The problem that I have (and am fortunate to have this problem) is that I have a big tract of private property to hunt all to myself before the beginning of gun season. It is a big bottom consisting of big cropfields and equally big tracts of timber, thick timber. The entire western border is against the Mississippi River. My main problem here is I'm not sure exactly how to pinpoint where the bucks are staying at. I'm not seeing them until the rut when they come to the fields because the timber is so thick. They could bed anywhere they wanted and never be found. It is the same way with shed hunting. I have found a few sheds, but they seem to be at random places most of the time. I have had success in the past as far as shot opportunity on mature deer, but it seems to be only because they are cruising for does. Any advice on what I can do to pinpoint where these bucks are bedding and how I might be able to better set up on them early season and find their sheds later on?
A couple questions to start off: How big is big? We talking 160, 640, 2000 acres? Do you have any topo or satalite images you could post? There are quite a few guys that are great at reading them and could get you on the right track. I highly recommend this book: Now is the best time to be wearing some boot leather on your property! You can look at maps and read all you want (and it will help you be much more effecient) but physically walking and seeing the land is the best way to figure it out. There are many factors to look at, so the more info you can provide, the better we'll be able to help. Congrats by the way on the huge hunting property
You need to break the property down into smaller sections of say like 100-200 acres. Take each section and scout it hard and try not to get overwhelmed with the vastness of the entire property. If you learn a few hundred acres inside and out each year, you are on the right track of learning how the deer travel in your woods. If you have an aerial and/or topo map, post them and people will give you some good advice. Here is a video I highly recommend snake...it is not expensive and it is a fantastic tool. http://www.thehuntingbeast.com/shop/dvds/16-hill-country.html
It is approximately 800-900 acres. All of it is flat ground with no sort of elevation changes to funnel deer in any certain direction. In response to the book, I actually have that book and love it. I have also walked the property several times since I began hunting it 5 years ago. I guess my main question here is what do you look for to pinpoint a bucks primary bedding area when everything is so thick and is all the same? If they have no reason to leave the timber until the rut what can I do to find them without busting them out?
Ok, I hate to sound critical but if everything looks the same then you most likely not looking hard enough. Even in the big woods that some of us cut our teeth on there are changes if you look for them. And elevation change of just 20 feet is sometimes enough make a Difference in travel patterns. Follow old rub lines back from a feeding area, look for subtle trails that run down wind of known doe bedding areas... And if you can find anything else.... Walk suspected bedding area before the season, jump a buck or two....they will be back.
I hunt a lease of 1200 acres in SE MN, 70% is crop lands and 30% timber and bluffs. Even though there is big blocks of woods if you walk it enough and look at aerial maps you will find kill spots. Right now you should be out looking at rub and scrape lines from last year to get an idea of travel patterns. What type of crops are planted? Deer will eat certain things at different parts of the year. If you know what is planted you can focus on specific areas to improve your chance at early season sucess. Like Trial153 said look closer there will always be a pinch point where a number of trails come together to improve your chances.
Hi snake, I grew up on the Missouri river bottoms and your right it can be tuff hunting, I am sure there is a levee if your bordering the river thats were i would start look for trails crossing it. Being that it floods you have something i call buck brush which is a hollow stick that grows about 8 foot tall and snaps like a small firecracker when you push against it from a tree stand all you can see is the top of a bucks rack sometimes . If you have access to a brush hog or bobcat you could make some paths thru this jungle and the deer will take to it right away and you may only need to punch a hole say fifty yards in to get where the deer are staging to enter the crop fields. Also look for hidden water in the woods sometimes these provide natural funnels,last there are alot of pecan trees in those bottoms it maybe the biggest food source around. The mosquitoes are as big as Buick's down there so hunting can be tough at times so dont forget your thermocell.
Snake. I am not a big buck killing machine or anything but would like to offer a strategy of sorts. You are obviously doing something right if you are catching the bucks during the rut and putting them down. However, you expressed your desire to start having an opportunity to kill those bucks earlier in the year so it is time for a tactical change. I would suggest picking a 100-200 section that you hunt the least during the rut to start employing your new tactics. Therefore, if you bust those bucks out of that mess then you don't have to worry about it affecting your hunting. Plus, 800-900 acres is a good amount of land so those bucks won't go heading for the hills if they get pushed 1-2 times before the pre-rut/rut. I say pick a smaller secion and hunt it aggressively prior to the rut. Get in there and find the elevation changes and the stuff ultramax is talking about and hunt tight in thicker cover. Go for broke and learn. BEST of luck snake.
Thanks for all the advice. Yeah it can really be tough hunting big bottoms that's for sure. Between the ice storms a couple years ago and getting constantly flooded, the timber has become a jungle. We have used a dozer in the past and pushed new trails every year with some success, but that was with a rifle. I've walked and walked and walked this property. I have tried to find a place where the trails converge, but there are so many trails that they cross and come together all over the place. I think I am going to try and break it down into smaller sections and just grid walk it. Hopefully I can find more sheds like this and put a pattern together to how exactly these deer are using this big thicket. Again, thanks for all the advice and ideas.
Have you thought of guiding on the property some. Its not a huge place but you could probably do well booking a few hunters per season.
Get a horse and ride the terrain. It is a lot easier than walking and you can get away from the illegals. We jump deer and illegals all the time out here I work at remembering where I saw both! RC
