I think the wind patterns on the ridges have been more predictable. In general, north- and west-facing ridge endings are best when the weather is warm, and south- and east-facing ridges are best when the weather is cold. … Typically, the elk are moving up from the bottom and coming up to bed. If you are at an office or shared network, you can ask the network administrator to run a scan across the network looking for misconfigured or infected devices. What advice can you guys give to stand placement, calling, etc in an area like this that may help me this year? Food options change for them which may change travel routes. Ridges offer excellent visibility and maximum security to bedded deer. However, if it is quartering across the ridge, you must favor the downwind side of the saddle or you will spook too many traveling deer. Ridgetops adjacent to flat, waterlogged creek bottoms are ideal places to still-hunt through during the first and last hours of the day, especially in warm weather. I have seen herds that move around during daylight hours and some that only move at night. For this reason I avoid hunting the bottom of the valley between two ridges . We'll be out there … As you move farther back along the ridge, away from the bedding areas and generally toward feeding areas (acorn-dropping oak groves or cropfields), you’ll find heavy trails on top. Hills … Whether you are above the crest of the ridge or below, your ability to control your scent relies on much more than simply washing your hunting clothes and setting up for the forecasted wind direction. I like hunting high on the ridges to … Hunt saddles, benches, and the top or bottom of gullies, or a shallow portion of it (funnels). I would hunt the side-hill trail (a great pattern for the rut) and leave the bottom alone until the end of your vacation time or the last few days of the best portions fo the rut - when you have nothing to lose by bumping a few bucks. I have read where the rising warmer air in the a.m. brings scent up to the deer in addition to the wind and as the cooler air sets in the p.m. brings scent down to the … I have seen whole herds act completely different than other herds. Dark timber are on the north slopes and sage opening on the south facing « Last Edit: November 30, 2017, 07:54:08 AM by cnelk » Logged cnelk. Thanatos Senior Member. Sep 10, 2008 #6. Recently, I set out to learn a little more about hunting bedding areas during the rut specifically. This often divides mini-basins that sit in the river valley well below … I tend to base my set on these more than wind direction as I have seen more deer walk with the wind than against the wind. Come join the discussion about safety, gear, tips, tricks, optics, hunting, gunsmithing, reviews, reports, accessories, classifieds, and more! Hunters have a … Deer Behavior: Breeding is still going … VerticalScope Inc., 111 Peter Street, Suite 901, Toronto, Ontario, M5V 2H1, Canada. OK, here I go: If the work involved in hunting ridges bothers you, well, you could: 1) Hire an outfitter to protect you from the big, bad “hill monster” 2) Whine to someone who cares. ... but remember if you are hunting narrow bottoms,the wind is always going to swirl . Scent control and wind would be my main concerns. Compared with does, fawns, and younger bucks traveling at the tops and bottoms of ridges, big bucks stay better hidden on the sidehill. Turkey hunting in the spring, whitetail deer hunting in the fall and wood duck roost in the winter. Without getting all dorky and technical, what are opinions on hunting ridges vs. bottoms? Case closed — enough said about hunting being “too much work!” Next, we’ve got the “food” issue to address. Make sure that when hunting a ridge or hillside that you keep these thermals in mind. Best Time to Hunt: Hunt ridge ends all season long. Post rut look for any quality food source and hunt there. I am from WV and grew up hunting ridges. If you have an area where several ridges come together at the bottom, that tends to be a good crossing area. But … A good hunting buddy of mine loves hunting ditch crossings in river bottoms. If the wind is 90 degrees to the ridge, you can hunt either end of the saddle equally well. I hung some sets on ridges this year for the first time, and have had some success with them. Hills sure make game managers look a whole lot better than other state's wildlife officials! Hunting Methods Spot and stalk is the best way to hunt for caribou. My theory is that the bucks feel more comfortable hiding in the thickets, especially when they hear/see/smell hunters along the more open ridges. A pinch point, such as where a hardwood ridge is flanked by thickets, is a great place to set up and hunt all day. I would have to agree with what you said about ridges and bottoms scruggs. http://www.deeranddeerhunting.com Use these tree stand tactics when bowhunting public land or private land this deer hunting season. If the ridge ending faces south, that spot will prove best with northerly winds. I've never thought about an either or senerio but just tried to put the puzzle together and if the buck routes were in the bottom that's where I sat up. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. Elk will use timber-covered ridges as travel corridors between their feeding and bedding sites. Sep 10, 2008 #5. JavaScript is disabled. Don't waste today on tomorrow-Hankus FPG 10. Most the ridges i hunt are in the neighbor hood … The more granular you can get on local deer knowledge, the more it’ll inform your ambush choices. *Want to find out all that you can about your scent and hunting the hills? Rut Location One: Where Ridges Meet. Hunting the Rut in the Big Woods. Hunting fox both grey and red fox has lost some popularity over the past few decades. Now for the dorky/ technical part. The upland acreage has been managed and maintained to promote quail habitat while the lower swamp acreage has been preserved as old growth oak ridges along cypress bottoms. If you're hunting next to a truly large river that is too big for the deer to cross on a whim, then look for the next best thing. … I'm having one helluva hard time finding whitetail on public land in Southwest Virginia. His examples of hunting ridge tops in the sun versus hunting creek bottoms on cloudy days is all about deer trying to stay warm. Creek Bottoms 101. I'm also having … Higher Buck Age Structure. I have read where the rising warmer air in … You may have to go out of your way to accomplish this, playing the wind as you go. I agree with most everything said. Good points HM. I have made a few aerial diagrams of how I approach hunting finger ridges Here is a classic location of an area I would look for. It seems like the deer are more likely to follow the same trail consistently on ridges where in the bottom they just wander around aimlessly. Where i hunt, the majority of the deer that come on top of the ridges are only going straight across from bottom to bottom. If it’s a morning hunt and thermals will be bringing warm air up the hill, hunt above a trail you expect deer to come across. It seems to me deer travel ridges in the morning and bottoms in the afternoon. In the bottoms, there's always real defined deer trails that go around the ridges anywhere from 5 to 10 feet from the bottom. Aliais, your instincts are correct. Acorns will be on top, so for pre-rut that's where I'd be, heavy rut locate buck travel routes by rub and scrape lines. In hilly terrain such as the bluff country of southeast Minnesota, western Wisconsin, and northeast Iowa, bucks love running ridges during the rut. … Does and fawns use them most often, but bucks will also travel here if the hunting … I've read that hunting the ridges in the morning and creek bottoms in the afternoon is generally a good strategy. What have you seen in your area away from the food plots? To avoid this, hunt higher areas in the morning when the thermals are low and bottoms and draws in the evening as the thermals rise. You may need to download version 2.0 now from the Chrome Web Store. Sep 10, 2008. As Hepler points … Should I be placing stands in bottoms or ridges? Many Midwestern rivers are bordered by bluffs, that terminate right next to the riverbank. I've also read that if the bucks are cruising setting up in a creek bottom or ravine with good visibility is a good strategy too. Most places, several caribou may be taken because of healthy herd numbers. Completing the CAPTCHA proves you are a human and gives you temporary access to the web property. … 3) Quit bowhunting, and take up golf. Cloudflare Ray ID: 61d48141bacf00cf Hunting Opportunities Heading to Alaska or Canada will be required for the caribou hunter. Without getting all dorky and technical, what are opinions on hunting ridges vs. bottoms? It seems to me deer travel ridges in the morning and bottoms in the afternoon. Now for the dorky/ technical part. If you are on a personal connection, like at home, you can run an anti-virus scan on your device to make sure it is not infected with malware. I've had the most success hunting the bottoms of public land. To top it off, the property hosts the occasional appearance of wild boar that migrate through year round. Bryan, Bucks tend to frequently use the path of least resistance that they don’t associate with danger during the rut. Registration is optional, but is used to gather relevant data on each season. In my opinion, hunting creek bottoms can be one of the most effective ways to kill a big buck during the rut, but recognizing the right conditions is crucial to having the opportunities. Ridges These can offer grassy areas, where elk like to feed, amidst heavy timber. The wind is rarely gonna be good down in the bottom between to big ridges . In the south fox hunting used to mean following dogs across hill and dale for half of the night in hopes of getting a good chase. Deer hunting a ridge top can present several challenges for remaining scent free. Often, there is no better pinch point than a ridge that extends right near the water's edge. You’re pursuing a far-ranging and fast-moving animal on vast tracks of land, so maintaining a level of mobility is … Performance & security by Cloudflare, Please complete the security check to access. I've had pretty good luck hunting both the ridges and bottoms. Your IP: 121.254.173.158 In areas like a river bottom, despite a favorable wind, you may still end up getting busted by a deer due to thermals and swirling air. There are a few … What one deer does, another may not do. The Ridges ask that all hunters and trappers fill out a Registration Form and return it to The Ridges prior to hunting or trapping on our property. I love to focus on funnels around bedding areas, saddles, and creek-bottom travel corridors in and around the rut. • Bucks don’t generally flow right through the bottom like water, so you have to pick a side. Please enable Cookies and reload the page. Your wind is gonna either blow down the valley or up the valley effectively allowing 50% of the deer traveling up or down the bottom to wind you . Those days are long gone in the modern south, and predator hunters have filled the void of chasing fox with hounds to calling these predator into gun range. The wind, not the sign, dictates which side you should pick. Thoughts? I've taken several 8, 9, and 10-point bucks using that strategy. Will the bucks abandon the ridges and search the valley bedding areas or will the does push to the ridges when ready? The valley would have to be nearly 1/4 mile wide to keep the winds from swirling down in the bottom. They tend to run either the top of the ridge or a parallel trail that usually can be found about 30 yards below the lip of the ridge. However, deer are very unpredictable and just like people- in a way. Aslo find out which mast trees the local deer prefer, they always tend to prefer certain ones … Your silhouette is outlined in the horizon and a critter can see you. When that’s not an option, they are likely to bury themselves in thicker geothermal cover with protection from the elements and predators. Thanks guys! My son has had good luck hunting a small creek bottom. The woods are feverishly thick on the west side and semi-open on the east. From www.midwestwhitetail.com: Creeks are great terrain features for accessing treestand locations undetected by whitetail deer. Another way to prevent getting this page in the future is to use Privacy Pass. It's no secret that river bottoms can be muddy, mucky messes. Now for the dorky/ technical part. This form also lists the Special Hunters’ Provisions by which all hunters must abide. I have read where the rising warmer air in the a.m. brings scent up to the deer in addition to the wind and as the cooler air sets in the p.m. brings scent down to the deer. Then check out ... the opposite can be said for accessing deer stands on the back side of ridges and points, and by traveling with a low profiled through ravines, ditches and draws. I am no expert deer hunter, have killed several over the past several years, about 1 a year, since I really started getting into it. For rut hunting only where would you think the best buck traffic area will be. So when do you hunt bottoms and when do you hunt higher elevation spots such as ridges or ridge tops??? I have always had problems in the wooded canyons around here with the wind swirling and causing problems. Most ridges extend out over a bottom area or ravine, and the point where they end is usually a heavily used bedding area. If you find fresh tracks and droppings on … 2. I mentioned earlier about thermals being an issue, as well as creek-bottoms being easier to access. His favorite, a shallow ditch holding about a foot of standing water runs north-to-south for several hundred yards. Once there, acquiring tags is easy. That said, remember the wind direction factor. Welcome Guest! Thread starter #5. I have seen deer by themselves and never part of a "herd" or group. As NCHillbilly said, the wind on … I'm sure you're right about the patterns changing through the year. I reached out to Dan, and he was nice enough to help me put together a Q&A post with him, and let me tell you, he contains a wealth of knowledge. I want to add to spend as little time directly on top of the ridge as possible. It seems to me deer travel ridges in the morning and bottoms in the afternoon. The trickiest and hardest part about hunting terrain like this is getting in and out undetected. 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