MN and WI gun hunters..need advice

I head to Missouri tomorrow AM for a 9 day rifle hunt.
Since I am a flat lander (south dakota).. I am wondering if you guys can give me some hints on how to hunt THICK BIG WOODED SIDE HILLS (bluffS).. the country reminds me alot of Houston, and Winona County MN. Big timber bluffs with deep drainage that are covered with deadfalls.

In the past we have always placed the blinds in the bottoms , the pastures and picked ag fields.. We see deer and shoot deer..but they are most last and first light..but during the lock down (12-15th) I feel like the big boys are moving with does in the BIG TIMBER and Im sitting out in the daycare area..

Any tips.. the woods is pretty steep like in bluff country. What do I look for…ect..

Thanks..

I am still fairly new at the whole bluff country, and ag fields but what I have learned the last 2-3 years is the following. Of course this is the general rule and all rules are meant to be broken.

Larger bucks will run the top 1/3 of the ridges unless they are with, can smell, or can see a hot doe.

Any steeper valley or heavy cover that goes down to the ag fields is where most of them will want to come out to the field if alone.

If you can find a flat area on top where 2 or more different ridges meet that is usually a very good spot to catch them crossing or staging.

From my limited knowledge so far with that type of area that is what I have found so far.

x2 what eric said. Field hunting can be good if you are hunting unpressured deer. Second, this time of year the does are often hesitant to be out in the middle fields where bucks can easily find them. Third, if the deer are pressured often the only ones you see in the field are on the run or moving.

for bluffs/steep ridges our go to spots are:

1. Where ridges come together
2. Benches – Flat spot on a hillside, part way up. Topo maps are great to find these areas. The deer don’t like to cut across a hill on the steep part, find the flats.
3. Tops of draws – especially during the rut, bucks will be putting on the miles and aren’t likely going to cross a deep draw/ravine in the middle. The like to cut above those ravines.
4. Saddles – Low spots in ridges is where bucks will often cross to get to the other side.

We generally stay high, the bottoms can be wind funnels and very unpredictable.

More than one way to kill a buck but these have been proven methods we have used over the years. Good luck

THICK BIG WOODED SIDE HILLS (bluffS)

Eric gave you the #1 advise to look at
Larger bucks will run the top 1/3 of the ridges unless …..”

That is all i have been hunting for the last 28+ years

Here is some random things I learned from managing my farm:

The most mature bucks will aviod skyling on ridges. They’ll usually run that upper 1/3 unless there is sparse openings/brush lower.

They love bedding on points where they can see/smell very well and have 2 or 3 escape routes

They like to run off to the sides of a crossover valley – never through the middle of it.

If you find the thickest, narliest, nasty crap to walk through, most likely they have a trail that parallels it.

Look for natural bottle necks (saddles) out on a point of a bluff. Most likely if it provides cover, they’ll cross in that saddle.

If i can find a vantage point to sit in a valley and look up both sides, I double my opportunity.

Almost every tree stand on my property over looks a saddle

The satelite view is a property i hunt. The red is valley bottom and there is about 300 to 500 foot elevation changes on this. The green is a GPS plotting I did after walking deer trails for a weekend. Kind of puts in perspective their travel routes. Look close at the elevation and habitat as to where they are walking.

Did i mention anything about finding saddles on the top of bluffs where they cross over????

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With a rifle I would be hunting from a good vantage point. An area that allows you to look into multiple ravines. Also look for transition areas between different bedding areas. Big bucks will check multiple bedding areas in a day. Especially mid day after they ditch a doe. Only time they will bed down is if they’re with a doe so if it were me I would be hunting all day. And I would stay away from ag fields.