Mountain vs. Farmland Bucks

[RockinChair]

Which are harder to hunt? Why? What are the advantages of hunting farmland vs the mountains and the opposite. This seems to bea good discussion topic.

Personally, I feel that if you were to sit me down in 500 acres of farmland the knowledge I have learned trying to hunt these mountain bucks would double my success rate. Reason being- the mountains are extremely hard to hunt. Take our property for example.

We have a long, rectangular 265+ acres that essentially runs parallel to a ridge top and creek branch. For one, it is extremely hard to pattern a certain buck as they have so many topographical features to use at their advantage. Our property is gashed with steep ravines, gullies, finger ridges and an extremely steep "trench" which the creek branch flows through. I have been hunting this property since I was 6 (13 years) and been seriously scouting (pre-season, in season, shed hunting, etc.) for about4 now and I have not succesfully patterned a mature buck yet. I'm not saying it is impossible, but is extremely difficult. In fact I am just now beginning to predict different does family patterns daily succesfully. Also I have learned that the extreme lay of the land, if you will, makes it awfully hard to hunt the wind. I know the wind is going to shift during a hunt, however, it will stay steady on flat land for the most part.

On the contrary, I work a 4000+ acre farm during the summer and patterned two bucks that would both go 140"+. Granted this was during the summer when there were hundred acres of soybeans, corn and alfalfa so it was much easier. Still, over looking topo maps of the farm I know of certain pinch points, funnells and fall food sources that would allow me to score on a buck during the season.

I know that's pretty vague information there but it's gettting late and I got school tomorrow. But I have been thinking about this a lot the last couple days and wanted to know what everyone thinks. Farmland vs. Mountains. Pros, cons, which is easier? You get the idea.

[Schultzy]

Easy one I think- Mountains much tougher, wind and the thermals kill you!

Having hunted Ky/WV most of my life and then hunting MD farmland, without a doubt, mountain hunting is much harder but less predictable. Let me explain. Here in MD, bucks don't seem to have a pattern of moving. ON flat land, they will move anywhere. During rut, they seem to travel on the edges of fields. But in WV/Ky mountains, they seem to travel ledges mostly. Like me, they don't want to travel straight up all the time.

[sandilands]

ORIGINAL: Schultzy

Easy one I think- Mountains much tougher, wind and the thermals kill you!

X2

[HuntingEd]

ORIGINAL: sandilands

X2

x3

[RockinChair]

ORIGINAL: bigcountry

Having hunted Ky/WV most of my life and then hunting MD farmland, without a doubt, mountain hunting is much harder but less predictable. Let me explain. Here in MD, bucks don't seem to have a pattern of moving. ON flat land, they will move anywhere. During rut, they seem to travel on the edges of fields. But in WV/Ky mountains, they seem to travel ledges mostly. Like me, they don't want to travel straight up all the time.

This is what I was the response I was looking for. You read all the time about setting up on trails leading to and from food sources to better your chances of shooting a mature buck during daylight hours. In the mountains- this is nearly impossible. For example there is not a network of trails that our families use to enter our food plots. They either simply wander through the timber, use ravines, or gullies to enter them. It is extremely difficult to 'pattern' a certain buck or doe group for that matter.

So what does everyone hunt, mountains or farmland? Like I said we have 265 acres of land. The closest agriculture around is a rotated corn and bean field 300 yards off our property. We have roughly 12 acres of fields and the rest is thick timber. Makes for some tough hunting.

[crenshaw]

Mountains by far are way tougher. And i understand your statement about being a bit more rewarding. One buck i shot a couple years back i walked for two hours up a mountain in the dark to an area i scouted in the summer, i shot a good deer with my bow mid day and was thrilled. Ill be the first to admit it was 20% location and 80% luck, that part of the forest was 500,000 acres of nothing but timber. Not that hunting my farm is any less rewarding its just a bit different. My hat is always off to the guys who score in the mountains.

[fatsbucknut]

ORIGINAL: RockinChair

Like I said we have 265 acres of land. The closest agriculture around is a rotated corn and bean field 300 yards off our property. We have roughly 12 acres of fields and the rest is thick timber. Makes for some tough hunting.

I'll trade you my best public land spots for your tough private land. But i also believe mountain deer can be very difficult compared to flat farm land.

[Dubbya]

Mountain deer for sure!!!

[Canuck33]

Mountain deer for sure, generally harder to locate and pattern.