Newby Buck Spot
07-08-2016, 09:54 AM
#1
Spike
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2014
Posts: 73
Newby Buck Spot
Yes I am a newby. And this whole off season I have been working my butt off in the state of RI. I ave been scouting since the very last day of the season trying to find different spots so I do not burn all of my spots out. And so I can rotate and accommodate the wind directions. I was wondering if anyone could give me some information on buck movement.
So I have this spot that I am currently scouting, and I am trying to figure it out. There are 3 beaten runs leading out to this field. Now I am positive that the deer are staging in the woods until they go out into the field. I set up trail cameras on these 3 runs. Now after doing vigorous scouting from google earth I noticed that there is a creek in the back of this land. Now there is a hill that drops down about 10 or 15 feet gradually. It seems as if the deer cross this creek and walk up this hill to come to this field. But I looked for the path of least resistance and I found it. But i found no disturbance in the leaves on this slope that I thought the deer would use. Then about 50 or 60 yards away i found a beaten run going from the creek all the way up the hill at one of the steepest parts of the hill. Makes not a bit of sense to me. But there is a rock wall right near where they chose to walk up. So are they taking the harder route because they have protection?
Now I got 2 doe and 1 fawn on camera. As well as 7 or 8 different bucks. Now I am wondering if there is a chance that the bucks will be in this area come opening day in September? Or should I consider it a lost cause? I just don't want to get hopes up lol.
Right now I am just trying to harvest my first deer. That's my number one goal. But I only have public land to hunt. And this spot seems to have absolutely no hunting pressure. And a good amount of deer in it. My trail camera was out for a total of 7 days and i got 50 pictures total. (yes I know I should only go into the spot once every 3 to 4 weeks max. But I wanted to get all of my scouting out of the way with a good amount of time before the season. Now I am going to check the cameras in 3 weeks. Find my tree that day and let it rest for a month. Any suggestions?
So I have this spot that I am currently scouting, and I am trying to figure it out. There are 3 beaten runs leading out to this field. Now I am positive that the deer are staging in the woods until they go out into the field. I set up trail cameras on these 3 runs. Now after doing vigorous scouting from google earth I noticed that there is a creek in the back of this land. Now there is a hill that drops down about 10 or 15 feet gradually. It seems as if the deer cross this creek and walk up this hill to come to this field. But I looked for the path of least resistance and I found it. But i found no disturbance in the leaves on this slope that I thought the deer would use. Then about 50 or 60 yards away i found a beaten run going from the creek all the way up the hill at one of the steepest parts of the hill. Makes not a bit of sense to me. But there is a rock wall right near where they chose to walk up. So are they taking the harder route because they have protection?
Now I got 2 doe and 1 fawn on camera. As well as 7 or 8 different bucks. Now I am wondering if there is a chance that the bucks will be in this area come opening day in September? Or should I consider it a lost cause? I just don't want to get hopes up lol.
Right now I am just trying to harvest my first deer. That's my number one goal. But I only have public land to hunt. And this spot seems to have absolutely no hunting pressure. And a good amount of deer in it. My trail camera was out for a total of 7 days and i got 50 pictures total. (yes I know I should only go into the spot once every 3 to 4 weeks max. But I wanted to get all of my scouting out of the way with a good amount of time before the season. Now I am going to check the cameras in 3 weeks. Find my tree that day and let it rest for a month. Any suggestions?
07-08-2016, 10:43 AM
#2
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Allegan, MI
Posts: 8,019
What is in the field that it appears they are going out to in the evening? If it still has what they are going out for when hunting season starts they should still be around, especially if you are correct about it having low human pressure.
07-08-2016, 03:44 PM
#3
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: NE Kansas
Posts: 1,101
Then about 50 or 60 yards away i found a beaten run going from the creek all the way up the hill at one of the steepest parts of the hill. Makes not a bit of sense to me. But there is a rock wall right near where they chose to walk up. So are they taking the harder route because they have protection?
Let me ask, did you go past that area to be absolutely sure the deer are doing what you think?
I've in the past sort of assumed the deer were doing one thing but really doing another simply because I was lazy and didn't go verify.
07-08-2016, 04:02 PM
#4
Boone & Crockett
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: south eastern PA
Posts: 15,429
Don't forget, once the rut starts all bets are off for buck movement and behavior. The deer trails you are seeing now are a good indicator deer are using the area but it doesn't mean they will be there when you are.
07-09-2016, 05:14 AM
#5
Spike
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2014
Posts: 73
I went down the stream where the land boundary ends. I would go into the land behind the stream, but I didn't have my rubber boots with me. I had just purchased a new pair of shoes that morning. And my old ones were water logged from a kayaking trip I took the morning before. So I sacrificed my new shoes for scouting lol. But I gotta admit I love scouting for deer. But I didn't go across. I am letting the spot rest for a few weeks before I go back and check my cameras.
Oldtimr, I honestly have no idea what I am going to do as the rut roles around this year lol. Last year was such a crap shoot, I was lost. So any information that you can give me on Buck spots and the rut I would greatly appreciate. Honestly I doubt I will kill a decent buck this year. If I am lucky enough to get one, it'll probably be a spike or a small 4 point lol. Still Have a lot of learning to do. But that being said, I am going to try my hardest to fill that tag lol.
Oldtimr, I honestly have no idea what I am going to do as the rut roles around this year lol. Last year was such a crap shoot, I was lost. So any information that you can give me on Buck spots and the rut I would greatly appreciate. Honestly I doubt I will kill a decent buck this year. If I am lucky enough to get one, it'll probably be a spike or a small 4 point lol. Still Have a lot of learning to do. But that being said, I am going to try my hardest to fill that tag lol.
07-09-2016, 05:35 AM
#6
Boone & Crockett
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: south eastern PA
Posts: 15,429
I don't know the property so I won't try to tell you how to hunt it. However, you can locate scrapes and rubs but scrapes are of more use than rubs because buck tend their scrapes to add scent periodically. Don't put a stand right on a scrape, put it a distance away where the deer can be intercepted on his way to the scrape. When I find a new property I walk the entire thing. I look for places where deer trails come together and funnels that deer use to get from one place to another. Locating funnels and hunting them has been successful for me.
07-09-2016, 08:37 AM
#7
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: MICHIGAN
Posts: 2,568
I have one question?
"this spot seems to have absolutely no hunting pressure"
How do you know there doesn't seem to be much hunting pressure?
At this time of year last years scrapes will be hard to find, some you may think is a scrape will really be a turkey dusting area or other game bird.
I would look for rub lines, seems if a buck has used the area in the past it will use it again or a new buck will take his place.
Also since it is public land many of the trails now seen will be of no use once the season starts and the deer start getting spooked. They then will start using their less defined escape trails.
Living in Michigan the idea of public land not having hunters like ticks in the woods boggles my mind.
Al
"this spot seems to have absolutely no hunting pressure"
How do you know there doesn't seem to be much hunting pressure?
At this time of year last years scrapes will be hard to find, some you may think is a scrape will really be a turkey dusting area or other game bird.
I would look for rub lines, seems if a buck has used the area in the past it will use it again or a new buck will take his place.
Also since it is public land many of the trails now seen will be of no use once the season starts and the deer start getting spooked. They then will start using their less defined escape trails.
Living in Michigan the idea of public land not having hunters like ticks in the woods boggles my mind.
Al
Last edited by alleyyooper; 07-09-2016 at 08:41 AM.
07-10-2016, 05:50 AM
#8
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Oct 2013
Posts: 9,230
I nearly took a set of orders to RI when I was active duty. But before i did I went and checked the place out and one of the things I was really checking out was the deer hunting. What I found made me reconsider the ordrs and I took a set to Pensacola Fl instead.
Bottom line RI is about the same size as a postage stamp and I seriously doubt any decent piece of public property has "no hunting pressure" as is being claimed. Too many people and too little land. But the OP can use that to his advantage. Be in there the day before the season opens and spend the night being real, real quite. Let the other hunters move the game to him.
If it was me I'd find the heaviest used trails and I'd set up overlooking one or even better where 2 cross. I'd be willing to spend a couple of days if needed and would set up a quiet dry camp a little bit away from the trails so I didn't spook anything at night. I'd be there long before shooting light and I would slip out in the dark at night.
Bottom line RI is about the same size as a postage stamp and I seriously doubt any decent piece of public property has "no hunting pressure" as is being claimed. Too many people and too little land. But the OP can use that to his advantage. Be in there the day before the season opens and spend the night being real, real quite. Let the other hunters move the game to him.
If it was me I'd find the heaviest used trails and I'd set up overlooking one or even better where 2 cross. I'd be willing to spend a couple of days if needed and would set up a quiet dry camp a little bit away from the trails so I didn't spook anything at night. I'd be there long before shooting light and I would slip out in the dark at night.
07-14-2016, 08:59 AM
#9
Spike
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2014
Posts: 73
Well honestly I only know that there is no hunting pressure in this spot because DEM just acquired this land this past year, and my buddy works for DEM. He said its open to hunting this year but they don't plan on posting anything in the abstract until next year. Not to mention I don't think RI has updated their public hunting land maps since like 2005 and they have acquired a lot of land since then. So there's going to be very little hunting pressure at all. I just figured that the people that lived on the properties butting up to it would be hunting in the area around it. And ik a lot of people around here put the boundaries a little bit that's all.
