I'll ask here

[picksbigwagon]

I am stumped, my new area to hunt has my flat out stumped. I will describe it for ya. 70 acres total, trout creek running through it, so there is some creek bottom land that is mowed and has been cleaned up to look "nice" for the owners when they are there.

The bluff makes up over half of the land total. If you have ever trout fished SE MN, this is your typical "who in there right mind would try and hunt it" bluff. Up on top there is maybe 5-8 acres of crp field. Part of that crp runs up to the neighbors bean field, the other part runs into another neighbors already harvested corn field.

Where do I sit in the morning? Do I sit down below and watch the deer come down from up top? Do I climb the logging road in the dark and sit in the one stand up top in the morning? What about the evening? I sat in the stand Saturday evening and watched many squirrels playing tag. On the way to the stand 1:30 or so, I watched 4 does walk behind the stand and disappear over the ridge away from me.

Thanks for your help. My inlination right now is to sit on the ground down below and watch the hillside going up the bluff in the morning. There are two deer stands, but they overlook the mowed bottom land and offer me no chance to shoot towards the hillside/bluff behind me. The care taker is lefthanded and all of the stands are set up for lefties.

[CMKURT]

If I remember my science correct, you would want to sit atop ridges in the morning & down in the valleys in the evenings. The idea is the thermals. As the air temperature warms in the mornings if you were in the bottom the temperature rising would pull your scent upward & the opposite in the evening. I may have this bass ackward, if so I'm sure someone will correct me. Granted with scent controlling clothing you fight some of this. Also with the ridges & valleys must be some great funnels & other structure to set up on. Good Luck

[slimngrizzly]

Well... all that bluff country seems to be a little different so it depends on the situation. When we hunt the bluffs in WI our rule of thumb is NOT to go through the feeder fields in the morning because youll just push the deer out. We hunt the sides and its often 9:00 or 10 brefore the deer filter in up high. It kind of depends on where the food is?

Anyway, bottom line is, make sure your carful going in so you dont bump the deer from your feeder fields. Sounds like that may be the neighbors tops, so id maybe hunt high in hopes they move them off thier fields right into your lap!

Good luck!