Honey Hole??

[fishnfur]

Now I'm not looking for anyone's honey hole...........

How many times have we all seen that at the start of a new thread? ?

Since this one of the purposes of this forum is (in theory) to foster the sharing of hunting experiences and knowledge, I've been pondering for a few weeks whether those of you who truly have "honey holes" have any knowledge or good guesses to share on what makes your special deer hunting spot so special. 

It is general knowledge that spots such as the upper reaches of brushed in draws, alder or mixed alder/fir benches, topographic or vegetation based pinch points or funnels can all be real hot spots for deer.  But not all spots are created equal.  Some will consistently produce deer year after year, and many others will be almost devoid of animal activity.  Often times the availability of food is a big part of the equation, but many times, when food is abundant, it seems to play almost no role in where deer live.  It may be a geographical feature that deer use or perhaps travel around that doesn't follow the typical example of a classic funnel, but acts in the same manner, and causes more animal activity in one location than others around it.  Many other reasons come to mind as well. 

I'd love to see a few comments from those of you with a proven honey hole, what you believe the reason(s) is/are that make your spot so much better than the surrounding areas.  How big is the area and what factors cause deer to use that area more than others, and it might be helpful to throw in the species of deer you hunt in that spot.  We definitely don't want any information that might tip off someone to the whereabouts of your spot, so keep your discussions non-specific regarding actual location.

Thanks to anyone with comments to share.  Any takers?

[greenhead_killer]

I personally think the best thing I have going for me in any given 'honey hole' is experience. It's time invested in learning how deer live. Learning to read the terrain, bedding areas, travel corridors, escape routes, feed zones. It's learning where the deer are most comfortable and when they become uncomfortable, where they go next. You're right, not every place is a cookie cutter design with habitat, but investing time into different areas will teach you where the honey holes are.

[Mudball]

Wow that is one of the best worded posts I've seen and great questions. I really don't have a "honey hole" myself as I tend to move around from area to area depending on location and pressure and my slight ADD (patience I may never learn) that's makes sitting in one place hard for me. I am not successful on a regular basis as often as most but would agree there are many factors that play into the quality and overall success of an area. I tend to hunt mostly blacktail in my local area, although I have not mastered the art by any means of the term as well as others and spend more time beating my head against the nearest tree at the end of the season because I have once again failed at seeing them before they see me I still love these deer. I have had several areas produce deer for several years even though I may not have put a tag on one I still consider the season a successful one. Some of the areas become to thick for me to hunt, over pressured by others or I have lost several areas to coyotes over the years because I don't know or have the time to hunt them. I would love to hear from more people about Blacktail deer areas more than others, I have spent hours looking at pictures reading books (I have most of the Blacktail books on the market) to try and find similar are as depicted in photos or following the standards of were they are supposed to be but there is always more learning to be done. I hope others will put out the type of helpful info learned for years of experience/success.

Good luck to all on your season. 

[BULLBLASTER]

My "meat factory" is a small piece of private land in an area with high deer density and relatively low hunting pressure. Different for sure than a "honey hole" on vast open areas or something like that but same idea.

[Dr. Death]

Sounds like this is mainly for blacktails, so I'll give a few words on this. I bowhunt, so my technics are geared for that. The more time you can spend in the woods the better as we all know. Blacktails live in rather small areas for the most part, I used spend hours cutting trails into and around areas that I knew held big bucks. I'd usually find their bedding areas this way and after all the trails were built I'd leave them alone for the most part, checking from time to time to ensure they were still in the areas and now using the trails. When I'd get rainy days and correct winds I'd work into their bedding areas and have shot numerous good bucks in or around their beds or on the trails. That worked well for me, lots of work throughout the year however. I now mostly hunt mulies lol...good luck!

[jagermiester]

I shot 3 bucks in three consecutive years out of the exact same hole. The fourth consecutive year I went there and shot AT! a running buck that would have been the largest buck I would have taken out of there. I hunt in sagebrush and the only cover is actual holes (Coulees). This particular one sits off all by itself and is rather large compared to the rest. For years no one messed with it because of how much open country you have to pass to get to it. Every deer killed in that hole has been towards the end of our season. I believe this is because the deer feel like it is safe having a sort of buffer between them and the protection of topography. The problem with a honey hole is that it becomes ho hum. I found myself not wanting to go there last year because I have been there and done that. My hunting partners feel like it belongs to me so they avoid it. This year I'm going to bring my brother in law there and hopefully he can take it over.

[Bill W]

I had a spot in Montana that I shot 4 big deer off of, all within 1/4 mile of each other.  It wasn't until the 4th one that I put things together.  That spot was where the "boss buck" in the area staked his claim.  Why it was the "spot", I don't know.  But if I went over there again I feel it would hold another big buck.  Two were in the 250 live weight class, another 270-300 and the last was approximately 325.   The 325 lb one had 27 1/2 inch wide rack and his body made the rack look small.  I had passed him up two days prior thinking he was a 20 inch wide class deer (with a smaller body size)

The best deer I shot off that ranch was in a different area and was what I classed as the perfect deer.  Body size of approximately 180 lbs live weight and very symetrical and beamy antlers.  This buck was a smaller one, 23 inches wide but it would score higher than the one with the 27 1/2 inch rack.  That one was beamy also but had a fair number of subtractions because of uniformity.

[jackelope]

My buddy's boy killed 3 deer, 3 years in a row, in the same chunk of CRP using the same section of fence for a rest.

[Rainier10]

My buddy's boy killed 3 deer, 3 years in a row, in the same chunk of CRP using the same section of fence for a rest.

Wow, my daughters have done the same.  Oldest daughter shot one two years in a row and the third year the youngest got to hunt this small section of CRP that has produced all three years.

It's just a great spot off the road that you can't see but the deer hold up there for some reason.  It is literally a 2 minute walk to see if they are there.

[Tacbeav]

I have killed Blacktails in or near the same clearcut in consecutive years several times. For most of us, Blacktail hunting happens in forest land that is actively managed for timber harvest and the habitat is always changing as trees grow up.  Any given spot will only be good for a few years before the trees become grown up to the point that it is no longer practical to hunt. I think it is more about being willing to put the time in to learn a specific area (as mentioned earlier) and staying with it. If the sign is there and you are seeing does and fawns, be confident that the bucks will show up when the timing is right.  That usually being the last few days of October or during "late buck" if you are a rifle hunter.  Be willing to get away from the road hunters by walking into gated off roads or at least getting to the clearcut edges that can't be seen from an open road or just by taking a few steps off of a landing.

[fishnfur]

I agree with that argument, and though some call a patch of reprod a honey hole, (and it is hard to argue vehemently against that point),  reprod is something of a short-lived honey hole, that in the near-term, provides deer an excellent source of food, and later on in the growth phase, both cover and food.  In a commercial forest, there are many more deer using both the reprod and the areas immediately surrounding them than the thousands of acres of 25 - 40 year-old, closed canopy, dark-and-dead-underneath stands in the neighboring areas.   As you stated, once the reprod reaches full closure (if conifer) it generally becomes much less useful to deer - just dark and dead.  Cover - yes, food - no.  Time to find a new place to hunt.

For the sake of this discussion, the questions was regarding all three species of deer in WA, not just blackies in commercial west-side forests.  A true honey hole, at least in my mind, holds more, or perhaps bigger deer than the surrounding areas, and often offer opportunities for repeatable hunting success for many, many years.  These spots are real, and for whatever reason, the deer like living in, or at least using them much more extensively than the surrounding areas (that seem quite similar from a human point of view). 

I'm not surprised to find that most hunters who have a honey hole are not sure why the deer prefer these locations. These spots are generally closely guarded secrets and rarely shared with anyone.  As hunters, we can only guess what the deer are thinking at any given time.  We will never really understand why they choose to do all the things that do.  There are likely many reasons that each honey hole attracts deer, and those reasons are likely different for each location.   No doubt access to food, water, cover are major attractants in each case, but I would not be surprised if there are seasonal and perhaps specific nutritional factors that may make these areas more deer friendly during the time of year that hunters are in the field.  Perhaps it may also have to do with lower hunter numbers in that area compared to the surrounding areas that results in greater deer numbers.  I could go on and on, but only the deer really know the answer, and they ain't talkin'.

Thanks for the input.  I will continue to ponder it as I lay sleepless in my bed at night.   




 

[HUNTINCOUPLE]

Easy answer to finding a Honey Hole. Read The Liars Paper aka Fishing and Hunting news. The best spot I have found to date comes from The TRIPOD BUCK........

[boneaddict]

That one has my attention as well.   

[fishnfur]

Easy answer to finding a Honey Hole. Read The Liars Paper aka Fishing and Hunting news. The best spot I have found to date comes from The TRIPOD BUCK........

Hilarious!   (I always thought they should have named that magazine "you shoulda been there last week".)

.....but I'm not looking for a honey hole anyways.  I like to keep it challenging and wander around aimlessly in the woods. 

I'll bet Bone has worthwhile input on the topic.  I mean,who else routinely finds mashers like Bone Addict?  I think there is likely some secret hunting society, handshake and all, that knows all of this information, but the topic is verboten to non-members.  No doubt Bone is a charter member.   

[Jimmy33]

I have two different versions of this for deer and elk

Elk-any place that gives me the best odds and killing an elk. I don't care too much about size, more concerned with filling my freezer.
Deer- mulies in particular are my passion. I don't like to hunt where I see people. I would rather hunt an area with one nice buck and no people than 50 nice ones and 50 people. This is my first requirement. I look for rugged country in isolated areas. This sounds cliche, but it is absolutely true. This keeps big deer feeling safe, and people out. I like low deer densities. This tells me that there will be less people there because people get discouraged easily hiking their butts off, in rough country, not seeing deer. I have, in my honey hole, gone days without seeing a deer. Furthermore, in my experience, lower deer densities mean bigger bucks. I have hunted areas in Idaho, New Mexico, and most recently in Washington and found this to be true. The spot that I am currently hunting has produced, in four years, 2-150's, 1-140, and 1-170 class mule deer. I


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