[ojibweindian]

I'll be hunting in this area starting next week, when Alabama's gun season starts (Nov. 17th) through the end of the season (Jan 31st).

Topo map: http://www.topozone.com/map.asp?lat=33.72965&lon=-86.28071&datum=nad83&u=6&layer=DRG25&size=l&s=50

The area is located within the St Clair Community Hunting Area, in St Clair County, Alabama.

The particular area holds a creek (Broken Arrow Creek) running NE to SW, and contains quite a bit of oaks, and plenty of dense thickets.

I was thinking of setting up on one of the ridges during the morning, and still-hunting along the creek in the afternoons.

Does this sound like a good strategy?

[Charles S]

I was thinking of setting up on one of the ridges during the morning, and still-hunting along the creek in the afternoons.

Does this sound like a good strategy?

Yes...more specifically looking at your topo there is a nice saddle that I would look hard at to set up on in the middle grid....It may be too close to the road. I would however check it out.

Creeks are nice because you can look for trails that cross them. Heavy use trails may be good, but the more faint trails along the side of the heavy used game trails are often where the bucks travel.

Again look for saddles and choke points.

Good luck.

[jeepmor]

Sounds like a starter plan if you've never ever been there. I would immediately take note of game trails upon a morning stalk from the top of a ridge working down to a stream bed. I'd then revisit the best looking (most traffic, sign, rubs, etc) trail that I encountered in the evening where you can get the best shot exposure. Show up about an hour or two before dark, get the best shot lane you can, and sit quietly and wait.

This might be at a creek bottom, up on the ridge, or anywhere in between. If you're in that drought stricken part of the SE, watering areas should be prime if their scarce. Hard to tell from a topo map. Look for sign of droppings and what brought them there. Is it grass, water, or just a trail to and from bedding grounds to feeding grounds?

I'd survey in the morning and look for a good spot to set up a stand for the evening foot traffic. Where I hunted in Eastern Oregon this fall, the deer and elk would come up from the creek bottoms during the day to get into the sun and graze the grass. The creek bottoms were heavily wooded and quite difficult to navigate as a hunter. I came through one creek bottom and found plenty of water and sign, however, I saw a few deer less than 30 yards from me and could only make out a tail before they left the scene. It was so brushy it was impossible for me to get a better view without disturbing them. Besides, they already knew I was coming because I forced them out of the watering holes up the hill.

[ojibweindian]

Sounds like a starter plan if you've never ever been there.
I've hunted in the general area, more to the south, though, about one grid to the south.

If you're in that drought stricken part of the SE, watering areas should be prime if their scarce.

I'm in that drought-stricken part of the SE. Smaller bodies of water have shriveled. The large lakes, and the Tennessee River, seem to be doing fine here in Alabama. I was thinking that if the creek had water, the deer would be in that area. And, the creek runs through a mess of oak trees.

Yes...more specifically looking at your topo there is a nice saddle that I would look hard at to set up on in the middle grid....It may be too close to the road. I would however check it out.


I was thinking the same thing :D

Jeep, is it generally a better plan to still-hunt the ridges in the morning, then go into the bottoms in the afternoon?

[jeepmor]

Jeep, is it generally a better plan to still-hunt the ridges in the morning, then go into the bottoms in the afternoon?

I'm not sure, everywhere I've hunted you really need to be out stalking around because the woods are always too thick in the PNW to still hunt much. They are thick enough that you can usually only see 50 yards or so, however, they are thin enough that there seems to be parallel game trails every 50 yards or so too. This is why I mentioned, I think, you should be looking for the game trail with the most traffic and sign on it. Where trails converge down to the water or the oaks might be productive also.

We do a lot more spot and stalk here in the PNW rather than stand type hunting (stand meaning camping out on a trail or what not, or in a tree stand)

However, it's always a good idea to try and stay on or near their trails, because they will come through. They really like the acorns this time of year too, my BIL shot his 3x3 mulie under an oak tree last year right at dusk. The buck was showing up for an evening snack. I would check those areas out pretty good, you should be able to find sign and rubs in there, then locate yourself a good spot to squat and wait in the evening. I'd place my bets on the oak tree with the most acorns on the ground if the sign is all about the same. Or maybe on the fringes of the oak grove if you can find obvious game trails leading into them. Again, looking for the one with the highest amount of traffic if possible.


+1 on the saddles too, hopefully you'll have some meadows in those regions. They love that meadow grass as the sun goes down.

I'm no hunter extraordianaire by any stretch, but being quiet and moving slow really paid off for me this year. I actually had a doe come back my direction to check me out because; 1. I had the wind in my favor, and 2. I was simply moving slow. I was out in the open, not hiding or anything, just slowly stalking and being quiet. 7-8 does later, I found my buck.

Moving slow will get them moving, but it doesn't spook them so much that they bolt off. At least it's this way with mulies. White tails are considerably more easy to spook. A stand type hunt might be more appropriate for them. I was in an area that had white tails and we saw a few. They didn't like you getting within say 100 yards or so. When they got up and took off, they only went 100 yards away then started grazing again if you were just slowly creeping along.

Hope this helps and good luck to ya,

jeepmor

[birdbustr]

I've learned the hard way this year that topgraphic maps and satellite photos can be deceiving. They can definitely tip you off to bottlenecks, ditches and things, but don't try to picture it in your head too much. Nothing takes the place of walking the land.