North faceing slopes

[scotty30-06]

Hey folks....now I know generally game prefers south facing slopes but are north facing ones out of tge question?.....I found a nice big bowl in the middle of nasty craggy mountains on my hunt buddy app using the map....im wondering if its worth the pain to get to lol....due north faceing...region 2

[monasheemountainman]

There is no law on where animals will go. South facing =sun=feed= that is where the snow melts first.

[scotty30-06]

Yea I understand that but places in southern region 2 barely get snow lol....and all the flora looks the same on any side of the hills down here lol

[moosinaround]

Even in the south, there are differences in slope aspects! Can't see the animals not using it! Give er, what ya got to lose?!! Moosin

[steel_ram]

South facing slopes green up the first. South facing slopes still get green and maintain moisture and stay cool, which may be a good thing later in the season. The lee side of a hill is a good place to be during a storm.

[scotty30-06]

For some reason I always just think the whole mountain is crawling with blacktails. I think getting dropped of on the backside then hike around yo the bowl and spend a night or two at the top of the bowl....nothing else will be am epic tenting trip in beutiful BC.

[Pemby_mess]

I think it helps to also think about food and water. In a lot of places there won't be much of either on Southerly aspects late summer. It still has always appeared to me that deer spend most of their time on South facing terrain, evidenced by their sign, but I see them feeding on North facing terrain a lot in the late summer. Weather is going to factor into it as well. I think they like to sit on the south side of ridges for one reason being their smell. The prevailing Southerly winds will bring a predator's sent up to them. Having said that, when those prevailing winds get nasty, I can't see them sitting nose out into the storm. You'd think they'd take shelter in Northerly terrain during those conditions. Keeping all this stuff in mind, and understanding that deer are going to move all over the mountain for various reasons at different times, one can expect to make educated predictions on their movements and whereabouts during different conditions.

[srupp]

Hmmmm for salmon feeding fall grizzlies..north facing slopes hold the heddisarium plant.the underground tuber is used by 100 % of salmon eating bears.this plant kills worms in a bears intestines from worms in salmon carcasses..
So the bear isn't eaten alive by internal worms over hibernation.
Bears suddenly dissappear check those north facing slopes..
Cheers
Srupp

[swampthing]

Thinking that game prefers south facing slopes is a mistake! I think humans prefer south facing slopes so we assume game does. I have a good friend who is also a good hunter. He spends so much time on north slopes that I don't even want to hunt with him. He takes good animals regularly. He does especially well on mule deer.

[VLD43]

I think hunting south facing slopes is generally a good idea, with some exceptions. While there is usually less snow late season and hence more food, there are other considerations. Other than during the rut, when you find bucks where the does are, I believe that larger bucks will seek out quieter, less traveled places as sanctuary. I have often heard hunters say that deer will lay in the sun on south facing slopes in the winter time to warm up. I usually chuckle when I hear this, as I believe it makes little sense. Deer are built to take the elements, so I don't think cold phases them that much. On the other hand, if they were to lay in the sun, I believe they would soon overheat. Therefore it makes sense to me that they would seek out cooler areas to rest in, which would typically be more northerly exposures. I know in past, that I have seen lots of deer late season using this logic. Also as mentioned earlier in this thread, weather will also dictate deer movements to some degree. Don't be afraid to cover some ground and explore less hunted areas. You just might be surprised what you find. Good luck

[scotty30-06]

Thanks guys for the info and insperation.....looks like its worth the pain to at least try

[Husky7mm]

The North slope is late to green up, AND late to go to seed and dry out, berrys are often late on those slopes too. This year would be a great year to give it a try. Keep in mind that a sea of ingrown conifer with no under story is not a good feeing area. You still need mixed growth and edge.

[HarryToolips]

^^^^exactly, the feed can be better this time of year, and it's generally cooler North facing slopes, so early season it can be effective to hunt these areas..

[Stillhunting]

In the Southern Interior, north slopes are much brushier than other aspects, and consequently have more food. They're tougher to hunt though, because of the lack of visibility. I would focus on north east aspects if I ever hunted in September, especially with a hot, dry Summer.

[twoSevenO]

The North slope is late to green up, AND late to go to seed and dry out, berrys are often late on those slopes too. This year would be a great year to give it a try. Keep in mind that a sea of ingrown conifer with no under story is not a good feeing area. You still need mixed growth and edge.

I was doing some scouting last weekend and after all this dry weather i was seeing way more greenery on the north facing slopes rather than south. The south sides had all dried up big time in the area I was in.

[Pursuit]

North slope = good place to look early season, especially in a hot, dry year. South slope = good spot look when cold and later on in the season. Both will have micro spots that get warm.sunny earlier in day or stay warm later and vice versa. Get out and have a look!