How do your deer spots work?

[Jeff Kavanagh]

Here's a great funnel. On the left is a thick cedar bush and on the right a large swamp. On the other side of the cedar bush is a field of alfalfa.
I won't waste my time with it though.
https://imgur.com/1NicSCh

[marky.mark]

That is incredible.

[Jeff Kavanagh]

That is incredible.

I have a bunch of spots like that around the farm. We do have a lot of deer around here but trails like that are either seasonal or used after dark. They aren't worth the effort. Never having trail cameras, it took me some time to figure some of these things out. But there's always a bright side. They have to be moving somewhere else right?

[marky.mark]

I heard that those heavy trails are after dark spots, ya probably in some thick stuff bedded down

[punkrockerpj]

when you hunt farmland, its all about the pinch points boys!

[ride.lift.shoot]

The tract where I do most of my hunting has only ever produced does on the trail cams, but in the 3 years I've been hunting there I can tell you bucks have come out of there every year. Two in early November, and one in late December. Don't let a trail cam fool you. Just because you're not getting pics of bucks doesn't mean they aren't there. The does are the best natural attractant/call lure one can employ during the rut.

[benjhind]

You mentioned a mineral block. I find this time of year they stop going to the mineral, no matter where it is.

[sabmgb]

Where I hunt you seldom see deer until after the controlled hunt in December. Last year was different, my oldest and I both got 8pt in the first couple weeks of the season. I hunted twice a week after that and didn't see another deer until Christmas day, then saw 30 just to far. Boxing day got a 4 pt. Where they all go for 2 months is beyond me, but they do come out to play in December. I still enjoy sitting there, even if there aren't any deer.

[onelessarrow]

let me start with a quick summary of where my heads at.

Early summer until first first of August I had almost daily visits to one of my stand sites where I had a mineral block. Then all stopped. Still to this day I havent received any new pics. Now I have set up in the mouth of what looks like a funnel with hard hard wood to my left and swamp to my right. I have seen rubs up in the hardwood heading to wards the swamp and also on the edge of the swamp with rubs on the same side of the trees like they would be headed to the swamp.

Now i I believe that this spot will be more of a pre rut-rut spot and that they haven’t switched their patterns over yet.

What I want to know from you guys and gals, is do you hunt similar situations. Where one area is somewhat dead until specific times of the season? And only gets hot during certain times?

I have a couple of the spypoint link micro cellular cams that are the best and worst decision I ever made because it’s like I’m in the bush everyday all day. Problem is I’m not seeing movement in this “ funnel or bottleneck “ area yet. Causing me of course endless hours of thinking and reading every article possible I can find.

Any and all all feedback is greatly appreciated as per usual.

If you're not getting a lot of camera activity come opener. You have an opportunity to increase it by hunting known feeding areas or trails a half mile or more from your stand for the first few hunts of the season. Once the deer the realize your hunting them, which won't take more than a few of days of hunting. They should naturally move back to where they've had previous security. Your camera setup lends itself to monitor a technique like that perfectly.

[LowbanksArcher]

You mentioned a mineral block. I find this time of year they stop going to the mineral, no matter where it is.

True for the most part. But I find I do still get the odd deer, here and there, coming to them in the first couple weeks of October.