How would you setup

[Swamp_bucks]

I'm trying to get my scouting done for my PA trip however I've never hunted a piece of land this large or mountainous.  I'm looking for a little insight on this one section I found.  I'm planning on actually walking a couple sections this summer.

The picture is setup for n&s.  There's a land bridge between the 2 swamps indicated by the brown markers and agg fields off to the east about 500yards.  I'm assuming the deer will be bedding on the points of the ridge that I have indicated with the pink dots. 

I will be hunting early season so my focus will be getting as close to bedding that has oaks or apples that will lead to the agg fields.

How would you setup to hunt this area?  

Do you think they would bed on the points or in the swamps?

Edited July 7, 2021 by Swamp_bucks

[Robhuntandfish]

This year with all the rain we have had the swamps might be really full.  Those spots you have picked look like good starting points.  If you can find a grove of acorns/apples for early season you should have a decent spot. Boots on the ground is def the way to go.  If ag fields to the east then maybe also southeast of that first marker on the right where the contour lines are tight to the bottom making that V shape (also due east of the land bridge).  Esp on a west wind in the mornings as they are coming in to bed.  good luck. 

[Northcountryman]

I like your plan, but I would also look at the 500m ridge thats SE of the top swamp and the ridge running N to S in the extreme NW corner of your pic.   Since youre doing early season, these spots (and the ones you mentioned and pegged) all seem reasonable; later on, as the deer experience pressure, you might wanna shift your focus to the swamps, however.

[dbHunterNY]

there's likely waayyy more bedding than that. how are you accessing this area from where is the first question? deer like diversity and edges. open woods will hold nothing for very long. not all of it you can hunt without swirling wind though. i see these options
- look for oak stands near edges of the swamps especially down wind of the thick swamp. bucks will scent check areas like this fast and efficiently if there's food or water to hit along the way without stopping much that's a bonus.

- the ditch line south of the land bridge. walk along it and find a lower spot or converging trails crossing through there. west to east. find a spot on to the north of it and to the south of it. hunt with wind and thermals in mind and in range of that spot, so possibly morning your to the south and evening to the north. 

- if you have a gun and morning hunt, WNW of the peak in the upper right corner might be good. sit looking down the ridge overlooking a cluster of hard mast trees or maybe blow downs where sun light is hitting the ground for a spot of browse and cover that'd funnel movement across the ridge getting around that peak.

- bottom left and right will have deer activity just looking at it. hunt NW of the end of that ditch running west and east above the "list filter". That ditch will steer deer heading west and east. You'll have deer bedding along ridge (bowl) south of the land bridge and between 550-500m elevation lines that will be heading towards or from those meadows or fields in the bottom left corner. Where those intersect or come close to each other is where you setup. wind should be consistent enough.

- most promising but difficult spot to hunt is that same activity with bottom right fields. that large gut running NE between the field and the ridge top/peak will make wind difficult and swirl all up or down through it. deer could bed anywhere along it. if there was enough activity there you could sit higher up the ridge in the morning where the swirling wind pushes your scent up the ridge and out of it. often i've found these spots too high up though where you're out of the action. those puffer bottles are your friend and will tell you when you're high enough. if bucks are chasing and staging along the gut you might get lucky.

sorry for the novel.

[Swamp_bucks]

Thanks for the info.  We are going down next month because I want to see how it actually looks where the roads are layed out cover,old sign ect.

[Yorehntr]

In that type of terrain, I’ve had more consistent success finding bucks bedding on points or along hillsides, that border large ravines. It’s best If there’s a steady water source in the ravine

If you’re going in the summer, I would throw a couple camera out in likely areas, then check them on your first day during the season. That should show you where your best odds will be to concentrate on.

 

[grampy]

On 7/7/2021 at 1:57 AM, Swamp_bucks said:

I'm trying to get my scouting done for my PA trip however I've never hunted a piece of land this large or mountainous.  I'm looking for a little insight on this one section I found.  I'm planning on actually walking a couple sections this summer.

The picture is setup for n&s.  There's a land bridge between the 2 swamps indicated by the brown markers and agg fields off to the east about 500yards.  I'm assuming the deer will be bedding on the points of the ridge that I have indicated with the pink dots. 

I will be hunting early season so my focus will be getting as close to bedding that has oaks or apples that will lead to the agg fields.

How would you setup to hunt this area?  

Do you think they would bed on the points or in the swamps?

I won't comment on where you should hunt this property without actually walking it myself. Too many variables to count, to be able give specific stand sites. But......I have hunted similar terrain most of my life, and have a few generalizations that may help.

Bucks like to bed just over the top of the ridge, with the wind at their backs, and to be able to see down, especially south facing slopes. On some of these side hills, there will be benches, or steps that is more or less level ground that can be walked on the side of the hill. These benches, are used as travel corridors by the deer. More so if there is a stand of prefered oaks along that hillside. These trails will be very evident when you find them! The deer have been using them for a long time!

A great pinch point is at the head, or top of a steep gully, in between feeding areas! Deer will use the relative easy way around the top, instead of the steep sides of the gully. Classic funnel. I've used this on public, and private land with success.

A large, thick, swampy area, at the foot, or between hills will always have deer bedded within it's thick and wet confines. Walk the edges to find the heaviest deer runs coming into and out of the swamp. If there is heavy human pressure, the thickest, nastiest cover is where the deer will always go. So don't bust them out! Hunt those major trails coming and going from the swamp to and from feeding. But only when the wind is right!!! This is where multiple set ups within a good, small area are a must, so you can move if the wind changes.

Speaking of wind....... In the hills and mountains, the thermals and drafts can be a friend, or a foe to the hunter. Always keep in mind that cool air sinks, and warm air rises. And just because the wind is blowing a certain direction on top, it won't mean the  wind is the same on the ground where you are! One of my favorite spots on the lake property usually will have a NE wind. But on the ground where I'm set up halfway up the hill, my wind will be SW!!! As the wind comes over the top and curls, picture a wave. 

As I said, these are just generalizations I've picked up in the last half century hunting the hills. There are so many more, and no two properties are exactly the same. But the pictures look very promising, and I wish you good luck and much success hunting in PA!!!

 

[phade]

Mapping trophy whitetails by Herndon

Hill Country Bucks DVD by Infalt

Get both if you don't have them already.

[Swamp_bucks]

18 minutes ago, phade said:

Mapping trophy whitetails by Herndon

Hill Country Bucks DVD by Infalt

Get both if you don't have them already.

Ive been watching Infalts mini series on you tube on hills and its helped a bunch.

[phade]

On 7/9/2021 at 1:31 PM, Swamp_bucks said:

Ive been watching Infalts mini series on you tube on hills and its helped a bunch.

The DVD is solid. I like it much better than the shorts he produces on youtube. Much better learning opp. We should support those who help us. He isn't a businessman, either....just does his thing and tries to get some side money for it.

Edited July 12, 2021 by phade

[The_Real_TCIII]

Mapping trophy whitetails by Herndon
Hill Country Bucks DVD by Infalt
Get both if you don't have them already.

I love that book so much


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[Nomad]

It’s threads like this where I realize,I know little about deer hunting . I don’t watch videos ,read books , scout etc , most times I don’t know what guys are taking about lol .