virginiashadow

I have just recently started to really focus my attention on topo maps (last couple of years) and pinpointing the areas I would like to hunt based on the relative pressure by other hunters. I scouted a bunch this past weekend and one thing really stood out. Really tight saddles in the middle of the big woods seemed to have a tremendous amount of buck sign....almost to a T I found large recently activated scrapes and rubs on the downwind side of the prevaling winds. It was awesome and I think I am going to really pick up my hunting on saddles this coming year. Any thoughts about the best time to hunt saddles with alot of buck sign? Not sure if it is a pre-rut thing or early season thing. Thoughts? This is what I am talking about:

virginiashadow

ttp for the nerd topo map readers like me---I need some help on this please!

Rhody Hunter

saddles are a great spot to hunt . try them out i think you will like it

kwilson16

Some of my hunting is in hilly West Virginia and almost all of the very best stands are related to some sort of saddle. The thing is that some of the most prominently mappped draws (those with the most contour lines depicting their existence) are not necessarily the best. The honey holes are the subtle 'creases' with just enough cover and terrain containment to bring the deer through. On the map, they are most likely a slight dimple in the countour lines. The larger draws do not seem to create enough pinch to pull the deer through a defined area.

Here in the flat lands of NC there is not enough relief to use this phenomenom easily. Although if there isany relief-related funnel feature, the deer seem drawn to it.

BTBowhunter

Saddles are almost always a great place to set up. Just like any other pinch point.

tsoc

The significance of the saddle will vary seasonally based on it's proximity to food sources or doe's.Saddles that are in close proximity to primary food sources are great earlypre rut and post rut,actually having them be between cover and feed.During the rut saddles near doe bedding area's or between doe bedding area's are going to be the hot spots.
It is a lot of fun putting these things together and when you have found a few good/great saddles/funnels you will not lack for very good hunting spots.
I killed two bucks this year in funnels where I have killed bucks before.It is really cool when you nail down several of these spots!

virginiashadow

Thanks for the info and advice all...I feel even better now. Well I am off to scout again tomorrow for some more patterns. Will let you know if I find anything.

tsoc

What I like doing is getting on a topographic map program on the computer after viewing printed maps of the same area or after having purchased topo maps on cd's of the area's I want to scout.The computer topo programs will enable you to click your mouse in a saddle or funnel or other terrain feature that catches your eye and immediately get the coordinates of that spot,load the coordinates in to your GPS and when you go to that area walk right to that spot with the assistance of your go to function on the GPS.An awesome way to use technology!

virginiashadow

that is what I am talking about tsoc...I have a gps and could do this if could find a good program to get the cps coordinates...I have google earth but am not sure if it puts out coordinates.

Roskoe

It does.