Hunting the Ridge tops

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jaydee2trad
Posts: 1173
Joined: Mon Jun 01, 2020 12:28 pm

Hunting the Ridge tops

#1 Post by jaydee2trad »

In these Quachita mountains where I live, the deer tend to travel the ridge tops pretty well. What we have found is that a lot of the times but not always, the does have their paths and the bucks their's. We would find well used paths that ran parrallel to the ridge top but slightly off to the side or more. These offest trails were used my the older more mature bucks that were more secretive, especially during the hunting seasons. Of course, the full rut changes everything but these bigger bucks would also use these offset trails to check scrapes with out showing themselves. On the much bigger ridges and mountains, the gaps or dips in the top of the ridge or mountain were travel routes as well for all deer to pass thru and over. Many times, there will be scrapes and rubs in these gaps that get well used. I have found big scent posts along the offset buck trails and on some humps as well. During the pre rut and rut, the bucks really travel the ridge tops a lot in search of does. I truly love to rattle the ridge tops starting in mid October and have called in some really nice bucks then. The week of Halloween has always been a primo time for rattling. October can be a challenging month wind wise as it is usually beginging to change directions from a Southerly type to more Northerly type. So I try to have stands that afford me the ability to hunt a northly stand and a Southern stand. And I still have deer appear from behind but being high on a ridge does have it's bonuses. I prefer a bottleneck set up and many ridges by their very nature do that themselves in some spots. Even when just meat hunting, I try to hunt the ridge tops because you just never know. JD

Hill billy
Posts: 410
Joined: Wed Jul 24, 2019 9:20 am

Re: Hunting the Ridge tops

#2 Post by Hill billy »

jaydee2trad wrote: Fri Jun 19, 2020 7:25 am In these Quachita mountains where I live, the deer tend to travel the ridge tops pretty well. What we have found is that a lot of the times but not always, the does have their paths and the bucks their's. We would find well used paths that ran parrallel to the ridge top but slightly off to the side or more. These offest trails were used my the older more mature bucks that were more secretive, especially during the hunting seasons. Of course, the full rut changes everything but these bigger bucks would also use these offset trails to check scrapes with out showing themselves. On the much bigger ridges and mountains, the gaps or dips in the top of the ridge or mountain were travel routes as well for all deer to pass thru and over. Many times, there will be scrapes and rubs in these gaps that get well used. I have found big scent posts along the offset buck trails and on some humps as well. During the pre rut and rut, the bucks really travel the ridge tops a lot in search of does. I truly love to rattle the ridge tops starting in mid October and have called in some really nice bucks then. The week of Halloween has always been a primo time for rattling. October can be a challenging month wind wise as it is usually beginging to change directions from a Southerly type to more Northerly type. So I try to have stands that afford me the ability to hunt a northly stand and a Southern stand. And I still have deer appear from behind but being high on a ridge does have it's bonuses. I prefer a bottleneck set up and many ridges by their very nature do that themselves in some spots. Even when just meat hunting, I try to hunt the ridge tops because you just never know. JD
I missed this post earlier this year but I do agree with it. A mature buck can travel ridge lines and smell does danger and hunters with very little effort. Wind control is much easier also. I also have noticed bucks do not really like exposing there silhouette . Benches and trails just below the ridge lines are attractive.

jaydee2trad
Posts: 1173
Joined: Mon Jun 01, 2020 12:28 pm

Re: Hunting the Ridge tops

#3 Post by jaydee2trad »

thanks, they don't get big and old by being stupid

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