huntman

if you're hunting a new spot that you really havnt scouted extensively, do you prefer to spend a lot of time looking for well used trails or do you just look for a location that you think the deer would use a lot, such a a good funnel, a bottleneck, or the edge of a wide creek bottom?
im just wondering because i was deer hunting this weekend wednesday to sunday and was having no luck finding an abundance of deer sign, even though we know there are tons of deer. I was hunting around lake texoma, so the only spots i had were creek bottoms. one was about 400 yds across with smaller creek beds runnning through it. we couldnt really find any good trails, so we just set up along an edge of the bottom. we only saw 2 does in 8 hunts. what would you recommend?

BuckAlley

Once in awhile I get into a new area for whatever reason to hunt for the first time without any prior scouting. I do try to look at a topo map, and aerial photo online to get some sort of idea on the areas layout, and possible starting points. I look for areas you mentioned like bottlenecks, and pinch points. When I go in depending on time of year. I look for the usual sign, and also try to find a food source of some kind in the area, or a possible buck travel route if its during the rut. Some sort of land structure that will cause a buck to come through a spot for a shot if he walks through this section in pursuit of a doe. Drainage ditches, narrow creek crossings, log roads in thick cover. Anything that'll possibly bring some traveling by my stand.

THWACK

The best spot I've hunted this year was my last choice. I hunt in the LOESS HILLS in Iowa usually and have access to about 3,000 acres. In early November I decided to look at an area behind my house that has 20 acres of habitat along the Nishnabotna River. There was corn, the river, soybeans, and a couple of brushy fence rows. I also didn't have a lot of trails there but scouted as I hunted during midday. I shot a doe the first week, an 8-point the second on land permit, and a 10-point on regular permit during peak rut. The other night I set a stand in the field corner in a little patch of timber and had 4 good bucks under me until well after dark. I only had a doe tag and they kept chasing them out. Don't over look areas that don't look good from afar. I found the bedding area about 1/4 mile away and found that they are using the fence rows extensively. I learned most of this during rut though when all the deer were moving. Now that I know the routine I am still seeing deer because I can set up where I know they live

THWACK!

round ball

The first year I got into a new area I like to stalk and move around the area nice and quite. Acouple of years I infact came upon a new area to hunt very large at that. I was able to look the entire place over and did get to sneak up on a doe that was bedded down and got a shot at her would have gotten her if I would not have hit a limb about 2 feet in front of her and my arrow droped under her. but it paid off because this year I got a 5 pointer and my son got a doe in the same area. move look and remember what you see it will pay off latter on. Practice and BE SAFE!!!!!!