Hunting Gullies (creek bottoms)

[TooManyHobbies]

I have a great spot with a heavily used trail crossing a stream. The stream runs south, out of a swamp, to north. The trail is a split Y on the east side (high bank) and the green fields are to the west (also a high but less steep bank coming out of gully). For those of you that have a bottom to hunt, do you wait for a N/S wind to follow the contour/stream, or would you hunt it with an E or W crossing wind? I don't want to bugger up the place with a swirling wind.
We are expecting an East wind this PM, coming from the bedding area, my fixed stand is right along the stream, 10 yards south (upstream) of the crossing.

[Kelly]

I'm slightly confused. The stream runs north/south so am assuming from your first description downstream is south, correct? If that is correct is your tree stand north or south of the crossing?

I would not hunt it with an east wind, most bucks won't enter a "green field with the wind at their back. I would hunt it with a north or northwest wind provided your stand is south of crossing. How deep is this gulley?

[Kelly]

Oh and another question, is your stand on the east or west side of the gulley?

[TooManyHobbies]

Kelly, downstream is north. My stand is ten yards upstream (south) from crossing, on the west side (I can spit into the water). The tops of the banks are probably 30 feet or more vertically. Probably a 40* slope on east, 30* slope on west. I've been waiting for a north wind. It finally came Saturday evening....while I was at a wedding.  Looks like I'll continue to wait for the north winds.

[Ryan Rothhaar]

You gotta try it if its a good spot, but chances are you'll find the wind to be squirrely in the bottom and it very well may not be huntable.  I've pretty much given up on bottoms of drainages, unless its wide open, winds generally swirl and you are hosed.  I've lost track of all the great spots I've found in bottoms that turn out this way......still get suckered into them, though!

R

[arrow30]

wait for a good windy day, with a good stiff steady breeze. it helps keep the air moving in one direction.

[Cory Mattson]

Bottoms show sign well but we never hunt low, bottoms gullies no way I have a hatred for wind in low areas so I set UP on top nearby. One exception is when I have a Lake at my back no farther than 20 yards and a steady wind 4 mph minimum
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[TooManyHobbies]

Thanks all. Arrow30, that's exactly what I was waiting for. I don't like hunting in the wind, but figured a stiff wind would be my best bet, just questioning how an east (cross wind) would swirl coming down one side and hitting the opposite bank.
Worst case, they bust me, I move up a bit and try again a few weeks later.

[GCook]

Use a good scent control system and hunt it only with a steady wind.  If you get up off the ground 15 plus feet it will help as well.

Sent from my SM-G892A using Tapatalk

[Kelly]

During light winds and gullies there is the swirling actions like others mention plus the wind has a tendency to flow like the water.

Where do you think their bedding area is?

Reason I was confused is your second sentence where you said, “The stream is runs south, out of a swamp, to the north.”

If you would place a stand on the north side of the crossing you could hunt it with south and southwest winds.

[Silent footed]

Just one quick question before I give you my answer:

Is this a creek bottom inside of largely hilly terrain otherwise?

(If your answer is yes, then I have the solution).

[TooManyHobbies]

During light winds and gullies there is the swirling actions like others mention plus the wind has a tendency to flow like the water.

Where do you think their bedding area is?

Reason I was confused is your second sentence where you said, “The stream is runs south, out of a swamp, to the north.”

If you would place a stand on the north side of the crossing you could hunt it with south and southwest winds.

I didn't have a good tree on the north side of crossing, without a lot of trimming and maybe a ladder stand. All of the trees are either pines, dead or crooked to the point a hang on stand wouldn't work. I also have a stand further upstream to the south, set up for a south wind. The distance between the two isn't too far, so I want to hunt the lower crossing first.
I've been hunting the property for years and trying to figure this spot out. I've bumped a lot of deer here over the years, due to the only access to the property goes by this spot. At the top of the west bank is a cart path, then the neighbor's fields. I've killed a couple nice bucks on the east side but not with my bow. The property was logged about 10 years ago, so the new growth are no longer whips but 3", 20 foot trees and thick.
Next time in, I'll try to get some pics to give you a visual.

[TooManyHobbies]

Just one quick question before I give you my answer:

Is this a creek bottom inside of largely hilly terrain otherwise?

(If your answer is yes, then I have the solution).

I wouldn't say largely hilly, but there are plenty of hills, ledges and a ridge to the south/SW. There's 150 acres surrounded by a few thousand more, mostly wooded, with a big cedar swamp. The neighbor's fields are mainly flat. Many spots to set up stands, with the property being almost a mile long.

[gregg dudley]

I've killed a lot of deer in creek bottoms.  I generally give up the rising ground behind my stand on my side of the creek and hunt with the prevailing wind blowing in my face.  I have rarely hunted as close to the creek as you are unless I was actually intending to primarily shoot the other side of it.  I have found that morning hunts are best.  I believe that the rising thermals in the morning through midday help your cause when you are hunting low areas.  I try to never walk the bottom to access the stand.  Instead, I approach the stand from the higher ridge line and walk to the stand perpendicular to the creek.

[Silent footed]

The reason I asked how hilly it is is because, up here, in the mountains and any country hilly enough, the swirling winds follow the pattern of:

Down the stream valley at night until 9 am, then up the stream valley from 9 am to 3 pm, and then back down the stream from 3pm on until a little after sunrise the next morning (9am-ish). An incoming front will send the winds downstream, and a front moving out will send the wind upstream again (it's just thermals).

The pattern here is so reliable that I don't even check the forecasted wind direction because I know in low country shielded ground doesn't receive any direct wind. Thermals matter more: I start almost every hunt by sitting at the head of the pre-dominating valley striking matches occasionally waiting for the first sign of the evening thermal to start so I can move in.

[TooManyHobbies]

Silent, very interesting. I wonder if my location would be similar. I should have asked these questions long before the season opener.
How long did it take to figure it out?
I need to stock up on milkweed seeds.

[Silent footed]

It took me my first season after moving to new york to figure it out. Also, I have read a few excellent books on it which cleared up a lot. Milk weed is the best, by the way!

[MCNSC]

I hunted a bottom for a couple years, got busted every time a deer came in because of unpredictable air currents. I’d have deer I thought wouldn’t get my scent smell me and occasionally one I thought would smell me not.  I quit hunting there for a year because I never could get a shot. One evening walking in it was very windy ( wind blowing across  the bottom ) I decided to hunt there again thinking the wind was strong enough to pull mu scent out. It worked , I shot a doe , killed 3 in the bottom on windy days before loosing access.

[Cyclic-Rivers]

I agree with Ryan.   Hard to ignore them areas with great sign.  gotta hunt a stout wind or no wind. There's a reason deer use em, cause they're safe the majority of the time

[bucknut]

I have a buddy that has killed probably 50ish bucks from the bottom on his farm which is basically a 100 yard wide hollow with steep side hills. Personally I hate them. I'd rather catch them in a spot that is more in my favor. I just can't stand the swirling winds. The only time I can count on them is when you have a predominant wind that blows directly down the hollow.  Just my opinion though.