Hunting/Scouting Blind

[checkerfred]

Right now it’s close to rut at our refuge. I’ve not done hardly any scouting last year. The majority of my sits and scouting will be blind.

I know things to look for (rubs, tracks, scrapes, beds etc) but I’m still struggling on putting stuff together. I have a few years past data but when I look at it I can’t seem to get the whole picture or figure out where to hunt. We don’t have your typical swamps with cattails. It’s more hardwood bottoms and swamp bottoms. I’ve seen some bucks over the years and one really good one last year but I don’t see too many deer period.

What I want to know is when you guys go in blind, what are you looking for that tells you ok setup here? I end up walking around too much and jumping does or sometimes bucks. Now I know that can be good data but I want to hunt too. Another thing that gets me about going in blind is you never know what you’re going to run into. Thicker stuff you didn’t know existed that you can’t get through or water deeper than anticipated are some examples. So do you guys only go in blind in evenings? Or go in at gray light so you can see?

[Buckshot20]

I typically do an evening/ morning hunt then move. You can see in the afternoons. Plain and simple. Keep the wind in your face and you will be fine. You know they are bedding in those little bottoms so stay up wind, find the hot sign, hunt then move.

[checkerfred]

I typically do an evening/ morning hunt then move. You can see in the afternoons. Plain and simple. Keep the wind in your face and you will be fine. You know they are bedding in those little bottoms so stay up wind, find the hot sign, hunt then move.

That’s what I plan on doing. All of the land in the refuge is mostly flat bottom land bordering the Tennessee river. There’s lakes, sloughs, creeks in places. I figure I’ll just start hunting the transitions doing like you said and go from there.

My main problem is being confident and patient not having scouted. Or pushing too far when I should stop on sign and hunt it

[Buckshot20]

Don't worry about bumping deer though. That means you are in a good spot. Example, in Ky last year I was scouting my way into a thick area I suspected the deer to bed. I jumped 2 does out of there beds so I set up. That night I had a chance at a 2yr old 7pt. Nice buck. The next morning I saw 30 plus deer, missed on a 120 class and drew on a 130 class. I busted deer out and they came right back. There's no better sign then deer, you know what I mean? If its the rut you can get away with a little more.

[Buckshot20]

If you've got a ton of buck sign next to suspected bedding you have to give it a sit.

[backstraps]

Since you will be going into blind sets and the rut is in swing... are you planning on sitting sign or terrain?

During the rut on blind sets I like to get into the tight rut funnels, that I suspect (via cyber scout) to have buck bedding near by.

I am not one to hunt over scrapes, but if you locate a nice FRESH scrape thats in an area that the scent from that scrape could be blowing into a suspected buck bedding area, I have had luck setting up off wind of a bedding point watching that scrape.

If nothing else, I would for sure try and watch any leeward facing cruising routes like on benches etc

[checkerfred]

If you've got a ton of buck sign next to suspected bedding you have to give it a sit.

I found some rubs and scrapes as well as a dead head. It wasn’t a huge buck but was a buck. I’ll go back and give this area a sit

[checkerfred]

Since you will be going into blind sets and the rut is in swing... are you planning on sitting sign or terrain?

During the rut on blind sets I like to get into the tight rut funnels, that I suspect (via cyber scout) to have buck bedding near by.

I am not one to hunt over scrapes, but if you locate a nice FRESH scrape thats in an area that the scent from that scrape could be blowing into a suspected buck bedding area, I have had luck setting up off wind of a bedding point watching that scrape.

If nothing else, I would for sure try and watch any leeward facing cruising routes like on benches etc

This is not hill country so I’ve had trouble picking out funnels. I do have an idea about a scrape next to a bedding point though. I’ll be hunting swampy/hardwood bottoms.

Hope you’ve been doing well!

[justdirtyfun]

Doing blind hunts are a challenge. Staying on an edge of thick and open vegetation is a good idea.

[bwwma]

Fresh poop. Last year I killed a buck on public land going on blind at pink light. I had a transition edge I planned on walking till I found fresh poop then climbing, I got lucky and connected on a buck. This morning I went in blind solely on topo map and satellite, I was up a tree before sunrise and saw a spike. Sometimes I go on blind and come up empty handed but fresh poop is a big sign for me.

[checkerfred]

Fresh poop. Last year I killed a buck on public land going on blind at pink light. I had a transition edge I planned on walking till I found fresh poop then climbing, I got lucky and connected on a buck. This morning I went in blind solely on topo map and satellite, I was up a tree before sunrise and saw a spike. Sometimes I go on blind and come up empty handed but fresh poop is a big sign for me.

Thanks! I’ll keep that in mind. One of my biggest hurdles is a constant change in terrain. Sometimes there’s more water in the bottoms or less and it can be unpredictable even if you’ve scouted. It’s easier to do in the hills for sure

[checkerfred]

Doing blind hunts are a challenge. Staying on an edge of thick and open vegetation is a good idea.

Thanks! Kinda what I was thinking with transitions. I’ve got one area that I’ve seen bucks at from blind hunting like this last year in the refuge

[Boogieman1]

Not sure if during the rut I have ever gone in blind But if I had too, I would hunt only 2 things: wind and terrain.

[tgreeno]

Right now it’s close to rut at our refuge. I’ve not done hardly any scouting last year. The majority of my sits and scouting will be blind.

I know things to look for (rubs, tracks, scrapes, beds etc) but I’m still struggling on putting stuff together. I have a few years past data but when I look at it I can’t seem to get the whole picture or figure out where to hunt. We don’t have your typical swamps with cattails. It’s more hardwood bottoms and swamp bottoms. I’ve seen some bucks over the years and one really good one last year but I don’t see too many deer period.

What I want to know is when you guys go in blind, what are you looking for that tells you ok setup here? I end up walking around too much and jumping does or sometimes bucks. Now I know that can be good data but I want to hunt too. Another thing that gets me about going in blind is you never know what you’re going to run into. Thicker stuff you didn’t know existed that you can’t get through or water deeper than anticipated are some examples. So do you guys only go in blind in evenings? Or go in at gray light so you can see?

I can totally relate to this! I have trouble with the scout twice as much as you hunt theory. Because I love to hunt. I probably end up sitting in less productive spots because I sometimes pick a predetermined tree and don't want to walk around to much and muck up the area. I had good success during the rut this year, scouting my way in after sunrise, then setting up on good sign. At 9-10 and sitting the rest of the day. I had 2 close buck encounters at 11:30-12:00 this season.

[checkerfred]

Not sure if during the rut I have ever gone in blind But if I had too, I would hunt only 2 things: wind and terrain.

The refuge is tough for me for rut. I’m sure I’m missing some things but I don’t see rut movement like I do in the hills. Doe bedding seems random too. They’ll hole up in some thick small pockets here and there in the swamp bottoms. I have several areas I’ve marked where I’ve jumped them in previous years so maybe I need to just hunt a transition downwind of those areas

Right now it’s close to rut at our refuge. I’ve not done hardly any scouting last year. The majority of my sits and scouting will be blind.

I know things to look for (rubs, tracks, scrapes, beds etc) but I’m still struggling on putting stuff together. I have a few years past data but when I look at it I can’t seem to get the whole picture or figure out where to hunt. We don’t have your typical swamps with cattails. It’s more hardwood bottoms and swamp bottoms. I’ve seen some bucks over the years and one really good one last year but I don’t see too many deer period.

What I want to know is when you guys go in blind, what are you looking for that tells you ok setup here? I end up walking around too much and jumping does or sometimes bucks. Now I know that can be good data but I want to hunt too. Another thing that gets me about going in blind is you never know what you’re going to run into. Thicker stuff you didn’t know existed that you can’t get through or water deeper than anticipated are some examples. So do you guys only go in blind in evenings? Or go in at gray light so you can see?

I can totally relate to this! I have trouble with the scout twice as much as you hunt theory. Because I love to hunt. I probably end up sitting in less productive spots because I sometimes pick a predetermined tree and don't want to walk around to much and muck up the area. I had good success during the rut this year, scouting my way in after sunrise, then setting up on good sign. At 9-10 and sitting the rest of the day. I had 2 close buck encounters at 11:30-12:00 this season.

Yeah I have trouble with it too. I love to hunt but then I do get burnt out because I feel like I’m sitting in less productive spots like you said. This kills my confidence and patience. I’m often busy when spring comes around and it makes it hard to get out and scout. This is going to be a New Years resolution for next year lol. I need to try some midday hunts like you’re doing too