When you're Hunting Ridge or Hill Country where do you see the most Buck movement. Obviously you want to be between bedding areas pinch points Exedra but if bucks are traveling long distances looking for does do you think the travel the top of the ridge? River bottoms? Or someplace in between. This is my first year hunting Hill Country and I'm in Southeastern Minnesota. I have some pictures of some bruises on my cameras, but I'm not seeing as many different bucks as I feel I should be this time of the year. I don't have any daylight pictures of bucks and I feel like I should with the rut approaching. I only have 2 days left to hunt and without having any daytime pictures of bucks it feel like I should sit in a new spot
Top 3rd of the ridge.. i try to find funnels near destinations such as doe bedding areas.. usually works Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I would be looking for saddle if you are in hill country. I don't hunt many places but I know the bucks on our property generally will walk a ridge line then slink down low when they hit a saddle between two ridges. They feel more comfortable using these low spots to move around. Good Luck to Ya!
I find that does don't really bed very high, bucks on the other hand, do. During this time of the year, I focus on the does. Get as close as you can on the downwind side of the doe beds and setup there. Bucks will travel these edges. I like using terrain features as an indicator, thick river bottoms being one. It really depends on the area and region, cant speak much for Minnesota.
Grew up in the Ozarks and while the does will have a trail down the ridgeline the bucks will travel off to the down wind side a bit. Often there will be a secondary trail on both sides to account for wind direction. These trails maybe only 20 yards apart. But in saddles and hog backs the trails may converge. Topo maps help find these points but nothing beats boots on the ground. Often I placed my stand where I was between the trails but down wind of the does trail. This allowed me to cover both trails and most times I was up high enough my scent went over the bucks trail. In vast forest finding food and bedding areas is hard but can be done and remember edges.
