Hey guys, slowly getting back into hunting mode and about to put some cams out and thinking about next years spots to hit. Attached is a map of one of the spots I hunt. Review and give me your thoughts on your first initial stand placements or areas to scout if you were going to hunt. Below are some key bits of info to help out. 1. Red dot is where I stay at. Little cabin. 99% of the woods on that side of the road (north side) is open for me to hunt. I very rarely see another hunter. If I do, I just move on. The white dot on the north side is one spot that I've hunted occasionally many years. There is a small little 1 acre field just south of it that you can barely see on the map but its there. (they did do a bunch of cutting this past year but once I get beyond that field its all woods/swampy area. 2. Blue X on the road is usually where a person would park if someone would be in the area. Usually gun season but like I said occasionally small game hunters etc. 3.The area that is across the street (South of red dot) was cut quite a few years ago as you probably can tell from the map. Its all thick crap and became a deer bedroom. If you zoom in there is trails that you can walk to go through it. Those are the trails I take to get way back to that bottom white dot. I hunted that spot last year and on numorous sits I saw 8+ deer. Mostly does but one really nice 8 pointer. 4. South of the yellow line is private land. So as you can see, I'm sitting right on the edge of private land. There is 1 guy that hunts on that land but we have never talked. I prefer to just leave him alone and hopefully he leaves me alone as I will not go on his land. 5. Not many crop fields close by. Closest ones are to the west on private land about 1/2 -1 mile away. Thoughts on other areas you would check out? Or even other areas on the north side of the road.
Straight south of the blue X looks like there would be a pinch point. Several transition types of cover.
Here you go, Its not the greatest topo but all I got for now. I tried to draw the same lines as the other picture to help for reference. Not perfect but should be pretty close.
Those areas that were cut could be a great place to scout the deer should come in to feed on the new growth
I'll look at that map in a bit. So you have permission to hunt anywhere north of that red dot? And that map is oriented north?
My favorite places to do summer scouting are cricks and streams. I'd start by walking that waterway running SSW to NNE and looking for crossings.
thanks guys, definatley a help. Even though I've hunted this area a long time since I was a kid. I like having another set of eyes on the area as someone else can give you other ideas that you have never thought of. I'm definitely liking the area that Virginiashadow marked on the topo on the far right. I think that would be an easy spot to get into but not many people would be in there.