Rookie mistake?

[Meattoeat]

I’ll try and post a few photos, shouldn’t ruin the spot I hope 😂

But I was out with the family this fourth and doing a bit of scouting in an area my family hunted a handful of years ago, except a few ridges over.

They always did fairly decent but they had pack animals and were a bit further up than most pressure.

While scouting we took a road to the dead end and followed a ridge above a stream that was some fairly decently technical hiking. Once we got to the hill side (north face) you couldn’t even follow the game trails it was so covered in sign. Just tracks going all over.

My question is simply is this a fluke? Or a possible early summer location and once hunting pressure hits should I expect them to totally change. I haven’t been here especially not during season so I’m not sure if it’s heavily tracked. We bumped 3 bucks only a couple miles away a 4x and some 3x’s.

I m thinking of doing a game camera and seeing what happens I’m just new to this whole finding new areas and how to adjust to pressure. It’s only 2 or so miles off the road but it’s pretty tucked away.

New to the forum if there’s a way to PM me feel free if you think you know where this is and if you’d like the pictures to come down haha I don’t want to ruin someone’s spot.

[Magnum_Willys]

Big ones will be in cover when season opens.   Find nearest big cover and put cams on edge of it 

[Meattoeat]

Big ones will be in cover when season opens.   Find nearest big cover and put cams on edge of it

Should I just head up there set a camera or two and not come back until mid September to keep it low pressure? Or check it a few times.

[AL WORRELLS KID]

Won't hurt anything to stake out your Camera's now and then check them as often as you head back to scope out the area, (before they close the Gates during Fire Season.) Remember as the Seasons change so will their Range.
After Opening Weekend the Bucks inside one of my Favorite Haunts (with all kinds of Preseason Fresh Sign), will have moved two ridges further away from all the pressure. 
Doug

[Meattoeat]

Awesome pictures!

I plan on seeing if I can get a few ridges further to see what they look like. I know this unit gets hit pretty hard but I’m pretty sure it’s a bunch of road hunting heros.

I plan on hitting it the Monday or Tuesday after opening weekend to let the rush die down and stay until end of regular season. Fingers crossed.

I’m still a beginner so could careless about score, my only deer was a spike black tail last year. Just some meat in the freezer.

[OutHouse]

I've had a similar experience. During the summer, near the top of a mountain I hunt is littered with sign and tracks with tons of groups visible in summer months. Then fall they're gone! Find where it is they are going to which in my case was better cover on ridges a bit lower in elevation.

[Sakko300wsm]

Lots of spots I hunt you won’t ever see a deer July - end of aug. this is mule deer then in sept start moving in good. 5000-6500 el

[Meattoeat]

Yeah I think I’ll have to go a little further and maybe a bit higher. I was only at about 3800-3900’