Mike Belt
Well-Known Member
Got me a doe opening day and saw several deer. Nothing the second day. When I climb down I generally do swings through the territory or check out entirely different places preparing for rifle season. I look for sign and terrain features funneling deer through the places I find sign. Saturday's hunt was off a ridge hanging over a narrow bottom between thick areas that funnel the deer through. After spending a morning watching deer movement I opted for another tree situated between 2 hollows feeding into this bottom. Looks great and has a lot of potential. Sunday I scouted a thick mixture of overgrown grass, briars and scrub trees mixed with pines and hardwoods. Fresh scrapes were scattered all throughout. I jumped a few deer in the process. I pre-climbed a tree offering me spotty views of the multitudes of trails leading close enough to my tree for a shot. I've hunted not far from there in the past during the rut and seen a lot of chasing through the area. This spot looks much better than it did there. Again, great potential. Much of what I'm looking for is in conjunction with where I know other hunters hunt and these areas have the sign and the terrain that allows the deer to avoid them while moving around. I love hunting the rut. Whether I shoot or not depends on the players but I still love to watch them doing their thing. Along with a couple of other locations I think I just about have my spots picked for the year.
