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trails, plots, shit, rubs?

Bigcountry40

Member
4,555
127
If you can find a tight pinch within a bottleneck or funnel then you've hit pay dirt! They're out there! It can be as simple as a hole in a fence that's below a ponds dam or another restriction cutting though a swale,drainage,small secluded hollow or a finger. If you find a place like that and it's upwind of a tree or ambush spot that you can get into or out of with minimal disturbance then you are set!

Good luck Al!

Problem we have on the farm I hunt is the owner over hunts these exceptional pinch points!
 

Bigcountry40

Member
4,555
127
Dick how many times did you hunt that blind you killed splitter in? I am assuming you were pretty selective hunting the splitter spot!
 

angelzd28

Junior Member
I made that mistake this year with my honey hole, which is a great staging area/pinch point. In 2013 and 14 I killed great bucks, one during pre rut and one during full swing of the rut. This year though I hunted the stand on opening day and a few times after that before the rut, I got greedy! I think I burned it out because during the rut, I didn't see one buck come thru there. Oh well, next year ill only hunt it during the rut, live and learn, that's what's great about hunting.
 
Jon, I only hunted that stand twice in 2014. Once in mid October and then on Nov.11 when I shot Splitter.

But, let me put things in perspective. I set this stand in this location for my step son to hunt from. His mobility is much more limited than mine. He must use an ATV or my tractor to get back and forth to this stand, normally he uses my tractor. But, he usually only hunts once a week or so. He did hunt this stand all day on Nov. 10th, the day before I killed Splitter. The tractor path I showed on my photos is used by myself on my tractor every time I hunt my outhouse stand which is in the woods atop the steep hill on the other side of the creek. I hunt my outhouse stand almost exclusively, so my tractor makes a trip right through this funnel every time I hunt the outhouse.

What I'm trying to point out is this funnel area is disturbed a lot during Oct. and Nov. These disturbances may effect the deer some, but my trail cameras tell me that plenty of deer use this funnel year round. I mow this entire creek bottom every other week or so in the spring and summer. So I believe the deer at my place have become accustomed to my tractor running around the property over the last 10 years. Once the snows come I hunt the creek bottom stand all the time. I do this because my tractor can't go up and down the steep grades with snow on and I walk in.

Every deer hunting situation is unique. I require special tactics to be able to hunt that definitely cause more disturbances than the average hunter. But, like I stated I think deer become accustomed to disturbances that occur on a regular basis.
 

Bigcountry40

Member
4,555
127
I used to have my cousin drive the tractor out to pick me up at dark when I was covered up in does (Western Ohio cornfields). It was effective, the deer were accustomed to the tractor but would scamper off and I was never busted.