River bottom whitetails

[cnelk]

I went out to scout our deer area on Saturday.
Found plenty of tracks (some big tracks too) and one fresh scrape.
The spot I\'m focusing on is a 1.3 mile walk from the truck
As I\'m hoping to get away from most hunters.

I found this blowdown cottonwood that is in a great location.
It\'s about 7ft off the ground and has shooting lanes out to 200yds.
There are two trunks, so a guy can stand or sit with his feet on the lower trunk.

 

[cnelk]

Last year about this time all of the front range flood waters went downstream to this river.
I saw where there has been major changes because of it.

Found a beaver skull that apparently didn\'t make it thru the flood

 

[bowhunter]

I have hunted a couple places where I could climb and stand in a tree with no stand and shoot deer. One tree I was 12 feet off of the ground standing on one limb and sitting in a crotch. The crotch was round and smooth. I can\'t hunt that land anymore because it changed owners. I miss that tree.

Is there any food nearby to watch over or is this spot a trail where they travel?

That big tree I miss was between bedding in prarie grass and a field which had corn or soybeans. I would be willing to bet money I could go there and arrow a deer tonight. If I had access

 

[cnelk]

Here is an aerial of the spot. The red arrow points to the blowdown.
The river is just to the south, hunting pressure will be on that side of the river [river is about 2ft deep]
There is corn and sugar beets to the north.

Thoughts?

 

[bowhunter]

It sounds good Brad. That land sure looks open compared to looking at aerial pics of the mountains.
Good luck....

 

[bowhunter]

When I travel through the front range on 76 north to 80 I see a few deer and in Nebraska on 80 along the Platte I see deer in every hay field for miles. It is nothing to see 150-200 deer while traveling that area near dusk. The only big trees in that area is along the rivers and most look to be Cottonwood.

 

[Deertick]

That looks like great country for a two-man slow drive.

Hunter #1 walks slowly along the river bank. Hunter #2 is about 100 yards behind and 100 yards away from the river bank. As Hunter #1 spooks deer (known or not) they almost always circle back, and Hunter #2 is there to make the shot.

This is a great late season muzzleloader tactic. (I could never sit still in the real cold weather!)

Anyway, it looks like a great spot. I miss Platte river bottom cottonwoods! Like you, I remember specific trees. I\'ve used blow-downs like you pictured as \"blinds\" more than \"stands\" ... A limb from the tree makes a great rest for a rifle.

How are you getting across the river? 2\' is deep if it\'s in sand -- meaning you could really hit deeper stuff on any step.

 

[razorback]

I\'ve never hunted around sugar beets but I have always heard that deer really like them. Any acorns around? Don\'t over look acorns, even if they aren\'t the primary food source, deer will feel secure eating those in cover versus an open field.

 

[huntography]

CO Brad?

I\'m tagged out in CO and am scouting Nebraska now for archery.

 

[cnelk]

Yes, Colorado
PM sent regarding Neb

 

[OldMan]

Here\'s a picture of the private land I could hunt if I wanted to. The little patch of trees next to the Arkansas River on the left of the picture holds two whitetails. Colorado is offering whitetail tags this year to get rid of whitetails from mule deer areas. They don\'t want them crossbreeding. It\'s an OTC tag for a season from mid Nov to the end of Dec for either sex, and you can buy two tags.

I\'ve been having an internal fight with myself to do this. My style of hunting has always been to challenge myself, and never take the easy way. Killing these whitetails would be extremely easy, and I can\'t bring myself to do it. I keep trying to tell myself this is good for conservation, and I could use the meat. It\'s not working, and I don\'t think I can do it. I wouldn\'t mind getting one of the tags to hunt public land, and see if I can\'t find one in the normal hunting areas. The odds would be slim in finding one, because the whitetails will hang out on river bottoms. All which is private land around here. I\'m just not sure what to do. My knee is killing me, and i\'m not sure i\'ll make the elk hunt.

 

[cnelk]

Pete
Do it. It will be a nice new experience.
As I get older I am looking at places/ways to hunt that are accommodating when I get older.
Plus, the WT is FINE table fare!

 

[OldMan]

Table fare for sure Brad, and my stomach is saying do it. I just need to convince my heart/mind it\'s ok.

 

[bowhunter]

Yes do it Pete. If your knee is limiting your hunting this would be an easier hunt and I doubt it will be as easy as you think. I know that sitting a stand if you know where the deer are coming out to feed is easy. Try \"Still Hunting\" them. That should take the easy out of it and you will be helping to manage the herd.