Bionic

Hello everyone, I hunt a piece of property that is basically flat, ud roughly estimate at a thousand acres, gentle rising 20' elevation humps here, and there, but generally flat. There are areas that od roughly estimate to be a hundred acres, or so that are not very dense with deciduous trees, and some areas of a few acres with dense pine. I am wondering being this land is all very similar, is there anything I am mossing as for where a good rut area could be? No ponds, but a very small creek, maybe 3' wide, I know its water for them to drink, but where the creek is, is in open area with little cover for them. Also, its marrow enough to simple jump across at roughly 3' across. I have walked the property, and everything looks so unconcentrated as far as movement. I am assuming this is just a luck area to hunt, since 100s of acres are so similar, and I need to spend as much time as possible in a tree. I am not the type to still hunt, we have 21 acres up there, so i am limited in space. I have looked at satellite maps, to scout the big area surrounding us to get my info, to see if I have funnels nearby that can increase my odds pf seeing deer in certain areas of my land. This was sort of a mumbo jumbo think out loud post with how I typed it out, apologize for that. Any input for rut travel in big land tracts of very similar features throughout? Even does seem few, and far between. Thank you

Yes, a monster of a salad lol, it happened to be green, or you can say garden salad, really just a salad to me though, but no pics so I thought I should specify, lol. Romaine, spinach, onion, tomato, shredded pepperjack, "salad topping", and balsamic. We try to eat healthy during the week, so we can eat like crap on Friday, and Saturday lol. The monster part is mentioned because I had a bowl that is big enough to serve a family of 5 on sunday.

I had a monster green salad with balsamic dressing.

UA bases, thick wool socks(Carhartt), FINALLY bought a hunting pair of Rocky insulated boots. I too work outside, and I really love Carhartt everything. I tend to layer up in between my UA bases, and my $100 camo coveralls, in which I believe is Guide Gear Series brand, which is Gander Mt. As far as the prosthetic goes, OttoBock all the way, lol.

My one, and only big deer was killed at 10:43am.

I have 3 properties I can hunt, my home I hunt my property, and the acreage behind my home I have permission to as well. My dad, and I have a camp 200 miles north, and I also have permission to hunt at my work place. I live about an hour from work, so sometimes I hunt for 2-3 hrs at work, before and after. If I do not go upstate to camp, I will hunt at home on the weekends, or my days I am off from work. Also, if I need does, I only have doe permits for the zone my work is in. Each property is in a different zone.

Moog & TheJerkman, thank BOTH very much!

TreeGuy- i love that idea, would you hang, i would imagine so, otherwise he might see a climber sitting off to the corner someplace....

TreeGuy- Great advice! That males me think about changing my entry route to the stand. As said earlier, the stand was included with the property, and the 4 or 5 times enteding that area is on this this trail i assume was from the previous owner, it basically enters from behind the camera in the direction of the cameras field of view. I wonder if i walk in From the left of the cams field of view, if that would not alarm the specific deer.

Definitely going to try the multi-cam tactic, it NEVER crossed my mind. I will hunt it hopefully Friday, thats the 5th day, can't get there Thursday. Good luck with you scenario!

I'll check that site out, thanks. Our camp upstate is 21 acres, once im more familiar with the land, I will see what can be manipulated in the lay out of the land. Thanks again for all this info, really has given me a lot to think about! Good luck this season.

G-Man & Stubborn1VT - GREAT info, thank you both for taking the time to share that. G-Man, see thats where I havd gone wrong in the past, I have found what was assumed bedding. OLD logging landing, that is built up, and covered in tall grass, matted down in spots, etc. Well I put a cam on the edge for a week once, did not get the outcome expected. I have even put cams directly on a trail l, that was so beaten, it looked like moose, or cows use it, beaten to that degree, well I put the cam directly on the trail in-line with it. Again, not what was anticipated once I viewed the card. I need to back off a bit, and start with oaks, and try to find pinch points, but even pinch points seem sparse honestly. When you say aerial photo, how do you acquire aerial photo's? I try google earth, and its just not enough for the two properties to decipher enough. I'm not sure if there is a searchable website im unaware of, or maybe drone(lol). I think I will keep watching sales, and pick up maybe another 5 or so cams over winter, and spring. My two $35 50% off cams are my favorite over the 3 other middle of the roax cans I have. Thanks again, I appreciate it

Thats so funny the deer will walk behind the cameras, but makes so much sense. I had a big deer show up on camera last year down at home, absolute monster for the area, he looked directIy at the camera, and his facial expressional looked like he was saying a four letter word by getting caught. I was blown away, I only showed a few people, all family but 2 people, lol. Anyways, I wish I knew THEN to rotate the cam, or move it 10-20 yards facing the old camera site, never saw that deer again. Thats just it as far as food goes, there really is nothing anywhere that stands out to me that would make one place different than any other. I have notice oak tree patches, and have had seen deer to notice the benefits, but its not like its 95% dense pine forest, with blocks of oaks, its mixed hardwoods, and soft woods, but I do have dense pockets of pine....this is why I struggle. I am honestly not going to do any scouting, I am nervous just at the thought of putting an additional stand in the woods where that 9 is. I have dreamed about just being able to see a deer of this caliber while hunting, so I want to impact as little as possible. Noon is too early you think? I might be reading in to deep on whats said here, but is that simply because you wouldn't want to sit there that long, if the cams show hes coming through nearly 6 hours after.....or is it to minimize the possibility of your sent drifting to him, or to limit the possibility of dropping something, or just a squeek of a stand i'll be in. Come to think of it, the direction in which the 9 travels FROM, is extremely thick, almost impenetrable.... i'd say that area starts at rough 100 yard to the right of the pic, where he comes from. Not 100% sure he hides in there, but that spot is there, and dense. Im writing a lot here, but I appreciate the input guys.

G-Man- thanks for that info, it may sound hard to believe, but that never crossed my mind to simply rotate a camera. Sounds like such an obvious no brainer, but thats why I ask about these situations. When I do get in there to hunt, I now wonder if I should add a cam to the same tree but about 120 degrees in a different view. Also, when you personally try to pattern a deer, how do you personally start if you dont mind me asking? Do you just put a cam in an area you saw clusters of rubs in the previous year? Or do you scout in spring, and walk in the thickest of area you have on your huntung land? This is my biggest challenge, I can never seem to get reapeated pics of a specific deer, more than once, or twice. I hunt two areas, one in zone 3k at my home, and the previous deer it at our other property in 5J. I want to say both zones I hunt are relatively familiar, no agriculture in the area, and big chunks of land that are hundreds of acres, if not not thousands, with a house, here, and there. I feel like the deer really don't have specific routines, or routes here, but part of me says of course they do. Thanks again.

I appreciate it guys, thanks a lot. It's a shame but Friday will be the earliest I can hunt it, being so far from hone, and work. Get in early as possible? Or sneak in around noonish? I rather sit dark-dark, but I dont want to negatively affect this opportunity. I am over thinking it a bit, but a deer like this is few, and very far from where my mind tells me to set cams, etc.

Ok, great thanks a lot everyone! What source do you guys get your wind info from prior to actually walkung out the door? Is Scoutlook or handstand reliable? I have watched accuweather, and weather channel before on my phone, with the hour by hour info, but feel its not pin pointed enough.

I have a deer repeatedly on camera that I never imagined I would share space with. This 9 pointer, only shows in daylight, and always between 5:40pm, and 6pm. Once he showed at a few minutes past 7am. I don't remember which way he was headed at 7am, but the afternoon pics, he is always headed the exact same way. I was wondering if anyone can give input as to if you feel a bed of his is nearby, or what? I simply have never been able to pattern a deer, and deer are never repeatedly pictured on my cameras, and I leave cameras untouched long enough to be able to see if a deer repeats visits, etc. My father, and I bought this property in the spring, and its 200 miles north, so scouting has not been something we have had time for. A treestand was left there with the purchase of the property, so I literally just put a camera there at the end of August, and just checked it last week. The 9 pointer shows up once every 4-5 days, and once skipped 8 days. Any input on this, on why he travels the same direction, but skips 3 or 4 days before showing up again? Absolutely zero agricultural fields, just 100% woods for hundreds of square acres. 5J zone

Fingers crossed for you.

50# Held with a myoelectric Michelangelo prosthetic arm/hand, drawing with my sound hand/arm. My arrows are maxed at 50#, but the goal is 55-60#. I hunt thicker woods, so realistically a 20 yard shot is about the furthest shot opportunity I have. I wanted a higher pound draw, for simplicity, and only needed one pin for 10-20 yard shots. Well at 50#, I am at the point that I am aimed up at 10 and 20 yards with the upper pin, and my second pin at 30 yards. I just aim a pinch low for 10 yards. It jist makes it simpler in the stand for me without a range finder, I put a small tag on a branch at 10, 20, 30 yards for reference from stand. At this point, I may not up my draw weight, since I dont have distant shot opportunities, and my idea of simplifying the pins is already done. When I need new/upgraded arrows is when I will bump up to 55-60, as long as the prosthetic will stay inline with the arm inside, thats the biggest issue to keep control of.

Nybuckboy- I meant to put an "lol" afterwards. I can't miss that deer, if I can't get within a few hours of him

Nothing like stating the obvious.....

Backbeach- thanks for chiming in. Where I hunt at home sounds familiar, no farms, just hundreds of acres of woods. I rarely find trails at home, everything is just so scattered, can't really seem to figure out where a typical food source is here at home, or bedding either. The place described in this topic originally though is totally different than home. I only aquired permission in mid-October for this sapling area, I probably freaked out the deer using it, pretty much stumbled on all the key areas of sign. I plan to keep a better on this spot after this week ends, to try and key in on movement here to prep for next bow season.

I am truly sorry for your loss, this tears me up to read this. I cannot imagine such an event, as my father and I are best friends, but somehow your mind attempts to imagine. Again, I am sorry for your loss, and my thoughts really are with you, and your family.

Congrats to him, I really like how the deer is posed with him.

Sorry for the delayed response, just taking of this info in, and trying to see how it applies to the area I have permission on. A lot of replies here, I appreciate them, the serious responses are very valuable to me, and the not so serious replies are ok too, it's always ok with me keeping things "light". Phade, it's funny that you mention property lines. This chunk of saplings is on property in between a recreation park, which has a big pond, and wide open areas with sporting fields. The other bordering land is a golf course, and on the other border is a big nursery green house facility. Realistically there are only strips of land that lead to this 3-5 acres i have permission on....its tricky to me because the deer can travel through oht the park and the golf course. When you guys find a suspected buck bed...do you place a camera there, close enough just to see of it is indeed a buck, and how often he uses that bed? I hear bucks have multiple beds, any way specifically you guys figure out where the other beds are other than scouting, and verifying with another camera? I try to only put these cameras in this specific area during rain, or the same day prior to a rain event. thanks again everyone.