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Need advice for hunting hills
- Thread starter Mat1998
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It’s mainly all hardwoods with some pines mixed in. Some areas are pretty open and then some are heavy cover. Do you mind giving me advice on how to spot funnels and what they are. I never really understood any of that.
yoderjac
Well-Known Member
Gutpile gave you a pretty good idea. Basically you are looking for obstacles that deer will avoid and cover that deer will use. For mountain country, a topographic map is the place to start. Given all else being equal, deer will favor a more gentle slope rather than going up steep terrain. I said "given all else being equal" because human pressure will often override a deer's natural travel route. When you have topographic features that deer will generally avoid and they come close to each other, we have what is called a "pinch point". There are other topographic features, like a pond or lake or highway that deer will generally avoid crossing but will often parallel.
As for cover, you talked about wide open hardwoods. Once I've look at topography, I look at vegetation. Lets say you have a nice slope (relative to the alternatives) that deer will use. Once side of it is wide open and the other side has connected patches of buck laurel. Deer, especially bucks will favor the side with the cover.
Another way cover comes into play is how deer use it. Deer may bed in thick cover, but it is unlikely you will be able to approach a deer undetected in heavy cover. Deer don't stay bedded. They get up periodically and feed. In hardwoods, deer will often feed on the acorns that are along heavy cover. They can walk unobstructed as the vacuum up acorns, but they are only a few bounds away from security.
As Gutpile says, a topo map is a great starting point. It narrows down areas to consider, but there is noting like feet on the ground for specific stand site selection.
Thank you so much for the advice. Im going to get out there Saturday and Sunday and scout it out more since I know what to look for.
I studied the area a bit more and since you mentioned deer will take the easier slope, I found an area that looks promising. The whole ridge bottom is creek bottom,but around the ridge is very steep in some areas, even bluffs. I found a spot that’s a gentle slope, so I’m going to check that out this weekend. Thank you for the advice. Very much appreciated.
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Drycreek
Well-Known Member
The advice above is great. Be aware of the usual wind direction when you pick your sites. Ridges offer the best protection against being scented as you are usually above the deer enough that they can’t scent you. Approaching dark though, the air cools and your scent lowers with the cooler air so that’s a double edged sword.
Hang some cameras unless it’s public, don’t know that I would hang them on public land. If you find very faint trails you are on the right track. If you do hang cameras, set them off the trail with a view of it, and hang them a 45* angle so you can see the whole deer either coming or going. You can sometimes figure out where deer are bedding by moving your cameras and noting the time that you see them. Use video instead of single pics for a much better view. Good luck !
Hang some cameras unless it’s public, don’t know that I would hang them on public land. If you find very faint trails you are on the right track. If you do hang cameras, set them off the trail with a view of it, and hang them a 45* angle so you can see the whole deer either coming or going. You can sometimes figure out where deer are bedding by moving your cameras and noting the time that you see them. Use video instead of single pics for a much better view. Good luck !
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