What's the latest in summer you'll scout before the bow opener

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Re: What's the latest in summer you'll scout before the bow opener

Unread postby Boogieman1 » Fri Jun 16, 2017 6:15 am

When u guys do the scout same day u hunt are y'all talking bout the fringe areas or the nasty stuff? Sounds like a killer tactic if u don't have to do no trimming Its def got my wheels turning. But I hunt some pretty thick areas, waiting on the jungle warfare video to drop.


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Re: What's the latest in summer you'll scout before the bow opener

Unread postby Outdoor814 » Fri Jun 16, 2017 6:54 am

Boogieman1 wrote:When u guys do the scout same day u hunt are y'all talking bout the fringe areas or the nasty stuff? Sounds like a killer tactic if u don't have to do no trimming Its def got my wheels turning. But I hunt some pretty thick areas, waiting on the jungle warfare video to drop.


All depends. Usually stick to transition areas. Sometimes it's thick and nasty sometimes it's not.
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Re: What's the latest in summer you'll scout before the bow opener

Unread postby Boogieman1 » Fri Jun 16, 2017 9:17 am

Outdoor814 wrote:
Boogieman1 wrote:When u guys do the scout same day u hunt are y'all talking bout the fringe areas or the nasty stuff? Sounds like a killer tactic if u don't have to do no trimming Its def got my wheels turning. But I hunt some pretty thick areas, waiting on the jungle warfare video to drop.


All depends. Usually stick to transition areas. Sometimes it's thick and nasty sometimes it's not.



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Re: What's the latest in summer you'll scout before the bow opener

Unread postby Tufrthnails » Fri Jun 16, 2017 10:30 am

Boogieman1 wrote:When u guys do the scout same day u hunt are y'all talking bout the fringe areas or the nasty stuff? Sounds like a killer tactic if u don't have to do no trimming Its def got my wheels turning. But I hunt some pretty thick areas, waiting on the jungle warfare video to drop.



For me same day scouting is with my stand on my back and when I find what I'm looking for I setup, which can make for long hot sits. Typically I get my boots wet around 1pm and I may still be scouting at 4pm or I may be in my stand by 2pm. It has made me a lot more successful at having quality encounters. Even if I don't get a shot I am at least in the game now. And yes I have blown deer right out of the area, but sometimes I get the circle back if I was good on the wind. The other thing is if I see a buck like the one I am after this season in one particular wma I got rock solid intel on what his bed looks like and what he is using for bedding, what wind direction it was in. Last season I had three encounters with the same buck and he beat me in every encounter, but I got a pocket full of intel on him this season.
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Re: What's the latest in summer you'll scout before the bow opener

Unread postby comeback_kid » Sat Jun 17, 2017 9:48 am

From digital scouting I found a marsh with a number of peninsulas and potential bedding spots about 1 mile from ag fields. For early season hunts will bucks be bedding in the marsh when it's that far from food? I plan on walking the marsh edge and transition areas and following trails until I find the beds.

I assume there are mast sources closer to the marsh, but I do know from a local contact that the ag fields are a destination area for the deer to feed.

I was planning on concentrating my scouting on the marsh, but maybe I should also focus on the military crest areas? Which one holds bucks better in an area with BOTH hill country and marsh?


dan wrote:There is 2 distinct types of timing I use for scouting... months in advance, get in, get what you need and get out, and don't come back till kill time, or Scout the same day you intend to hunt... With that said, you can get away with scouting a couple weeks before you hunt, just expect that it will change the patterns of some of the bucks your after, especially older bucks if that scouting includes walking where you intend to scout... In your shoes I would scout from a distance, use your computer, use your bino's, check nearby fields or food sources for sign, and then finalize the scout the day you move in for the kill.

A lot of people believe they can scout a week or two before season cause they have done it and still killed... But, I firmly believe walking into a bucks safe area where he moves in daylight will spook most big bucks, and those people are not killing up to there potential.
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Re: What's the latest in summer you'll scout before the bow opener

Unread postby dan » Sat Jun 17, 2017 10:32 am

comeback_kid wrote:From digital scouting I found a marsh with a number of peninsulas and potential bedding spots about 1 mile from ag fields. For early season hunts will bucks be bedding in the marsh when it's that far from food? I plan on walking the marsh edge and transition areas and following trails until I find the beds.

I assume there are mast sources closer to the marsh, but I do know from a local contact that the ag fields are a destination area for the deer to feed.

I was planning on concentrating my scouting on the marsh, but maybe I should also focus on the military crest areas? Which one holds bucks better in an area with BOTH hill country and marsh?


dan wrote:There is 2 distinct types of timing I use for scouting... months in advance, get in, get what you need and get out, and don't come back till kill time, or Scout the same day you intend to hunt... With that said, you can get away with scouting a couple weeks before you hunt, just expect that it will change the patterns of some of the bucks your after, especially older bucks if that scouting includes walking where you intend to scout... In your shoes I would scout from a distance, use your computer, use your bino's, check nearby fields or food sources for sign, and then finalize the scout the day you move in for the kill.

A lot of people believe they can scout a week or two before season cause they have done it and still killed... But, I firmly believe walking into a bucks safe area where he moves in daylight will spook most big bucks, and those people are not killing up to there potential.

I hunt a lot of very remote bedding... Big bucks will bed out there all year if its secure. Younger bucks and sometimes big ones to may bed closer to the food source. Depends a lot on pressure, and the bucks individual character. Mature bucks might be deep, might not, but they are going to put security as number one and would bed a mile from food rather than bed in a vulnerable spot. I have spots with swamp/marsh and hills and there will always be bucks in the marsh/swamp but if you put pressure on the hills they will be in the wet stuff. Low pressure and they will be in both.
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Re: What's the latest in summer you'll scout before the bow opener

Unread postby comeback_kid » Sat Jun 17, 2017 2:47 pm

Well said, thanks Dan.


dan wrote:
comeback_kid wrote:From digital scouting I found a marsh with a number of peninsulas and potential bedding spots about 1 mile from ag fields. For early season hunts will bucks be bedding in the marsh when it's that far from food? I plan on walking the marsh edge and transition areas and following trails until I find the beds.

I assume there are mast sources closer to the marsh, but I do know from a local contact that the ag fields are a destination area for the deer to feed.

I was planning on concentrating my scouting on the marsh, but maybe I should also focus on the military crest areas? Which one holds bucks better in an area with BOTH hill country and marsh?


dan wrote:There is 2 distinct types of timing I use for scouting... months in advance, get in, get what you need and get out, and don't come back till kill time, or Scout the same day you intend to hunt... With that said, you can get away with scouting a couple weeks before you hunt, just expect that it will change the patterns of some of the bucks your after, especially older bucks if that scouting includes walking where you intend to scout... In your shoes I would scout from a distance, use your computer, use your bino's, check nearby fields or food sources for sign, and then finalize the scout the day you move in for the kill.

A lot of people believe they can scout a week or two before season cause they have done it and still killed... But, I firmly believe walking into a bucks safe area where he moves in daylight will spook most big bucks, and those people are not killing up to there potential.

I hunt a lot of very remote bedding... Big bucks will bed out there all year if its secure. Younger bucks and sometimes big ones to may bed closer to the food source. Depends a lot on pressure, and the bucks individual character. Mature bucks might be deep, might not, but they are going to put security as number one and would bed a mile from food rather than bed in a vulnerable spot. I have spots with swamp/marsh and hills and there will always be bucks in the marsh/swamp but if you put pressure on the hills they will be in the wet stuff. Low pressure and they will be in both.


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