More In Season Scouting Questions

[Quest1001]

I live in farm country with some smaller swamps. My thoughts are to walk the field edges looking for big tracks/heavily used trails during the day. With the smaller pieces of land that I’m on, are you overly concerned with wind direction? If I walk a square field to find access trails, is this a good strategy?

Are you worried about the scent trail you leave walking the edges? If the best sign you found was earlier in the day would you go back and follow it a little deeper in and set up?

This is a completely new concept for me and I’m looking for some advice.

[UofLbowhunter]

aerial photo Would help things!

Scouting a field edge is a good way to find deer if you dont have a clue whats goin on! It a good starting point!

Scent trail does matter, but If you dont have no clue where the deer are, how do you know where you should be walking.

Wind is the same, if you dont know bedding you dont know how to use the wind!

Scouting is key!!!

Putting to much pressure on a small tracks of land can be bad!

If your a new hunter or have hunted for awhile and just havent put forth the effort, and lack woodsman skills, i suggest buying Dan’s dvd. Not pushing a sell but you will gain a ton of info. Buy them all, even if you dont think they pertain to your terrain, they all work together. Then i suggest goin to the all time best thread in the thumb nail at the top of this forum, then read, read , read, there is a ton of info on this site! I can probably say as much as this sight has grown “ Theres a Thread for That” if you have questions ! Then go scout! Watch his you tube videos! Listen to the hunting beast podcast and other podcast with dan! The Hunting public is great youtube channel too. Ask questions with details, after you done all this, the more detailed question the better you answer will Get from these guys.

Soak it up and good luck hunting!

[Quest1001]

Thanks for the pinned post idea. I didn’t know about that. There is some great highlighted topics there that will help answer some questions. And you’re right about asking better detailed questions. trying to figure out how to ask some questions that are in my head can be a challenge sometimes.

[Quest1001]

I have an idea of bedding and am getting it dialed in to what wind he is bedding in at least one bed. I’m just not sure if exit and enter ace trails and that why I asked about scouting the edges. I feel like I’ve been playing battle ship, picking spots from a map and seeing if it will hit or miss. So I want to develop more woodsmanship skills and do more scouting to have the odds stacked in my favor.

When I got out of one set up I walked north about 40 yards to where a doe and dawn crossed and there was a heavy trail, I didn’t know it was there and it got me thinking about scouting an area on foot first, I just don’t want to bust everything out trying to get info. Haha

[Huntress13]

I'm in a similar situation. I have a general idea of where deer bed on our small property, but not exactly to the bed itself and not on every wind. I don't want to blow everything out. The game is usually hunt light without spooking all the does out and wait until later October when the bucks are walking everywhere to see any shooters coming near a stand.

Meantime I've learned about thermals and going to pay way more attention to the wind and thermals, using knowledge I already have of how the deer typically use the property. Had a doe and three young ones all 10 to 20 yards of me this morning for about 15 minutes without alarming them. Milkweed, it's everything they say it is!

Agree, get the DVD's. I got two of them and it really helped me understand a lot. I know it will pay off, in the long run, though I'll probably make some miscalculations along the way. Can't do worse than the old way.

[stash59]

It can kinda be a catch 22 situation. Bucks will often bed on field edges, wind to back looking into the field. So you may just bust them out for a long while. But sometimes you have to look at the big picture. If you feel your odds are low to kill something this season. What have you got to lose scouting and even finding beds right now. Most of what you learn can be used next and for seasons to come. And maybe you learn something that you can use for this season.

[Quest1001]

I’m hunting the family farm. I’ve got two of Dans DVDs. And they’ve helped a lot already. I think some of the beds I found in the spring are actually late season beds. I hunted one bedding area but I’m not sure of his entrance or exit routes and the sign making from last year is in the thick stuff next to his bed. I don’t know how I would be able to check it without being on top of him.

Here is a pic of his bed this year. I checked closer after a hunt early sept. Oaks were within 15 yards of him. I think he is using this bed on a wind from the north. Water would be on his south side. The weeds and grass were laid down like he was exiting going south.

I think I have a much better idea of bucks are using the area in November now. I bumped a buck walking in early morning on a wind strip of trees along the field. His bed was watching the house! The next day I took a different route to the stand. He walked right by, scent checking the same loop. My mom shot him that evening walking the field edge.