How would you approach this property?

[Tjraley2]

Looking for advice because this piece of public is different from almost anything I’ve hunted before.

The zoomed in photo is the area I’m concentrating on for now. The larger photo is to give you context.

This property is a savanna/bottomland area. The savanna is kind of like a marsh with tall grasses and shrubs (chest high) and muddy/wet ground. The only legal parking spot is the black square.

The savanna area to the north was just burned and should grow some good food this spring and summer. The green circle is a nice cluster of large oaks that dropped a ton of acorns last year. There are lots of oaks in there and that entire area around the green circle holds water. It was about 6” deep throughout today. The red line is a rub line I found today. The small savanna area to the south was not burned and is extremely thick and tangly, especially along where it meets the big woods. I did not find any beds on the high spots in the water. I suspect some deer may bed along the edge of the southern savanna area where it’s really thick. Wind in this area is typically from the N and NE when we get a cold front. We get very little westerly flow ever. Occasionally a little SW, but that’s about it.

How would you approach/hunt this property? I have a plan, I think, based on my bedding assumptions. But want to hear what you guys think.

 

[redsquirrel]

I would hit all of the edges, including the interior ones on the right. Looks like some good stuff off the aerial. You just need to figure it out with boots on the ground.

 

[pilgrimhunter]

Sounds like you are on the right track. I too like the southern savanna area if you have northly winds. There is a small hardwood peninsula on south east edge I would definitely check out. Also the interior edges as redsquirrel mentioned. But definitely boots on the ground.... Looks like a great spot!

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

 

[Tjraley2]

I would hit all of the edges, including the interior ones on the right. Looks like some good stuff off the aerial. You just need to figure it out with boots on the ground.

Sounds like you are on the right track. I too like the southern savanna area if you have northly winds. There is a small hardwood peninsula on south east edge I would definitely check out. Also the interior edges as redsquirrel mentioned. But definitely boots on the ground.... Looks like a great spot!

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

Thanks guys!

By interior edges, what exactly are you seeing? Do you mean the shift in tree type that you can see on the aerial? Sounds like a silly question, but just making sure I’m on the same page. Really trying to check my work to learn to cyber scout better.

 

[ImThere]

Find all the easy spots to get to. Eliminate them.
If it’s always wet. Forget the water.
Look on neighboring properties any food plots? How are deer using the property to get in and out of the plots? Where is the best food source on the land you have access to? Which oaks are going to drop first?
Is it fenced? Follow the fence lines find where deer are crossing.
Where is the deers safe spot? Zero in there and hunt the edges don’t go in unless you can do it with minimal impact.
Of course I’m no expert But that’s IMHO so take it for what you paid for it


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[redsquirrel]

Thanks guys!

By interior edges, what exactly are you seeing? Do you mean the shift in tree type that you can see on the aerial? Sounds like a silly question, but just making sure I’m on the same page. Really trying to check my work to learn to cyber scout better.

I marked up in orange (sorry for my shaky hand ) what I mean by interior edge. This property has a ton of places to scout with all of the edges, looks like a great spot.

 

[KYHunter]

I would be willing to bet that there are some buck beds on that small point of trees extending into the burned savannah where that rub line begins. Ive tried to circle that spot(and 2 other potential bed sites) on this map. They key to figuring out a property is finding the buck beds. Like these other guy have said it’ll take boots on the ground. If you’re going to hunt this property a lot then I would check out Dan Infalt’s videos. He is a wealth of information for hunting marshes like this

 

[Tjraley2]

I would be willing to bet that there are some buck beds on that small point of trees extending into the burned savannah where that rub line begins. Ive tried to circle that spot(and 2 other potential bed sites) on this map. They key to figuring out a property is finding the buck beds. Like these other guy have said it’ll take boots on the ground. If you’re going to hunt this property a lot then I would check out Dan Infalt’s videos. He is a wealth of information for hunting marshes like this

Thanks for the feedback! I looked at the big pininsula, no beds at all. It is real wet until you get out in the savanna. Will recheck as the savanna grows up again.

I’ll also check out the far north piece next time I go out. My hunch is that the southern pininsula you circled is where the bedding is. They can have a NE (common all fall) to their back, watch the savanna, be close to the hunter access to keep tabs on pressure, and leave bedding walking into the wind headed for acorns in the timber and fresh new growth in the burned area. Sounds like all the advantage a buck could want for bedding! I’ll walk it hopefully this summer.

You mention Dan’s marsh video, I was thinking that would be the best one most similar to my situation. Would you agree?

 

[KYHunter]

Thats kind of suprising with that rub line there, but if deer were easy to figure out hunting wouldn’t be much fun!! It sounds like you’re coming up with a good game plan to get on em with that SE peninsula

And yea that video and a couple more of his hunt videos involve terrain that sounds similar to what you’re dealing with.

 

[DaveT1963]

It depends what time of season. there is an incredible inside corner and pinch point (east side of creek) that I would definitely sit in during late Oct as buck cruise. You could access up the creek and with a west/north west wind I think that would be a great set up during late morning as bucks get up and cruise after does bed. I would almost guarantee you that you will find sign there.

I also think some are pointing you to edges that everyone will check/set up on. While it is good to walk the edges, on property like this that is where 90% of hunters will walk as well. Look for isolate spots that will get overlooked I see several that jump out at me.