Yes it is getting closer! Look at crossings and the outside bends of the river. Find the nearest trails, biggest oak trees that are holding acorns. The deer have been feeding under those oaks that are four or five feet thru for a long time. Pay attention to the acorns hanging on the limbs some trees drop before others. You can tell by the color of the acorns that are hanging for the most part which ones are going to drop first. If you have several big oaks within a 150 yard area. Before you get in the stand know which ones have the most or freshest tracks an which ones are dropping right now. If you find scrapes, acorns, rubs, fresh droppings an big tracks then get in the tree. Oh, if a storm blows through an acorns are on the ground early an you find any other clues get in the tree. That is how the one in my avatar got there. Also it seems like deer feel more secure around bigger oaks. This is not something I came up with over night. This is something I have noticed in the last ten years or so of bow hunting.
Where at on the platte river do you hunt? I live in plattsmouth nebraska. I hunt alot down by rock bluff near murray nebraska. and also i agree, it is very tough hunting down near the river. very thick.
I do almost all of my archery hunting in private river bottom ground of South Dakota. It is some nasty thick stuff. The river we hunt fluctuates every year, this past fall it wasnt back in its banks until August and most of my stands were underwater all July. This year, the drought has the river way down and not a lot of green in the area. Either way, Im still confident it will hold deer. One thing we have noticed hunting river bottoms is that in the winter they are no where to be found. There is miles and miles of corn fields just past the river hills and they all migrate there come mid-December. The best hunts are during pre-rut when the river becomes a trail for the deer. We typically hunt the outside of the timbers and leave the bedding area until late October and early November. This technique really paid off this last year. Like I said, its thick. Here are some pictures looking from one of my stands and the deer I harvested this last year. He was a 5 x 5 and scored 131. I love me some riverbottoms.
Cool pics and stories boof. I hope one day I can make it out to SD. Looks to be a beautiful state. Ill have to post some pics of NC river bottoms come hunting season.
