What do you guys look for in the land and topography when you find a new piece of hunting land? Rivers? Ravines? Hillsides? Flat land?
depends. i read a book a while back, mapping trophy bucks, and it helped out. i'll be using it this year since it'll be my first true season here in wyoming.
This is just me and I haven't been using topo but a few years. It has worked out well so far though. Killed a doe early season on my first hunt doing it and put both my brothers on deer without setting a foot on the properties they hunt. We have a lot of farm land here but, I believe this would work for most areas. I look for higher areas that have good cover. Especially like a pine grove or thicket. Then find a food source. Look for funnels and start from the funnels and work to the bedding sources and food sources. Look for good cover to hunt from that has favorable wind direction. Wait for the wind to be right or at least check it before you hunt. Figure out a rout to the Stan without disturbing either bedding or feeding and kill deer. I know other more experienced people will have more to give. This has worked for me though. I know
For me, the first things I look for are: Funnels, south facing slopes, edges, water crossings, saddles, and access. In big woods deer can roam nearly everywhere. Funnels, edges, water crossings and saddles can help concentrate their movement. South facing slopes are a favorite bedding location of doe groups up here in the north on cold fall days. I Like to hunt close to these areas without having to walk through them if I can. Access becomes a bigger priority for me every year. I want to get it and out as quickly and quietly as I can with the least likelihood of bumping deer as possible. Wind directions and route are of utmost importance.
I like to look for a couple different things. 1) One of my properties that I hunt has two rivers going through it. There is a stretch where the trees only get about 20 yards wide right where the two rivers meet. I have yet to not see a deer there while hunting yet. 2) I like to look for steep ground. If deer are traveling that towards the steep ground, they have to get through or around it somehow. Usually, at least in my case, they are taking the same path every time to do this. Mapping trophy bucks has been mentioned a ton on this site. I hope to get my hands on a copy this summer.
In hill country I focus on the military crest of the hill, deer will bed and travel the leeward side where the wind tunnel is created by wind coming over the hill and thermals rising. Then look for points on the leeward side for bedding. In lowlands look for points again and islands.
Thanks for the insight! I don't know if there will be thermals because there is only about 100 ft elevation change at the most
Well the area I'm think of is a swamp with about 2 acres of open water in the middle Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
For me it was worth the read. Scouting takes less time because I have a really good versus general idea of where to go. It's somewhat useless to me now unless elk follow the same "rules" and until the military moves me back to whitetail country.
In the meantime, find the map reading field manual at a local army surplus store and become intimate with it.
