Late in the "scouting" , what would you do.

[Brad]

I have just recently decided that I am going to be doing most if not all of my bowhunting on public land. I have found a bunch of fcl land and wildlife areas and have located them and gotten a feel for them via aerials. It is too late in the year to go wander through them and bump deer this close to season. I don't know where to get topo maps of these areas so any help in that aspect would be appreciated. I have tried to use google earth and never have any luck with it, so I use bing birdseye view instead. What would you guys do if you were me at this point. About all I can think of is try and watch for deer from a ways off and get a feel for deer movement and try to get a feel for where they are bedding based on the wind, or should I just go in on gut instinct and see what happens this year. I hate to get this late of a start, but I got sick of the drama on the private land I hunt and am reserving that just for gun hunting with family.

[mike_mc]

With the heat and vegetation, scouting right now isn't very helpful. I would shine and glass, study aerial and take best guess. Two sites for you.
mapper.acme.com/
http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/land/fac ... pping.html

[dan]

http://mapper.acme.com/about.html

[Zap]

Brad, what are you after?

Big buck, meat, any buck?

I have had very goodluck in early season going in and setting up on the ground very early. In position and ready an hour before sunrise.
Lotsa does and younger bucks, have had them a few feet away.

I had a doe walk up right beside me from behind while sitting in my chair nesteled up against a cedar. Pretty awesome moment!


This method does not require alot of intrusion before the hunt, and it is easy to relocate if you are off a little with your set up.
Some very exhilirating moments as the deer move close while you are on the ground.

A few car rides at dusk and you should find a spot deer are moving thru to go out....they will come back in at the same spots sometimes...look in between public parking areas where the public provides good cover and butts other ground that provides food and no access to the public.

Good luck this season and welcome to the BEAST.

[BassBoysLLP]

I'm always looking for new areas. If you have a new area scouted already, don't enter it until season. Everything changes. You need to be one step ahead of those change. Scout the properties albiet the conditions. . .into the season. Its harder now, but better than nothing. I was out scouting a property in SW WI today. Some will say, I have too many spots. Its true that I don't hunt all of them in a year, but I'd rather have options than questions come the day of the hunt.

[virginiashadow]

I would at least walk it a bit to familiarize myself with the property. I am a "show me state" kind of guy. Scout, put together the clues...KILL!

[Swampthing]

I would walk the perimeters of the woodlots or transition lines. At least you'll get a feel for the area. It will be tough to go any deeper. It'll be a jungle this time of year.

[Brad]

Brad, what are you after?

Big buck, meat, any buck?

I have shot a fair amount of 1.5 year old bucks in the past with a bow, so I would say I am after a 2.5 year old buck or older this year. I will also shoot the occasional doe depending on the deer numbers on the property.

I have had very goodluck in early season going in and setting up on the ground very early. In position and ready an hour before sunrise.
Lotsa does and younger bucks, have had them a few feet away.

I had a doe walk up right beside me from behind while sitting in my chair nesteled up against a cedar. Pretty awesome moment!

That sounds like a very exciting way of hunting, Im glad you mentioned that because the whitetail adrenaline guys are really doing a lot of their public hunting on the ground as well. I definitely plan to incorporate this into my tactics this year.


This method does not require alot of intrusion before the hunt, and it is easy to relocate if you are off a little with your set up.
Some very exhilirating moments as the deer move close while you are on the ground.

A few car rides at dusk and you should find a spot deer are moving thru to go out....they will come back in at the same spots sometimes...look in between public parking areas where the public provides good cover and butts other ground that provides food and no access to the public.

Good luck this season and welcome to the BEAST.