Hunting hot sign
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Hunting hot sign
I am wondering how you guys assess that deer sign or buck sign is "HOT". Is hot sign that which is less than a week old, 2 days old, day old? I presume tracks are one key way of figuring this out but how do you determine how old a track is...whether it was made (particularly in soft ground) that day, the day before or 3 days before or at night?
Also, in finding hot sign are you typically walking through the woods and observing the sign...is this part of in season scouting or maybe on your way to your tree where you observe sign someplace different?
For me, I can think of 2 times when I found HOT buck sign, both of which resulted in good bucks on the ground. One I followed some big tracks I saw in a field where we normally exited our hunting area...about 75 yards from the road. I followed this to a pear tree that was absolutely ripped up with rubs and scrapes. I mean it was HOT! I hunted it that evening, on the ground sitting in tall grass and nailed him. Classic Beast style hunt although I didn't know it at the time.
The 2nd time was an area I hunted and I was glassing from my stand and I happen to notice a large rub that I knew hadn't been there prior to hunting season. After the hunt I investigated and found a nice and very fresh rub line. I still did not know about Beast, etc. and plain just got lucky about where I put my stand but I set up on the rub line and got that buck the next weekend.
Both of these (as well as most of my other bucks) occurred long ago when I was younger but I am wondering how you guys determine this.
Also, referencing Andre's article, how do you tell if a spot has gone cold?
Also, in finding hot sign are you typically walking through the woods and observing the sign...is this part of in season scouting or maybe on your way to your tree where you observe sign someplace different?
For me, I can think of 2 times when I found HOT buck sign, both of which resulted in good bucks on the ground. One I followed some big tracks I saw in a field where we normally exited our hunting area...about 75 yards from the road. I followed this to a pear tree that was absolutely ripped up with rubs and scrapes. I mean it was HOT! I hunted it that evening, on the ground sitting in tall grass and nailed him. Classic Beast style hunt although I didn't know it at the time.
The 2nd time was an area I hunted and I was glassing from my stand and I happen to notice a large rub that I knew hadn't been there prior to hunting season. After the hunt I investigated and found a nice and very fresh rub line. I still did not know about Beast, etc. and plain just got lucky about where I put my stand but I set up on the rub line and got that buck the next weekend.
Both of these (as well as most of my other bucks) occurred long ago when I was younger but I am wondering how you guys determine this.
Also, referencing Andre's article, how do you tell if a spot has gone cold?
Last edited by mheichelbech on Mon Jul 25, 2016 3:07 am, edited 2 times in total.
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- IkemanTx
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Re: Hunting hot sign
Dripping sap on rubs is a dead give away, and usually when they are fresh I can smell the green wood when I get close. Around here, fresh scrapes still have some moisture left in the surface (as long as it's not too hot out). As far as tracks, I'm hit or miss on my age guesstimates. About the only time I can be certain it's fresh is sandy or powdery soil on a windy day.
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- DaveT1963
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Re: Hunting hot sign
Hot sign can come in many forms.... obviously when you see an increase in the number of bucks, new buck and more daytime sightings it is "hot" sign. There are so many indicators... fir example: I know of several scrapes that won't get opened up until Nov... and when they do it's a sure sign those local does are coming out are "in". After several years of hunting this place i know when this happens so i really just look to confirm its time.
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Re: Hunting hot sign
When I am coming past a known bedding area and I see fresh rub's, big tracks, fresh browse on the leaves or scrapes ... To me thats hot sign. Whats nice about hunting bedding areas is there is usually only one reason a deer enters or exits bedding... Cause he sleeps there. So when there is sign there that is fresh you know its in use. That is not always true with just plain fresh sign... An area can be tore up with sign made at night and your probably not going to kill something there during the day. But, when its near bedding, it can be assumed he is bedding there, and that he moves in daylight close to bedding.
There have been many times I went into a bedding area knowing something was going to be visiting me based on sign. Its a good feeling. But, there have also been times I sit on bedding areas without much sign and a giant steps out. Over all, hot fresh sign is a good thing... But a great bedding area needs to get hunted regardless most of the time.
When I hunt I usually have an intended spot I want to sit. Sometimes you need to sit that spot cause of an observation, timing, or some other reason like waiting for a rare wind. aND SOMETIMES YOU JUST KNOW YOU NEED TO THROW A STAND AT A certain spot sometime soon... With the latter of the two, (which is most of the time) I do not follow the beaten path to my stand. instead I take a planned wrought based on wind direction following a transition or past certain areas I don't intend to hunt, but have my eye on. If I run into hot fresh sign that appears to be off a nice buck I set up and hunt, if not, I continue on to my planned spot... In some cases I find hunter sign, or cold sign like no tracks coming out in a spot that should have tracks, and then I just keep going and scouting till I find "hot sign"
There have been many times I went into a bedding area knowing something was going to be visiting me based on sign. Its a good feeling. But, there have also been times I sit on bedding areas without much sign and a giant steps out. Over all, hot fresh sign is a good thing... But a great bedding area needs to get hunted regardless most of the time.
When I hunt I usually have an intended spot I want to sit. Sometimes you need to sit that spot cause of an observation, timing, or some other reason like waiting for a rare wind. aND SOMETIMES YOU JUST KNOW YOU NEED TO THROW A STAND AT A certain spot sometime soon... With the latter of the two, (which is most of the time) I do not follow the beaten path to my stand. instead I take a planned wrought based on wind direction following a transition or past certain areas I don't intend to hunt, but have my eye on. If I run into hot fresh sign that appears to be off a nice buck I set up and hunt, if not, I continue on to my planned spot... In some cases I find hunter sign, or cold sign like no tracks coming out in a spot that should have tracks, and then I just keep going and scouting till I find "hot sign"
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Re: Hunting hot sign
2013 I was hunting an area last week of October. I had one area that I really counted on and it had gone cold. So started scouting with my stand on my back. Came across 12+ fresh ground scrapes and 25+ rubs. So next morning, sat in this area. About 8:30 or so I heard bucks fighting right in the middle of all of rubs and scrapes. Got down, moved my stand right in the middle of all the sign. Next morning, 9am, had a target buck stroll through right under my tree.
What tipped me off to that area or to any area is the AMOUNT of fresh sign. When I come across a spot that has bunches of rubs and a lot of big poop, its game on. The hardest thing with hot sign, its not something you always find. As Dan mentioned, many times when I find this, I am very near a buck bedding area. And sometimes, the RIGHT sign can key you in on that an area is hot. Like a big ground scrape that gets opened up at a certain time every year. OR big tracks on a run that were not there before.
This season with the acorns, it really is going to be a lot of scouting to stay on the hot sign. Some of the bedding areas I am hunting ...the direction of travel is going to be in direct relation to the food source that is hot. Hot sign for me is going to be feeding sign and any fresh buck sign. One area I have been looking at has 3 mature bucks and 2 or 3 immature bucks. I am sure that when the velvet sheds, buck sign should be popping. So that means, stand or saddle on my back, bow slung over my shoulder and hunting as I go. I would rather hunt 2 good days in a GREAT area than 6 days in poor one.
Another thing about hot sign...it has been mentioned often here on the beast....NEVER let the area "cool off" hunt immediately.
What tipped me off to that area or to any area is the AMOUNT of fresh sign. When I come across a spot that has bunches of rubs and a lot of big poop, its game on. The hardest thing with hot sign, its not something you always find. As Dan mentioned, many times when I find this, I am very near a buck bedding area. And sometimes, the RIGHT sign can key you in on that an area is hot. Like a big ground scrape that gets opened up at a certain time every year. OR big tracks on a run that were not there before.
This season with the acorns, it really is going to be a lot of scouting to stay on the hot sign. Some of the bedding areas I am hunting ...the direction of travel is going to be in direct relation to the food source that is hot. Hot sign for me is going to be feeding sign and any fresh buck sign. One area I have been looking at has 3 mature bucks and 2 or 3 immature bucks. I am sure that when the velvet sheds, buck sign should be popping. So that means, stand or saddle on my back, bow slung over my shoulder and hunting as I go. I would rather hunt 2 good days in a GREAT area than 6 days in poor one.
Another thing about hot sign...it has been mentioned often here on the beast....NEVER let the area "cool off" hunt immediately.
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Re: Hunting hot sign
How long do you normally see that it takes deer to eat up all the falling acorns assuming there are 3-4 trees dropping all around the same time or storms blow them off. I realize there can be a lot of variance but is it a few days, a week?
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Re: Hunting hot sign
mheichelbech wrote:How long do you normally see that it takes deer to eat up all the falling acorns assuming there are 3-4 trees dropping all around the same time or storms blow them off. I realize there can be a lot of variance but is it a few days, a week?
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Sometimes they don't clean them all up. We just don't have enough deer. Last year, we had apples rot on the ground. Nowhere near enough deer to eat them all. Acorns will be the same way. Talk to moondude, his deer clean them up so fast..he always looks for areas with lower deer densities so the food lasts longer.
That being said, one of my fav acorns trees, deer will clean it up in a couple of weeks. 2012 it dropped ALL the nuts in Sept. Season opened with no acorns left. My gut says this property is going to be dynamite this season. Its just lays out well for acorns.
You also have to remember, I am hunting timber with lots and lots of oak trees interspersed throughout 1500-2000 acres of timber. It takes a lot of scouting to stay on top of the trees. Much prefer an apple year to an acorn year.
- vermonthunter16
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Re: Hunting hot sign
Man, these threads get me thinking every time I read a new one. I mostly see where I have gone wrong in the past. For me, usually when I find a big track, I tend to follow it, usually into the thickest crap in the area. I have got to learn to be patient and set up outside of that thick stuff. Pound it into my own head!
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Re: Hunting hot sign
dan wrote:When I am coming past a known bedding area and I see fresh rub's, big tracks, fresh browse on the leaves or scrapes ... To me thats hot sign. Whats nice about hunting bedding areas is there is usually only one reason a deer enters or exits bedding... Cause he sleeps there. So when there is sign there that is fresh you know its in use. That is not always true with just plain fresh sign... An area can be tore up with sign made at night and your probably not going to kill something there during the day. But, when its near bedding, it can be assumed he is bedding there, and that he moves in daylight close to bedding.
There have been many times I went into a bedding area knowing something was going to be visiting me based on sign. Its a good feeling. But, there have also been times I sit on bedding areas without much sign and a giant steps out. Over all, hot fresh sign is a good thing... But a great bedding area needs to get hunted regardless most of the time.
When I hunt I usually have an intended spot I want to sit. Sometimes you need to sit that spot cause of an observation, timing, or some other reason like waiting for a rare wind. aND SOMETIMES YOU JUST KNOW YOU NEED TO THROW A STAND AT A certain spot sometime soon... With the latter of the two, (which is most of the time) I do not follow the beaten path to my stand. instead I take a planned wrought based on wind direction following a transition or past certain areas I don't intend to hunt, but have my eye on. If I run into hot fresh sign that appears to be off a nice buck I set up and hunt, if not, I continue on to my planned spot... In some cases I find hunter sign, or cold sign like no tracks coming out in a spot that should have tracks, and then I just keep going and scouting till I find "hot sign"
With respect to spots based on RARE WINDS...do you typically assume the deer will or should be there and you are just waiting for that wind and you go in even if you hadn't been there recently to know the activity or sign is there?
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- rbuckleyjr1
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Re: Hunting hot sign
Not sure if you have listened to Dan's Deer Sign podcast, but you definitely should. He talks about "hunting hot sign when hot sign is hot" and has some good examples of how he found/ hunted that sign.
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Re: Hunting hot sign
mheichelbech wrote:dan wrote:When I am coming past a known bedding area and I see fresh rub's, big tracks, fresh browse on the leaves or scrapes ... To me thats hot sign. Whats nice about hunting bedding areas is there is usually only one reason a deer enters or exits bedding... Cause he sleeps there. So when there is sign there that is fresh you know its in use. That is not always true with just plain fresh sign... An area can be tore up with sign made at night and your probably not going to kill something there during the day. But, when its near bedding, it can be assumed he is bedding there, and that he moves in daylight close to bedding.
There have been many times I went into a bedding area knowing something was going to be visiting me based on sign. Its a good feeling. But, there have also been times I sit on bedding areas without much sign and a giant steps out. Over all, hot fresh sign is a good thing... But a great bedding area needs to get hunted regardless most of the time.
When I hunt I usually have an intended spot I want to sit. Sometimes you need to sit that spot cause of an observation, timing, or some other reason like waiting for a rare wind. aND SOMETIMES YOU JUST KNOW YOU NEED TO THROW A STAND AT A certain spot sometime soon... With the latter of the two, (which is most of the time) I do not follow the beaten path to my stand. instead I take a planned wrought based on wind direction following a transition or past certain areas I don't intend to hunt, but have my eye on. If I run into hot fresh sign that appears to be off a nice buck I set up and hunt, if not, I continue on to my planned spot... In some cases I find hunter sign, or cold sign like no tracks coming out in a spot that should have tracks, and then I just keep going and scouting till I find "hot sign"
With respect to spots based on RARE WINDS...do you typically assume the deer will or should be there and you are just waiting for that wind and you go in even if you hadn't been there recently to know the activity or sign is there?
Most of the time if I am waiting on a "rare wind" it is because I need that wind to hunt the spot... Sometimes you need that "just off wind" when the buck has the advantage.
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Re: Hunting hot sign
What makes an acorn tree HOT? How can you tell what tree the deer are feeding from the most? OR maybe I should rephrase. What signs do you guys look for when trying to tell what acorn tree is getting the most use?
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Re: Hunting hot sign
Jrichard wrote:What makes an acorn tree HOT? How can you tell what tree the deer are feeding from the most? OR maybe I should rephrase. What signs do you guys look for when trying to tell what acorn tree is getting the most use?
Droppings. Size of droppings. Rubs. Ground scrapes in vicinity.
Trail cams tell me the most. They either precede the sign or are placed because of the sign.
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Re: Hunting hot sign
Jrichard wrote:What makes an acorn tree HOT? How can you tell what tree the deer are feeding from the most? OR maybe I should rephrase. What signs do you guys look for when trying to tell what acorn tree is getting the most use?
One thing I have seen is the surrounding are out to 10-20 yards from the tree will be browsed down much more than the surrounding area...the weeds or saplings are all noticeably shorter. To me this indicates a high use tree when it had nuts.
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Re: Hunting hot sign
Jrichard wrote:What makes an acorn tree HOT? How can you tell what tree the deer are feeding from the most? OR maybe I should rephrase. What signs do you guys look for when trying to tell what acorn tree is getting the most use?
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