Scouting Organization Tips

Discuss the science of figuring out our prey through good detective work.
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JakeJD
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Scouting Organization Tips

Unread postby JakeJD » Fri Dec 23, 2011 2:18 am

I have a quick question for you guys that scout and hunt multiple (10+) properties throughout the year. How do you organize all of your scouting information?

Do you video the bed when you find a good one and describe the area with huntable trees and preferred wind for the bed? Do you mark up aerial maps and keeps notes?

I have found around 8-10 overlooked small public spots that I am going to scout here this winter / early spring and see if any bucks are using them, but I am not sure how to organize the scouting info. I also plan to scout two large tracts of public land to see if I can locate some overlooked bedding areas.

Then this summer and early fall, I plan to shine the adjacent fields a couple of times in July and August to hunt the spots intelligently in the early season and then shine a little after my early season hunts to help decide where to hunt as the season progresses (before the rut). Any other tips on trying to hunt smarter (not harder)?

Thanks, Jake


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Re: Scouting Organization Tips

Unread postby JRM6868 » Fri Dec 23, 2011 2:46 am

I don't hunt 10 plus properties but what I'm going to start doing is buy one of those big 3"-4" thick binders and get topo and aerial photos and laminate them and use those wax markers and mark them up and put notes for each stand location. The binders allow you to put dividers in them to separate properties and all your photos and notes can go in by each property. You can also back it up on your computer and create a file for each property. I'm a paper trail man and like to have a hard copy in hand. Computers get viruses so I won't put everything in one source. Always have a backup.

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Re: Scouting Organization Tips

Unread postby JakeJD » Fri Dec 23, 2011 3:49 am

I have aerial maps for each property on my computer and hard copies (aerial / topo maps) for each property divided in an accordian folder in my car.

I have the properties organized. I am just not sure how I should go about organizing all my scouting info. Rut sign, beds, huntable trees, shining, etc. I have seen BigHunt's video's, but I don't own a video camera. Although I do plan on taking a digital camera with me.
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Re: Scouting Organization Tips

Unread postby BigHunt » Fri Dec 23, 2011 3:54 am

JRM6868 wrote:I don't hunt 10 plus properties but what I'm going to start doing is buy one of those big 3"-4" thick binders and get topo and aerial photos and laminate them and use those wax markers and mark them up and put notes for each stand location. The binders allow you to put dividers in them to separate properties and all your photos and notes can go in by each property. You can also back it up on your computer and create a file for each property. I'm a paper trail man and like to have a hard copy in hand. Computers get viruses so I won't put everything in one source. Always have a backup.

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this is exactly what i do .........

i also take alot of pics and video
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Re: Scouting Organization Tips

Unread postby mike_mc » Fri Dec 23, 2011 6:03 am

Mainly in my head, but also gps.
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Re: Scouting Organization Tips

Unread postby headgear » Fri Dec 23, 2011 7:28 am

I log everythign on the computer. I am a pretty advanced Photoshop user, that might be alittle high end for this type of stuff but any free/basics graphics program might allow you to do some of the same things I do.

I basically start a file by gathering any and all aerial photos and topo maps I can find. I can even overlay the topo on the aerial and kind of get the best of both worlds. Next I like to mark any property lines I have to worry about and my access points. Then it's on to scouting, I note any buck sign like rubs/scrapes/trails and of course the beds. For beds I get little more detailed and type in any notes and add a few photos into the file that I deem are important. I also like to mark other stands/hunters in the area and any future areas I want to scout out.

Once I hunt a place a few times I like to note any older bucks I see and the what the weather/wind/moon was doing that day. I also try and nail down certain beds to certain winds or even beds that are better early vs late season. Other things I have put in my notes are doe bedding areas, nearby food sources and anything else I can think of.

I have about 20 of these files so far in various stages of development, some areas I know very well and hunt them alot, other I have scouted and have a few hunts/notes on and finally others I have yet to set foot on but will, hopefullly this off season.
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Re: Scouting Organization Tips

Unread postby basspro05 » Sat Feb 08, 2014 12:11 am

So far mine are all organized on my computer. I print out an aerial map with topo lines and all the GPS coordinates I want to check out when I head to a property.

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Re: Scouting Organization Tips

Unread postby PK_ » Sat Feb 08, 2014 12:31 am

http://www.bobsheppard.com/BobSheppard. ... loads.html

There is a basic database software for treestands (or beds) locations on that page. You can attach documents and pictures/maps to each location. I haven't really gotten in depth with it yet but this and a binder as a hard copy would be ideal.

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Re: Scouting Organization Tips

Unread postby dan » Sat Feb 08, 2014 12:47 am

A note book. You put an aerial of each property in it and number each stand / bedding area. On the pages after the aerial you list the number of the stand and the important info, such as "when a buck is likely to bed there, what winds you can hunt it on, noise factors ( do you need wind or rain to hunt this spot? ) access wrought info etc.
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Re: Scouting Organization Tips

Unread postby DEERSLAYER » Sat Feb 08, 2014 7:55 am

PalmettoKid wrote:http://www.bobsheppard.com/BobSheppard.com/Software_Downloads.html

There is a basic database software for treestands (or beds) locations on that page. You can attach documents and pictures/maps to each location. I haven't really gotten in depth with it yet but this and a binder as a hard copy would be ideal.

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I clicked on that link a got a headache just looking at all that info! :shock:
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Re: Scouting Organization Tips

Unread postby PK_ » Sat Feb 08, 2014 1:04 pm

DEERSLAYER wrote:
PalmettoKid wrote:http://www.bobsheppard.com/BobSheppard.com/Software_Downloads.html

There is a basic database software for treestands (or beds) locations on that page. You can attach documents and pictures/maps to each location. I haven't really gotten in depth with it yet but this and a binder as a hard copy would be ideal.

[ Post made via iPad ] Image

I clicked on that link a got a headache just looking at all that info! :shock:


Just click the first download "Hunting Stand Site database"
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Re: Scouting Organization Tips

Unread postby Crazinamatese » Sat Feb 08, 2014 2:06 pm

I been thinking of laminating some aerial and topo pics and use dry erase markers to mark them up.
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Re: Scouting Organization Tips

Unread postby Swampthing » Sat Feb 08, 2014 3:31 pm

jakedeaver wrote:I have a quick question for you guys that scout and hunt multiple (10+) properties throughout the year. How do you organize all of your scouting information?

Do you video the bed when you find a good one and describe the area with huntable trees and preferred wind for the bed? Do you mark up aerial maps and keeps notes?

I have found around 8-10 overlooked small public spots that I am going to scout here this winter / early spring and see if any bucks are using them, but I am not sure how to organize the scouting info. I also plan to scout two large tracts of public land to see if I can locate some overlooked bedding areas.

Then this summer and early fall, I plan to shine the adjacent fields a couple of times in July and August to hunt the spots intelligently in the early season and then shine a little after my early season hunts to help decide where to hunt as the season progresses (before the rut). Any other tips on trying to hunt smarter (not harder)?

Thanks, Jake


I use my GPS a ton , and I learned real quick that you need a system of searchable placemarks in your gps. I use to mark spots such as rub , rub 2 , big rub . But a month later you have no clue which is which or even which hunting area they came from. So now I assign each hunting area a number prefix this number only signifies the hunting area ,nothing else. So for instance my Dad's farm is 1. And everything item , bed, rub, stand whatever with-in my dads farm would begin with 1 and then a number. 1-1 , 1-2, 1-3 and so-on. A friends farm is 2 . So all marks on that farm would begin with 2 and each mark would be 2-1, 2-2, 2-3 and so-on. I use a corresponding notebook that gives more detailed information on each placemark. I have over 50 separate public areas that I have scouted . And this system works great to find individual placemarks. I always try to video individual beds along with exit routes and trees I will set-up in . I use Google Earth to view all my spots . I come home and up-load the placemarks into Google Earth and they are right there overlayed and it really helps to get overall picture.
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Re: Scouting Organization Tips

Unread postby DEERSLAYER » Sat Feb 08, 2014 5:15 pm

PalmettoKid wrote:
DEERSLAYER wrote:
PalmettoKid wrote:http://www.bobsheppard.com/BobSheppard.com/Software_Downloads.html

There is a basic database software for treestands (or beds) locations on that page. You can attach documents and pictures/maps to each location. I haven't really gotten in depth with it yet but this and a binder as a hard copy would be ideal.

[ Post made via iPad ] Image

I clicked on that link a got a headache just looking at all that info! :shock:


Just click the first download "Hunting Stand Site database"

I can't open it.
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Re: Scouting Organization Tips

Unread postby wmahunter » Wed Feb 12, 2014 4:37 am

since I use a magellon gps I store all that stuff on the gps. Than I download it to vantage point. Magellon desktop software once I get home. It is good to get a visual of it on a big screen once it is all downloaded over the years. The aerials fill up with all the sign and where I found it so you can predict which direction the deer move and where they move during the rut.

I am with everyone else about a notebook for backup. If the pc crashes and the thumb drive backup is not up-to-date then you have to start all over again.


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