Is it better to hunt ridges or bottoms?

Is it better to hunt ridges or bottoms?

Strategy to elevate your odds of success. Most deer sign is found in low-lying areas, and because of that, many hunters set up there. However, the author has found that most of the time, you’re better off spending your time on a nearby ridgetop.

Do bucks bed on ridges?

For example, bucks frequently bed at the end of a ridge on a point. Bedding on these points usually allows them to see, smell and hear danger before it gets close enough to kill them. Look for areas that give deer the upper hand where you hunt, and that’s generally where they’ll be during daylight hours.

Should you hunt scrapes during the rut?

In much of the country, late October is the pre-rut. This two-week period prior to the rut kicking in is an optimum time to hunt scrapes. However, scrapes located on field edges seem to be the least significant. Scrapes located in the woods near travel corridors and doe bedding areas are the key scrapes to hunt.

Do deer like ridges or valleys?

Imagine a ridge with a small dip in the middle of it, this is a saddle. Deer naturally prefer traveling on the path of least resistance and when a low spot in a ridge or hill is present, it provides deer a naturally easier way to cross.

How do you hunt deer with ridges?

Deer will often cross through the saddle perpendicular to the ridge line, travel parallel down the ridge line, or work down the ridge on one side and then make a big loop through the saddle and head back the direction they came from but on the opposite side of the ridge.

Do deer like Hill tops?

The Hilltop Deer like high ground because it offers the best vantage point. Bigger deer will be found on the downwind side of the hill, since thermals bring scent up from the bottom and prevailing winds pull scent over from the backside of the ridge.

How can you tell where a buck is bedding?

Finding Buck Beds The most obvious sign to look for is the presence of oval depressions in the grass, brush, or dirt indicating where a deer laid down. Take note of how many beds you see clustered together in one area. If you see four or more beds in a circle, it’s likely a doe bedding area.

Do deer always bed in the same spot?

Deer are creatures of habit and may bed in the same location repeatedly. One exception is during periods of the rut when bucks are on the move searching for estrus does and defending their hierarchy.

Is it OK to pee in a deer scrape?

Most definitely. The key, however, is moderation. This is another trick that Alsheimer perfected after first writing about it in the late 1970s. After creating a mock scrape, he made sure the ground was completely void of all leaves and debris, and then urinated directly into the soil for maybe 15 seconds.

Does human urine attract deer?

“But it’s unlikely deer associate human urine with humans, unless a human leaves their scent behind along with the urine.” Miller agrees. “Deer aren’t genetically programmed to be able to identify human urine.

How do you whitetail hunt ridges?

Can you still hunt the rut?

You can still hunt the traditional rut stands — parallel trails, funnels, food sources, etc. — like you were before. But most of the truly mature bucks will have responded to hunting pressure by now, meaning you’ll have to focus more on thick cover similar to the way you did in late October. Now the hunting is getting pretty tough.

What affects deer behavior during the rut?

However, breeding activity isn’t the only factor that affects deer behavior during this phase. The elevated hunting levels during the peak of the rut, in particular, would have pressured the deer into being a lot more cautious. This phase marks a return to more reserved hunting tactics.

What is the pre-rut phase of deer hunting?

The pre-rut phase occurs when deer transition from the patterns they followed early in the hunting season to fall activity. During this time, the bucks start to perform rutting activities, leaving signs of their condition on the ground or tree trunks and branches.

Should you hunt a buck during deer rutting season?

If you’re thinking about hunting a buck during deer rutting season, it helps to understand how deer behave during the rut, what tactics are effective for each phase of the rut and how to avoid some common rut hunting mistakes. Deer rutting season is the period between the middle of October to early December when deer mate.