As some of you may have read an earlier post of mine, about finding the real good public land sign. Since then, I have been racking my brain, trying to piece everything together, trying to find a rhyme or reason as to why the deer are doing what they are doing. These bucks are making scrapes in these two fields I found, about 2 miles back. They are basically 2 secluded meadows, nothing special to them. About 75yd-75yd fields. They are only freshening those scrapes up, they have igrnored the scrapes in the woods completely. There's no doubt in my mind that I am dealing with a couple mature bucks. Basically, in a 300yd-300yd area, I found roughly 50ish rubs, and about 8 scrapes. For this area, that's impressive, not to mention public land. One rub I saw today it took two hands to fit around the tree.


These deer are comming off the top of the mountain, moving through the thickest, sapling, briars, and vines possible. Then they check their scrapes, and from there I have no idea where they are going. I'm honestly clueless. These deer honestly know what they are doing, there is really no way to hunt them, with being successful. Unless, you were to just sit all day and pray one makes a mistake.

I have the moon going against me right now too, and I'm pretty positive that they are using the scrapes in the field at night.


I went at it as hard as I possibly go, trying to get an idea as to what I can do, today. We got a little dusting of snow last night up where I hunt, so I was trying to use that to my advantage. I found trails, but they just proved what I already knew.


It was about 18 degrees this morning on the mountain, with 20mph winds. Talk about rough, not to mention it was 70 degrees 3 days ago.


If someone can help me get an aerial photograph up, I'll post one, to see if I can get some help.

Did you go in early and set up? Did you see anything? I remember your post Cougars.

Maybe a ground blind right off one of the thickest trails? Makes a quiet entrance and you can get in and out quiet.

Those two highlighted sentences tell me this...

If you think they are only hitting the secluded fields at night, why not try to get right in the thick stuff with them. Nothing to lose and much to gain.

Damm shadow. You beat me to it...

Or find a tree in that crap and cut some lanes.

I'm not sure how exactly you would go about this.....but here's what I've learned...


Hunt where they are GOING to be....Not where they WERE....If that makes sense. They are using those 2 fields because they are secluded. They feel secure there. Never you mind those scrapes and such....Find the doe bedding areas and what they're eating...set up in between the 2.