Looks nice, Jeff. The next thing you're gonna wanna do, now that you've seen the topography first-hand and ascertained the likely bedding areas, is to map out the area by food source and timber. This should "connect the dots" a little more, with respect to the sign/trails that you've already seen first-hand.

I definitely saw some black cherry and red oak in those pictures - but I can't be too sure about the rest. Black Cherry is a primary foodsource VERY early in the season - and it dries up pretty quickly... But there will be a time, early on, where they're sweeping through the black cherries and loading up.

Walk the place and note the leaves on the forest floor. Pay particular attention for White and Red Oaks. Especially those oak groves that are particularly easily accessible from the bigger bedding areas. Whites are the "preferred" food. But there won't be any red acorns going to waste, either.

Red:



White:



Use this site to help you I.D. the trees. I'm sure you have several oak species that aren't predominant in my area.

http://www.cnr.vt.edu/dendro/dendrology/syllabus/biglist_frame.cfm#R

To get a better grip on the terminology - use these:




When god created bowhunters, his gifts to them were oak trees and poplars. If you've never run a climber up a pole-straight double-trunker poplar tree, you are missing out on one of the finer experiences in life.

...and if I'm not mistaken, I saw a few poplars standing around in those pictures.

Poplar:

That's a grat post, Quik. I'm familiar with the two main oas, here.....but I gotta tell ya.....those two fields in the lower SW corner are gonna be beans, this year.....and my initial thought is to take a vantage point on a distant hillside and just watch them enter it. I think I can scout that part from afar. I think they'r bedding off this property and more plan south. It's pretty thick back in there....but the onlything pressuring them might be a distant lawnmower. It looks pretty good back up in there.

The top of that ridge is FULL of oaks. I can see me there late Oct. a few times. I might even take a chance and put up a lock on in there or two. If the guy hunting the fields (he has no access to the trails).....will play ball with me......we can lay in wait for a GOOD deer.

Those beans will tell you a lot over the summer. If you can keep out of it and glass from afar - you'll see what caliber of deer are living in the area.

Just don't expect to get much mileage out of hunting the beans... At least in my area, the beans are usually drying up and coming off right around the 10/1. But for all of August/September, I frequently perch my ass over the beanfields with the scope in my face.They'll come to it like flies on poo.

If your season comes in a little earlier than ours - you could really take advantage of that foodsource.

Fran......dude.....My season opens 9/8.

Looks killer

Then you're in business. Just be careful, b/c if you hunt the beans in the evenings - you'll clear out the field when you climb down. They'll get wise to that, eventually. Some quicker than others.

You are learning about farmland whitetails very fast. Congrats and I wish you luck.

About that white deer...are they legal in NC? If they are...would you shoot it?(to JEFF only) Just asking, no need to justify.

Yes.....they're legal....and if I see it I'll TARGET it.

looks great GM...i am sure you are well aware of this, but i would make double sure when putting in all of your stands to do it on a rainy day or do it with extreme caution and scent protection.....i have had this happen to mee too many times hunting a new area that has not had a lot of pressure..i go in there hang a stand or do some scouting or put up cams and a lot of the deer do not like that small amount of pressure if they are not use to it and will avoid those areas....just something to thing about if no one has hunted it in a wihle

I wouldn't know what I would do with myself if I had a place like that to hunt...best of luck to you GMMAT.