topo help

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PLP
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topo help

Unread postby PLP » Mon Jul 17, 2017 12:17 pm

I joined because I was doing topo research and was impressed with how everyone deciphered the maps.I seem to be able to see what I need to look for after its been pointed out to me lol.I am a flat lander so terrain is new to me.I have a spot I am looking at to try and catch a cruising mountain buck.I think I have located a good hub,also a saddle I should check and a big bench that I should check.I initially noticed this spot because these two creeks are very straight and long,there is a saddle between them and I figured any deer cruising a long ways would prefer the long straight path..from the pin I set I would also be able to watch several saddles.Im guessing this is what you call a hub.As you can see the spot at the pin appears to be more open woods.I figured that's where I could look down to try and catch him open...I have an original to be drawn on,and then one with things that I thought stood out.Let me know what you think.Thanks!!HAve to redo my pics..sorry


PLP
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Re: topo help

Unread postby PLP » Tue Jul 18, 2017 10:11 am

unable to edit original,but here it is..Thanks in advance

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Swelch
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Re: topo help

Unread postby Swelch » Wed Jul 19, 2017 10:41 am

What's the predominant wind direction in the area start there and scout the leeward sides of the funnels and transition areas.
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seazofcheeze
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Re: topo help

Unread postby seazofcheeze » Wed Jul 19, 2017 3:13 pm

Image

I marked the spots I would check out and/or consider sitting. This is mostly pre-rut/rut advice. Disclaimer: I am not an expert, and these are merely my opinions.

1. A mellow connecting point that connects the saddles at spot #3 and Spot #2. I've hunted a spot like this before, and these kinds of setups seem to get lots of cruising traffic. I'd try and hunt this spot on some sort of either North or South Wind Variant (e.g. N/NW or S/SE). I'd sit on the edge, or maybe just below the edge of the ridge where it starts to head downhill. For example, on a north wind, my stand would be position near the bottom of the "1", vice versa on a south wind, I would be near the top of the "1". This is strictly cyber scouting, I'd let boots on the ground and any cruising trails.

2. Saddle through the highest part of the mountain. It looks like your lowest elevation on the map is 1200' and the highest is around 1860'. So that's 660' of elevation gain. If we go down 1/3 from the top, that would put us roughly on an elevation of 1640' If the bucks are cruising that elevation, any buck coming from #1 or #8, which are spots at approximately the cruising elevation are likely to pass through the saddle at spot #2.

3. Saddle with the similar logic as above. I could see bucks coming from #1 headed this way to check out possible doe bedding areas on the rounded points just to the north of spot #4 and just to the south of spot #4.

4. This looks like a pretty promising spot. If my hunch on doe bedding is correct, there could be doe bedding to the north and south of #4. I would find the main trail(s) crossing the drainage at this spot (#4) and setup just above them.

5. It could be a possible bedding area just to the north of 5. I'd expect any buck investigating potential bedding on the rounded point above #5 to head south towards #1. Or any bucking coming from #3, #1, #7 or #2 to possibly head this direction and end up going thorugh this area. I would look to put my stand on the on the first lighter colored topo line below the 1800' mark (pending actual sign when you get there) because it appears the sidehill is a little mellower there and the bucks are likely to be cruising that as opposed to the steeper section just to the immediate W/NW of the number "5".

6. Not sure if you can hunt this spot because of the big "X", but, if you can, it could be a buck bedding point to the east. If there is an exit trail along the 1/3 line, I really like these setups towards the tops of drainages.

7. This spot has a lot going on for it. It's a hub, but I would caution because it is in a bit of bowl (lower than the surrounding ridges) you may have some thermal settling/shifty winds. Hard to say without actually being there and scouting, but you may be better off backing off as far as possible and still being able to shoot to the main intersection. I can't tell the scale on the map, but if you could get closer to the "u" in "hub" that might be a safer setup.

8. I'd hunt this spot on a SE/S wind. Looks like a possible bedding point just to the NE of the number "8" and the drainage pinches the side hill down nicely here.

9. This could be a buck bedding area. I'd say it is more likely than the three areas you have circled in red. Based on my personal experience, the bigger more obvious looking benches and flattened points usually have doe bedding. Even spot #9 might be too big of an area to be good buck bedding. A lot of the hill country bedding I have seen, the spurs/knobs that the bucks are bedding on are imperceptible on the topo, not always, but quite a bit. So now I try and key in on small spurs like #9. This would be a better spot if it was the same shape feature but located higher up the hill closer to the 1/3 from the top elevation. It may still hold buck bedding if the back cover is good though or the point is thick relative to the surrounding area.

10. This is probably my least favorite spot I marked, but I still think its worth checking out. Could serve as an E/SE bedding area, and it has a mellow point tapering off the the SW. I can't see whats beyond the map to the SW, but it looks like at area where a buck would possibly come from the SW and be headed to the NE along the 1600 line on his way to #7. If I burned out #7 or if some of the other spots 1-9 didnt pan out, I would still throw a stand at this.
PLP
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Re: topo help

Unread postby PLP » Sun Jul 23, 2017 6:17 am

Swelch wrote:What's the predominant wind direction in the area start there and scout the leeward sides of the funnels and transition areas.

Honestly down here could be anything on any given day but when Ill be going it will be early December and it should b north>That's one reason I picked the northern section of the hub to put a pin bc I figured a cruising buck could run the creeks and be down wind of the potential bedding areas.As you can see there are thick pines towards the top of that ridge.
PLP
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Re: topo help

Unread postby PLP » Sun Jul 23, 2017 6:30 am

seazofcheeze wrote:Image

I marked the spots I would check out and/or consider sitting. This is mostly pre-rut/rut advice. Disclaimer: I am not an expert, and these are merely my opinions.

1. A mellow connecting point that connects the saddles at spot #3 and Spot #2. I've hunted a spot like this before, and these kinds of setups seem to get lots of cruising traffic. I'd try and hunt this spot on some sort of either North or South Wind Variant (e.g. N/NW or S/SE). I'd sit on the edge, or maybe just below the edge of the ridge where it starts to head downhill. For example, on a north wind, my stand would be position near the bottom of the "1", vice versa on a south wind, I would be near the top of the "1". This is strictly cyber scouting, I'd let boots on the ground and any cruising trails.

2. Saddle through the highest part of the mountain. It looks like your lowest elevation on the map is 1200' and the highest is around 1860'. So that's 660' of elevation gain. If we go down 1/3 from the top, that would put us roughly on an elevation of 1640' If the bucks are cruising that elevation, any buck coming from #1 or #8, which are spots at approximately the cruising elevation are likely to pass through the saddle at spot #2.

3. Saddle with the similar logic as above. I could see bucks coming from #1 headed this way to check out possible doe bedding areas on the rounded points just to the north of spot #4 and just to the south of spot #4.

4. This looks like a pretty promising spot. If my hunch on doe bedding is correct, there could be doe bedding to the north and south of #4. I would find the main trail(s) crossing the drainage at this spot (#4) and setup just above them.

5. It could be a possible bedding area just to the north of 5. I'd expect any buck investigating potential bedding on the rounded point above #5 to head south towards #1. Or any bucking coming from #3, #1, #7 or #2 to possibly head this direction and end up going thorugh this area. I would look to put my stand on the on the first lighter colored topo line below the 1800' mark (pending actual sign when you get there) because it appears the sidehill is a little mellower there and the bucks are likely to be cruising that as opposed to the steeper section just to the immediate W/NW of the number "5".

6. Not sure if you can hunt this spot because of the big "X", but, if you can, it could be a buck bedding point to the east. If there is an exit trail along the 1/3 line, I really like these setups towards the tops of drainages.

7. This spot has a lot going on for it. It's a hub, but I would caution because it is in a bit of bowl (lower than the surrounding ridges) you may have some thermal settling/shifty winds. Hard to say without actually being there and scouting, but you may be better off backing off as far as possible and still being able to shoot to the main intersection. I can't tell the scale on the map, but if you could get closer to the "u" in "hub" that might be a safer setup.

8. I'd hunt this spot on a SE/S wind. Looks like a possible bedding point just to the NE of the number "8" and the drainage pinches the side hill down nicely here.

9. This could be a buck bedding area. I'd say it is more likely than the three areas you have circled in red. Based on my personal experience, the bigger more obvious looking benches and flattened points usually have doe bedding. Even spot #9 might be too big of an area to be good buck bedding. A lot of the hill country bedding I have seen, the spurs/knobs that the bucks are bedding on are imperceptible on the topo, not always, but quite a bit. So now I try and key in on small spurs like #9. This would be a better spot if it was the same shape feature but located higher up the hill closer to the 1/3 from the top elevation. It may still hold buck bedding if the back cover is good though or the point is thick relative to the surrounding area.

10. This is probably my least favorite spot I marked, but I still think its worth checking out. Could serve as an E/SE bedding area, and it has a mellow point tapering off the the SW. I can't see whats beyond the map to the SW, but it looks like at area where a buck would possibly come from the SW and be headed to the NE along the 1600 line on his way to #7. If I burned out #7 or if some of the other spots 1-9 didnt pan out, I would still throw a stand at this.

Everything you said makes sense to me.I will admit I had basically discounted #2 because it was so high up.I was thinking that on average the flatter areas are around 1650 and that saddle is 1805,but will dfinitely check all places you've pointed out.Thank you for your time!


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