Hunting ravines and ridges
 

hey everyone, quick question for ya. I just leased a property that is loaded with ravines and ridges. I have never hunted this type of terrain before and was wondering what tips or advice I can use for you all. It has some bottom land, and viewing a topo map, I can tell where teh ravines come together. Is that a safe spot to hunt or will wind swirl in the bottoms? Any advice would be awesome thanks.

RE: Hunting ravines and ridges
 

I have found that during the rut the bucks will run the ridges and tree lines more than anything.

RE: Hunting ravines and ridges
 

Find where 2 or more come together and start looking there.

RE: Hunting ravines and ridges
 

I hunt ridges, and the wind can be tricky at times. Best thing to do, IMO,is scout, find some good deer sign/trails and see what the wind is like at the times you plan to hunt with various predominant wind directions. Where I hunt, the wind is generally uphill in the morning and downhill in the evening, unless the wind is fairly strong (>8 or 10 mph), which may change that. Personally, I like hunting in a tree just below the top of a ridge near a deer trail intersection. This elevates me above the deer coming up from below, out of their smelling range and usually provides a good view of the valley/ravine and any trails that run along the ridgetops (which they often do in steep terrain situations, in my experience.

What TeeJay said is good advice, too, in my experience. Saddles, where the tops of two or three ridges come togethr is usually a good crossing point for deer from one valley to the next and tends to get a lot of traffic. The only drawback to saddles, in my experience, is that winds tend to be even trickier around saddles because of the possibility of winds coming up or going down more than one valley.

Good luck!

I love hunting ridges. Especially during the rut. Bucks usually travel ravines mid morning in hopes of finding a doe. I believe they do this to maintain high ground and scope the area.

I think MountainHunter hit is right on the head. I hunt a lot of ridges and after two years on a certain piece of land I am just starting to figure out how to hunt them. I think with ridges you have to really watch the wind and have more stand options and only hunt certain ones when the wind is perfect. We have a few spots that we get lots of trail cam pics of big bucks but never seem to see them when we hunt it. We made the decision not to hunt that food plot this year because we think the wind is just swirling too much no matter how perfect it. I think if you can set up on the top third of the ridge and play the wind you will be in good shape. Were going to try and put on more stands this year (actually this weekend) and have more options at every wind direction. After watching the wind this year and learning it I think that a few more fine tunes and we'll be in a lot better shape.

Also, are you bow or gun hunting?

The resurrection of a really old post, from 5 years ago.

The best way to initially survey what deer are anywhere is to spotlight it at night, just after sunset, and just before dawn.

Make sure you don't have any weapons with you of any kind whenever you spotlight.

And if anybody asks you what you are doing, tell them you are a wildlife photographer and you are ascertaining the game populations, for photo and filming.

Then come back and take some photos later. So that you are not a liar.

Don't mention hunting at all.

I will be sure to let the Warden down south now that you are legit! :busted:


by the way in CA it is ILLEGAL to spotlight deer regardless of intent.

Check out Brad Herndon's Mapping Trophy Bucks! This book covers just about everything you need to know!

§264. Use of Lights While Hunting--Specific Areas.
•(a) Lights of any size or voltage may be used to take furbearing or nongame mammals only in the areas described in subsections (b) and (c) below, and only under the following conditions: ◦(1) The use of lights for night hunting is prohibited in any area where the general deer season is open.
◦(2) Furbearing mammals and nongame mammals may be taken with the aid of a spotlight or other artificial light operated from a vehicle provided such vehicle is stopped and standing with the motor off. No spotlight may be used from a vehicle which is on a public road or highway.

•(b) Zone 1. (Portions of Butte, Colusa, Glenn, Placer, Sacramento, Sutter, Tehama, Yolo and Yuba counties.)
Area: Within the boundary beginning at the junction of Interstate 880 and Interstate 5 near Sacramento; east on Interstate 880 to its junction with Interstate 80; north and east on Interstate 80 to its junction with Highway 65 near Roseville, along Highway 65 to its junction with Highway 20 at Marysville; west on Highway 20 to its junction with Highway 45; north on Highway 45 to its junction with Highway 162; east on Highway 162 to its junction with Highway 99; north on Highway 99 to South Avenue near the town of Corning; west on South Avenue to Interstate 5 in Corning; north on Interstate 5 to Corning Road; west on Corning Road to Paskenta Road; west on the Paskenta Road to the town of Paskenta; southwest on the Round Valley Road to the Garland Road; south on the Garland Road to the town of Newville; south on the Newville-Elk Creek Road to the town of Elk Creek; south on the Elk Creek-Stonyford Road to the town of Stonyford; south on the Stonyford-Leesville Road to the town of Ladoga; south on the Stonyford-Leesville Road to the town of Leesville; south from Leesville on the Bear Valley Road to its intersection with Highway 20; east on Highway 20 to its intersection with Highway 16; south and east on Highway 16 to its intersection with Interstate 5; east on Interstate 5 to Interstate 880 and the point of beginning.
•(c) Zone 2. (Portions of Inyo, Kern, Los Angeles, Mono and San Bernardino counties and all of Imperial, Orange, Riverside and San Diego counties.)
Area: Inyo, Mono and Kern counties south and east of a line beginning at the junction of Highway 182 and the California-Nevada state line; south on Highway 182 to its junction with Highway 395; south on Highway 395 to its intersection with Highway 168 at Bishop; west on Highway 168 to its intersection with the Inyo National Forest boundary; south on the Inyo National Forest boundary to its junction with County Highway J41; south and east on County Highway J41 to its junction with Highway 395; south on Highway 395 to its junction with Highway 14 near Inyokern; south on Highway 14 to its junction with Highway 178 at Freeman; west on Highway 178 to its junction with the Bodfish-Caliente Road at Isabella; south on the Bodfish-Caliente Road to its junction with Highway 58; east on Highway 58 to its junction with the Los Angeles Aqueduct; south and west on the Los Angeles Aqueduct Road to its junction with 265th Street West near Neenach; south on 265th Street West to its junction with the Elizabeth Lake-Pine Canyon Road at Three Points; east along the Elizabeth Lake-Pine Canyon Road to its junction with Highway 14 at Palmdale; south on Highway 14 to its intersection with the Angeles Forest Highway; south on the Angeles Forest Highway to the Mill Creek Summit Road; east and south on the Mill Creek Summit Road to its intersection with the Angeles Crest Highway (Highway 2) at Upper Chilao Campground; east on the Angeles Crest Highway to its intersection with the Los Angeles-San Bernardino county line; north on the Los Angeles-Kern-San Bernardino county line to its intersection with Highway 58; east on Highway 58 to its intersection with the range line between R3W and R4W; south along the range line between R3W and R4W to the southeast corner of T8N, R4W; east along T8N to its intersection with the west boundary of the U.S. Marine Corps Training Center; south and east on that boundary to its intersection with Giant Rock Road; east along Giant Rock Road to a point where it turns southeast and corresponding with a projected north extension of Sunfair Road; south on Sunfair Road and its projected extension to the San Bernardino-Riverside county line; and all of Imperial, Orange, Riverside and San Diego counties.