Speed Scouting Tips

[AB_Vinny]

I have been seeing a lot on "speed scouting" lately. I am not sure if this refers to in-season scouting that focuses on current sign, etc. Anyway I wanted to start a thread on this to get member's advice on how they go about "speed scouting" whether in-season or pre/post season.

[dan]

Nothing about scouting should be fast or easy

You can scout a property rather quickly by just concentrating on the transitions... Most of the daylight activity is near edge. In hill country it can be a certain elevation where the downward slope starts to drop off rapid (where the thermal tunnel is)
In farm land it can be the field edge, or an interior edge where two covers meet... Where hardwoods meet pine, where dogwood meets cattail, etc.

[hunter_mike]

Yes what Dan said. And the biggest breakthroughs I had while scouting this past spring is when I started to scout with a plan. I learned that my scouting time was used waaayyy more efficiently when I cyber scouted online first, looking at aerials and topos and picked out the spots that looked the best and actually entering them as waypoints on my handheld gps before I ever even set foot in the area. The gps was probably on of the best pieces of equipment I bought last year. Also make sure you are ready to scout, have all of your equipment ready to go, binocs, gps, water, camera, etc so when you get there you can hit the ground running. Of course everything I mentioned takes time, so maybe it shouldn't be called "speed scouting" but rather "efficient scouting". Use the time you have away from the hunting grounds, so that you may use your time in the hunting grounds efficiently.

[Singing Bridge]

Yes what Dan said. And the biggest breakthroughs I had while scouting this past spring is when I started to scout with a plan. I learned that my scouting time was used waaayyy more efficiently when I cyber scouted online first, looking at aerials and topos and picked out the spots that looked the best and actually entering them as waypoints on my handheld gps before I ever even set foot in the area. The gps was probably on of the best pieces of equipment I bought last year. Also make sure you are ready to scout, have all of your equipment ready to go, binocs, gps, water, camera, etc so when you get there you can hit the ground running. Of course everything I mentioned takes time, so maybe it shouldn't be called "speed scouting" but rather "efficient scouting". Use the time you have away from the hunting grounds, so that you may use your time in the hunting grounds efficiently.

Good stuff hunter Mike... when you become well versed at this your waypoint hit will have you standing in or very close to a buck bed.

[ Post made via Android ]

[hunter_mike]

Yes what Dan said. And the biggest breakthroughs I had while scouting this past spring is when I started to scout with a plan. I learned that my scouting time was used waaayyy more efficiently when I cyber scouted online first, looking at aerials and topos and picked out the spots that looked the best and actually entering them as waypoints on my handheld gps before I ever even set foot in the area. The gps was probably on of the best pieces of equipment I bought last year. Also make sure you are ready to scout, have all of your equipment ready to go, binocs, gps, water, camera, etc so when you get there you can hit the ground running. Of course everything I mentioned takes time, so maybe it shouldn't be called "speed scouting" but rather "efficient scouting". Use the time you have away from the hunting grounds, so that you may use your time in the hunting grounds efficiently.

Good stuff hunter Mike... when you become well versed at this your waypoint hit will have you standing in or very close to a buck bed.

[ Post made via Android ]

SB, I can not wait for that day!!

[PK_]

I guess speed scouting could be a couple different things for me:

1)Double checking known areas for fresh sign. This could be in season with a stand on your back or post season to see if deer were still doing what you thought.

2)In a new area, using a map to eliminate much of the area that will be unproductive. Then just reaffirming your findings by foot by walking transitions, checking out potential funnels/bedding etc...(To me that is just normal scouting, but I guess could be referred to as 'speed scouting' when compared to walking around aimlessly looking for rubs and oak trees)

[MOBIGBUCKS]

The most efficient way to scout is to scour the topo/aerial maps of your areas before going. Make yourself a plan and stick with it. Other than that, there is no quick way to finding beds and figuring out how to hunt them. If you get in a hurry you will miss a lot.

[AB_Vinny]

Good responses so far guys.

While we are on the topic of "Speed Scouting" is there any kind of scouting you guys are doing during the summer months in addition to post season scouting (i.e. look for active trails in pushed down grass, etc)?

[xpauliber]

Good responses so far guys.

While we are on the topic of "Speed Scouting" is there any kind of scouting you guys are doing during the summer months in addition to post season scouting (i.e. look for active trails in pushed down grass, etc)?

Glassing crop fields from a distance is the first thing that comes to mind here. I haven't gotten to this point yet, but I would love to be able to glass a big buck coming out into a field and because of my spring scouting and based on where he came from, I should be able to have a good guess as to what bed he is using.

[AB_Vinny]

Good responses so far guys.

While we are on the topic of "Speed Scouting" is there any kind of scouting you guys are doing during the summer months in addition to post season scouting (i.e. look for active trails in pushed down grass, etc)?

Glassing crop fields from a distance is the first thing that comes to mind here. I haven't gotten to this point yet, but I would love to be able to glass a big buck coming out into a field and because of my spring scouting and based on where he came from, I should be able to have a good guess as to what bed he is using.

Ya that is a great idea to determine what bed each buck is possibly using. I'll definitely need an obervation stand since our fields are so rolling and hilly. On that subject, I have never seen a mature buck walk out into any field where I hunt before dark. Do they usually come out in fields that are hidden? Where do you usually glass them in fields?

[xpauliber]

Good responses so far guys.

While we are on the topic of "Speed Scouting" is there any kind of scouting you guys are doing during the summer months in addition to post season scouting (i.e. look for active trails in pushed down grass, etc)?

Glassing crop fields from a distance is the first thing that comes to mind here. I haven't gotten to this point yet, but I would love to be able to glass a big buck coming out into a field and because of my spring scouting and based on where he came from, I should be able to have a good guess as to what bed he is using.

Ya that is a great idea to determine what bed each buck is possibly using. I'll definitely need an obervation stand since our fields are so rolling and hilly. On that subject, I have never seen a mature buck walk out into any field where I hunt before dark. Do they usually come out in fields that are hidden? Where do you usually glass them in fields?

I have glassed mature bucks coming into fields in mid-summer but it usually stops before our season comes in here in PA....(really late this year too! Oct. 5th!). Anyways, I'm sure some other guys will chime in that have more experience but if you see a buck coming out for awhile and then he stops right before season, I would be tempted to think that he may be staging inside the wood line until after dark and I would give that bedding location a hunt right after the season opens if the wind is right.

[ Post made via iPhone ]

[AB_Vinny]

I have glassed mature bucks coming into fields in mid-summer but it usually stops before our season comes in here in PA....(really late this year too! Oct. 5th!). Anyways, I'm sure some other guys will chime in that have more experience but if you see a buck coming out for awhile and then he stops right before season, I would be tempted to think that he may be staging inside the wood line until after dark and I would give that bedding location a hunt right after the season opens if the wind is right.

[ Post made via iPhone ]

I wonder if Summer observations of bucks reveal anything about their bedding sites / core area come the fall? I know food sources shift, but will a summer obervation of a buck give us intel?

[dan]

I have glassed mature bucks coming into fields in mid-summer but it usually stops before our season comes in here in PA....(really late this year too! Oct. 5th!). Anyways, I'm sure some other guys will chime in that have more experience but if you see a buck coming out for awhile and then he stops right before season, I would be tempted to think that he may be staging inside the wood line until after dark and I would give that bedding location a hunt right after the season opens if the wind is right.

[ Post made via iPhone ]

I wonder if Summer observations of bucks reveal anything about their bedding sites / core area come the fall? I know food sources shift, but will a summer obervation of a buck give us intel?

Sometimes...

Some beds are used all season, some are seasonal. It would mater what type of bedding area he is using.