Less than 24 hours! Help me think out my morning strategy. Since my place is virtually unhuntable in the morning without bumping deer I thought I'd slip over to National Forest land to hunt. There's an area that I've turkey hunted several times over the past couple of years and I see great deer sign each year (but no deer). There's two fields (orchard grass/clover mix I think) down low below a knob with one field a couple 100 yards uphill from the other. Leaving the backend of the upper field is a old road (pin #2) that winds around the side of the knob and deadends400 yards away. It is bordered with honeysuckle, paradise trees, and small hardwood trees approx~ 10 years old. Off the back-right corner of the upper field, maybe 90 yards away is a sinkhole with a pond (pin #1), presumably a seeping spring. You can see an area justto the left of pin #2that is a blowdown. Must have been a microburst or tornadoe sometime last winter. Between the trail and the sinkhole I have found rubs every year and a trail going up to a oak bench (pin #3). This is where the gobblers roost. The trail goes on up to the left of pin 3 to a small opening at the beginning of a ridge, then follows the ridge top (pin #4) to where it T's into a large mountain. The terrain here is mountain laurel and stunted oaks. I've seen bedding areas and rubs along the ridge.
My thinking is the area is used during the fall when acorns are on the ground and for night-time grazing in the fields. Plus we've had a dry year so the water should be an attractant too. The winds tomorrow are predicted to be prevailing fromthe East (picture right). I plan on parking just off the forest road and walking down the road and up the draw (trail pin #5) up to the ridge and setup on the west side of the trail somewhere up on the ridge, perhaps near the opening. The draw is thick but I'm counting on the deer being over in the fields or on the bench. Does this seem like a solid strategy? Do you think the buck will move through the ridge area to bed before shooting light?

No responses? Maybe I should have said I'm hunting elephants or over bait or have a picture of a wolf/coyote/fox/dog hybrid.

I think the ridge is a good spot from that image. He may be headed there before dark but it is possible that he will not get to the actual ridge/bedding area before it is light enough to shoot. I would give it a shot and see what happens. Nothing to loose.

Some where between pin #1 and #2.

Honeysuckle is like candy to a deer

Water is hard to come by, a weeping spring should be a magnet

The blow down will act like a small funnel - The deer should prefer to go around it on one side more than the other.

That oak bench is hard to pass up also, but you have to start some where.

If you try the bench make sure you get up high.

For the first sit or so I would look more for an observation post than a hunting spot.

Good Luck

Since this area is so close to the forest road, I'm afraid he would move through this area while still dark. My biggest concern is that the forest road bends real close to the spring but the wind should be right and the place I'm going to hunt is so much further away I think I'll be ok.

Is that the National Forest out there past Lord Botetourt Highschool? I'll come down and help you out.

Good luck in the morning. I have to work nights; so I'll be getting off at 06:30.

Ducsauce, well past LBH. I'll call you when I need help with the drag. Actually you're welcome to come hunt out there if you want. I'm just guessing at this location. Haven't done a lot of scouting in the area except during turkey season.

Haha, I appreciate it man. My hunting grounds are going to keep me busy. I have stands in Salem, Franklin county, and a place in Natural Bridge to tend to. Seriously though, if you ever need help finding your deer, just give me a shout. Be glad to do it.

Thanks for the offer. Back at you. I'm jumping around a lot this year too. I have one 1,200 acre farm I probably won't even hunt (it's overhunted anyway). My problem is that at my place morning hunts are just a no-go during archery season. With BP and gun I can go in at first light and if I see something while walking in I may have a shot. Doing two weekends on National Forest, two in Danville, and a long hunt in Brunswick county during first week of BP. Back to my place during rifle and then Appomatox county for the end of the season.

AAAUGHHHHHHHH!!![:@][:@][:@] It helps to set the alarm to 4 AM!!! not PM. My whole plan is shot. I just woke up. Not sure what I'm going to do now.