Just locked in 130 acres. Unfortunately this late in the year I don't really have much time to scout. Only reconnaissance was a month or so ago. Hesitant to go in there this close to opener to do a lot of scouting and prep multiple stands. I'll have a few family members hunting this with me so trying to figure out how best to attack it. I tried my best to notate things. Obviously the blue perimeter is the property line. I have access via the main roads from the east and west. The black lines are buffer strips I can drive up to get closer to the woods. The green blob on the east finger is an old limestone mine from what I was told. I quickly walked up there and there's a little access road back there from the buffer strip. It's level back there and next year I'd like to turn it into a small food plot. There's a creek to the SE and just south of the property is a marshy low area with a creek through it most times of the year. I know of big bucks that have been and taken from there in the past. Since I don't want to be slogging around in there this time of year scouting, I'm hoping to key in on some more likely spots and just take my LW Assault and sticks in and set up first day. If things look promising I can leave it or take it with me and keep bouncing around. I would be sincerely grateful for any input and suggestions from the community. This was a screen shot from Google Earth so let me know if shots from different angles or what not would help.
i would'nt hesitate to go in there now. bucks will change their summer/fall range soon anyway. go in, make lots of noise to bump them from afar. if you don't do it soon, it will haunt you all fall just wondering "what if".
I guess that's a valid argument. I'm just usually squared away with stands and what not by mid July that going in ~5 weeks before archery opener seems sacrilegious. Maybe I'll try and take a day off next week to get in there. Wife is due with our first child in the next week so she's hesitant to let me disappear into the woods an hour away from home for a day. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I like switching to the terrain view on Google Maps so you can see the contour lines of the land. The 3D is nice to look at on Google Earth, but sometimes you can see draws and pick out potential travel routes better with the contour lines.
I added a couple different topo options. I couldn't find a way to overlay them to keep the property lines and what not so I guess people will have to use their imagination to overlay them.
With so many ridges and food options (the fields around the property are a mix of corn and soybeans) I'm just not sure where to intercept them. My first guess is on the south side on one of the fingers as they head south and cross the road for water. I do know the eastern finger on the south side is thicker than a mofo. Probably not getting in there this season.
Get in there man scout hard put stands where the sign is. Its better to pressure the deer 5 weeks before the season than it is on opening day!! Good luck and have fun learning your new land!
These are the areas that I would focus. Those are some great saddles in the red. The yellow is also a great pinch point because they would go around that peak. Same with the blue. I would focus on the saddles first and if no luck there, I would go to the top of the ridge. Good luck brother
Aaron, thanks for your input. I was definitely intrigued by the two prominent saddled to the east. Just need to figure out how best to approach them and which side to set up on. I believe Winke did a webshow last spring/summer about hunting saddles and ridges. I may need to go scout YouTube for that as right now i have no clue. I usually hunt lower flatter land. Not much experience with hillsides. I am afraid I'll need to be 30ft up just so that I'm not eye level with them. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
What is the line extending east from the north property line? Is that a fence line or a road? If it's just a fence line between ag fields, I'd hit that corner of the property hard.
Covey- There is except I know the neighbor has an elevated box blind in the upper NW corner of that field. Not sure if he bow hunts up there though. Should I try a field edge hanger somewhere in the vicinity of the yellow arrow? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Nice...my guess is the neighbor has a good reason for placing that stand there. I'd definitely try to get a stand up in that area. I'd probably scout out that corner of brush on your property (directly west of the yellow arrow tip), there's probably a hell of a trail in there going out to the fence line. I'd ambush them before they ever made it to the neighbors blind while their in the staging area. I'd also check out the narrow strip of field southwest of that arrow. That field tip should be pretty popular with the deer there I'd think. I probably would avoid most of that brush as much as possible and focus on the field edges and the staging areas just inside the brush line. That little field edge (finger) where the old trail comes out to the field...I'd place some mineral in that spot (if legal there) and set a camera and a stand nearby.
Appreciate all the insight. Really, thank you everyone! You've given me some good options -- trucking up the hillside to hunt the saddles and hunting the field edges and fence/tree rows. Covey: last sentence in your post -- "the field edge finger from the old trail"...are you talking about where the old snowmobile trail comes down into field where it narrows on the north side, or are you talking about the trail coming off the finger on the east side of the property from the old limestone mine? I'm thinking the finger/trail from the old limestone mine could be good. Plus it's easy to access for a quick afternoon hunt. Next year I'd like to go back in there and clean it up and make it a little staging food plot (dreams). Thanks again everyone!
No, that limestone area may be good, is it an old quarry full of water? If so there's your water source. But no, I was talking about the small portion of field that looks like a finger extending down into the brush where the old snow mobile (atv?) trail marked in red comes out to the field. That small portion of the field will probably provide an enclosed area where deer will feel safe to come out to the field edge.
Copy that. I'll have to hike back there and check it out. The old mine/quarry is flat which seems odd to me but it is. It's a nice little 1/2 acrea open area back there with a road out to the main field. I wish it held water though!
