How would you hunt this?

[LiftToHunt]

Looking for advice/tips on how you would hunt this property given its odd shape. It's ~40 acres and my access point is at the very southern tip where it narrows. Thanks in advance.

 

[Wheels]

What is the predominant wind direction there? If its a south wind, you're kinda screwed.
I'm assuming some sort of food plots in the bottoms to the left of the property?

 

[Cannonball]

complete guess but maybe set up a climber overlooking the small draw running SW-NE and see if there is any movement along it from the woods down to water and the pastures?

 

[Fujicon]

Depends on whether you're hunting solo or with a partner. And where are signs predominant?

 

[LiftToHunt]

What is the predominant wind direction there? If its a south wind, you're kinda screwed.
I'm assuming some sort of food plots in the bottoms to the left of the property?

Predominant winds are N or NW. No that is just an overgrown field.

 

[LiftToHunt]

complete guess but maybe set up a climber overlooking the small draw running SW-NE and see if there is any movement along it from the woods down to water and the pastures?

View attachment 948218

Thanks for the suggestion. Unfortunately, that creek rarely has water in it. It is more of a drainage and really only has water after a hard rain and it tends to dry up pretty quickly. That clearing that looks like a pasture is just an overgrown field. Thanks again!

 

[SloppyJ]

Either of the two draws is where I would start. Or maybe where they get close to converging in the NE corner. Total guess. Looks super thick and it's going to be rough if I had to guess.

The edge of the field that points into the property on the south end might be interesting too.

 

[LiftToHunt]

Depends on whether you're hunting solo or with a partner. And where are signs predominant?

I guess there is a chance I have a friend out, but 99% of the time I would say solo.

 

[WCB]

walk it...find sign...set up on sign.

 

[Macintosh]

Agree with wcb.

Do you have access to hunt the fields, or only the red circled property? The hill itself appears fairly even on a macro scale, so just looking for obvious things that might concentrate movement.

Even if there isnt water, it may be greener vege’s there.

My guess is there are deer bedding up on the hill, but also deer bedding in the brushy field bottom of the image, and possibly using those hedgerows as travel corridors. Feeding both around the field and edge, as well as up in the woods if there are mast trees. Id walk it and see if you can find any signs of concentrated movement and follow that, and figure out where you can get without blowing the place out. Also the wind is going to do different things on that hillside depending on time of day and how the thermals are interacting with the wind itself, you’ll want to walk it just to see what the wind does in the PM as its cooling, etc.

 

[Yoder]

Unless you have a strong wind, thermals are going to be your wind direction. Hike that entire property and see if deer are running parallel to that hill anywhere. If they are running top to bottom it will be harder to setup on them. One spot I hunt, they bed on top and come down the draws to crop fields at the bottom. The only way I can hunt it is if there is a strong wind to offset the thermals. Check along those draws for trails too.

 

[Elkhntr08]

Put boots on the ground. Walk around the perimeter and pin any trail going in. Here in Illinois, I’d go in late morning right through the middle. Pin trails, likely bedding, scrapes or rubs you find. Move slow, 10 steps, stop and look around. You should start to see a pattern in there.
Remember, a deer is going to do what a deer wants to do, not what you want him to do. But there’s a reason why he did what he did.

 

[LostArra]

Unless you have a strong wind, thermals are going to be your wind direction. Hike that entire property and see if deer are running parallel to that hill anywhere. If they are running top to bottom it will be harder to setup on them. One spot I hunt, they bed on top and come down the draws to crop fields at the bottom. The only way I can hunt it is if there is a strong wind to offset the thermals. Check along those draws for trails too.

+1 Hunt and scout on windy days