BowRookie

My question relates heavily to the thread here http://www.huntingnet.com/forum/bowh...ustrating.html

What a fantastic discussion. Doing a search on "bedding" produced that thread and I could not stop reading. Just awesome information on mast producing trees, their acorns, and deer preferences. The thread ties in perfectly with my question.

I'm brand new to hunting. The property is all very remote Adirondack New York public land, with no agriculture to speak of. The food source seems to be entirely browse and acorns, specifically beech nuts (no oaks in the area). There is no solidly identifiable bedding source, just large (thousands of square feet) areas of low, thick pines and other tangled trees (previously logged).

I can only conclude - as did many of the contributors to the previously mentioned thread - that the deer in big timber areas like the one I'm hunting are very transient, with large habitats, very unpredictable movement cycles, and (as Rockport pointed out in page 2, post #12, of mentioned thread) the cover and food seem to be very close.

I can't figure out how to correctly approach an ambush location.

I don't know precisely where they are bedding, or when. I have a general idea and I suppose that's enough. In the woods at 5am my climber tree stand is louder than a Texas whorehouse at 1am, no matter how much I try to be quiet.

I thought maybe I'd just back off further away from the (very large) general area where they are bedding and set up there, where the sound wouldn't be such a factor. I still haven't seen anything. Is this likely because I'm being too loud, or is it possibly more due to that when I go into a stand of beeches in the still dark hours of the morning that is where the deer currently are before returning to their beds, and I'm scaring them out?

I guess in general I'm lacking in coming up with a solid strategy for hunting large timber. So thanks for sticking with me through this book.

super_hunt54

When bow hunting large timber with variable food sources as wide spread as you are saying I tend to look harder at water sources. Creeks and streams. Look for crossing trails to pinpoint main trails and you will find their bedding areas. Locations such as yours are kind of like hunting in South Texas. With the food sources (natural) so wide spread then pinpointing routine feeding areas is next to impossible. Deer tend to "water up" before they bed down for the morning.

olsaltydog

As what super said I find active trails to and from the bedding area. Have been on the edges of a large timber bedding areas with 3-5 trails spread a few hundred yards apart. Then I found where several of them either got really close together at some point or intersected. Can be a viewed as a pinch point but several of the trails happened to be fire breaks cut into the ground that the deer followed.

BowRookie

Super_hunt, I'd like to try what you're recommending as far as setting up on a water source. There is a very small fresh water stream running through the general area. There are also several marsh / bog areas nearby. Am I in for another guessing game, or will they prefer a stream provided it's not too far out of the way? I've seen tracks near the stream before, but it's beyond my skill level to determine how recent tracks in the mud are.

Speaking of tracking, I'd love to try to use that to find out where main travel corridors are, as well as identify bedding areas. I have a very hard time following tracks. It's all big timber so there is a thick, decaying layer of leaf liter everywhere. Now there are also brand new leaves falling everywhere. Maybe I should hang up the bow for this season and just practice tracking.

super_hunt54

In my younger days, you know, back when the T-Rex roamed the planet, I still hunted with stick and string. That is about the hardest form of hunting whitetail deer there is. I was lucky growing up with a Great Grandfather that was 100% Native American that had made his living hunting and trapping. So my tracking skills were among the first things imparted to me. Tracking is an art form unto itself and while yes there are SOME things that can be taught, much more of it will come from first hand experience that will teach you to use your instincts. Learn to spot lower levels in the new leaf bed. That will indicate a trail worn into the ground. Deer have habitual trails they follow for the most part. They are commonly a lazy creature as well and will in general take the easiest path to them. No need to set down your bow. Practice your tracking skills by still hunting and observe your landscape to notice subtle changes in level as well as tiny indicators such as small stems broken. Look at those stems closely to determine direction of travel.

As far as the stream vs bog, deer do prefer water from a flowing stream as it is generally cleaner. Look along the edges of that stream to find where they are watering and crossing. Determine the direction they are going (pointy end of the tracks indicate direction) and start practicing following. Determining the age of a track depends on several variables such as moisture of the ground, has the track been rained on, landscape, weight of the animal, and movement speed.

BowRookie

I can see I have much to learn. Perhaps for the remainder of this year I will focus on learning and, as you've suggested, carry the bow with me just in case I get lucky. Thanks for all the great input guys.