Serious help needed!!

[wiggywigg71]

This morning I was sitting in my lock on in an area about 75yds from a big ridge to my left and I have another ridge to my right that kinda winds behind me and creates a pinch point where the two come together. It is a very thick area that I killed deer from last year and have had trail cam pics of deer this year. Well here is the where I need help. This area if full of ridges, draws, hollows and flats and every part is super thick with hardwoods and some scattered pines. I was sitting there this morning and heard the deepest grunt that I have ever heard in my life, it was so deep that I thought, that can't be a deer, boy was I wrong. I grunted back and waited, the deer came closer and grunted again about 50 yards from me. I saw a little movement and then it turned and walked away as it did it went through a place that had about a five yard wide clear spot and then I was able to see the whole deer. It was the biggest buck I have ever seen in this place since I started hunting it some years ago. I put up my binos to get a better look after I grunted to stop it. From what I could see he was a giant 10 pointer. He went on his way without me getting a shot. I got down at 11 and decided to go to where he grunted from the first time and when I got to the area I was amazed at what I saw. Two mornings ago I heard what I thought was deer fighting coming from that area and had planned to get closer. There were rubs all over the top of this ridge and a major travel corridor. It is too thick to hang a stand without messing up the area trying to create shooting lanes and it is so thick that even if you put a ground blind in there you would have to clear a lot of stuff out to make shooting lanes for it as well. The only place to set up without messing up the place is 5yds off the the travel trail overlooking the bottoms. If the deer even goes 10 yds off the trail there is no shot. My question is what would you do in this situation. I have been hunting since I was a kid but have never found such a great place in such thick stuff. I want to go in this afternoon and put out a camera to see just how big the deer are that are using the trail but really need advice on weather to use a ground blind or a treestand. Also if I do cut lanes for either, how long should I wait to hunt it or should I go in the same day?

 

[Horns]

Sounds like that is his core bedding area. You may not want to get all the way in there for fear of spooking him away.

 

[JCBANJO02]

i would go in trim and hunt the same day you trim it then put the camera up high and backout a few days. I would think a stand would be better in such close quarters.

 

[elfiii]

Don't touch nuthin' and don't pressure him too much.

 

[Lukikus2]

Don't go in. If you do and bust him out he may not be back. Stick to the outside edge and don't hunt it unless the wind is right. If that's his core area, which it sounds like it, he will be back out browsing again. If he didn't see you, you have the edge. And don't leave human scent in his area.

Good luck

 

[mickyu]

Careful getting in his bedroom. He didn't get that big by being stupid and carefree. Those big boys love that thick stuff, they feel protected. I would be leery of over hunting that area. When you do hunt it, pay special attention to the wind and your scent. I'm sure the last thing you want to hear, "Patience will pay Dividends". Good luck. Keep us posted.

 

[swalker1517]

Don't touch nuthin' and don't pressure him too much.

This^^^ Hunt with only the right wind. If you heard rattlin, then rattle to get him out. I would not move any closer for fear he would bust me. Call to him, he responded once, he might respond again and come looking for a fight

 

[GA DAWG]

Don't touch nuthin' and don't pressure him too much.

Yep. If you do. He'll be gone. Just by going in this morning. He knows your there now.
Just keep hunting the edges.With perfect wind.

 

[hoppie]

You have seen him, so no camera is needed. You know he is there. I would look for a spot towards where he walked or on the backside of where he came from. Or I would stay put and hope he wanders closer. Sounds like a dominant deer so challenge him with grunts, snort wheeze, or rattling. Be prepared for him to approach down wind.

 

[joedublin]

You saw where he was walkin' out.....that's where you need to be....down that trail 20 or 30 yards.

 

[wiggywigg71]

Thanks guys. I have talked to a lot of people today about him and got pretty much the same response. I thought some of the same things you guys said when I was going to take a closer look this morning. A co-worker of mine who has killed a lot of big deer told me to just wait until it is raining before I put a blind up because that will help with keeping the scent down. I tried not to stay in the area long because I didn't want to booger him out of there. I will keep you guys posted.

 

[absuches]

if you can get up one of the ridges a little and find a tree that is straight to climb to get high enough to see a lot of the edge and maybe inside some of the stuff I would do that. only hunt it in the morning with the predominant wind in your favor, that way you play the thermal too. hunt a climbable tree WITH SOME COVER! another tree leaning towards it or a shorter tree with limbs surrounding it (you can trim a SMALL spot for your stand amongst the limbs, limits visibility but hides you). I've hunted the mountains all my life and those deer are not flat landers, they look up too. they have to look up the ridges to watch for danger, so naturally they will notice you up a tree also. do not go up a bare tree with no cover, you will get busted. I tried that last year to see if I could pull it off and sure enough the lead doe busted me right off. you'll have to go in on a rainy day to find that stand tree to keep scent down, need a perfect wind that day too. whatever you do, if you are anywhere on a ridge, be getting out of there by early afternoon, those thermals are real and the deer below will smell you even if you think there is no wind.

 

[Lukikus2]

if you can get up one of the ridges a little and find a tree that is straight to climb to get high enough to see a lot of the edge and maybe inside some of the stuff I would do that. only hunt it in the morning with the predominant wind in your favor, that way you play the thermal too. hunt a climbable tree WITH SOME COVER! another tree leaning towards it or a shorter tree with limbs surrounding it (you can trim a SMALL spot for your stand amongst the limbs, limits visibility but hides you). I've hunted the mountains all my life and those deer are not flat landers, they look up too. they have to look up the ridges to watch for danger, so naturally they will notice you up a tree also. do not go up a bare tree with no cover, you will get busted. I tried that last year to see if I could pull it off and sure enough the lead doe busted me right off. you'll have to go in on a rainy day to find that stand tree to keep scent down, need a perfect wind that day too. whatever you do, if you are anywhere on a ridge, be getting out of there by early afternoon, those thermals are real and the deer below will smell you even if you think there is no wind.

No doubt!

Daniel Boone that thing if you want to. Can't say I haven't for better and worse. One tip though. If your entering their living room, play like they have a gun ready to shoot you.

 

[Old Bart]

Bring him to you, hunting in his bedding area is too risky. Get creative, rattle, grunt, deer estrous ect..

 

[triton196]

leave it alone I would not wonder around he already is educated from you grunting at him just hunt the area and play the wind be where the does are going and be patient. he will get after a hot doe and make a mistake.