"Micro Hunting" High Pressure Public

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DaveT1963
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Re: "Micro Hunting" High Pressure Public

Unread postby DaveT1963 » Tue Aug 20, 2019 10:48 pm

CRP and green briar/plum thickets are a couple of my favorites - with little trees they often get overlooked because they are difficult to hunt.


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Re: "Micro Hunting" High Pressure Public

Unread postby d_rek » Wed Aug 21, 2019 2:10 am

Great post. Still learning how to effectively hunt the public by me. It does get pressure but not as bad as one would think.

A friend and I scouted a great spot that is hopefully 'overlooked' that is right next to the road. There is a small 20-30 yard transition of woods and on the other side are two old fallow/overgrown CRP that is about chest high and right smack in between the two fields is an old overgrown apple orchard! Found a lot of good sign on edges of the CRP/orchard and it was super thick with trails. All of this is within 100-150 yards of the road. Tough spot to hunt though as we were racking our brains how to setup. Do we setup on the transition between road and CRP/orchard? Or hunt from the ground under the canopy of the orchard?
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Re: "Micro Hunting" High Pressure Public

Unread postby Lockdown » Wed Aug 21, 2019 3:24 am

oldrank wrote:If you think it looks great on a map...... so does someone else. Public land hunting rule number 1.


THIS.

I mentioned this in my WI thread. Spot on Oldrank! Love the aerial examples too 8-)
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Re: "Micro Hunting" High Pressure Public

Unread postby Singing Bridge » Wed Aug 21, 2019 4:03 am

oldrank wrote:Any overhead view examples Bridge? Sorry if I hijacked your thread a little. That kind of stuff excites me. I would like to see an example of your approach and how you would hunt a particular micro area.


I welcome your contributions oldrank - and I will get something up soon.

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Re: "Micro Hunting" High Pressure Public

Unread postby cspot » Wed Aug 21, 2019 11:26 am

Good thread. This is something I want to start concentrating on more. I like the overhead views.
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Re: "Micro Hunting" High Pressure Public

Unread postby E72 » Thu Aug 22, 2019 1:35 am

oldrank wrote:
jwilkstn wrote:Excellent examples, oldrank!

Am I crazy that this almost makes me wish that we had enough pressure in my area to force bucks into such spots? Almost ;)


We don't have the large marshes but the rules still work. The trick after finding them is then learning how to hunt it properly. This spot is super tricky too. The buck can skate the entire lake without ever coming out of the cattails or tameracks. When human activity is high they will just lay till dark.

One of the keys is bad weather. When we have your typical good weather that increases human activity. This buck will know danger is present as he hears the cars drive in and out, guys slamming things around and talking and so on. But on a nasty day people stay home. Park up at the head of the trail and a quiet hike in puts me in the game. One of his trails out cross that two track trail and heads into the oaks. Hunting anywhere close dumps my thermals to him. I have to get over on the back edge of the next ridge. Finding a bed in places like this is only a small percentage of the key to a kill.


So important to remember this . Sometimes you have to ride out the nasty weather to see mature bucks up and moving before dark .
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Re: "Micro Hunting" High Pressure Public

Unread postby NH Teufelhund » Fri Aug 23, 2019 9:52 am

This thread is money. I’m not a big buck serial killer Jedi so I’m just taking it all in but wanted to say thanks to the masters who are contributing to this thread.

:clap:
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Re: "Micro Hunting" High Pressure Public

Unread postby Singing Bridge » Sun Aug 25, 2019 8:34 am

Image
Image

One of the classic examples I mentioned earlier for Micro Hunting High Pressure Public was tiny little points. Here is an example of what I am talking about. The red line outlines the micro points on the edge of the swamp. Just to the Northeast, or upper right of the photo, there is a classic and good sized point that juts out into the swamp. It always has at least one tree stand on it and gets traffic. The bucks know this and bed on the tiny points. These points are only 30 feet or so across and very hard to detect. Hunter after hunter walks right by them. Year after year I find buck beds there. The bucks literally watch the hunters walk by whenever someone decides to hunt or scout the classic point.

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Re: "Micro Hunting" High Pressure Public

Unread postby greenhorndave » Sun Aug 25, 2019 8:48 am

Singing Bridge wrote:Image
Image

One of the classic examples I mentioned earlier for Micro Hunting High Pressure Public was tiny little points. Here is an example of what I am talking about. The red line outlines the micro points on the edge of the swamp. Just to the Northeast, or upper right of the photo, there is a classic and good sized point that juts out into the swamp. It always has at least one tree stand on it and gets traffic. The bucks know this and bed on the tiny points. These points are only 30 feet or so across and very hard to detect. Hunter after hunter walks right by them. Year after year I find buck beds there. The bucks literally watch the hunters walk by whenever someone decides to hunt or scout the classic point.

Bridge

Great example. What is the shorter vegetation comprised of?
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Re: "Micro Hunting" High Pressure Public

Unread postby Singing Bridge » Mon Aug 26, 2019 3:51 am

greenhorndave wrote:
Singing Bridge wrote:Image
Image

One of the classic examples I mentioned earlier for Micro Hunting High Pressure Public was tiny little points. Here is an example of what I am talking about. The red line outlines the micro points on the edge of the swamp. Just to the Northeast, or upper right of the photo, there is a classic and good sized point that juts out into the swamp. It always has at least one tree stand on it and gets traffic. The bucks know this and bed on the tiny points. These points are only 30 feet or so across and very hard to detect. Hunter after hunter walks right by them. Year after year I find buck beds there. The bucks literally watch the hunters walk by whenever someone decides to hunt or scout the classic point.

Bridge

Great example. What is the shorter vegetation comprised of?


Swamp willow and tag alders, it is full of water as well (about a foot and a half deep).
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Re: "Micro Hunting" High Pressure Public

Unread postby aschlader09 » Mon Aug 26, 2019 4:59 am

This is a great thread. I’m not finding much good bedding in obvious locations either. Last year I found the best stuff in tiny pockets of thick cover where there’s not a huntable tree anywhere near it. I found quite a few bedding areas where they’re set up to sit against the thick patch watching the open land or the access. It’s mostly in habitat with cattails, crp and brush. There’s usually private ag on neighboring properties so these bucks stay tight to that thick browsing until dark and then they go to the ag. How would you hunt these bucks? Ghillie suit on the ground? I don’t know how I can get near these spots short of crawling down the edge
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Re: "Micro Hunting" High Pressure Public

Unread postby Singing Bridge » Mon Aug 26, 2019 5:08 am

aschlader09 wrote:This is a great thread. I’m not finding much good bedding in obvious locations either. Last year I found the best stuff in tiny pockets of thick cover where there’s not a huntable tree anywhere near it. I found quite a few bedding areas where they’re set up to sit against the thick patch watching the open land or the access. It’s mostly in habitat with cattails, crp and brush. There’s usually private ag on neighboring properties so these bucks stay tight to that thick browsing until dark and then they go to the ag. How would you hunt these bucks? Ghillie suit on the ground? I don’t know how I can get near these spots short of crawling down the edge


A good bet the bucks you are speaking of will travel that edge for a bit. Make a guess on his likely destination and set up (food or does, etc.). I set up just out of sight, smell and what he can hear. I hunt the ground if it is the only option, I hunt a tree if I can make use of one.
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Re: "Micro Hunting" High Pressure Public

Unread postby aschlader09 » Mon Aug 26, 2019 7:33 am

The spots I’m talking about are only huntable from the ground. It makes them very tough to hunt. I think I will try hunting that edge from the ground. If I can get in tight enough I could get a shot. Thanks
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Re: "Micro Hunting" High Pressure Public

Unread postby Singing Bridge » Mon Aug 26, 2019 7:39 am

aschlader09 wrote:The spots I’m talking about are only huntable from the ground. It makes them very tough to hunt. I think I will try hunting that edge from the ground. If I can get in tight enough I could get a shot. Thanks


I have killed piles of bucks from the ground... don't overthink it... pick a spot that has a shot, understand the wind and weather conditions of the day and how it will impact your hunt... and go for it !!
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Re: "Micro Hunting" High Pressure Public

Unread postby seuss79 » Wed Sep 11, 2019 1:49 am

DaveT1963 wrote:CRP and green briar/plum thickets are a couple of my favorites - with little trees they often get overlooked because they are difficult to hunt.



aschlader09 wrote:This is a great thread. I’m not finding much good bedding in obvious locations either. Last year I found the best stuff in tiny pockets of thick cover where there’s not a huntable tree anywhere near it. I found quite a few bedding areas where they’re set up to sit against the thick patch watching the open land or the access. It’s mostly in habitat with cattails, crp and brush. There’s usually private ag on neighboring properties so these bucks stay tight to that thick browsing until dark and then they go to the ag. How would you hunt these bucks? Ghillie suit on the ground? I don’t know how I can get near these spots short of crawling down the edge.


We have tons of this. When is too much CRP and small tree/brush mix too much and not considered bedding anymore? I don't want to hijack the post. I am planning another thread with pics and better questions about this.


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