Scouting for buck beds in the summer

[bucksnbows]

I'm just wondering if any of you keep scouting for buck beds in the summer. I know the closer to the season you have to be more careful or just not at all.
I know the best time is in the late winter early spring, but you guys have inspired me to start checking out more public land. This would leave my private properties less pressured by giving me more options to hunt especially in the early season. Most if the big buck activity doesn't pick up on my private grounds until late October .

Any different tactics or other advise appreciated.

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[Dewey]

I scout beds in the summer but only from a distance while glassing. If you know the area well you can put the pieces of the puzzle together fairly easy while they are in their summer patterns.

[Jackson Marsh]

I've got a few spots I haven't checked out yet, but plan to with in the next couple of weeks. Not optimal, but it is better than waiting another year to learn the area. One and done is what I shoot for this time (anytime really) of year.

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[Jackson Marsh]

In fact I'm checking out aerials right now

[bucksnbows]

In fact I'm checking out aerials right now

Lol. I was doing the same and want to get boots on the ground ( more like hip boots) on some of the areas.

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[ehlusive]

I just came across this site late last summer. Being gunho I went looking, I was still looking the first week of our opener. I jumped some in August and early sept. And went back and setup on them with good luck. Never killed one but multiple encounters. I jumped one first day of season last year, 160s 10 pt. Waited 2 weeks conditions were almost identical except a hint of SE winds vs straight S. Set up within 90 yards he got up and used the farther trail, ended up having him at 35 yards but no shot. I didn't get much scouting in this winter so I'll be doing the same again this year. Just limits being able to trim lanes etc. From my limited experience early in the year you can get by and possibly still stick a good one. I liked knowing exactly what was using the bed. Most held real tight giving me chances to see them. This was mostly in flatter country.

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[gjs4]

I would love to hear more on this....when the bachelor groups break up, a mature bucks bed may change, as well has when leaves drop or crops change....What are some of the ways you can take it from "i glass him coming out of here with this wind" to where he is ....especially in areas where topography or an aerial doesnt hand you a "no-brainer"????

[BigHills BuckHunter]

I would love to hear more on this....when the bachelor groups break up, a mature bucks bed may change, as well has when leaves drop or crops change....What are some of the ways you can take it from "i glass him coming out of here with this wind" to where he is ....especially in areas where topography or an aerial doesnt hand you a "no-brainer"????

One situation where the mature buck continued his summer patter is when he had soybeans, no pressure, and the younger bucks in his group either got kicked out or moved on. He only came out of this spot on a SW wind. Did this up until late September.


However like you said its rare for me personally to see the bucks keep up the same pattern. I also wonder if they do keep the pattern but hit that same spot in the middle of the night.

I think this is where knowing the nearby buck beds and hitting them one by one would be a good strategy, especially if he "disappeared."

[cbay]

Still scouting here. But it is getting very hard to learn new areas with all the green up. Ten acres seems like a hundred right now. To be more effective iv'e limited my efforts to spots i'm somewhat familiar with, working on entrance routes, etc.
Definitely noticed a change in bedding as well.

[PK_]

It is better to keep scouting then to sit on your but, IMO. Especially if it is new ground. You have nothing to lose. If it doesn't look good, then it didn't matter and if it does look good and you think you have muddied it up for a while then save it for late season…

[Ghost Hunter]

I am in this same situation right now. The lease I hunt on was select cut over the past couple months. I have got some homework to do over the next couple months. Then start glassing in August if work allows.

[Bowhunter4life]

Woods are so thick here now it's hard to see anything. I went scouting this past weekend near a creek and had some great luck. With all the under brush growing up once I found a bare spot it was pretty simple to see if it was a bed or not. Found several with hair in them. I will continue to scout until I've search all the properties I want to hunt this coming season. I will be glassing and running trail cameras all summer on the food sources as well

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[Swampbuck]

Like Palmetto Kid said better to scout than sit... its definitely not optimal but its better than nothing especially if its ground you don't have anything targeted anyway. I just find the sign is much harder to find so you have to be more meticulous

[Jackson Marsh]

Here are two of the beds I found today.








Kind of lukewarm on these spots, probably end up hunting them.

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[dan]

You can scout now... and thru the summer. One and done is a good approach, don't keep going back. The hardest part about after green up is that its hard to see the sign, terrain features, and beds, until your right on top of them.