Any of you ever hunt next to a major highway?
 

Ok guys, to make a long story short, I hunt on a base with some pressure...above average pressure. There are some good bucks that are on the base, but they are very hard to pinpoint and rarely show themselves. I have narrowed down some areas on my map that include some places that are really close to a major highway(perfectly legal on the base I hunt).

I have at least two places that I have found that I just know, noone in their right mind would frequent, and I bet due that reason that some good bucks roam those areas with a little more frequency than other areas.

I have some questions for you guys:

1) Since it is July, what types of things should I look for when scouting these new places? I know alot of the old rubs are hard to find. Do you guys believe that hoof track sizes give an indication of the size of the deer? Bedding areas? Food source?

2) If I do find sign in these areas, what types of strategies should I employ? The places I hunt do not produce alot of daytime buck sightings and I am committed to doing what it takes to get on some nice deer this year, or at least upping my chances of being around them.

Thanks for any comments or suggestions.

Brett

RE: Any of you ever hunt next to a major highway?
 

Even though you'll scout now the patterns may change drastically when fall comes along. I try to do most of my scouting in the winter/early spring while turkey hunting. Everything is more obvious then.
BTW, one of my stands is near a very busy suburban rd with a lot of traffic.

RE: Any of you ever hunt next to a major highway?
 

I like to scout alot right after the hunting season as well Andy, but since I just found these areas recently, I have to make some scouting adjustments. I know it will be hard to get the best type of scouting right now, but I need to slip into these areas a couple of times to get a general feel. I am hoping this will pay off. I might be off, but I calculated that more than likely, most people won't come within 500+ yards of the areas I plan on hunting next to the highway.

RE: Any of you ever hunt next to a major highway?
 

I used to hunt right alongside I-90 in Northern IL. I parked right along the highway fence.

In my experience: a) The deer paid no attention to the highway traffic.They would treat it as sort of a safe zone. (as in, they knew not much would come after them from that direction.) b) They rarely crossed the highway so I could use it as an 'unnatural' pinch point. c)Dudes in semis often honked when they saw me.

As far as your other questions, I've foundthebest habitat isusuallyheld by thedoes, the older bucks will often be in marginal stuff (usually thicker, nastier stuff). Find a location between food and bedding areas that you can get in and out of without being detected and you'll be set.

RE: Any of you ever hunt next to a major highway?
 

IMO trying to scout sign during the summer is extremely tough. Foilage is grown up making it difficult to decifer sign, and like the good doctor said, patterns change between summer food to bed and fall pre-rut and rut. I would personally use some scouting cameras to get an idea of the type of deer in the area, perhaps try to glass some feed fields if available, and that's about it for in-the-field scouting. Then I would look at a topo map for potential travel corridors and hang/hunt when the season starts. I would start on the outskirts and areas I thought were good potential bed to food routes, then move in on movement as I saw it unfold during my hunts.

But of course I don't have a wall fall of monster bucks so my opinion may be null and void around here.

RE: Any of you ever hunt next to a major highway?
 

Thanks Christine. I have thought about the highway as being a natural funnel. I just have to find another terrain feature on the other side to pinch their movement even tighter. I am going to look it over next weekend and bring my camera with me. I will show you guys what I see here and there, so maybe you guys could give me some advice. I am excited about these areas. I have hunted on this base for the last 8 years and just found these spots after finally really scrutinizing the base map.

Any idea when to hunt this type of place. If it doesn't get alot of pressure, then maybe I could hunt these places throughout the season, maybe once a week or so at the max? Or should I just lay off until gun season, when I know they will be pressured back into these spots?

RE: Any of you ever hunt next to a major highway?
 

I would try and locate some mast producing trees in your area,these are sure to draw in the deer when the acorns start to fall.

RE: Any of you ever hunt next to a major highway?
 

Thanks Justin--"would personally use some scouting cameras to get an idea of the type of deer in the area, perhaps try to glass some feed fields if available, and that's about it for in-the-field scouting."

This is all big woods stuff minus a few decent streams that run through these areas...no fields or anything for a mile or so. Maybe I could slip next to the highway and use the noise of the vehicles to quiet my glassing in August/September? If I stayed close to the highway, the exhaust would probably help conceal my scent as well. Just thinking outloud.

RE: Any of you ever hunt next to a major highway?
 

I hunt right along a I-55 in MO. I drew a yellow rectangle around a cleared strip that deer travel. The red dot is one of the stands that I have in the area. It's the closest I have to the interstate, roughly 80 yards away. I've had great success there.

RE: Any of you ever hunt next to a major highway?
 

When scouting or checking cams I would try to walk into the woods from the highway side. My brother hunts an area like this and he has pushed deer out toward the highway on accident.. He's minus a good buck this year. ;-)

RE: Any of you ever hunt next to a major highway?
 

Thanks Doubled and demo....you all are giving me some good hope for this year!

RE: Any of you ever hunt next to a major highway?
 

I used to hunt alone the Baltimore/Washington PWKY. Lots of deer. One day I was hunting a mile or more off the highway (came in another way) and heard all these sirensgoing up another road towards the pwky. Turned out a woman was killed when she hit a deer crossing the Pwky and lost control. I wondered if a hunter had pushed it out onto thePwky. Will never know.

RE: Any of you ever hunt next to a major highway?
 

I've arrowed a big Doe, an 8 pointer and muzzleloaded a 6 pointer all along a major highway in NH.
I sit and listen to the traffic and even catch a glimpse of lights in the wee hours of the day.
Highways = a border on one side.
Now you have to figure out the other 3 sides!!!:)

Last year a buddy who lives within 300 yards of a major highway has this pinch point where a huge 10 pointer was spotted in his back yard during rut.
I do not believe it was taken, so I have plans on getting into this spot somehow.
6 years previously, his friend got a big 12 pointer in this pinch point and was a top 10 buck in NH.

RE: Any of you ever hunt next to a major highway?
 

Yep, thats what I plan on doing Ed...thanks, your comments continue to give me some hope on getting on a nice buck or two.

RE: Any of you ever hunt next to a major highway?
 

In Wis we salt our main roads in the winter. The deer flock to these roads during the summer and fall. I believe for the salt rich feed.
Major roads are often overlooked, most people believe you have to be way back in the middle of no where.
It was not a major highway but I once shot a 10 pointer so close to a quad trail head that I was listening to 2 guys talking when I shot. The buck could hear these guys and paid no attention to them.

RE: Any of you ever hunt next to a major highway?
 

Funny stuff Magic - My 8 pointer I got last Thanksgiving weekend with my pistol was pretty much the same way.

Here's the story...
I took my climbing tree stand off of this ATV trail about 60 yards and set-up shop (300 yards total from my truck).
A few hours later I heard this 8 pointer coming from behind my right shoulder @ a position of 4 o'clock, he suddenly stopped at the stone wall I was sitting beside (about 15 yards from me) and looked off towards me, but well beyond me. All of a sudden I hear a faint ATV coming towards us and so did he. I sat there watching the buck, the whole time with my head tilted down and barely seeing under the brimm of my hat, as not to make eye contact, or move and have the buck bust me. Continuing to watch the bucks head move along, side to side, with the passing ATV's (3 total), he put his nose to the ground and walked another 30 yards and perfectly stopped behind my left shoulder @ a position of 8 o'clock. Now, I had anticipated getting a shot at this buck, so as he initially came into me, I cocked the double action trigger on my Ruger Super RedHawk .44 magnum.
BAMM!
I just about fell out of my tree stand from the muzzle blast. I also knocked the hat off my head as the recoil from the gun and me only holding it with one hand was shocking!
I then proceeded to do a little "jig" in my stand.
Then snap a phone photo and send it to my hunting buddies.
Of course they immediately returned my calls with congats!
What a night and I was smiling ear to ear.:)
You got to love bedroom community hunting, as it does help narrow down the paths of the deer Mr. VirginiaShaddow.
I never get sick of this photo!

RE: Any of you ever hunt next to a major highway?
 

Awesome Ed--your son sticking his thumb up is a great part of that photo!

RE: Any of you ever hunt next to a major highway?
 

I hunt a piece of property right off I-70 and their are some awesome deer on it! I think they get used to the road noise!:D

RE: Any of you ever hunt next to a major highway?
 

Va - I hunt a few stands just off of a major interstate.

The deer will generally not cross the highway, unless pushed. Use it as a geographic barrier.

The road noise definitely compromises their hearing to a degree, and they tend to be more reliant on vision/smell. That said, they can hone in on a non-roadway sound really quickly. What I mean by that is that, even though you've got a convoy of 18-wheelers roaring past, if you clank the seat or creak the platform - you're nailed.

The highway noise will drive you absolutely insane, especially if you're a guy who relies a lot on hearing to key in on movement.

RE: Any of you ever hunt next to a major highway?
 

Thanks VS!

We never taught him "thumbs-up" and he is only 15 months in this picture.
So after snapping about 60 photos and a few marital moments trying to tell my wife how to use our new camera.
You can imagine what a great find this picture was when sifting through the photos and finding Jake with the "thumbs-up"!