Is it possible to hunt the bottom of this property?

[Nine2Nature]

Currently creating a property plan for this parcel. This property has 100 ft of elevation change with a river bottom ending in the northwest part of the map.

Considering the following:
- Thermal concepts: Warming thermals rise/Cooling thermals fall = access from above in mornings / access from below in evenings
- Can access by boat, will hunt the northwest bottom valley in the evenings.
- Can access from southwest corner
- Can access from southeast corner

Goal:
I want to be able to hunt the bottoms of these valleys in the evening. I cant figure out a low impact way to access without going through thermal hubs or bedding areas and would rather be conservative than aggressive. Is it worth it to hunt the bottoms in the evenings? With stands above ridge benches we have had success in the evening with a consistent wind.

I'm open to any and all ideas, excited to see what yall say

Thank you

White Line: Access route
Black Line: Timber blocker wall
Thin blue line: Ridgetop bench travel corridor
Green areas: Fall food plot pea blend
Brown areas: TSI completed bedding areas
Black Areas: CRP warm season grass
Teal blue Areas: Cereal Grain & P. Clover

 

[356]

A couple of questions: What time of year are you wanting to hunt this area? I would be more comfortable using an e-bike through the thermal hub while practicing extreme scent control during the rut than attempting access during the early or late season. Is this the primary hunting property or do you have others you can hunt? Rifle (or muzzleloader) or bow (or crossbow).

I have a similar challenge at our cabin property, and have not found a good solution. This property has taught me the power of thermals, which often overshadow moderate winds. It is frustrating to watch milkweed traveling in each direction when the prevailing wind of the day is 10 mph and steady.

 

[Bill]

We won’t even think about hunting bottoms. Wind swirl and thermals kill it 99% of the time.

Low pressure hunting has been our best friend for mature bucks.

 

[omicron1792]

Just haven’t found big bucks in bottoms much. They seem to hang out 2/3 of the way up the hill.

 

[Hoytvectrix]

What's to the right of the map? Can you get in and get out along the nwsg on the right side of this map? That might be your only option and it would be in the northeast (?) corner of the map, assuming it is mostly westerly winds.

Like Bill said, hunting bottoms is a fools errand. I especially hate doing it in the evening. One exception might be if you have very strong rising thermals in the morning and where they are rising or pulling is where deer aren't or cannot possibly use the thermal in that spot. You really have to know when and where these spots work though (ex. Only on Easterly wind 5-10 mph).

 

[Prairie Acres]

I use to hunt an area of SW Wisconsin with deep ravines. It took me awhile to figure out that most of the time the bottoms are impossible to hunt because of swirling winds. I would have some success in early morning with light winds. I would risk it in the morning because the chasing action during the rut was great in the bottoms.

 

[Howboutthemdawgs]

I use to hunt an area of SW Wisconsin with deep ravines. It took me awhile to figure out that most of the time the bottoms are impossible to hunt because of swirling winds. I would have some success in early morning with light winds. I would risk it in the morning because the chasing action during the rut was great in the bottoms.

Yeah I use to love hunting bottoms. But it seems in my neck of the woods it’s a recipe for disaster. The one time I will poke in there is if I get a stiff wind. It will cover my sound walking in and usually blows hard enough to overcome thermals

 

[Nine2Nature]

A couple of questions: What time of year are you wanting to hunt this area? I would be more comfortable using an e-bike through the thermal hub while practicing extreme scent control during the rut than attempting access during the early or late season. Is this the primary hunting property or do you have others you can hunt? Rifle (or muzzleloader) or bow (or crossbow).

I have a similar challenge at our cabin property, and have not found a good solution. This property has taught me the power of thermals, which often overshadow moderate winds. It is frustrating to watch milkweed traveling in each direction when the prevailing wind of the day is 10 mph and steady.

1) We hunt this property for 1 week in September, 1 week towards the end of October, the first 2 weeks of November, and 1 week in December.
2) This is the primary Hunting property of 4 out of state hunters who also hunt in their home state
3) Would you be comfortable accessing from the southwest corner (from an easement) and going north towards the food plot on the west side?

Thermals are a different animal. Hill country has taught me more lessons than ag country ever has.

 

[Nine2Nature]

We won’t even think about hunting bottoms. Wind swirl and thermals kill it 99% of the time.

Low pressure hunting has been our best friend for mature bucks.

Would you ever go north of the stands in the southwest corner?

 

[Nine2Nature]

Just haven’t found big bucks in bottoms much. They seem to hang out 2/3 of the way up the hill.

I totally agree. Drawing the major bench on a ridge is one of my first steps when drawing a plan

 

[Nine2Nature]

What's to the right of the map? Can you get in and get out along the nwsg on the right side of this map? That might be your only option and it would be in the northeast (?) corner of the map, assuming it is mostly westerly winds.

Like Bill said, hunting bottoms is a fools errand. I especially hate doing it in the evening. One exception might be if you have very strong rising thermals in the morning and where they are rising or pulling is where deer aren't or cannot possibly use the thermal in that spot. You really have to know when and where these spots work though (ex. Only on Easterly wind 5-10 mph).

We have full access on the east side of the map. To the northeast is a house and to the east is a road with 6 acres of food plot & cover mix. The north trail is already hunted. I was just hoping to find a way to access the woods from the south.

Setting aside the majority of an owners acres as sanctuary is a tough pill to swallow but seems worth it.

 

[Nine2Nature]

I use to hunt an area of SW Wisconsin with deep ravines. It took me awhile to figure out that most of the time the bottoms are impossible to hunt because of swirling winds. I would have some success in early morning with light winds. I would risk it in the morning because the chasing action during the rut was great in the bottoms.

There is nothing better than a morning hunt during the rut in the northwest bottom. I was just hoping to find a way to access the southern bottom as well.

 

[Ben.MN/WI]

I spent yesterday cutting a shooting lane from my higher field edge stand toward a creekbottom logging road that bucks love to travel in the rut. Swirling wind makes it tough to hunt the creekbottom, but it will work when I’ll be sitting up high where the wind is stable.

 

[Bill]

Would you ever go north of the stands in the southwest corner?

Only along the property line. Those white trails through the middle of the property I’d never walk during the season. Curious how big the parcel is with 4 guys hunting those weeks.

 

[Nine2Nature]

Only along the property line. Those white trails through the middle of the property I’d never walk during the season. Curious how big the parcel is with 4 guys hunting those weeks.

400 acres with a divided 30 across the water.


I agree with you. Not hunting the food plot on the west side is a hard pill to swallow. Should I consider taking it out?

 

[Bill]

400 acres with a divided 30 across the water.


I agree with you. Not hunting the food plot on the west side is a hard pill to swallow. Should I consider taking it out?

Depends. Everything you read says don’t hunt food plots. My experience in the mid west is the exact opposite. We only hunt the food plots and field edges. The timber is the sanctuary and we never enter it after September first. But we will sit in the house for days waiting for the right wind and only hunt when it’s right.

The only exception is the rut. Go anywhere because they do and they don’t care.

 

[Telemark]

Thermals can work on big trees, too. If you have a high stand on the east ot south side of a large, straight tree trunk, on a sunny day the sun hits it in the morning and warms it up, and it can act like a chimney and draw your scent upwards. It's worth going down there in early spring to test if it works with a tree you can hunt from. Scent control is still paramount.

And as others have said, during the rut all bets are off.

 

[gjs4]

I love to chase big deer.

rule one- is there a reason to hunt there?

rule two- wind map it with milk weed and know what it does in what conditions. High pressure, cloudy days, pre dawn, etc..... every variable you can have..

We can all share our experience, bias or centric views.... the internet will only cloud the best way to do it. Learn your ground and hunt your deer when hes there. Your question is about you, not about him....and thats ignoring rule one

 

[356]

1) We hunt this property for 1 week in September, 1 week towards the end of October, the first 2 weeks of November, and 1 week in December.
2) This is the primary Hunting property of 4 out of state hunters who also hunt in their home state
3) Would you be comfortable accessing from the southwest corner (from an easement) and going north towards the food plot on the west side?

Thermals are a different animal. Hill country has taught me more lessons than ag country ever has.

Thank you for the additional information. As others have chimed in, this is not likely the place you willl find success with mature deer (or success period).

The bottom might best be used for a doe bedding area—at least that is what the does are doing in my bottom area. As you already noted, you can’t beat the thermals.

Have you shed hunt the area? Do you have a camera in the bottoms. It would be interesting to know how deer and other critters are using this area.