Hunting roads

With as much cover(bedding) as we have on our properties in Alabama and the only way being able to hunt them sometimes is on the road that goes through the thicket cover bedding areas. Are there anyways you determine about where they will cross. The obvious being tracks and food source. Maybe putting a camera on time lapse. Just curious if anyone had any other tips for hunting long stretches of road.

Wind direction. Get a tall stand to see both directions and into the cover. I think you answered your own question but deer can some out anywhere. I love hinting road systems but sitting on the ground can get you busted real quick. I like to take a chair and set in a bend of the road. I'll find a pine tree limb for cover or hide in some bushes. You would be amazed at how close the deer will get to you.

You may try piling up brush on the road side which limits deer crossing and leaving openings where you plan on putting stands. May the deer come to you.

I usually will find a good spot and sit in a chair on the side of the road. Deer usually step out and stop to try and figure out what’s the big blob in the road.

I always sit in the truck. Park it crossways in the road with both windows rolled down so I can shoot out both sides. Deer will walk out and look at the truck then just mingle around. I love it you never know what is going to cross a road

I use a millinium tree seat when I hunt roads. I put cameras on road crossings to identify the trails that bucks use on a regular basis.

Same, except I sit in the middle of the road to make sure they stop and look.

I sit in the road with a chair and a tripod for the rifle.

Our roads tend to bend around terrain features and the busiest crossings are in those turns. Our deer, I’ve noticed over the 11 years I’ve been on the current property, will use the same trails wether they are through a fresh clear cut, sapling pines or maturing forest. Our roads are mostly dirt/clay so it’s easy to tell where the deer are crossing and where they aren’t. But again, these tend to be in turns where you won’t be much further than 50 yards, maybe less, from the crossing and see it. I’ll sit on a chair or bucket and watch it like a hawk but not until the rut usually. Let the does stay comfortable crossing there and see what follows later.

I have hunted roads a whole lot. I have found that mature bucks like to cross in the narrowest parts of the road, in a curve if they can. Don't worry if there is a trail there or not. Just be ready when he crosses. They will cross where edges meet. Like the edge of tall and short pines, edge of a field, following creek bottoms, etc. It won't take him 2 seconds to get across.

I like to put corn piles every 50 yards.

Seems legit 🤷🏻‍♂️

Do it like Texas, put a feeder in the road.

Best was is to sprinkle it in a zigzag pattern so they’ll move around for a shot....so I’ve been told.

Fast truck, bright light, & a quiet rifle

Any major terrain change is a great place to watch: curves, dips, humps, timber change, etc. Lots of good advice in this thread.

Get a swivel chair, a blind and 2 of those cheap shooting sticks from Walmart and put one at the right window and one at the left window, so when you see a deer all you have to do is swivel into place and not worry about moving your shooting stick. I get on long straight away's or where I see tracks crossing the road.

50% of the deer killed at my camp are killed on roads, either in a chair or vehicle as described above. The problem is judging the distance quickly because you only get a few seconds. After Halloween a few years ago we bought plastic pumpkin baskets for trick-or-treating for 50 cents at Wal Mart. Drill a few holes in the bottom and put a scoop of dirt in them. Put them out every 200 yards on the side of road where you can see them from your set up. It is the quickest way to determine if they are in range. If you see them crossing near the third pumpkin you know they are out of range but you also know where to move your stand next time.

Watch the curves...

Y’all need to practice shooting. With the 7mag I can hold on hair out past 300.

3 pumpkins spaced 200yds apart would be 600yds....