frank78

Does anyone have any tips on hunting creek bottoms in Northeast Texas around the Polk county area or just hunting creek bottoms in general? I have a 12' ladder stand with a tarp on top only open on the front and painted camo. I am going to put up a string of branches aroung it on top to conceal the tarp as much as possible. I don't have a feeder as I want to take them naturally and plus there are some acorn trees down there. I will be using skunk scent to mask any odor as it has worked well before for me. I will be hunting with my new Remington 270 camo w/a stainless steel barrel and a limb saver, lol. There are plenty of oak and pine trees around the bottom and I have shot/seen deer here before. I even had a few walk right behind my old stand location to bypass me by using the creek bottom, so I figure I can get em this year, lol. Do ya'll have any tips and all advice is helpfull, thanks, Frank.

Team Catfish

Forget the skunk scent......
Get everything as clean and scent free as possible.
Try and position your stand where the winds will not give your location away.
Try and cover a large area.....That 270 will reach out there and get um.
Keep in mind when choosing your stand location other deer sightings in this area......lots of times deer will travel the same paths year after year.

Just my 2 cents worth!

HOGGHEAD

I LOVE hunting Creek and River Bottoms These areas just seem to cry out and Harbor BIG Mature Bucks.

Find an area that is thick and were the creek pinch points down , Were Woods and Fields run together . Also walk along the creek banks to see were the main crossings are that the deer use to cross the creek " Normally a shallow spot in the creek " These are areas that Does and Young Bucks usually use to cross BUT you know durring the rut : " Were the Does are the Big Boys arn't going to be far away " I try to have 3 or 4 Stand locations and depending on the wind direction choose witch stand I will hunt that Hunt !

Good Luck and Remember to pay attention to THE WIND most of all !

frank78

I have my stand up the bank and did some trimming about 3 months ago to allow for deer adaption to the changes in scenery. I am not using any feed or seed to attract deer. I do know that deer frequent this area and have shot deer a lil further up this same creek before. Also took a 350# hog here my first year. I have seen where deer have a natural trail off of my right side where they come down a heavily wooded 30-40 acres on a hill and proceed down to the creek and my stand is in perfect position to catch them. I plan to shoot as many hogs as possible cuz if I don't need them then other people will and I can give to those a lil less fortunate. Other than that I have scouted/hunted this creek bottom for 5 years off and on mostly my first 2 yrs on the lease. I have a deer lease in Polk county about 133 acres and pay $350 per year, per gun, 2 buck/2doe county. The tarp over the top of my stand is mostly so I don't get wet and then the strings of branches should do the concealment job well. As well as a natural scent mask. Deer don't seem to mind the Skunk scent at all and it is a lil breathtaking, but works very well as long as it is not on you, lol.

Dan480Man

I too love hunting creek/river bottoms.
My areas are usually so thick with laurel thickets, brairs and cedar, you could about throw a bowling ball in there, and never hear it hit the ground.
Everyone I know that hunts these areas, cut in shooting lanes.
I kill 3x as many deer as them. There is a reason the deer are in there. Its THICK! Leave it that way!
I am close to a river, so the gurgling river noise sorta hides the deer noise(no cracking twigs or soft bleats), and I suppose mine too to some degree. At least I attribute that to some of my success.
You gotta hit'em good and hard, so they go down THEN. Or they'll go back in the water lots of times.

frank78

Yeah, I was very successfull my 1st year on the lease and shot almost all of my deer off the creek, but I was up the creek a lil bit and on top of a hill where the deer would come out to my left and then I had a clearing of about 5' to take my shot before they walked in front of me and I would have had to get them to turn for a clean shot. Anyway, I did some very minor trimming and left most of the natural cover in its place. I just trimmed some limbs in order for me to have as many shots as possible. But you are right, the deer love the creeks and I have no one hunting within 20 acres of me, so I am very excited to see what comes to Papa, lol. The creek normally has very little water in it in the winter, but enough to keep the deer coming there.