Suggestions on this property?

[Ridgerunner7]

I posted this question about a year ago and got some really good input, so I thought I'd try it again. About 3 years ago I gained access to hunt a farm in Jackson Co. Our property is crowned fields on top, deep timbered drainage ditches on the bottoms that are very steep. There isn't a whole lot of flat spots so it's hard to pick out the good stand sights because everything looks similar. Not sure if I should spend most of my time in the tops or bottoms. I'm not really used to hunting terrain like this an am still learning how to hunt this hilly country. We have one overgrown (CRP)field that gets crossed all day long that is secluded. I really like that field just hard to pinpoint crossings, but from what I saw they usually crossin in the low spots. Most of the other fields are corn. Normally I try to avoid field edges, but those ridges are so steep I'm just not sure where to set up. I did find a couple of nice spots in the back of fields where the bottoms form a V on a ridge top that is in the timber and really thick. I saw a really big buck going into it last year. I appreciate the help. I don't get to hunt this property much so I was just hoping to get some tips from guys who are used to bowhunting this type of ground.

 

[River1]

I hunt similar ground in Jackson. I like to find a ridge top trail that parallels the field edge and coincides with a field / fence crossing. These situations seem to be pretty common to find. You can cover the inside ridge line trail, field edge and crossing with one stand. If you can find a wash out that leads up to that ridge trail, then you've really hit the jackpot.

Depending on the situation, you can usually find a spot for a stand just inside the timber, not right ontop of the field edge. I've never been a field edge guy myself, but a friend of mine routinely gets the job done on field edges. I told him I'm gonna adopt some of his strategies this year. We both hunt similar ground as you.

Something like that would be a good starting place anyhow, give you something to fine tune with, especially if you have a good view of the area.

 

[gundog870]

you may want to move this to the QDM I am sure a lot of guys in that one could help. I dunno if they will all see this here. Good Luck! sounnds like a nice place!

 

[muddy]

Without seeing a topo it's tough to say where to hunt, but when I hunted back at my parents house in bluffy Jackson county I would really rely upon rattling/calling. Playing the wind in an area where I could see a good ways really helped me put some nice bucks on the ground.

 

[Ridgerunner7]

Re: Suggestions on this property? *DELETED*

Post deleted by Ridgerunner7

 

[River1]

Sure looks like a nice place to hunt, lots of terrain features to work with.

Any of those ravines could have a good spot in them. Depends where your best bedding and food sources are I suppose. As far as funnels / pinches, they shouldn't be to tough, just look for the few that have the heaviest sign through them and give'm a go. The truely good ones get used every year.

Inbetween the double ravine on the N side looks like it "might" be a good place to rattle and call from.

It's kinda fun, but pretty tough to arm chair this stuff.

I think I see one of my trout'n spots though.

 

[Benny]

You have a great piece of ground.

Stay on top, you can hunt all the winds because you have two main ridges that run west and east on this property.

Hunt the south side of the road on south winds and the north side on north winds.

In the mornings if the deer seem to be in fields alot on top and you bump them consistently going in, I would try coming in from the bottom of the valley and setting up on the very northern or southern ridge points by walking up the hill at O dark thirty.

Good Luck

 

[Fletch]

I started hunting a place like this a few years back...Like you, I was used to the timbered hills and crop bottoms. I usually stay away from field edges but tried to hunt the bottoms and ended up getting scented regularly. This last year I found a couple deep drainages coming off the field edge. I found shallow points where the deer were crossing - ironically they were just inside the timber on the edge of the fields. I put a couple stands on the edges - the bucks would come up out of the bottoms to check the field for does. The first afternoon in the new stands produced four bucks within range - the next morning I harvested my second best 8 pointer 10 minutes after climbing in. The hottest areas seemed to correspond with a low spot in the field. Look for areas that channel the deer toward the field - thick multifloral rose or erosion that causes steep inclines. Hunt the down wind side of the fields, since you are up hill of the approaching deer, they aren't as likely to smell you. Good luck.

Fletch