Hardwood draws

[welltaut]

I love a hardwood draw that works through the planted pines.
Having hunted on Timber company land for the last 20 years, I've hunted these draws but with marginal success.
I've killed plenty of deer in draws, but never a big buck, and I've been busted far more times than I can count.
When the white oaks are dropping, it's 24/7 food in the middle of some of the best bedding cover you can have.
Not to mention the scrapes and rubs and just general deer sign in most draws is fun to look at this time of year.

But....damn the wind, or lack of a steady wind, the thermals, and how it all acts in a draw, I've yet to figure it out.

Older (and successful) hunter at the club this weekend said forget the draws, you just can't hunt them without getting busted.

What have you learned over the years about hunting these areas?

Morning vs evening tactics? Thermals go up (out of the draw in the am, and back down in the draw in the pm)?

Specific wind direction vs draw direction? Ex a true West wind on an East to West draw?

[nitro5x6's]

Ozonics , Bo.

[Sportin' Woodies]

I've made new hardwood draws out of several dozen Treecoys where wind doesn't act stupid and I've had unbelievable hunts.

[mello_collins]

30ft

[w33kender]

If your friend's advice was true, no deer would die in Appalachia ever. You already named your best advice; you should follow it and have fun: hunt above the draw in the AM, below it in the PM. As to not killing "big" bucks there in your attempts, you can't kill what isn't there.

Hunters get winded often and never even know it. Especially the guys on TV who overthink and then mythologize the shit out of everything.

[Gut_Pile]

Hunt high, and might just be an AM only type place. Wind does weird stuff, especially in the afternoon.

[SCSwitchback]

30ft

This.
In my experience, some are impossible to hunt without getting busted and some are not. Just have to hunt them to find out. Either way, hunting higher is going to help.
And don’t discount the Treecoy idea from SW. I’ve seen the explosive results from one well placed Treecoy, I can’t imagine the payoff from several dozen well placed units.

[Sportin' Woodies]

Explosive.

[Sportin' Woodies]

Go up 40' and you're gonna need to you two Ground Grunter systems. Tape them together vertically with "tape". Now take a stick of Evercalm and eat it. The whole thing. Affix a respirator mask to your face and connect to ground grunt mouth piece with more "tape". Breathe exclusively thru your ground Grunter.
If deer still blow you can snort a can of Nose Jammer but it will make your eyes water so go with the evercalm first.

[JJ1965]

You have to set up in these draws around the middle of July. Set up and stay. By November you will smell like the woods and the wildlife will be acclimated to your presence. Then just walk up to the big bucks and kill them with a stick.

[welltaut]

Ozonics , Bo.

Got one, pain in the ass, but you're right.

I need to try it again.

[SCswampCAT]

This.
In my experience, some are impossible to hunt without getting busted and some are not.

This. And you will still get busted climbing 30ft. And just because you get "blown at" doesn't mean they are blowing at you or that they wont forget about it as so as the wind changes for 5 min. Had a group of does in a draw one afternoon that started blowing at me (I assumed they were because my wind should have been filling their nose up.) 5 min later I ran an arrow through one. Deer are gonna deer. I got blown at last week rifle hunting (I know thats not possible for some) but 10 min later a basket rack came strolling up from the trail I was getting blown at from.

[Geetch]

I've made new hardwood draws out of several dozen Treecoys where wind doesn't act stupid and I've had unbelievable hunts.

Treecoy? What is that?

[nitro5x6's]

Got one, pain in the ass, but you're right.

I need to try it again.

I don't own one, but this goober I hunt with once in a while swears by them.

[Spur hunter]

Takes some time, trial and effort but you can learn thermals and do better than you think.

[SaltMuck]

Treecoy? What is that?

If you had to ask, you'd never effectively use one.

[welltaut]

Takes some time, trial and effort but you can learn thermals and do better than you think.

Spur - anything that you've learned about thermals that you can share?

[quack head 11]

Milkweed pods. When you are up the tree drop you a couple and watch them float, swirl and move. You will be amazed at what the wind actually does and the milkweed gives you something to watch.

[Spur hunter]

They don’t always go downhill but will back up side valleys depending on terrain. Just like water. Wind will change it further, just have to hunt a spot and pay attention to find out. I’ve hunted bottoms where two creeks come together and counted on thermals from one side to blow scent out toward opposite side and down, where I came in from during an eve hunt. Ditto for placing scent. Not saying it’s 100% but not complete guesswork either. Evenings seem to be the toughest, mornings usually have everything going up as the sun rises. Just some thoughts.

[Bad Habit]

If you want to hunt it regular- go in a couple months before the season and hang up one of your dirty, sweaty shirts and leave it- go back every couple weeks and swap it with another- they will get used to the scent and think nothing about it- if you want to really train them every time you swap the shirt put up a small jar of peanut butter near by in your kill zone.