Trying to find my spot

[SkiParkGuy]

How’s it going all. I’ve lurked for awhile and would be stoked on some critiques of my hunting plans for this season. I’m a new hunter and have never been around hunters, but I spend a lot of time in the backcountry skiing, climbing, and exploring. This will be my second season hunting deer. While a proper backpacking trip sounds fun, I’m thinking of trying another way...

I’m hunting the B zones in California. I’ve found two spots I’m interested in. The first is actually pretty close to town as the crow flies, but it takes over an hour to drive to in my lifted Tacoma. I haven’t been there during hunting season, but was there last October and could tell the road doesn’t get much traffic. (the other roads in the area get hit by road hunters a fair amount, but they’re in much better shape.) I found a small mountain bowl that has the headwaters of a year round creek. It’s got two small lakes and several marshy meadows. I’ve found a lot of tracks near the larger of the lakes. There’s a ridge above it and I’m thinking hike in the night before opening and camp in a saddle on the back side of the ridge. The next morning wake up and take cover in some of the few trees there with a great view of the lake. I’m thinking road hunters would push deer my way and it’s an obvious spot deer go to anyway. I have yet to see a buck in the area, but have seen a large doe.

The other area is further from town, and again involves a bowl and ridge. Down in the bowl there’s gonna be road hunters. I’ve found a lot of tracks and does again, as well as a saddle with a spring just below it, and a large meadow below that. Ive also seen a fair amount of lion sign. I definitely won’t be at the top of the food chain there. This was actually the first place I hunted, but it was more of a scouting mission then. (I only had time to day hunt) Again I’m thinking this would work as the deer obviously use the spring for water and the meadow for food. The mountains form a channel away from the road directly to the spring. In fact there’s remnants of a long forgotten trail up to it. The country here is much bigger with several other spots I’d like to check out if this doesn’t work.

So does it sound like I might be on the right track? I’d like to avoid a long distance meat pack out. It’s gonna be hot, and having never gutted a big game animal I’m gonna be slow. Neither of these involve more than a two mile hike downhill to my truck. I also like the idea of road hunters pushing deer to me.

cheers!

 

[MeatBuck]

Two things I noticed. One camping in a saddle is most likely gonna be camping in a transition area.
Second thing is road hunters don’t push deer they just drive past them.

 

[MeatBuck]

Also when you say “gut” are you planning to drag the deer out whole? If so, two miles even down hill is along ways to drag a deer. Better off taking the time to quarter or bone it out. At least that way the hide is off and you can get the meat cooling faster than an all day drag out would.

Any reason not to camp at truck and hunt your way in and out of there?

 

[MeatBuck]

Another thing, lakes ponds creeks etc attract people.
And if you were in b zone in October it was hunting season, maybe deer season had just closed but bear squirrels and quail were wide open.

 

[SkiParkGuy]

Two things I noticed. One camping in a saddle is most likely gonna be camping in a transition area.
Second thing is road hunters don’t push deer they just drive past them.

Thanks for the replies!

The first saddle I don’t think is a transition area. It’s just above tree line, very steep and loose, and I saw no evidence of anything moving up there. The second definitely is, but I was planning on camping aways off on that one. Then getting to it before first light. Would that be a bad idea?

Also when you say “gut” are you planning to drag the deer out whole? If so, two miles even down hill is along ways to drag a deer. Better off taking the time to quarter or bone it out. At least that way the hide is off and you can get the meat cooling faster than an all day drag out would.

Any reason not to camp at truck and hunt your way in and out of there?

Sorry. I should’ve been more clear. Yes, I’m planning on quartering it, but again, this is my first time doing it. (So far all I’ve had experience with is squirrel)
I’m gonna take my time and try my best to do a good job.

As to camping at the truck that would be a good idea now that you mention it, especially on the first location. The second location would be difficult to reach in the dark, but I might just try that before the season starts. I could even make a GPS track of it. I was just thinking it would be better to be in position already if the deer go to feed/drink?

Another thing, lakes ponds creeks etc attract people.
And if you were in b zone in October it was hunting season, maybe deer season had just closed but bear squirrels and quail were wide open.

Thats what surprised me about finding the first location. It’s not too far from town, 15 miles, but largely unknown. I was out hunting squirrels and exploring when I found it. I saw one guy road hunting bear (we chatted a bit) a few miles south and a few late season campers even further away, but other than that no one for a week straight within a 5 mile radius. There’s some info about the creek lower down on a hiking website, but I haven’t found any info about the bowl and headwaters. There’s enough other stuff nearby I guess people just don’t make the drive up such a rough road. Plus you have to walk a mile off trail to get to the lakes.

Again, thanks for the info. It’s greatly appreciated.

 

[MeatBuck]

Do what you think is best and adjust your approach as needed.
I’d add a third and fourth spot to your list as well. Just in case things don’t go well at spot one or two.

 

[SkiParkGuy]

Do what you think is best and adjust your approach as needed.
I’d add a third and fourth spot to your list as well. Just in case things don’t go well at spot one or two.

Right on, thanks! You’ve definitely given me a lot to think about.

 

[ReddingArcher]

Meatbuck is spot on, I wouldn’t camp in the saddle. Even if you don’t think it’s being used I wouldn’t set camp there. Odds are it is being used. I’d also try and find 2-3 other backup spots too. Good luck!

 

[eLightfoot]

I'll add...... Dont camp in a saddle. Deer always use the path of least resistance when traveling, saddles are always crossing zones. Dont camp near where you plan to hunt. If the area has high country, bucks will most likely be using the top 1/4 of ridges or mountains. Ponds, marshes, creeks, ect don't really mean anything in terms of finding deer. I wouldnt put much effort concentrating in areas around water. I always seem to glass up bucks on ridge sides that have a good mix of timber, deadfall/burn, and brush/whitethorn.

 

[SkiParkGuy]

Awesome thanks guys! That’s why I posted in so much detail. Im curious if I should stay off the ridges entirely. I was thinking they’d be good spots to glass from if I avoided sky lining myself and stayed just below the top. The second location has two fairly large peaks with four major ridges that provide good views into the bowls below. The ridge lines would make travel much easier there too. Both locations the ridges are approx 6,000’ with the peaks at 8,000’+.

 

[SkiParkGuy]

The second location is in much bigger country and I could spend a week or more away from the truck and completely off trail. I have only scratched the surface of that area.

 

[SkiParkGuy]

I got back out scouting today and found these on a ridge. It looks to me like something scratched a bed here and I saw what looked like faint deer tracks in them. There are three of these small plots. Would this actually be a deer bedding area? It seems really exposed to me. No scat or other tracks anywhere that I saw. The the top layer of soil was loose rock, so tracks wouldn’t show up well. I did find a big ol bear poop about half a mile away, but no other signs of life on that ridge. It was a great location to glass the valley below though!

 

[NevadaZielmeister]

I got back out scouting today and found these on a ridge. It looks to me like something scratched a bed here and I saw what looked like faint deer tracks in them. There are three of these small plots. Would this actually be a deer bedding area?

Yep, the first photo is definitely a bedding spot. Hard to tell but appears with the size, maybe a doe laid there.

 

[JNDEER]

I have ran a lot of cams in meadows and creeks. Only thing that uses those are doe, fawn and bear. Not to say bucks are not around- I just don’t have good supporting evidence to say that’s where they like to be.

if it’s big country find the best vantage point that overlooks the most area, sit down and Glass. Do a scouting trip before the season and see what’s actually around.

 

[polemtn]

They will bed temporarily in their feeding areas at night. These beds are usually in more exposed, open areas because they feel secure there at night. They are a good indicator that there are deer in the area but they are probably bedded somewhere with more cover during the day.

 

[SkiParkGuy]

Yep, the first photo is definitely a bedding spot. Hard to tell but appears with the size, maybe a doe laid there.

They will bed temporarily in their feeding areas at night. These beds are usually in more exposed, open areas because they feel secure there at night. They are a good indicator that there are deer in the area but they are probably bedded somewhere with more cover during the day.

Ok that makes sense. All three beds were small and I did see a doe and her fawn on the drive out. I appreciate the confirmation and info.

I have ran a lot of cams in meadows and creeks. Only thing that uses those are doe, fawn and bear. Not to say bucks are not around- I just don’t have good supporting evidence to say that’s where they like to be.

if it’s big country find the best vantage point that overlooks the most area, sit down and Glass. Do a scouting trip before the season and see what’s actually around.

Again thanks for the info! You guys are helping me a lot on this site.

I’ve now seen a lot of evidence of deer in the area, but only seen does. I’ve been concentrating on the creeks/meadows so now maybe I should go deeper.

 

[MeatBuck]

They will bed temporarily in their feeding areas at night. These beds are usually in more exposed, open areas because they feel secure there at night. They are a good indicator that there are deer in the area but they are probably bedded somewhere with more cover during the day.

They use them daytime too, so long as they aren’t pressured by people or predators. I’ve seen multiple bucks use the same bed in the open here in a zone from 10Am-12pm. Short stay just to chew cud and move on.
Obviously they won’t be laying in the sun in 90-100 degree weather but don’t count those beds out come time to glass.

 

[Ihatecrashing]

I’m also a total hunting newbie but had really good success on my first hunt. My “guide” really taught me the importance of glassing, especially in the big country of B-zone. The bucks seemed to hang out at higher elevations than the does, I don’t know if that’s really a thing, but just something I noticed last season. Good luck to you!

 

[Block]

Probably won’t be any bucks within 1/2 mile or more of the lake during shoot light... 3/4-1 mile away from water seems to be a good sweet spot for me when they are in summer/velvet .., so don’t focus on glassing down towards the water

 

[Trumpkin The Dwarf]

If all you're seeing is does, you need to look elsewhere. Until the rut the bucks usually hang out in different spots. It may only be a quarter mile, but they are almost always in bachelor groups till velvet comes off, then solitary until the rut.

Edit to add:
It does sound like you've found some great spots. Lack of people is always a good thing for deer hunting.