Those hidden spots

[Doc]

What is it with those weird spots that always seem to have deer, but for no apparent reason. I recently discovered another one of those this year. It's one of those places with absolutely no trails, no favored feed, and no obvious reason for deer to habitually be there. And yet they very often are there. I have found these spots by simply being on the same property for decades and making observations. The most recent one is a spot where I have often spooked deer while walking through. This year I put a camera there, and it is unbelieveable how many pictures of does and fawns that I have gotten so far. But it appears to be an area that deer just randomly filter through, never leaving any permanent trails or any other sign. It's just a pretty non-descript, random chunk of woods with no obvious draw. These are tough places to hunt, because the deer move randomly through it without staying on any particular trail. So setting up with a bow can have the deer right on top of you or more likely at distances beyond bow range. The camera has shown that they seem to come from just about every direction, and are heading out in all different directions. That makes getting wind direction right a pretty interesting proposition....lol.

I have found a few other similar situations over the years that have no sign but always have deer hanging around. Again, just areas in the woods that look just like anywhere else on the hill, but for some reason always attract and hold deer.

Have any of you people ever encountered these kinds of areas?

[nyantler]

The most obvious reason that deer would use a spot like this is because for some reason it is safe to them... the clue for me is when you say that the deer enter and leave from all directions... Because deer are always aware of their surroundings and safety, it is very uncommon for deer to not enter and exit in pre-determined locations. They must know something about the area that hunters don't and it must make them feel safe... the fact that many deer frequent the area instead of just an occasional passer by... leads me too the same conclusion.. Why it is a safe spot for them?... that is the mystery. Possibly because of it being a hard area to hunt for the reasons you have stated.

Edited July 19, 2012 by nyantler

[phade]

^{Several reasons, but one thing is for sure...deer don't use an area randomly. There is a purpose behing their movements.}

^{You say you sppok deer? Are they bedding there?}

[NFA-ADK]

Hope I find some of them this year!!!

[MuzzyLoader]

Say Doc...

How about showing me that spot come October 1st?

[G-Man]

I have a field that when there is high wind the deer flock to, makes no sense at all as they can go 100 yards and be on back of hill and out of wind, they are there all the other times as well but completely unpatternable as no defined trail in and out of field. all i know is after 20 years i know if the wind is howling its the place to be.

[First-light]

It's called the "G" spot. G I never thought deer would be in there. I have come across some of those spots. Usually save them for a slow hunting day and put on a 2-3 man push.

[Dom]

One of those thing's. I usualy find most deer hanging in small wood lot's/swampy area's in close to house's.All the pressure durring the season I belive move's them to these area's.Even the deer know the 5ooft rule that is why they are in those area's.

[growalot]

Every place has them...G...the field is easy IMO...if it's a open field with heavy cover on all sides and you have lots of pressure from animals to ppl...that high wind carries all the scent to them...they really then have only 2-3 places to keep and eye on not all four

[phade]

Every place has them...G...the field is easy IMO...if it's a open field with heavy cover on all sides and you have lots of pressure from animals to ppl...that high wind carries all the scent to them...they really then have only 2-3 places to keep and eye on not all four

While I think Grow is on the track, it's actually not just the wind. Heavy wind makes it more difficult to pick up scent from what I understand (unless it swirls there?). The field use is because they then rely on their vision for protection since hearing and scent detection is compromised. You see similar things with turkey in rain. Protected fields are actually great places in heavy wind. Opening weekend of bow last year was like that.

Edited July 20, 2012 by phade

[G-Man]

field is surrounded by open woods but get full force wind, i`m talking make your eyes sting wind... You can go over the hill in hign wind and see lots of deer , but the big guys will be in that field, its wierd....

[phade]

field is surrounded by open woods but get full force wind, i`m talking make your eyes sting wind... You can go over the hill in hign wind and see lots of deer , but the big guys will be in that field, its wierd....

A mature buck is different that all of the other deer, that's for sure. Mature bucks seem to value safety over all other needs.

[nyantler]

field is surrounded by open woods but get full force wind, i`m talking make your eyes sting wind... You can go over the hill in hign wind and see lots of deer , but the big guys will be in that field, its wierd....

Like phade says... deer feel safer in the open on very windy days... the woods becomes to noisy and becuse the wind is so strong their noses have trouble as well... it makes them nervous... the bigger bucks head for the middle of the open field...usually as far from the edges as possible where they can see 360 degrees... leaving plenty of distance from the edge to get the advantage of a head start on any predator that might enter the field... a very windy day could be a lucky day for a rifle hunter if he can steady his sights.

Edited July 20, 2012 by nyantler

[NFA-ADK]

The only open fields I have where I hunt are usually swamps for the most part. They are hard to hunt and almost impossible to traverse. I plan on spending more time trying to find remote swamps that they hide in this year. I have 2 locations on my google earth that look nice, one has 4 swampy area's right next to each other. Both are within about a 1/2 mile area so I plan on checking both spots in one day. I have one other spot that has some doe I plan on checking out, yet the bucks seem to always be high on the ridges. Not so easy with a bow yet it's more for scouting at that time...

Not sure if the link will work for everyone but this is one of the area's I hunt. I put a 2nd link on below if the 1st does not work. Make sure you click on satellite on top rt for arial view. I am planing on checking out wolf creek, Jimmy pond and the 4 small swamps just north of Wolf lake(Wolf is at the bottom of the page), . The high ridges in the area seem to have buck trails and it has a good amount of doe, well at least for the area any doe is a lot...

I only hope that one of these spots is a hidden spot for them... Or may be a pass through area like you all mention above. I get excited just seeing tracks, lol...

The 2nd link works better but the 1st has better details after you zoom in, Wolf lake is above West Canadian Lake a few miles.

http://www.google.co...itbutton_normal

http://mapq.st/NDOntq

Funny, a good friend once asked why I hunt in an area where I am told their are no deer. I said that is why I hunt thier, I am told it's impossible... I love doing the impossible, just hope it's not another 8 years before I do it again... Missing 3 nice bucks in the ADK has probably driven me more than anything...

I think Dan Ladd once said any ADK buck is a trophy and I agree 100%.

Edited July 20, 2012 by NFA-ADK

[Doc]

The most obvious reason that deer would use a spot like this is because for some reason it is safe to them... the clue for me is when you say that the deer enter and leave from all directions... Because deer are always aware of their surroundings and safety, it is very uncommon for deer to not enter and exit in pre-determined locations. They must know something about the area that hunters don't and it must make them feel safe... the fact that many deer frequent the area instead of just an occasional passer by... leads me too the same conclusion.. Why it is a safe spot for them?... that is the mystery. Possibly because of it being a hard area to hunt for the reasons you have stated.

The thought about these areas being safe for the deer would make some sense except that the use of these areas is not a result of pressure. I'm not talking about some area of dense cover that they have been driven into by hunting season. In fact the deer that I see in those locations are there whether a season is in progress or not. The habitat is actually quite open. One is a section of very mature hardwoods (you can see for hundreds of yards), and the other is an area of new regeneration timber that is very open and consists of ash trees and young maples. Both of these areas are travel areas with deer obviously on their way from somewhere and heading to somewhere else, but the unpatterned directions of entrance and exit really don't leave any clues as to where and why they are moving the way they do. It really appears to be just a random travel corridor without any trails. I really cannot figure any reason for them to be there and yet they very often are seen moving through. Just one of those mysterious situations that you only discover by spending a lot of time in the woods. Yes, something in their minds, instincts or random movements, makes those areas part of their travel, but as far as I can determine, it is something that only they understand or react to. I suppose that it could be some kind of hub in their various bedding and feeding movements, and the fact that headings seem to be arbitrary may relate to changing food sources and bedding area preferences. I have also run into these kinds of spots in the middle of some rather large stretches of unbroken mature woods. They just seem to be deer magnets for some unexplainable reason. I was just wondering if others had run across such places.

[growalot]

Well you guys are right...just when they ...until this year..corn...where in the open field next to us ...the deer would do the same thing..and while feeding out there in the wind and lots of time rain...rarely lifted their heads to look in any direction than from where the wind was blowing....now up here the wind swirls a lot....during snow storms a our deck faces east...When the winds are coming in from the WNW...our deck is solid snow....because it hits the field and swirls right back at us...same in rain with windy rain storms....The buck also used that field ans a night time bedding area...common to0 pull in the drive at night and as the head lights swung over the field to we dozens of racks...They would bed down near the road in that field

[growalot]

Lord just re read that when I got home....can't edit now....but Mr.B was calling to me as I typed ...sorry....lol

[phade]

Last year, I saw more deer in the two afternoons of the sz archery opener weekend than I did for the res tof the season...and both were groups in open fields.

It's one of the few times I'll hunt an open field edge in early season. Bummer thing is the wind works against you, too. I had not one, but two does sneak past my stand at 7 yards from the base along the woods edge. Darn things were IN my lanes before I knew they were there. I didn't want to push it that early in the year, but I was surprised twice..ha.

[nyantler]

The thought about these areas being safe for the deer would make some sense except that the use of these areas is not a result of pressure. I'm not talking about some area of dense cover that they have been driven into by hunting season. In fact the deer that I see in those locations are there whether a season is in progress or not. The habitat is actually quite open. One is a section of very mature hardwoods (you can see for hundreds of yards), and the other is an area of new regeneration timber that is very open and consists of ash trees and young maples. Both of these areas are travel areas with deer obviously on their way from somewhere and heading to somewhere else, but the unpatterned directions of entrance and exit really don't leave any clues as to where and why they are moving the way they do. It really appears to be just a random travel corridor without any trails. I really cannot figure any reason for them to be there and yet they very often are seen moving through. Just one of those mysterious situations that you only discover by spending a lot of time in the woods. Yes, something in their minds, instincts or random movements, makes those areas part of their travel, but as far as I can determine, it is something that only they understand or react to. I suppose that it could be some kind of hub in their various bedding and feeding movements, and the fact that headings seem to be arbitrary may relate to changing food sources and bedding area preferences. I have also run into these kinds of spots in the middle of some rather large stretches of unbroken mature woods. They just seem to be deer magnets for some unexplainable reason. I was just wondering if others had run across such places.

I'm speaking of a different sense of safety... not the kind of haven from pressure type of safe... but more just a place where they have always felt a sense of calmness and the ability to sense danger easily... kind of like their own little paradise where they feel in complete control. It my even be an unconscious sense... definitely something that only they understand... and probably passed down generations to the younger deer that follow mom into such places. I have come across only a few near my home, but have noticed more in the ADK's.. I'm guessing because of it's vastness and lack of human pressure. I have always found it intriguing as well...

Edited July 22, 2012 by nyantler

[nybuckboy]

It sounds like a hub. A hub where spokes come into an area and go back out. Many spokes so it's hard to see trails but they cross it.

I can remember as young hunter my Dad had this watch (as he called it) at Arnold's Lake near Oneonta. He called it the PIE. He shot his best buck ever on the pie and kept coming back year after year. He saw 21 doe in a row one day but no buck.

We looked it over one day and determined why it worked. The piece of land was a triangular shape and the crust was where my Dad would sit. The edge of the pie dropped off on a decline. We always felt the deer crossed the PIE to get their bearings. Whether from the sides and come over the top or from the top and then drop off one of the sides.

Edited July 22, 2012 by nybuckboy

[Doc]

I'm speaking of a different sense of safety... not the kind of haven from pressure type of safe... but more just a place where they have always felt a sense of calmness and the ability to sense danger easily... kind of like their own little paradise where they feel in complete control. It my even be an unconscious sense... definitely something that only they understand... and probably passed down generations to the younger deer that follow mom into such places. I have come across only a few near my home, but have noticed more in the ADK's.. I'm guessing because of it's vastness and lack of human pressure. I have always found it intriguing as well...

Ok .... That's kind of in line with what I was thinking. It's the kind of place that makes sense only to the deer. I know that any hunter could pass through these areas and never see anything there that would make him think he should hunt there. Except that if you happen to see deer there often enough, and maybe even use a trail-cam to verify your suspicions, you might have tapped into their secret travel corridor. I do believe that deer have places that make them feel relaxed and comfortable to travel through. They may not even be correct about that, but there just may be some kind of history with that area that they may not have been disturbed too much before. It may also relat eto a feeling of safety because of scent from other deer. I will say that the nature of these places that I have found really reflects a plain-ness that most hunters wouldn't even bother hunting, and perhaps that is another aspect of the "safe feeling".

And, I do believe that there is multi-generational conditioning that deer go through in life. I believe that deer do follow certain patterns simply because they have been taught by previous generations. I think that some of these patterns are imprinted on them as fawns. I also think that there are deer scent deposits that have a calming effect and create a feeling of safety.

Ah yes, it is all theoretical and we will never know all this stuff for sure, but it's hard not to have a curiosity about such things.