Friday, I took a couple of hours in the morning to scout out a potential hot-spot that I found on some local game lands.  Why would I hunt game lands when I have 300+ acres in Alamance County on private land to hunt, a few choice spots in Raleigh also on private land?  Simple, it is dynamite! 

Hey look, mature pines, almost worthless deer habitat…no surprises there. 

I did find a great squirrel hunting spot though, a few trees with this many carved up pinecones under it could mean a limit of squirrels.

Over a half-mile into my walk, I stumbled across the first of several gems.  This 2-3 acre white oak stand was the first source of deer food I had encountered and bingo, 10 yards into the stand there they were.

The picture is horrible, but you get the point…3 does and a little buck stood around long enough for me to tell I was in the right place.

Another quarter of a mile and I stepped out of the pine forest to see this pretty sight, low water means fresh vegetable garden for wildlife.  Fresh green growth was absolutely pounded by the deer and raccoon and fox tracks littered the ground too.  Hot spot #2.

Another photo of some great deer groceries!

Now this is the big boy that I want a personal encounter with during October.  Five inches of track!

Also quite a few doves back in this spot.  They were constantly flying back and forth.  Must have been some source of seeds or fruit they were interested in. 

Hot spot #3 was a full mile back into the woods, but it by far the sweetest spot I had seen yet.  I jumped another deer between the “grocery store” and a hardwood ridge that was filled with hickory and oak trees, even a few black gum mixed in.  Trails were cut deep into the elevated ridge, buck sign was abundant from previous falls, and fresh droppings covered the leaf litter. 

This calf-sized cedar tree rub from last year was surrounded by 5 or 6 smaller rubs all within 10 or so feet.  Unbelievable funnel between a few topographical features which I won’t disclose and littered with deer sign…super secret hunting spot…all on public land!

It will be an evening hunt only and a heck of a long drag back to the road, but I will go out on a limb and guarantee that one of my buck tags is spent on this ridge before the season ends…