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How would you hunt it?

Matki15

Matki15

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jun 20, 2019
Messages
457
Location
Denham Springs, Louisiana
Decided I’d post this and just hear some opinions on how y’all would set up in this area. The yellow lines are the two trails I have found and the white dots/marks are all rubs. Both trails lead to a small food plot but from prior experience the deer don’t reach the plot until dark. I believe they bed in the thinned pines bordering the hardwoods on both sides but I haven’t confirmed it just because of how thick the thinned lanes are and how little time I had to scout.They seem to be using both trails the same amount. The hardwood area between the trails is big enough that you can only see both trails if you set up directly in the middle of the area. So how would y’all hunt this particular spot?
 

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Depend totally on the wind direction. What would your normal wind direction be from? Also I would assume the trails are close to the bottom of a draw? How much elevation is there?
 
Arrowsquirrel said:
Depend totally on the wind direction. What would your normal wind direction be from? Also I would assume the trails are close to the bottom of a draw? How much elevation is there?
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If the top of the picture is north, the wind comes from the northeast. The entire area is completely flat, except for the creek bed itself which runs through the middle of the hardwoods
 
Looks like I might access the western most deer trail/ rub line from the SW. I assume the rubs are made as the bucks move south to the food plot? I also assume the food plot is the green field to the south? I'd skirt around it to the SW keeping off the food plot knowing does are likely to come to it earlier. I think my first set would be just NW of the food plot but still keeping the western most rub line north and east of me. I'd push as far north as I thought I could get away with, without getting into any bedded bucks or any staging areas they might use prior to coming into the food plot. I'd rather watch deer go by me the first time out of range than to walk in to deep and jump them. Kind of like an observation stand but with possible shooting opportunities. I'd start off a little conservative until I learned more about the area, and the deer movement within it. Assuming an evening stand. In the morning I'd sneak in before light to the north and catch him going back to bed. Again playing that NE wind. IMO
 
Matki15 said:
I believe they bed in the thinned pines bordering the hardwoods on both sides but I haven’t confirmed it just because of how thick the thinned lanes are and how little time I had to scout.
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This is your most important piece of info - only one way to solidify your plan and know for sure.
 
Is that your food plot? I’d put a couple cameras in it and see what time you get the bucks. They may be bedded further than you think and not getting to any of that near daylight. If you go into that creek bottom to hang cams I wouldn’t go in to check them often, soak a month or more then make a plan before season. Access down wind of the area, If NE wind is predominant then hunt on that western transition line


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shwacker said:
Is that your food plot? I’d put a couple cameras in it and see what time you get the bucks. They may be bedded further than you think and not getting to any of that near daylight. If you go into that creek bottom to hang cams I wouldn’t go in to check them often, soak a month or more then make a plan before season. Access down wind of the area, If NE wind is predominant then hunt on that western transition line


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Yes that is my food plot, I’ve had it for a little while now and the cameras show me that when buck shows up it is either 1/2 hour to 1 hour before legal shooting time, 9 AM, or 20-30 minutes after legal shooting time in the evenings. The 9AM movement is very inconsistent (I believe the reason they move at this time is due other hunters bumping them when leaving their stands, this is on a hunting club and hunters are not allowed to leave their stands in the morning until this time) and the early morning and evening movements tend to be the same almost every day. Doe movement is easier to pattern, with the two most consistent times being 9-10AM and then about 30 minutes before sunset
 
Matki15 said:
Yes that is my food plot, I’ve had it for a little while now and the cameras show me that when buck shows up it is either 1/2 hour to 1 hour before legal shooting time, 9 AM, or 20-30 minutes after legal shooting time in the evenings. The 9AM movement is very inconsistent (I believe the reason they move at this time is due other hunters bumping them when leaving their stands, this is on a hunting club and hunters are not allowed to leave their stands in the morning until this time) and the early morning and evening movements tend to be the same almost every day. Doe movement is easier to pattern, with the two most consistent times being 9-10AM and then about 30 minutes before sunset
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Little confused, 9am is before legal shooting time? Maybe I’m just reading it wrong. Either way, if they are there that close to shooting time then that spot may be a good staging area that they are bedding close to. If a lot of people in your club seem to go to and leave their stands at consistent times I would say to be in your stand a little later than them in AM and earlier in evening for pushed deer, especially if anyone hunts somewhat close to your area.


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I’d also look at setting up on that little point just north of your lines, where the creek looks to Y off, that creek bottom is likely a travel area and may see some late morning - midday movement. Not sure how wide it is, I’d try to stay towards west side of easterly type wind but maybe just off if you can get to an area that allows a shot to west edge, NE edge and SE edge of that creek to pine transition.


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shwacker said:
Little confused, 9am is before legal shooting time? Maybe I’m just reading it wrong. Either way, if they are there that close to shooting time then that spot may be a good staging area that they are bedding close to. If a lot of people in your club seem to go to and leave their stands at consistent times I would say to be in your stand a little later than them in AM and earlier in evening for pushed deer, especially if anyone hunts somewhat close to your area.


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I believe he's saying they're showing up 1/2 hour to an hour before legal light and 9am and 20-30 mins after legal light.
 
depends on wind direction, access point, pressure there are so many variables, I'm trying to look at the pic at work and it is really to dark for me to tell on this old computer
 
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