Looking for a big buck in thick planted pines

[Waddams]

I joined a new club this year. It's more acreage, more people. 1200 acres, 20 ppl vs. 500 acres, 8 ppl. The 1200 acres is about 1/2 hardwoods, 1/2 planted pines that are about 9 years old based on historical aerials. Like a lot of clubs here in GA, you get to pick a spot and that's your spot to hunt. If someone else isn't there, you can go to their's too, but each person has first dibs on their chosen spot. Most of the guys have their spots in the hardwoods. Hardwoods are mostly mature, not much thick vegetation on the ground due to thick canopy. There's a few creeks, and some draws that drain into it, and a gas line ROW. When I look at the map, they all seem to be sitting the same trails waiting the same deer moving along the creek and drainages flowing into it, hoping a deer picks their corn pile instead of the other guy's.

The pines are super thick. There are logging roads cut through with a few club stands overlooking the roads and "cul de sac" turnarounds. The two creeks join together in the pines, into a single that's about 30 feet wide. Right where they join, there's a big swampy marsh between the two in the Y area immediately upstream. Everytime I've been to the place, I've seen deer crossing a road at this one location that leads into the pines towards the marsh. It's along a property line where adjacent property is hardwoods, making an edge between planted pines and hardwoods at the property line. Adjacent property is county owned parcel. It's currently vacant. Not even a pull off on the road to park at.

So I've chosen myself a spot where one of the logging roads ends in a cul-de-sac turnaround near the creek, near the marsh, near where both creeks come together. There's also a draw that drains into this area on each side of the creek confluence. Elevation jumps up to each side enough that it's a classic thermal hub.

I joined back in April. And every weekend since, work has been super busy, or there was a trip, or there was a kid thing, ....life just too busy. This past weekend, my wife had left to go on a girls dive trip to the keys, so I finally had time. Off I went. There turned out to be a side logging trail that went down the creek at another spot I found. So I walked that trail, along the creek back towards the confluence, and then past where the other logging trail was. Had to cut my way through, and eventually got to one of those draws that drains into the creek confluence and marshy area.

I didn't find much obvious big buck sign or beds, etc. But in the pines, it's either on a trail that's 4' tall, and narrow, with 20 ft visibility in front, or no visibilty at all. Was kind of spooky. I did find a few small rubs in the one draw. There was lots of greenbrier nipped everywhere, and some other plants that were obvious browse. Occasionally I'd get into an area that opened up more too. Overall, the pine needles in the trails were torn up good and regular.

I found one spot where the ground was exposed, several sets of tracks, including one that was four fingers wide, spread toes, deep in the dirt. It was where that draw drained into the creek and marsh near the creek confluence. There was spot in the brush going out into the marsh that was beat up where the deer where heading out into the marsh, tracks where going that way. Looking at aerials, there's might be just a hint of an island out there. Looks like I'd need a bull dozer to get out there it's so thick. Maybe that's a mission for next seasion. But for now, I'm hunting that draw, the trail intersections, and along the creek.

I might post up a map with points marked later. Nobody else in the club goes near this area. Club president calls it "real man's country" because it's so thick.

[Waddams]

Not sure why I'm going through this effort to post this stuff, other than to put some extra mental work in and try to increase my motivation. Anyway the total 1200 acres is below. Purple are everyone else stands, yellow is club stands. Blue is points I set while cutting through the pines.

scout2.JPG

Zoomed in to this area I want to focus on - I parked at the red circle, then down the logging road to the creek, found a trail, followed it around and down to and past the creek confluence. Went down to the property corner to see where the draw drains in and that's where I found a trail with several smaller rubs. Old and newer. The big ol' track, however, was on the game trail headed toward what I think might be a little island in the swamp. That spot, and the intersection at the draw, seem like the best places to plan to start when season opens.

Wind is typically out of the east or north east. What looks like the best location to me is also the worst for typical winds, lol! I need to make a trip and see if I can get at the area from the road along the south end and wait for a wind shift to go into area I walked Saturday.

scout1.JPG

[Waddams]

And one more - typical of the pines area I'm cutting through.

20220821_160817.jpg

[Tennhunter3]

Looks like a pretty bad property.

That many stands is too concentrated on where the bucks bed. Covering too much isn't a good thing by time a week is past chances are those bucks would be on the neighbors.

If they am hunt this they are hunting it wrong the stands are too elevated for morning sits.

If you hunt the top areas first and bucks get pressured.
Wait till winds out of the north and I'd setup am pink circle.
Let the creek funnel run the deer to the setup.
And bucks crusing to bed on the neighbors property.
It's overlooked. The shot would have to be taken before the buck crosses the entry trail. Pm setup would just be slightly up the hill.

Out of the entire property it appears one of the better if not best spot from the topo. If anyone sits in that yellow stand their wind is going to be swirling like crazy in that hill drainage any buck that travels below will be long gone.

I know often things that look good on a map is very different once their. But that's where I'd look if the pressure is on.

Screenshot_20220823-150709_Gallery.jpg

[Waddams]

Looks like a pretty bad property.

That many stands is too concentrated on where the bucks bed. Covering too much isn't a good thing by time a week is past chances are those bucks would be on the neighbors.

If they am hunt this they are hunting it wrong the stands are too elevated for morning sits.

If you hunt the top areas first and bucks get pressured.
Wait till winds out of the north and I'd setup am pink circle.
Let the creek funnel run the deer to the setup.
And bucks crusing to bed on the neighbors property.
It's overlooked. The shot would have to be taken before the buck crosses the entry trail. Pm setup would just be slightly up the hill.

Out of the entire property it appears one of the better if not best spot from the topo. If anyone sits in that yellow stand their wind is going to be swirling like crazy in that hill drainage any buck that travels below will be long gone.

Screenshot_20220823-150709_Gallery.jpg

Thank you!

I'm hopeful all 20 won't be in the woods at once. The club president says it's unusual for there to be more then 5 or 6 most days on weekends, less during the week, as it's an aging membership. Even during rut. I guess we'll just have to see. My last club was smaller but aging membership also kept the numbers in the woods very low. I usually had the 500+ acres to myself while the rest were in camp just happy to not be at home with their wives. I went to an area none of them hunted there too, was told "oh, there ain't much over there" and ended up with 5 shot opportunities throughout the season, including one massive, mature buck. Only connected on two, and not that buck. But everything is a learning experience - it was using info from reading on the beast and Dan's videos that had me looking at the ground different than the rest of them. Hoping to do the same in this place. I'll need to figure out how to hunt the pressure as much anything else.

[Tennhunter3]

Looks like a pretty bad property.

That many stands is too concentrated on where the bucks bed. Covering too much isn't a good thing by time a week is past chances are those bucks would be on the neighbors.

If they am hunt this they are hunting it wrong the stands are too elevated for morning sits.

If you hunt the top areas first and bucks get pressured.
Wait till winds out of the north and I'd setup am pink circle.
Let the creek funnel run the deer to the setup.
And bucks crusing to bed on the neighbors property.
It's overlooked. The shot would have to be taken before the buck crosses the entry trail. Pm setup would just be slightly up the hill.

Out of the entire property it appears one of the better if not best spot from the topo. If anyone sits in that yellow stand their wind is going to be swirling like crazy in that hill drainage any buck that travels below will be long gone.

Screenshot_20220823-150709_Gallery.jpg

Thank you!

I'm hopeful all 20 won't be in the woods at once. The club president says it's unusual for there to be more then 5 or 6 most days on weekends, less during the week, as it's an aging membership. Even during rut. I guess we'll just have to see. My last club was smaller but aging membership also kept the numbers in the woods very low. I usually had the 500+ acres to myself while the rest were in camp just happy to not be at home with their wives. I went to an area none of them hunted there too, was told "oh, there ain't much over there" and ended up with 5 shot opportunities throughout the season, including one massive, mature buck. Only connected on two, and not that buck. But everything is a learning experience - it was using info from reading on the beast and Dan's videos that had me looking at the ground different than the rest of them. Hoping to do the same in this place. I'll need to figure out how to hunt the pressure as much anything else.

I do like the area near your cell cam.
Alot meets right their its a spot I'd hunt too.

I really like these spots also for a north wind. Because a buck would feel that he has the wind advantage he has to turn at some point.

Screenshot_20220823-153326_Gallery.jpg

The turn of those drainage thickness near pines.
I pay attention to these pink circle areas.

[Stingray713]

Cool looking property. What an advantage it is knowing where everybody’s stands are!

Have you checked it out using any LiDAR maps like CalTopo? I’ve had some pretty good luck finding ditches and/or small cliffs in big blocks of pines in hill country.

Even if they seem too thick to hunt in, it is possible to get on bucks in there if you find a terrain feature that they have to go around.

[greenhorndave]

And one more - typical of the pines area I'm cutting through.

20220821_160817.jpg

This looks a lot like an area where I had a near-miss encounter with a buck in northern WI. What was key for me in flatter ground is the convergence of any type of transition, be it a small patch of hardwoods acting like a point or an island in the pines, as well as any bigger than usual sized openings. The buck I was on was in a patch where two tree types met and there was an opening.

Also bumped a bedded buck while turkey hunting this year in a slightly secluded opening in a pine stand (medium sized pines). So for me, in my limited experience, any type of transition, be it tree type, openings, etc. Nothing revolutionary, but what I found with boots on the ground in the pines. These small openings won’t often be visible from an aerial.

Good tips from Stingray.

Looks like it will be a fun puzzle to solve. There’s got to be bucks in there and they have to know some people patterns. You just have to figure out the deer’s pattern before he figures out you,

[Stingray713]

And one more - typical of the pines area I'm cutting through.

20220821_160817.jpg

This looks a lot like an area where I had a near-miss encounter with a buck in northern WI. What was key for me in flatter ground is the convergence of any type of transition, be it a small patch of hardwoods acting like a point or an island in the pines, as well as any bigger than usual sized openings. The buck I was on was in a patch where two tree types met and there was an opening.

Also bumped a bedded buck while turkey hunting this year in a slightly secluded opening in a pine stand (medium sized pines). So for me, in my limited experience, any type of transition, be it tree type, openings, etc. Nothing revolutionary, but what I found with boots on the ground in the pines. These small openings won’t often be visible from an aerial.

Good tips from Stingray.

Looks like it will be a fun puzzle to solve. There’s got to be bucks in there and they have to know some people patterns. You just have to figure out the deer’s pattern before he figures out you,

Yep and any ditches or drainages create good edge and transition because the loggers usually couldn’t cut those trees down to plant pines.

This block of pines was hammered last year with sign during the rut. It’s super thick nasty jungle so I did some homework looking for a spot to set up well before daylight.

B223A9E5-A3B1-4628-A168-8C9EE3AE8A25.jpeg

06855514-6D6D-4A6E-A084-ACB56A0DD822.jpeg

Couldn’t really tell how steep the ditch was until I looked at the LiDAR so I set up at the head of it and got into lots of action.

(Disregard the red dot. I was turned around in the dark so I was trying to figure out where I was)

[greenhorndave]

Lol on the dot.

That’s a great example.

OP, read this for some background if you need it…

https://going4brokeoutdoors.com/next-le ... ith-lidar/

[Waddams]

Been playing on Caltopo. I pulled the locations from ONX for my trail cam and where I GPS'd finding an area of rubs - older and newer (new as in last season I think?). There was a faint trail heading in the direction of up that drainage too. Now that I think about it, the rubs weren't exactly on the peak, they were down from that little hilltop, and the trail was down the slope some, fitting the 1/3 of the way down the slope elevation line. Red line is a traced logging road. The drainage ditches through the pines to the east of the road show a bunch of potential bedding points. I set the camera originally because I found a well worn trail crossing the path down the hill at that location that had recent tracks crossing it. Am thinking the blue circled areas are the types of areas to get into? Not all but the top one has a little shelf from the north next to the ditch that would funnel them when they're heading to and from bedding along points along the ditch? And the bottom one seems to be another funneling location to cross the ditch? It measures around 100 ft. wide. The aerials also show what looks like a small clearing in the pines, or at least an area of different type of cover, so a spot with an edge, right around the top blue circle.

I thinking I need to look in these areas for more sign. I need a paper map and compass too. Last time phone GPS signal was spotty. Was super easy to get turned around in that stuff. If I had more time before season I'd say hack my way along both those ditches and look at all those little points showing.

Inkedscout3 Page 002.jpg

[Tennhunter3]

And one more - typical of the pines area I'm cutting through.

20220821_160817.jpg

This looks a lot like an area where I had a near-miss encounter with a buck in northern WI. What was key for me in flatter ground is the convergence of any type of transition, be it a small patch of hardwoods acting like a point or an island in the pines, as well as any bigger than usual sized openings. The buck I was on was in a patch where two tree types met and there was an opening.

Also bumped a bedded buck while turkey hunting this year in a slightly secluded opening in a pine stand (medium sized pines). So for me, in my limited experience, any type of transition, be it tree type, openings, etc. Nothing revolutionary, but what I found with boots on the ground in the pines. These small openings won’t often be visible from an aerial.

Good tips from Stingray.

Looks like it will be a fun puzzle to solve. There’s got to be bucks in there and they have to know some people patterns. You just have to figure out the deer’s pattern before he figures out you,

I agree with Mr Dave with the transitions being mid -low hill.
Pines uptop.
The lower areas I marked low upto mid hill should have cruising trails through their.

Their probably is bedding on that pine edge somewhere.
When they drop in evening they should go by either your cam area or the bottoms I marked. If it is a very hot afternoon it will likely be the direction the water is topos you never know some creeks are dry some are full of water year round.

[Huntress13]

You said "Not sure why I'm going through this effort to post this stuff, other than to put some extra mental work in and try to increase my motivation. "

Other people can learn from your learning process as well, so I appreciate the post.

[Waddams]

You said "Not sure why I'm going through this effort to post this stuff, other than to put some extra mental work in and try to increase my motivation. "

Other people can learn from your learning process as well, so I appreciate the post.

Glad to hear that! Been playing around (instead of working) with aerials and comparing to the LiDAR. Using historical aerials one can see where little patches were left after the last tree harvest, and then where different types of vegetation where as the pines grew in to what they are now. The blue dashed line is where I think edge is roughly on the aerials. From stumbling around in those pines before, I can say I think I found that boundary, and of course there was the trail (yellow dashed line) that I found the rubs on mentioned above. There's still an obvious different type of small area in the 2021 aerial (smaller blue dashed outline within the bigger).

With winds from north or northwest, if I come down the logging road and enter right, I think I can get into the area just south of where the ditches come together without blowing the area out. There's also a few "openings" along that trail I found where there's not as much as undergrowth. They're small - easy shot distance. And lined with greenbrier and other stuff clearly being browsed. Total distance from the top of the blue outline to bottom of the trail is around 180 yds.

Yellow dot is general area where there's a general use club stand. I haven't yet gone and found it. Location is faked in based on a sort of accurate map the club president has. I like being to the south of this area more than the stand, closer to the trail.

scout4.JPG

[Twenty Up]

Pines in that growth stage begin to turn into a wasteland for deer. They’ll work the edges but inside it’s too thick, no browse or viable cover.

Focus on drainages within the pines where the loggers didn’t cut.

Most guys in these leases won’t leave the trails, gas lines or food plots. Makes predicting deer travel easy when you know exactly where most guys are hunting.

My club is very similar to this. It’s easy to get away from the hunting pressure, deer know it as well. If you’re willing to walk you’ll do just fine