Most any location that you have a convex hub...aka, crow's foot, social hub (because it connects multiple networks/ridge systems) you will likely have a good river/creek crossing. This map has a hub on each side of the river right across from one another, making it an awesome crossing. The erosion created by the ditches/creeks that dump into the river have eaten away the banks...promoting/dictating exactly where the crossing is located.
Like all terrain features and/or funnels, the crossing needs to make a connection of some sort. Bed to feed, feed to bed, security or escape route, access to multiple doe groups, ect. The terrain it's self makes this spot dynamic. Saddles on each side of the river, east and west (green line's)...ridge top hub (green circle) which creates a core (confirmed with multiple cam's). And then to bring it all together, we have bluffs to the north and south (marked in red)
They're different bucks...I had 8 different bucks on that cam in a 12 day period....a couple multiple times.
An inside bend (A) will have a buildup of sediment of some kind, be it gravel, sand, mud, ect... This buildup is created by eddy's from the off side of the current. This forms a slope to the waters edge. An outside bend (B) will have a steep bank that's ate away, created by the full force of direct current. Large scale and small scale visuals below for examples. So anyplace you have a ditch or creek dumping into an outside bend (creating easy access to the water)....You are also very likely to have crossing.
I wish I had a property that had terrain features I have a creek with inside and outside corners, but the whole property probably only has about a 30 foot elevation change, all gently sloping down to the creek. It's kinda like a bowl almost.
Me too. My property has quality bucks using it every year. It can be a little hard to pin them down though because there's no terrain limiting factors that pushes them or funnels them to use certain travel routes. I typically just hunt edges and travel routes to known bedding areas. Food is all around me so that is also a blessing and a curse.
So Josh, how are you hunting those crossing? What are your set ups like...do you hunt the crossing itself or do you hunt the higher ground saddles that are associated with those crossings?
Funnels are all created by some type of edge...structure (forced travel), cover (safest travel), terrain (easiest travel)...it all freely translates from one type to the other.
I've found that most crossings (themselves) are best served as rut stands. Out side of that, I normally stick to the high ground where the wind is more consistent. I once had a buck that would swim the river and bed right on the river bank edge, with the wind blowing back over the river.
Any preference on when you hunt them in the day or under certain weather conditions? I have found some spots sort of like what you spoke about. They have good crossings in the areas I know hold pretty good bucks. I have never hunted them .....maybe I should start
I guess what I'm actually getting at Brett is...each and every crossing (and buck associated with the crossing) are unique and would have to be approached differently. MANY times I have failed and once in a blue moon I succeed.
