Scouting too close to the season?

[Danny1977]

I’ve got a spot that I call “Dino’s House” in mountain/hill country that I’ve scouted before and am still not sure where he beds(just a couple rough ideas). So my question is.....should I scout it tomorrow which is a week before the season starts with high hopes that if I bump him he’ll later return for the opener or do I just leave it alone until the opener rather than stinking him out if there. I’ve also got a trail cam in there that’s been up since Feb so I’d like to pull it and set up a new one to leave until after the season. I’ve heard that if you bump him he’ll return but thought I’d gather any intel before going in.

Thanks all,
DATM

[backstraps]

The thing about bumping him a week earlier than opener.... IF he does indeed returns... the element of surprise in killing him is gone. He will most likely be on alert, how long who knows? I would wait and hunt where you suspect, change cards, camera whatever then. At least your first entrance into his area you will be able to kill him if something goes in your favor.
Just my opinion.

[Mschmeiske]

Maybe go in and set up on fresh sign and check that trail camera after your hunt. If there’s nothing to go off of after that, then scout it out? I’m sure some seasoned veterans will chime in with better advice.

[cspot]

The thing about bumping him a week earlier than opener.... IF he does indeed returns... the element of surprise in killing him is gone. He will most likely be on alert, how long who knows? I would wait and hunt where you suspect, change cards, camera whatever then. At least your first entrance into his area you will be able to kill him if something goes in your favor.
Just my opinion.

I like this plan. Hopefully you maybe get eyes on him, or camera intel that will help and adjust for any hunts after that.

[Danny1977]

This all sounds like good solid advice. Man this is the best forum

[xpauliber]

The thing about bumping him a week earlier than opener.... IF he does indeed returns... the element of surprise in killing him is gone. He will most likely be on alert, how long who knows? I would wait and hunt where you suspect, change cards, camera whatever then. At least your first entrance into his area you will be able to kill him if something goes in your favor.
Just my opinion.

I like this plan. Hopefully you maybe gyet eyes on him, or camera intel that will help and adjust for any hunts after that.

I’d go this route as well but absolutely resist the temptation that you HAVE to get to your cam the first night you hunt it. If you find smoking hot sign on the way in and the winds right, set up and hunt it right then and there. If nothing shows, back out and then on the next night you can hunt, plan on hunting your way to your cam.

[Danny1977]

The thing about bumping him a week earlier than opener.... IF he does indeed returns... the element of surprise in killing him is gone. He will most likely be on alert, how long who knows? I would wait and hunt where you suspect, change cards, camera whatever then. At least your first entrance into his area you will be able to kill him if something goes in your favor.
Just my opinion.

I like this plan. Hopefully you maybe gyet eyes on him, or camera intel that will help and adjust for any hunts after that.

I’d go this route as well but absolutely resist the temptation that you HAVE to get to your cam the first night you hunt it. If you find smoking hot sign on the way in and the winds right, set up and hunt it right then and there. If nothing shows, back out and then on the next night you can hunt, plan on hunting your way to your cam.

Another excellent idea. Was even considering pulling the trail cam after my first or second eve hunt on my way out. At this point, getting to look at TC pics over a cold one when I get home is not nearly as important as wrapping my hands around this dude’s antlers

[<DK>]

You can or you could just wait and plan 2 day hunt during season. Go bump him, setup right there that day to see if he returns. If not, come back the next morning. No show the next day, go scout and find the next spot for the next hunt. Best advice I could give is try to do it w a cross wind. You can get closer to get a good look and he wont smell you.

I also agree w Backstraps. My first buck killed this way I bumped him 2 weeks before season, hung a stand, came back in the morning opening week and got him. BUT he looked right at me just before I shot him. When he turned his head and flicked his tail I let it fly. So he remembered but he couldnt smell me and regardless of being tipped off - he still returned.

My opinion is we rely on cams too much. Confirmation is one thing, if its a great spot and worth dropping a cam in a intrusive location - then its worth hunting IMO. Trust yourself, trust your scouting. I am guilty of this...

[G-Patt]

You can or you could just wait and plan 2 day hunt during season. Go bump him, setup right there that day to see if he returns. If not, come back the next morning. No show the next day, go scout and find the next spot for the next hunt. Best advice I could give is try to do it w a cross wind. You can get closer to get a good look and he wont smell you.

I also agree w Backstraps. My first buck killed this way I bumped him 2 weeks before season, hung a stand, came back in the morning opening week and got him. BUT he looked right at me just before I shot him. When he turned his head and flicked his tail I let it fly. So he remembered but he couldnt smell me and regardless of being tipped off - he still returned.

My opinion is we rely on cams too much. Confirmation is one thing, if its a great spot and worth dropping a cam in a intrusive location - then its worth hunting IMO. Trust yourself, trust your scouting. I am guilty of this...

I tend to agree with DK. Been my experience that the buck will return to his bed. Look at it this way, if you bump him, the bed did for the buck what it's designed to do: a good place to detect predators with an escape route. It's a successful bed in his mind. This notion that you'll spook a buck out of the area and they won't return has not been my personal experience. Bottom line is you're good if you check a week or two before the opener. Probably not the ideal situation as others have commented on, but if you really can't help yourself (been there, LOL!), and you have this overwhelming, compelling urge to scout and check your cam, I still think you're okay to do that.

[Evanszach7]

If you've scouted it before, you're probably not gonna gain enough to justify scouting it again now, or gain enough by checking that camera. Trust your scouting. If there's that wide of a distance/difference between pulling your current cam and setting the new one, hunt your way into the new location, and drop an additional cam there. Did your scouting tell you this is a good spot for your opener?

[Danny1977]

If you've scouted it before, you're probably not gonna gain enough to justify scouting it again now, or gain enough by checking that camera. Trust your scouting. If there's that wide of a distance/difference between pulling your current cam and setting the new one, hunt your way into the new location, and drop an additional cam there. Did your scouting tell you this is a good spot for your opener?

It showed me that there was good sign there. I found some beds but I’m just not sure if they were the buck’s that I’m after. Looking at terrain features and basing them off of wind directions is kind of what I’m off of where I found deer beds that didn’t seem to be primary. But I think I’ll hold off on the scouting. Hunt it carefully yet aggressively when conditions are right and go in with the wind and thermals in my favor while glassing ahead as I get close to the beds I found while scouting last year. I’ll prob have a TC in my pack in case I find a spot to set it up quietly and not in a spot that has me concerned about checking it. Will poss even just do a ground hunt in a ghillie

[The Silence]

Hey Danny. I wear my ghillie suit as I go into every hunt now and really slow down as I near the area I suspect him to be in. I have walked up on 2 shooters this way. Both were only 5- 20 yards away. I choked when it happened because I didn't have a plan for what to do if this happened and got down on one knee. If it happens again, I will remain standing and come to full draw. Both shooters got out of their beds and went out to about 25 yards and turned around to check their back trails. Neither of them were freaked out and if I had been at full draw I could have released an arrow. I normally have an arrow nocked and ready with the release on if its not too think.

[Danny1977]

Hey Danny. I wear my ghillie suit as I go into every hunt now and really slow down as I near the area I suspect him to be in. I have walked up on 2 shooters this way. Both were only 5- 20 yards away. I choked when it happened because I didn't have a plan for what to do if this happened and got down on one knee. If it happens again, I will remain standing and come to full draw. Both shooters got out of their beds and went out to about 25 yards and turned around to check their back trails. Neither of them were freaked out and if I had been at full draw I could have released an arrow. I normally have an arrow nocked and ready with the release on if its not too think.

Man what an awesome idea. I appreciate the insight. I got into ghillie Hunting last season and noticed that I was getting closer to game while moving on foot. Jumped a couple bucks and also had one stop and stair at me at 30 yds