[kinhibitor]

I am hoping someone with a few more years of experience can tell me where on the topographic (orienteering) map that I have linked below can tell me where the natural funnels will occur. This is a map of West Point's main post. I've heard time and time again: "hunt the saddles... hunt the draws... deer like to take the path of least resistance." Unfortunately this doesnt help much when you're hunting the side of a huge hill. I have two areas outlined in purple that I have access to bowhunt in as soon as the NY bow season starts. There are other areas available, but since I have to walk to these areas (no cadets are authorized cars except for the seniors) I want to keep them as close to the barracks as possible.

Yfrog Image : yfrog.com/n8postorienteeringmapj - Uploaded by inhibitor

http://img836.imageshack.us/img836/2262/postorienteeringmap.jpg


If you click on one of the links it should theoretically take you to the picture of the map I uploaded. Please let me know where I should start scouting first. The terrain is very rocky; there are acorns litterally EVERYWHERE; the trees are mature and undergrowth is minimal except in the green splotches on the map. The areas are on the sides of slopes; and believe it or not these areas produce over 5 deer tagged each season. The urban area kinda crowds them in these areas and they find little pockets and niches to hole up in. I jumped a deer last year in the southern area outlined in purple; unfortunately I didnt see anything else the remaining time I spent in that area. Please let me know if you have any wisdom or tips to share on my situation. Thanks.

 

[kinhibitor]

This should be a zoomed in image if you havent figured out how to enlarge the map:

Imageshack - postorienteeringmap.jpg

 

[BruceBruce1959]

I studied both locations you outlined and if it were me, I think I'd like to get into the woods somewhere around the following spot on the google map.

Google Maps

the following pinpoints where I'm talking about, just copy and paste them into the google earth "Fly to search" to view the area I would choose..

41°23'24.51"N
73°58'22.35"W

Good Luck and let me know how it looks in there....

 

[Buckshot]

The red X's are where I would scout to start with.

 

[kinhibitor]

Awesome!

Thank you, gentlemen. I have about three weeks until I will be able to bring a bow out in the woods with me; but I plan to go check out these spots on friday and determine a good stand location. But that's an issue in itself...

I never learned how to scout for deer. I know how to identify sign, but I dont know how to interpret it. As far as my hunting knowledge goes from my high school years was I would go out into the woods, set up on a trail and hope a deer walks by. Or if we were at my grandfather's cabin, it was just a matter of getting out to the stand. So I am terrible at anticipating/figuring out where to find deer, when they will be in the area of the sign that I do find, why the sign is there, and what direction they will be coming from when I see them. I have a lot of learning to do, but I figure I can speed up the learning curve by asking for any help I can get.


It looks like I wont get much weekend hunting in this bow season because I will be traveling to competitions, but I get out of classes at about noon everyother school day and plan to hunt on a few afternoons from about 2pm to dusk.

Thanks again for all your help.

 

[Buckshot]

Well good luck to you. All you can do is locate areas that deer frequent and wait. No way to tell when they will come it could be any time of day. Look for well worn trails, food, browse and mast, look for cover they like it thick.

When setting up on a hillside remember that on a calm morning a hill that gets sun first will have an updraft. The deer will use it to avoid danger, but you can also use it to your advantage.

 

[kinhibitor]

Wow; went out and scouted in the rain. Saw a treestand out already. saw a tenative location for a stand; and then I decided to check out a few of the areas you indicated on the map. the southernmost purple boxed area is where I decided to scout today. I walked around wherever the terrain led me; and when I got to the tiny hilltop in the northeast side of the area that you put an x on I saw a relatively flat area to the east. I peered out and saw three young bucks on the ground waiting out the conditions. Awesome.

 

[Buckshot]

That's great sounds like a bedding area. Did you see any old rubs, droppings or food sources?

 

[kinhibitor]

I didnt want to bump the deer from that area, so I left without stirring/spooking them. didnt see any old rubs, no droppings, and the food source is never ending. Litterally every footstep you take you grind acorns into dust as they get pressed between the hard ground and your foot. Not kidding here; 50 percent of the trees are mature oaks and they have been raining acorns non-stop. Sometimes there are so many I cant tell if I am looking at acorns from years prior or this year. The squirrels ahve a feild day. or should I say season? Bottom line is that a deer doesnt need to move anything more than it's neck to get a full meal of acorns.

 

[timberghost]

White Oaks or Red Oaks? Deer will prefer White over Red if there is a choice.