How would you hunt this in rut

[Evolution84]

Hey all,

Past few seasons I have really enjoyed learning to escout before the boots go on the ground. Do any of you have experience with a pretty significant gut or ravine in the side of a steep mountain? Do they still run the ridge, or do they tend to travel up to the flat as they approach it?

the larger circle is in question, and the smaller circle is a nice bench on a steep surface as well

any other areas you’d look at based on the pic? Not great at escouting yet but love doing it and learning!

 

[Carr5vols]

Got a sat picture to see other information that is critical.

 

[WCB]

I'm not Predator....could we get as Sat picture?

I see the gut you are talking about and have experienced this hunting out west with whitetails in the Black Hills. Some of those steep deep guts tot he top are the only place for the deer to get tot he top or drop into the bottom and are heavily used. Even more so if there are cliffs or steep rocky terrain funneling them towards that route. Other times they are so choked out with wash out and downed trees nothing can move up or down it.

The bench doesn't really interest me as you have a pretty gentle finger rolling down...maybe a spot they might bed? Again a satellite view would help...is the terrain open? hardwoods? Pines? can you see trails or anything on google earth?

 

[Evolution84]

I'm not Predator....could we get as Sat picture?

I see the gut you are talking about and have experienced this hunting out west with whitetails in the Black Hills. Some of those steep deep guts tot he top are the only place for the deer to get tot he top or drop into the bottom and are heavily used. Even more so if there are cliffs or steep rocky terrain funneling them towards that route. Other times they are so choked out with wash out and downed trees nothing can move up or down it.

The bench doesn't really interest me as you have a pretty gentle finger rolling down...maybe a spot they might bed? Again a satellite view would help...is the terrain open? hardwoods? Pines? can you see trails or anything on google earth?

I thought possibly the bench are they cruise from one side of ridge to the other? And are you saying they would travel the ridge, and when they approach the gut they would in your experience opt to travel up to flat bc I was thinking the same. Above that gut is a slight saddle. And I’ve never been here. Trying to escout as it’s a 2 mile hike in and a 30 minute backroad drive so hoping I’ve found a place all to myself. Below is the sat image with shading still instead of contour

 

[Evolution84]

Got a sat picture to see other information that is critical.

Attached in reply below.

 

[WCB]

Do you have a sat picture without he coloring and with the topo lines?

Either way...Deer are lazy for the most part...I would bet there are trails running down the long finger on the right side of the picture (easy route of travel...Then you will probably have a few trails at different elevations running around/across that finger maybe to those benches.

Also, pull up google earth for a 3d look...If I were to hunt it I would be apt to stay on top or some where along that finger where the wind is more predictable.

 

[Drenalin]

Based only on topo, if I were hunting this in the rut, I'd be on the leeward side along the elevation line that has the most sign, likely somewhere around 1/4 to 1/3 of the way down from the top. Watch your wind carefully.

There doesn't appear to be a lot vegetative edge until you get in the bottoms, but generally edge is good. Terrain creates edge too, but you need to look in a little more detail than what you've provided.

I would expect there to be a lot of sign up top, depending on pressure, and I'd also expect most of it to be laid down at night. Deer may cross in that slight saddle, or really any part of the ridge east of that.

One way to identify a starting point is to take a pen and make a line along the top of every ridge and finger, up through every draw, and along every vegetative edge...hunt wherever the most lines intersect. At the very least you'll have a good chance of seeing deer (if there are any there), and you might have enough visibility to see if they are more active along another portion of the ridge. I'd probably hike most of the way in before daylight, then hang up and come the rest of the way in gray light - stop and hunt wherever I find the most fresh sign.

 

[Miflatlander91]

What I would look for is when the wind is leeward of the gut go to the head of it In my experience alot of deer will go up and around rather than try to cross especially at the top where it will most likely be steep and thick with downed trees

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