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Post by josephwrealty on May 25, 2014 10:30:21 GMT -5
I got started much later than I wanted to. But I made my first Pre-season scout trip yesterday. Was great to be back in the woods focusing on deer rather than my usual chasing coyotes or as I did for first time this spring turkey hunting. I am feeling much more confident about this upcoming deer season since it's going to be my second season and I learned many valuable lessons from school of hard knocks from my first season and combining that hard knock knowledge with information I've picked up from 2 key books and 2 key internet contributors plus 2 regular hunting partners. I wanted to get in Pre-season scouting started by late February but life said no to that concept so instead yesterday was the day. So is anyone else also scouting ie starting scout and formulate strategy for the next deer season?
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Post by dawnpatrol on May 25, 2014 11:50:30 GMT -5
Good for you....I start in July 1
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Post by HuntMeister on May 25, 2014 12:11:53 GMT -5
setup a mineral / camera site last weekend. Scouted and secured a new property 3 weeks ago and working on securing another now.
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Post by Genesis 27:3 on May 25, 2014 16:20:16 GMT -5
Mineral licks and camera scouting helps. Before the fields get all planted, I try to walk my woods edges and find high traffic area. Their feeding patterens will change some as the crops grow. I dont think their bedding areas change much. Although they dont always bed in the same spot. If you're going after early season whitetails then try to find water sources. Also look for the trails leading from bed to feed. Cameras are getting cheaper but I still can't afford to have 5, 6, 10... like some people. But I do have a couple and if I find a buck that I like I keep that camera where it's at and use the other camera to try to find his entry and exit points and compare the dates and time of travel to try and lock him down. I'll try to move a stand somewhere in between the camers or the trails going from bed to feed. I'm not the greatest whitetail hunter in the woods and I am sure you will get plenty of opinions and tactics from others. My biggest piece of advice for you is, KEEP YOUR WOODS CLEAN! What I mean by that, don't over scout and leave too mych scent behind. Even if it's 100 degrees out i still spray down and wear rubber boots and gloves going to and from feeders and cameras. Mature bucks seem to have very little tolerance for human disturbance. Just my two cents....
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Post by drs on May 26, 2014 4:19:04 GMT -5
setup a mineral / camera site last weekend. Scouted and secured a new property 3 weeks ago and working on securing another now. While I don't use a trail camera, I rather place a few 50 pound mineral blocks about my property, near my hunting spots. Looked at them this past week and Deer have already, after a few weeks, consumed all mineral blocks set out. Got to buy a few more 50 pound blocks when I make a trip to town. Deer tracks are all over the spots where I placed the blocks, with well defined trails. |
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Post by josephwrealty on May 26, 2014 9:10:15 GMT -5
As of now I just 90% public and 10% private. Which private is not mine. So I do not use mineral blocks. Only trail cameras. Looks like definitely a few individuals laying the groundwork for next season.
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Post by josephwrealty on May 26, 2014 9:14:10 GMT -5
FYI I whole hearty believe in trying to leave woods as clean as possible. Rubber boots are a must. I also do not like to venture deep very often. Leave sanctuaries alone as much as possible. Yet I must keep track of human traffic even more so than deer to see if I need to plan accordingly doe someone else not leaving the woods clean etc. I do not pattern deer per say. I pattern other hunters, far as deer are concerned. I only care about there comfort zones and than look over terrain features, beds etc. I'm getting hyped bout this season.
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Post by boonechaser on May 27, 2014 23:01:36 GMT -5
Patience grasshopper. Best time for scouting IMO is DEC, JAN. Rub line's and scrapes as well as primary trail's are more visible. Most mature buck's use difference area's spring/summer VS. fall/winter based on feeding pattern's and primary rutting area's so deer you see in summer may or may not be around come season opener. Personally this time of year I work on food plot's , mineral lick's and stay out of wood's period. By mid July I will place trail cams on food plots and mineral lick's and get a inventory of buck's in area. Summer is best served working on shooting skills and food source improvement and scouting food source's from a distance.
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Post by Woody Williams on May 28, 2014 9:24:29 GMT -5
Patience grasshopper. Best time for scouting IMO is DEC, JAN. Rub line's and scrapes as well as primary trail's are more visible. Most mature buck's use difference area's spring/summer VS. fall/winter based on feeding pattern's and primary rutting area's so deer you see in summer may or may not be around come season opener. Personally this time of year I work on food plot's , mineral lick's and stay out of wood's period. By mid July I will place trail cams on food plots and mineral lick's and get a inventory of buck's in area. Summer is best served working on shooting skills and food source improvement and scouting food source's from a distance. ^^^^ THIS.. In December and January the secondary trails, more preferred by mature bucks,stand out like a sore thumb. Any clean scrapes (no leaves) are more than likely the breeding scrapes. Any found sheds indicate that buck made it through the deer hunting seasons. It is a good time pick out stand sights as the leafless trees can tell you if you will be sky lined come late fall and early winter hunting. Good time to clear shooting lanes too. |
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Post by lawrencecountyhunter on May 28, 2014 13:20:06 GMT -5
Patience grasshopper. Best time for scouting IMO is DEC, JAN. Rub line's and scrapes as well as primary trail's are more visible. Most mature buck's use difference area's spring/summer VS. fall/winter based on feeding pattern's and primary rutting area's so deer you see in summer may or may not be around come season opener. Personally this time of year I work on food plot's , mineral lick's and stay out of wood's period. By mid July I will place trail cams on food plots and mineral lick's and get a inventory of buck's in area. Summer is best served working on shooting skills and food source improvement and scouting food source's from a distance. I agree completely boonechaser, when you are hunting the same property year after year and can control access / outside pressure. However, the OP stated that he hunts about 90% public, 10% private. I doubt he has the option of putting in food plots or mineral blocks. If you hunt somewhere like the HNF, you can keep yourself busy year-round scouting for saddles, funnels, pinchpoints, escape routes from other hunters, etc. I don't think you can spend too much time learning the woods when you're doing the public land thing, as long as it's not in the same 100 acre patch every weekend. |
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Post by josephwrealty on May 30, 2014 7:49:17 GMT -5
I don't hunt very much private ground as far as deer are concerned. Yet I do agree with scouting primarily in late winter into early spring when leaves are off trees, snow possibly on ground etc. Yet I'm not very interested in sign other than confirming deer are in area. Trails are little different story since I tend to pay a lot of attention to topo/geographic lay out. I prefer to not be in the woods I'm going to deer hunt in the summer but I do have to keep an eye on human sign to see who else is doing what. Plus summer is great time to glass to see what deer are where in what home range gives me decent feel for early season. If I hunted mainly private I'd change up few approaches.
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Post by 76chevy on Jun 11, 2014 6:08:37 GMT -5
 I avoid the woods in summer and early fall, first time I will be back in is when I am going in to hunt. I have the spots picked, lanes cleared, groundwork is laid. I just go in and hunt undisturbed deer. ... In December and January the secondary trails, more preferred by mature bucks,stand out like a sore thumb. Any clean scrapes (no leaves) are more than likely the breeding scrapes. Any found sheds indicate that buck made it through the deer hunting seasons. It is a good time pick out stand sights as the leafless trees can tell you if you will be sky lined come late fall and early winter hunting. Good time to clear shooting lanes too. |
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