deer hunting

[jallen]

I am relatively new to deer hunting and will be hunting new land this year. I just got to see the land the other day and can't plant food plots. It is a good many different patches of land ranging from 50 acres to around 250 acres, totaling around 3600 acres. What should I look for when looking for a spot to hunt. I will be using a climber and hunt in lower Alabama. Lots of planted pines, open fields, and hardwoods.

[timhicks]

I would go with the hardwoods/ open fields about 30 yards in and watch both.. Tim

[mrjbigfoot]

I'd go scouting & hunt where the deer are!

PS: Welcome aboard jallen!

[timhicks]

By the way jallen welcome to the boards.. I hope you enjoy these guys as much as I do.. Alot of good people here.. :-*Tim

[Win Mag]

I would go straight for the Hardwoods too.The thicker the better.Try to pinpoint the bottlenecks or funnels saddles ridge lines and as Tim said the crop Field/timbers edge.

Set up and watch the field the morning or afternoon before you hunt and watch where the deer come out of the timber into the fields.Then set your stand accordingly

[kahuna]

I like Mike's answer....go where the deer are. Actually, from the size of the property, it could be all areas may be productive.

[Country2dBone]

HUNT THE USUAL SUSPECTED PLACES SUTCH AS FOOD BUT FIND THE AREAS LEAST DISTUBED BY PEOPLE NO MATTER IF IT IS A SMALL PATCH THE BIG ONES HANG WHERE THE PEOPLE DON'T PAY VERY CLOSE ATTENTION TO THE WIND WHEN LOOKING AROUND THE SMALL PATCHES DON'T LET YOUR SCENT BLOW INTO THEM KEEP IT IN YOUR FACE AND YOU MAY FIND YOU A BIG ONE IN THE SMALL PATCHES OTHERS IGNORE.

[Phishy]

I like to find areas that were cut over and are growing back, i hunt along the edge of this age difference, the thicker the better, good bet for the morning hunts.

the field edges good for evenings,

i especially like where i can get three or more types of cover/habitats come together, ie a new clear cut, less than five years old intersecting with an older cut 10-20 years old, and a mature hardwood, then if this all happens real close to a field edge (or replace a swamp for any one of the vegetation types), look out, definite deer magnet.

essentially i like any type of edge, and they don't have to be dramatic either, like a field and forest, sometimes subtle is better,

Hmm.. what else, i like a ridge that runs through a swamp, usually a good trail on it, or an island with trees(especially oaks) in the middle of a swamp,

A good bet for a new piece of property is to set up and watch some of the fields and figure out where the deer are entering.

but for me i like to know where the deer are bedding, then hunt accordinly, i don't hunt in the bedding area, but i tend to hunt mornings more, so i hunt near them.

I could keep going, but i'll stop now...

[JerseyHunter]

Well where we hunt there is alot of pines and oaks good cover and acorns great.

[marty]

Where I hunt is IP timberland. There are lots of clear cuts, pine plantation and thickets, creeks and hardwoods. The thing I go look at first are creeks. Along and across the creeks is where you'll find lots of trails, hardwoods(acorns=food), and crossings that may concentrate activity. What Phishy said about several types of cover comming together to create edges is excellent. Deer love edges. Sometimes you can setup along a creek corridor with a good trail near a creek crossing where you can also see into an oak grove and out into a clear cut. One place I haven't seen too many deer in is pine plantation, where all you have is pine trees with little undergrowth. I think that is because there is not much food there for them.

[arkansasdon]

I would have to agree with Tim, hunt the hard woods,
Welcome aboard jallen

[IndianaHunter]

I would hunt the inside corners of your open fields where they meet the hardwood areas. Find this area with a trail that leads into a crossroad of trails and set up in between this crossroad and the field's edge and you'll have you best chance at a traveling buck...

[Phishy]

I would hunt the inside corners of your open fields where they meet the hardwood areas

Anyone ever heard of the NE factor? SW winds dominate, a deer can check the wind coming into the NE corner of a field, but do so some fifty or better yards in the woods,