Bench- picture a hill, as you start at the top and go down the incline, the slope flattens out (can be any width of flat ground that is easy to walk) then on the other side of the "Bench", it returns to the slope.
Saddle-picture looking from a distance at mountains. Now do you see two peaks with a lower spot in between the peaks? That is the saddle, or cleavage depending on what you are imagining.
Ridge- think of a knife edge. It is a longer elevated narrow piece of land that runs for a distance. It's the top section.
Now find a white oak "ridge", that has a good sized "bench" below that ridge, then look for a slight "saddle" that might connect the ridge to the bench, and you just found a goldmine.
The oak trees drop the acorns, they roll down the hill till they hit the bench and stop. Deer, that follow the path of least resistance, will use saddles so as not to walk all the way up the hill. Instead, they walk the benches to get to the acorns that were left there for them. Just like a feed trough.
Deer are like people. Would you want to walk side hill, or on a bench? Would you rather walk/bed on the ridge and see everything, or down below and see nothing around you? Would you rather walk to the peak of a hilltop just to get to the other side, or find a shorter route to accomplish the same goal?
Hope that helps a little, and gives you a good understanding of the basics.
As for hunting swamps...the slightest topography change will "funnel" animals. You have the same land features no matter where you hunt. Some are just bigger scale than others. You just need to understand how they all work together.
Topic: Hunting Terminology (Read 499 times)
