edge is anywhere that 2 habitat types collide. Most obvious is open field hitting wood. They can be much more subtle though, as in hardwoods meeting pines, old overgrown pines meeting younger pines. A saddle is something you ride a horse with. Now take that image of a leather saddle, look at the seat. That shape when found in topography is also called a saddle. It seems as though you are completely new to hunting, congratulations on getting started in a lifelong adventure. Now the best advise I can give you is to try to find somebody to help you out. A hunting buddy that has been doing it a while will cut the learning cuve down immensely
the fool proof way to start scouting for deer is to follow a creek. Deer will have to cross a creek somewhere and a normally pretty specific in where they cross and like to cross in the same area consistantly. so start in the creek bottom till you find a place that is worn down on both sides of the creek and there are fresh tracks. you can either follow that trail and get in between where you find the beds and the food. or if you want just set up right there! cause i guarantee you they will be coming by eventually.
And the saddle and edge thing makes sense now I actually walked on a mountain biking trail it might have been like a saddle their was a high elevation between the trail and the woods up above would this be what you describe??
Make sure mountain bikers arent screwing you over while your in your tree. Make sure its safe for them too. Is this private or public land??
finding the water is always a good idea! Do that, search it for tracks, find a trial and follow it to a tree you can use. This would be the simplest way to get you hunting in a good spot. However, you won't know when the deer are going to use that trail, so hang in there. Deer always do thing the easiest way without sacrificing safety. so, if there is a beaver dam, sometimes they will cross the river there. If its a lake, most the time they will walk around. Sometimes they will swim across, but that's not the easiest way. Look for the easiest way to get from water to food with enough cover to feel safe. Setup there.
So let me give you a scenario. On my private land if you walk back a little ways in the woods theres like a swamp area with water that goes around should I somewhat scan the banks of the swamp area in the woods and look for like buts in the forage and such then go to that cut and look for tracks or trails and then follow it from their and see where it leads??
Yes. you should do that. Deer will walk through a swamp or bog, but they almost always use the same path because it's safe and they won't trip over stuff under the water. you will find a deer trail in the swamp if there are any deer in your area, you'll find some sign. And I'm sure you have deer.
Yes we defiantly have deer because we see them all the time just gotta find their areas so start with all the water sources on my land and look around from there???
