Data Collection?

[Chuck B]

Ok, for some of you analytical minds out there...

I am trying to figure out the best way to keep track of deer sightings and the correlating wind directions, temp, pressure, etc associated with each hunt and also trail camera pics. So far, I have been using an app called Scoutlook for it sometimes, but mainly just my head and memory. However, I am guessing there are some good apps for this. Or, perhaps just creating an excel spreadsheet?

As most of you probably have the same, I have a ton of different spots to hunt (or want to hunt), and its getting hard to keep it all in my head.

Any thoughts or suggestions would be appreciated!

[westbound]

I'm sure there are some apps for this, but I don't use them. I go the old fashioned route and use a small notepad.

Before each hunt I write down the weather conditions and moon phase/peak times. I always check the weather immediately before hunting to make sure the wind is still forecast to do what I expected it to do when planning the hunt, so I just write down some info real quick like high/low temperatures, wind speed and direction, cloud cover, precipitation and barometric pressure. If that day's weather is significantly different than the day before, I will make note of that change, as well. I use weather underground, you can find all that data on the same page.

Then while hunting, or immediately after, I write down anything I think is worth noting, but I always include my approximate access route, any sign of hunting pressure, the number of deer seen, time first deer seen, time any buck of significance was seen, and any rut behavior observed. I drop a pin on onXmaps at my stand location with that day's date in the title. That's it, takes less than 5 minutes to document the conditions and observations.

As for trail cameras, if I have enough photos of a specific buck I want to hunt, or think I may want to target in the future, I use the same weather and moon phase data to try to determine if I can develop any type of pattern to his movements.

I am certain that my deer hunting notepad has helped me better understand deer behavior and how it relates to weather, moon and other factors that I can notice (like hunting pressure). As far as tracking trail camera photos, I've learned a few things - one being that its nearly impossible to pattern a buck by observing his movements in such a small area (range of trail camera coverage).

[Chuck B]

I'm sure there are some apps for this, but I don't use them. I go the old fashioned route and use a small notepad.

Before each hunt I write down the weather conditions and moon phase/peak times. I always check the weather immediately before hunting to make sure the wind is still forecast to do what I expected it to do when planning the hunt, so I just write down some info real quick like high/low temperatures, wind speed and direction, cloud cover, precipitation and barometric pressure. If that day's weather is significantly different than the day before, I will make note of that change, as well. I use weather underground, you can find all that data on the same page.

Then while hunting, or immediately after, I write down anything I think is worth noting, but I always include my approximate access route, any sign of hunting pressure, the number of deer seen, time first deer seen, time any buck of significance was seen, and any rut behavior observed. I drop a pin on onXmaps at my stand location with that day's date in the title. That's it, takes less than 5 minutes to document the conditions and observations.

As for trail cameras, if I have enough photos of a specific buck I want to hunt, or think I may want to target in the future, I use the same weather and moon phase data to try to determine if I can develop any type of pattern to his movements.

I am certain that my deer hunting notepad has helped me better understand deer behavior and how it relates to weather, moon and other factors that I can notice (like hunting pressure). As far as tracking trail camera photos, I've learned a few things - one being that its nearly impossible to pattern a buck by observing his movements in such a small area (range of trail camera coverage).

Thanks. I have also considered the old fashioned route of writing everything down in a notebook. And I like paper instead of technology anyways. However, the thing I am most concerned with is being able to quickly look back on old records after compiling years of entries/data. With that being said, if there isn't anything out there, then writing down by hand will have to be my answer.

I agree with the trail cameras pictures being tricky to pattern. But, I think it is still worth the extra effort. I was lucky enough last year to pattern a target buck with trail camera (early season bedding), and was able to get a shot off at him (never recovered ).

[westbound]

I'm sure there are some apps for this, but I don't use them. I go the old fashioned route and use a small notepad.

Before each hunt I write down the weather conditions and moon phase/peak times. I always check the weather immediately before hunting to make sure the wind is still forecast to do what I expected it to do when planning the hunt, so I just write down some info real quick like high/low temperatures, wind speed and direction, cloud cover, precipitation and barometric pressure. If that day's weather is significantly different than the day before, I will make note of that change, as well. I use weather underground, you can find all that data on the same page.

Then while hunting, or immediately after, I write down anything I think is worth noting, but I always include my approximate access route, any sign of hunting pressure, the number of deer seen, time first deer seen, time any buck of significance was seen, and any rut behavior observed. I drop a pin on onXmaps at my stand location with that day's date in the title. That's it, takes less than 5 minutes to document the conditions and observations.

As for trail cameras, if I have enough photos of a specific buck I want to hunt, or think I may want to target in the future, I use the same weather and moon phase data to try to determine if I can develop any type of pattern to his movements.

I am certain that my deer hunting notepad has helped me better understand deer behavior and how it relates to weather, moon and other factors that I can notice (like hunting pressure). As far as tracking trail camera photos, I've learned a few things - one being that its nearly impossible to pattern a buck by observing his movements in such a small area (range of trail camera coverage).

Thanks. I have also considered the old fashioned route of writing everything down in a notebook. And I like paper instead of technology anyways. However, the thing I am most concerned with is being able to quickly look back on old records after compiling years of entries/data. With that being said, if there isn't anything out there, then writing down by hand will have to be my answer.

I agree with the trail cameras pictures being tricky to pattern. But, I think it is still worth the extra effort. I was lucky enough last year to pattern a target buck with trail camera (early season bedding), and was able to get a shot off at him (never recovered ).

I've been saying for years that I should take my notes at the end of each season and transcribe them into an excel file, but I've yet to do it. Maybe I'll get that done come January 2019.

[deep_phried_squirrel]

I am the absolute worst about this sort of thing. I have always said I wanted to go really in depth with the journaling, photos, notes about sets, etc. Never have though. If anything I only commit it to memory most times.
Starting this next post season scouting, I am gonna set aside a whole three ring binder with logs on my scouting forays, sightings, bedding locations, aerial/topo photos, and I am even gonna nerd out and press leaves to document the type of tree I sit in when I make a kill, or make a permanent set tree.
Gonna do it!!

[Realhunter]

If you use an android phone and have a google act this is an option.

Go to post 19 in this thread... It's what i use and you could modify it to add things you want to track.

Deer hunting log