How to approach this bedding next to feeding

[kyguylal]

HI everyone,

I'm hunting New Hampshire and am hunting a populated area with pockets of woods.

One spot I found today is a smaller wooded site, about 10 acres abbutting a golf course.

I found a textbook perfect pinch point where there's a swamp with good bedding areas which follow a stone wall. Clearly the deer are using an opening in the wall I found. It's immediately next to a white oak stand with piles of fresh droppings all around with leaves kicked up. Definitely a feeding area.

I'm hunting with a crossbow out of a saddle.

We have a cold front coming though this weekend and I'm hoping they'll be moving.

What's the best way to approach this?

Since the bedding areas is immediately adjacent to the feeding area, should I try and catch them cruising from bedding right before sunset? Figure I'd spook them hunting early morning.

Just hung a cell camera out there to try and pattern them in.

Still new to hunting with a few deer under my belt now.

 

[Drenalin]

Since the bedding areas is immediately adjacent to the feeding area, should I try and catch them cruising from bedding right before sunset? Figure I'd spook them hunting early morning.

How close is immediately adjacent? Do you have terrain or vegetation to conceal your approach and climb? Generally, my vote is to get as close to bedding as possible but you need to be able to do it without blowing them out, or getting picked off by non-target deer when they get up to move (this includes not getting your ground scent where they’ll be traveling).

 

[kyguylal]

How close is immediately adjacent? Do you have terrain or vegetation to conceal your approach and climb? Generally, my vote is to get as close to bedding as possible but you need to be able to do it without blowing them out, or getting picked off by non-target deer when they get up to move (this includes not getting your ground scent where they’ll be traveling).

It looks like I have some room. I checked out some maps and it looks like they're likely bedding on an island in the swamp.

Camera lit up just at sunset and I had a handful of does and small bucks work through. I'm happy taking any deer for early archery season since my freezer is empty.

Very little terrain to hide my climb, but good cover low in the trees. Think I should be able to climb up and have plenty of time before they work through. Going to give it a few nights to see if some bigger bucks come through.

 

[swoody_72]

Following

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[*zap*]

Get in well before sun up when the conditions are right

 

[Macintosh]

Those white oak acorns will all be gone within a week or three, so hit that pattern before the acorns are all dropped. Im in northern VT so fairly close, around here most white oaks except in the warmest areas are fully dropped before our season even opens on 10/1, so even southern NH shouldnt be more than a couple weeks behind us in that regard.
Get in without buggering the bedding about 2 hours before dark and set up downwind of that pinch and you should have at least an opportunity to put some venison in that freezer before long. Then you can start getting pickier.

 

[Texasbuckeye]

For sure play the wind. Do not go in there if the wind isnt right. Be patient with that.

I would either do like was mentioend and get there plenty early or go in very early afternoon and wait till evening. The camera will show when they are hitting area more than others.

Either way, plan for a long sit and you could take some acorns from another white oak and scatter them there is that isnt considered baiting (if that is illegal in NH). If you do that, wear gloves to collect and scatter.