would you pick the hilly terrain and try to locate areas away from the crowd with does? Or would you try and key in on a piece of river bottom thats close to ag land and has a ton of marshy terrain? Would you bed hunt if the rut hadn't kicked in good?
Getting to live in the midwest, my suggestion is call the DNR department or game and fish for the area. In the midwest they are friendly and will give you the lay of the land and what to expect for pressure. Once you get there take a day or two to scout (especially if it's a weekend when most people are out). For picking a spot specifically, what do you like to hunt or are familiar hunting? If you can build off that previous knowledge that will make scouting and the hunt even easier. I personally love hunting river bottoms and creeks, so I focus on those more. I also really like when I can say the deer are moving in one specific direction for food (like the only ag fields are to the west, or south). This makes their movement more predictable and easier to hunt. But in that situation, take your time to figure things out and hunt hard once you got a lay of the land. Also hunt how you like to hunt, your own hunting style is what you are most comfortable with and will make for the best hunt.
Zig when they Zag, Zag when they Zig
- Brandonkinchen
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Re: Public land with variety of terrain...which do you hunt?
All of it but depends on the best sign
"The archer is the true weapon; the bow is just a long piece of wood." -Sebastien de Castell
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