iv got access to a river bottom that is full of large mature oak(red and white) hickory etc. some extremely nice bucks have been seen in years past cruising along the bank of the river and i have found great sign. but in 2 years of hunting iv yet to even see a buck in this area. this is in a mountain valley that has several creeks runing into it in a 3 mile stretch, good hardwood flats along the river then steep ridges. any advice on where to place a stand and when to hunt would be appreciated. most of my hunting has been around clearcuts and fields, so not much experience with big timber
This is just a guess but I bet they're spending their days up one of those ridges between the creeks and running the riverbank at night. Are you seein does on the river runs?. I would find a book by a reputable author on hunting this type of terrain and match it to yours. I hunted in the Heavener area in the early 80's for a couple of years when I was just startin out hunting, it was amazing how much sign I could find for the few deer I saw. I had my most luck hunting finger ridges running down into the valleys, specially when there's lots of food up there. Usually when you find a productive one it stays that way. Also be very careful of your scent, it can be blowin steady out of the South and when you get up in the vally can be blowin the opposite way depending on which way the valley goes. Remember your thermals also, the bucks do. I would invest in a good scent control suit and practice manufacturers directions thoroughly. Can you access it from different directions takin into consideration the thermals? You know come in low of the evening and high in the mornings. You can usually get high enough early though before the thermals start moving scent uphill. Remember also those deer in your part of the country are hunted year round for the most part, they never let their guard down. Dang venison grown hillbillies! LOL!! One thing I've noticed is not many people get too far off the roads, the farther you get back in the woods the more comfortable the deer are. PM me if you want to talk off forum. lp
You'll have to get out & look around to see what the sign looks like. I hunt 80,000 acres public land up north. mix of pines/oaks etc. them deer only eat what's there. no farm around for miles. I have been lucky every year, but you have to do your homework, & scout a little. just remember to descent as if your going out hunting, so that you don't let em know your there.
Hunting creeks and rivers can be some of the toughest terrain to hunt IMO. You can find sign all day long, but when it comes to seeing deer from stand, it can be rough. In my area the only timber around here is along creeks and rivers so I feel you pain. Pinch points are usually a good place to look. If you can find a narrow strip where they HAVE to cross but can still keep them covered, it is usually a good bet. But in this type of land there is no such thing as a normal travel route. They can change it up all the time. Like Hogwire said, watch those swirling winds. They can really reek havoc in those types of areas. I have been hunting the same property for 3 years (timber along a river), and this year I am finally seeing regular deer activity and have somewhat of an idea what to expect when I go to my stands. I attribute this to my hunting knowledge that I did not previously have, and my tedious scent-control practices.
thx everybody for the advice. il put it to good use and see what i can come up with. it drives me nuts cuz i know there are big deer there. all my family have watched them across the river at camp and said they had seen good bucks, of course this is preseason, but i know they are there i jst cant connect with 1
Okcaveman, I'm assuming you're in SE Oklahoma? Welcome to BH.com, that is definitely some of the most difficult hunting I've done for whitetails (down around Nashoba). I've found that hunting the ridges works well in the rut as the bucks like to travel them so they can catch scent from a larger area.
