Scouting from internet/ topo

[BuckHunter511]

Could someone tech savy post a picture of a tract of land and point out to me what a funnel,escape route, pinch point, saddle, ridge, etc.. would look like? I think it would be to my advantage to scout some from internet. The only thing i can notice on aerial is ridges..

 

[Rackseeker]

Buy the book "Mapping Trophy Bucks"

 

[String Music]

I colored a couple examples of ridges and the points that come off of them.

Light Blue: Ridge
Blue: Points
Red: Saddles

Saddles are considered to be funnels- especially in hilly terrain. Points can also be funnels since they provide an easier path to travel compared to the surrounding steep terrain.

 

[String Music]

Here is a good funnel/pinch point to hunt during the rut.

Red: Treestand
Yellow: Bedding areas
Light Blue: Deer trail
Light Brown: Thick brush/fallen trees

My stand is located just south of a large food plot and is overlooking a pinch point in a "deep cut."

A deep cut is a terrain feature found between two points and is usually pretty eroded due to heavy amounts of rain. Cuts often contain large rocks, heavy brush, and/or fallen trees. As a result, deer are often limited to one or two trails. In my example, the only feasible way around the cut is an old logging road. As such, all the trails funnel into one trail at the cut.

Most importantly, the cut is located between two bedding areas. So when bucks start cruising these bedding areas, the cut will funnel them right by my stand.

I'll hunt this stand with a North/Northeast wind coming from behind me and blowing over the top of the area I'm watching. The bucks will travel this trail using a north wind b/c they will be able to take advantage of the wind tunnel (prevailing wind meeting rising thermals). By staying in the wind tunnel, the bucks can smell any estrous does above them and below them. If the wind was out of the south, the bucks could only smell does bedded below them.

 

[BuckHunter511]

What exactly is a saddle? I probably have seen them in my years of hunting. Any explanations about why and how bucks would use those would help also. Pictures wouldn't hurt either... Thanks String!

 

[BuckHunter511]

And What does am "escape route" look like. I will be hunting public land and all I hear from experienced public hunters, is to hunt an escape route

 

[TNTomtaker01]

http://bowsite.com/bowsite/features/pra ... ter/topos/ maybe this will help some

 

[BuckHunter511]

Thanks!

 

[Pursuit Hunter]

Here is a good funnel/pinch point to hunt during the rut.

Red: Treestand
Yellow: Bedding areas
Light Blue: Deer trail
Light Brown: Thick brush/fallen trees

My stand is located just south of a large food plot and is overlooking a pinch point in a "deep cut."

A deep cut is a terrain feature found between two points and is usually pretty eroded due to heavy amounts of rain. Cuts often contain large rocks, heavy brush, and/or fallen trees. As a result, deer are often limited to one or two trails. In my example, the only feasible way around the cut is an old logging road. As such, all the trails funnel into one trail at the cut.

Most importantly, the cut is located between two bedding areas. So when bucks start cruising these bedding areas, the cut will funnel them right by my stand.

I'll hunt this stand with a North/Northeast wind coming from behind me and blowing over the top of the area I'm watching. The bucks will travel this trail using a north wind b/c they will be able to take advantage of the wind tunnel (prevailing wind meeting rising thermals). By staying in the wind tunnel, the bucks can smell any estrous does above them and below them. If the wind was out of the south, the bucks could only smell does bedded below them.

Nice example, 'cept that deep cut thang is called a hollow around here.

 

[BuckHunter511]

I thanks guys!

 

[DaveB]

Find a piece of ground you are going to hunt on. If you have Google earth, and you should, bring up that place. Pay attention to the altitude numbers at the bottom of the screen. If you have a topo, try to match on google what you see on the topo. I knew for a fact that my lease slopes north to south with a gentle west to east series of ridges that are remarkably similar in height and distance apart. I knew, positively, before I ever physically walked the property, that a NW wind was the best and the deer would be bedded based on thickness of the understory. I also knew the northernmost 100 yards had little cover and that if you get there unnoticed you'd catch them moving back from feeding in the beanfields.

What did I find when I physically was on the property? Deer are in the adjacent corporate owned (no hunting) property and move across the top of my lease to the beanfields once acorns are gone. There are too many cottontails. Does with juveniles have their own private ridgline bedding spots and every last one heads due west when spooked. There is no running water and no pools where it collects and stays for any length of time so water is an issue. We dragged a lot of downed limbs, raked leaves, cut the smaller dead timber and attempted to make a dam at a spot where water runs down from the north, hits a low spot and turns east where it runs to the adjacent eastern property that is also not hunted. That spot is not wide, not deep, and I believe the dam will, over time, result in a standing pool of water. Just recently we set up a ground blind on a ridge where a long-abandoned road allowed us to see the very open northern slope and the dam at the bottom. By facing west instead of north we have a nice view of the trophy rock 125 paces due west down the road. We cleared a shooting lane of undergrowth and brushed in the blind.

Reading the terrain using google earth and a topo can give you an extremely good idea of what the ground looks like and where you need to explore and set up to maximize your opportunities. I am a bit lucky because my google earth and the tennessee assement maps show foliage at ifferent times of the year making estimates of understory much easier.

 

[BuckHunter511]

Thanks DaveB