Hunting Sign vs Hunting Terrain Features?

[Land Between the Lakes]

I was thinking about this recently, it seems that most of the bucks I have taken over the years weren't walking on any trails, they were just wandering through the area during the rut. A lot of the bucks were taken in areas with little sign. In fact, it seems that in most of the areas I have hunted, a lot of the sign, such as scrapes and rubs is made at night. I typically don't pay much attention to sign anymore, I mostly look for and hunt terrain features. I know the bucks will use those terrain features to travel during the rut.

What about you?

 

[NBF7240]

I hunt terrain features 90 percent of the time.

 

[Boll Weevil]

I hadn't thought about it until you posed the question but now that I consider it, rarely hunt sign anymore. Our stands are placed to take advantage of travel routes, wind, stealth during entry/exit, and food. We stay out of bedding areas altogether though many stands are located adjacent to heavy cover.

 

[ZachMarkus]

I'm a terrain hunter. I like to see sign to know there are bucks in the area but I don't hunt it, I feel a lot of it is made at night.

 

[MXB 400]

I was thinking about this recently, it seems that most of the bucks I have taken over the years weren't walking on any trails, they were just wandering through the area during the rut. A lot of the bucks were taken in areas with little sign. In fact, it seems that in most of the areas I have hunted, a lot of the sign, such as scrapes and rubs is made at night. I typically don't pay much attention to sign anymore, I mostly look for and hunt terrain features. I know the bucks will use those terrain features to travel during the rut.

What about you?

I think you and I have sort a discussed this very subject. I love seeing sign but rarely will I hunt over it anymore.I'm a terrain guy, travel corridors, funnels and saddles. I've wasted lots of time in the past hunting sign, not saying that I haven't killed a deer over sign but since I've changed the way I hunt my kill rate as been AWESOME . I get to put what I've learned to use this coming weekend at LBL hopefully I can kill me the best buck to date as I hear that they are there. NO GUTS NO GLORY

 

[PickettSFHunter]

Terrain


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[bigtex]

I hunt terrain almost exclusively. Saddles, pinch points etc.

 

[EastTNHunter]

Mainly terrain, food sources, funnels , and edges

 

[MXB 400]

I hunt the fresh sign...maybe I should reconsider...

Hunting fresh sign isn't wrong, are you killing deer? I've killed a couple hunting fresh sign,when I changed up and started paying less attention to the sign and paying more attention where they came from , where they were headed, and the lay of the land, my kill rate changed went from 1 to 3 deer a season to tagging out last year and well on the way to tagging out this year already killed 5

 

[dburt]

Guess I hunt both, as I pay attention to saddles and pinch points and inside corners, etc that they'll use for travel routes. But with that said, I think until now I've kind of just used those things to find fresh sign and hunted that spot...not paying much attention to it if I didn't find enough sign. And furthermore, I would rather find a feeding area with lots of sign rather than a travel area as my thought was I'm more likely to get a good shot if the deer are hanging around eating as opposed to just moving through an area. But, interesting, I learned a lot here! I too generally get enough for the freezer but I'm new to hunting, have never got a big buck and have never tagged out. Great info! Why I keep coming back on here.

 

[jb357]

Depends on the time of year. But you mentioned the rut, what I'll do is locate the area that has loads of buck sign and then back track it until it dwindles to a rub or scrape here and there then use terrain features to figure out their path of travel to that area.

 

[KBotta]

Both.

 

[Snake]

Yes I tag plenty for the freezer but I don't see many bucks.

Try to determine buck trails a little out of the way of regular trail routes but during the rut hunt the does .

 

[Winchester]

Depends on time of year. Early and late season I definitely hunt the food sources and areas with lots of feed sign. November and the Rut I hunt almost exclusively terrain features and travel routes, bottlenecks, funnels, etc. I discard most sign when the bucks are on their feet and moving a lot during daylight hours, and hunt the high % travel routes.

 

[JeepKuntry]

Some areas I hunt have poor sign. I mainly look for funnels and thickets. Try to hunt further than most are willing to walk. So I'm more of a terrain feature. If I had a good food source, I would hunt it early in the season and late.

 

[larry ipock]

I hunt terrain features too. I know what saddles, inside corners, edges, and gaps are, what are you calling pinch points, wonder if it something I know but just called by another name.

 

[dburt]

I have learned pinch point as along the side of a ridge where a steep valley causes the deer to hug the ridge.

 

[larry ipock]

Oh, ok, I think that's what I call a bench, or a bainch, lol.

 

[Winchester]

I hunt terrain features too. I know what saddles, inside corners, edges, and gaps are, what are you calling pinch points, wonder if it something I know but just called by another name.

Pinch points can be anything that will funnel deer to move through a small or restricted area. Like where a river runs close to a Bluff for instance.