Topo Map Scouting?

[BigBass123]

Looks like I’ll most likely be in Tennessee for bow season due to work, figured it would be a nice opportunity to go for a mountain deer after hunting in Florida (unsuccessfully) last season.

I’m assuming in the mountains, studying a topo would be valuable to immediately eliminate slopes that are likely too steep for bedding habitat. I imagine potential pinch points/saddles could be located as well with the topo.

Obviously in Florida a topo doesn’t tell you much (whole WMA is within 5’ of the same elevation typically) and correspondingly I don’t hear of anyone using them to scout.

Any other features y’all like to key in on while looking at a topo?

 

[Professor]

They will bed on some steep slopes. They don’t need much of a ledge. A lot less than will show up on a topo map. E scouting is a great start, but you will have to put boots on the ground after you decide an area of interest.

 

[BigBass123]

They will bed on some steep slopes. They don’t need much of a ledge. A lot less than will show up on a topo map. E scouting is a great start, but you will have to put boots on the ground after you decide an area of interest.

Is there a max slope where you would eleminate the possibility of bedding/travel corridors or do the deer not really care? I’d guess with 4 legs they have a higher tolerance for steepness than us 2 legged folks.

Definitely plan to spend a good bit of time with boots on the ground, just trying to narrow down possible spots to focus on.

 

[Professor]

Actually, big bucks often prefer to travel on the sides of steep slopes. Obviously, they won’t travel on a cliff. The trail will often be just above, or just below a cliff.

 

[chrislibby88]

Is there a max slope where you would eleminate the possibility of bedding/travel corridors or do the deer not really care? I’d guess with 4 legs they have a higher tolerance for steepness than us 2 legged folks.

Definitely plan to spend a good bit of time with boots on the ground, just trying to narrow down possible spots to focus on.

Dude just find the path of least resistance and follow it. There will always be sign sprinkled along the way. The deer like saving calories when possible, and that means we often gravitate towards a lot of the same walking paths they do, or crossing their travel routes. Benches are great, especially very subtle ones. Old logging roads and firebreaks always have sign and trails on them, now I usually don’t hunt them, but like like finding them near places I hunt. Anywhere a steeper slope angle meets a flatter angle there will be sign, above, below, or both. Saddles are usually great, or just below them, but not all saddles are equal. I’ve had good luck on very subtle ones, that don’t exactly show up well on topo maps. Super deep saddles are usually shaded and dominated by pines and laurel, shallower saddles will get more light, and will usually have some mast trees. I like the shallow hardwood saddles with thick cover running into them, like laurel thickets on the shaded side, or young pine thickets on the south facing side, or both. You’re mainly gonna have to go walk a big loop that hits different topo features and see which ones the deer are using, once you find a good spot where several features come together you can start looking for more areas like that. Using a slope angle shader helps plan routes and puts you crossing or walking on deer travel routes

 

[Professor]

Topo maps, and even photos only go so far. I know, you can see a feature on the map and think it is perfect. Then, when you head in you can’t get there because of all the downed trees. A lot more of mountain hunting is accessing the spots you want to hunt than is initially obvious. You have to navigate crap on the ground and negotiate with shifting winds. Another point. Deer in the mountains are few. The does are clustered in groups, and during the rut bucks travel big distances to check them out. Just because you see no sign does not mean bucks are not passing through. I can’t speak to early season mountain hunting, but during the rut you need to know the doe groups well. Then, look for routs between them. Set up with favorable wind and trust you are doing it right when you see no deer for several days. For me, that is the hardest part.

 

[splatek]

Set up with favorable wind and trust you are doing it right when you see no deer for several days. For me, that is the hardest part.

One of my major goals for this season is confidence. Keeping in mind that the animal densities are low and it might take confidence that you’re in the right place even though you haven’t seen anything. This isn’t the Piedmont, I keep reminding myself

 

[Timberjack86]

What part of TN are you going to be hunting if you don't mind me asking. Shoot me a pm if you would like I might have some info for you.

 

[NCHillbilly]

Is there a max slope where you would eleminate the possibility of bedding/travel corridors or do the deer not really care? I’d guess with 4 legs they have a higher tolerance for steepness than us 2 legged folks.

Definitely plan to spend a good bit of time with boots on the ground, just trying to narrow down possible spots to focus on.

Deer here in the Smokies travel on almost perpendicular slopes. Saddles are usually always good, depending on what's on each side of them.