First year scouting with the lights on (long ramble)

Discuss the science of figuring out our prey through good detective work.
  • Advertisement

HB Store


User avatar
cbay
500 Club
Posts: 1196
Joined: Mon Nov 25, 2013 8:39 am
Location: Mo
Status: Offline

First year scouting with the lights on (long ramble)

Unread postby cbay » Thu May 15, 2014 1:18 pm

A little less than a year ago i finally started stepping up my game on chasing bucks. Always liked chasing them. Knew there was a lot of things i should be doing, but lack of confidence among other life obstacles kept things from going anywhere. Last fall i was wanting to find discussions on mature buck bedding so i could see what others were discovering about the ways of mature deer. This had me "google" using the key words "bucks" and "beds". Of course this led me right to the Beast.
It turned out to be exactly what i hoped for and needed. A quality community of folks with like minded desire to learn and share about their experiences with mature bucks. I also learned right away that many things i suspected were real. It turns out mature bucks are cagey, don't like to get up before dark, position to see what they can't smell, spook easy and outsmart hunters as a matter of survival very well.

It didn't take long to realize that it all starts with scouting. The public around where i now live has been calling my name since i moved here. So i set it in my mind to learn as much as i possibly can about the land. Our subdivision has around 500 acres of public around it and it was a no brainer to learn it well.

Post rifle was the first scouting while being really fired up and the lights going on in my head with a new level of "awareness". Lots of pressure during rifle season here. About a dozen full time residents here (none of which hunt much if any) and the rest are vacation homes. About half of the weekenders hunt rifle, with one place alone having 8 hunters running around here for most of season. I was amazed over the last several years how few deer they actually take out of here (that i'm aware of). But despite the pressure there are good deer numbers and a couple dandies at least are here during the rut.

With the aid of snow on the ground i searched out the likely bedding areas for bucks and had some success. Not all were where expected and suggested to look but the sign, big tracks and some good beds were found. I say scouting but it was still bow season after rifle so i was still hunting and scouting at the same time. Always loved to paint up and slip around real slow on the ground but now i had a mission.

Right off it became evident that two things were going on with bedding: (1) early detection of people (2) quick way to get out of dodge. Just like others on here have found some of the best sign was close to access yet convenient for the buck to detect and leave. I figure my taking the long way in to spots / entering from ways not done by others had an impact on them so i consider the first beds found in areas to be good to hunt; at least for post rifle season (since that is when they were found). Some of the spots that are classic (and markded by Dan) that had no beds will be checked later to see if they are used before rifle season. It makes sense they would move to where i found beds after rifle season after all the pressure; closer to detect and leave.

The other thing i noticed was the more i scouted the less sign i would see when i went back to the same areas. I needed to give them a break at the house so i started looking at ground outside of the subdivision and focused on several different areas. Quickly i learned that these areas were totally different in terms of deer numbers; way down compared to the subdivision. This was across the board everywhere else (ten mile radius from home). Now it made sense why they had the no any deer permit restriction in the area. Also it confirmed my suspicion that the folks in the subdivision weren't getting the job done as hunters.

Scouting outside my home area really made me appreciate what many of you have to go through to get on good deer. Some of the good spots are good for a reason; mostly because of lack of access without being detected. If a guy wants to get on to some of these spots without blowing it he has to go through a lot of effort. It put a good reality check on me when i realized the scenarios necessary that a lot of you guys have to do on most of your hunts.
Some of the seemingly hot spots i would get to only to discover someone else was thinking the exact same thing and had a stand. Other spots had old worn down pieces of wood nailed up a tree. Two spots in particular seemed like a no brainer for a bed and i was suprised none were there; then i look up and see a fresh stand. It's like they scouted out the best spot and then hung a stand directly over the top of it with no way of getting there without blowing it. As i think back one of the old worn out wood stands was the same way; right on top of where i found fresh buck beds on the first trip in to the spot. No doubt they saw good sign and figured it best to hunt right there. I still haven't figured out how to get on that spot undetected.

One area i call "hamburger hill". Named it that about twelve years ago when we first got the place as a vacation home. I bow hunted back then as well and had some old topos that were here when we got the place and used them to locate what looked like a good area to hunt at the time. They were some 40 years old and didn't show some of the access roads / trails through the public i was hunting. I entered the hill from boat and had a good encounter with a young buck so i planned to go in on rifle opener in a few days. Well, i did that and i guessed right as it being a good spot but didn't realize that it was being accessed from behind with lots of hunters. It seemed like every step i made up that hill opening morning killed a deer. Didn't make it half way up and turned around. As i look back at that experience and now that i know those woods well i realize even more that the nick name i gave it was well deserved and that won't happen again.

Back to the current scouting mission, i have had such a good time learning the land that as spring progressed it became evident i was going to have to work on pin pointing stand locations, make paths for the arrow and work on entrance routes. A lot of you guys state that you can get all this done on the first trip for a future hunt, but i'll make no excuse about it; i'm no where near capable of doing that. As much time as i've spent in the woods since december scouting a little over a thousand acres, i've only selected 15 stand sites and have roughly half of them stand ready and all of them need entrance routes worked on.

Becoming aware of the importance of entrance and how hard it is - like most all of you are well aware of - really changes how you think when you scout. Yesterday i was scouting the west side of some public i never walked and was really pumped to cover the good spots. Luckily i found an over looked bedding area on my way there because the further i went the more it became evident there was no way i could get in there undetected. It would have done me no good to go to the suspected bedding spots ahead; land locked where i would have to come in, long narrow valley pulling thermals in too tight to come in by boat, and would provide no safety for a buck without that particular wind. So now i'm learning about scouting huntable areas. lots to learn about everything, but focusing on areas that are approachable is going to be key because that problem is not going away any time soon.

I haven't gone into details with sign or showing pics of set ups or anything. This is more of a rambling about this years scouting experience in general. Thankfully i've had you guys to learn from along the way. I'll be honest it would have been pretty hard to keep this motivation without you guys. Knowing what you experience when you go out, what you see and what you're looking for, what constitutes a good set up and what doesn't - all helped tremendously. The precision some of you are able to discover about bucks is amazing. How you can determine with some certainty how they enter and leave a bed and set up as close as many of you claim is pretty incredible. It's hard enough for me to find the beds let alone know how they are coming and going.

So even though it seems like a whole new level of awareness since the lights came on and serious scouting under my belt, i realize there will be many unknowns, different scenarios unfold and Lord willing lots of future experiences to build on.

Happy Hunting,
Chris


Scout.  Learn.  Hunt
User avatar
whitetailassasin
Posts: 3404
Joined: Tue Sep 25, 2012 12:34 pm
Location: Michigan
Status: Offline

Re: First year scouting with the lights on

Unread postby whitetailassasin » Thu May 15, 2014 1:54 pm

Sounds like your going to fit in just fine around here. Looking forward to hearing your success stories this upcoming season and many to come.

[ Post made via iPhone ] Image
User avatar
Singing Bridge
500 Club
Posts: 7162
Joined: Wed Feb 17, 2010 1:11 pm
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/pro ... 1329617473
Location: Logged in - from above
Contact:
Status: Offline

Re: First year scouting with the lights on (long ramble)

Unread postby Singing Bridge » Thu May 15, 2014 2:42 pm

Great post- welcome!

[ Post made via Android ] Image
User avatar
Jackson Marsh
Moderator
Posts: 19547
Joined: Tue Aug 17, 2010 3:11 am
Location: SE WI
Status: Offline

Re: First year scouting with the lights on (long ramble)

Unread postby Jackson Marsh » Thu May 15, 2014 3:06 pm

Sounds like you've got the bug.....good luck this season, I bet you'll do well!

[ Post made via Android ] Image
User avatar
Dewey
Moderator
Posts: 36727
Joined: Thu Mar 11, 2010 7:57 pm
Location: Wisconsin
Status: Offline

Re: First year scouting with the lights on (long ramble)

Unread postby Dewey » Thu May 15, 2014 4:07 pm

I predict your drive to succeed will pay off for you very nicely. Great job putting in the work. Good luck this coming season! 8-)

[ Post made via iPhone ] Image
User avatar
hunter_mike
Moderator
Posts: 8294
Joined: Wed Aug 15, 2012 3:24 pm
Location: south central WI
Status: Offline

Re: First year scouting with the lights on (long ramble)

Unread postby hunter_mike » Fri May 16, 2014 1:00 am

That was fun reading. Good luck, i hope u score

[ Post made via Android ] Image
“The master has failed more times than the beginner has even tried.”
User avatar
cbay
500 Club
Posts: 1196
Joined: Mon Nov 25, 2013 8:39 am
Location: Mo
Status: Offline

Re: First year scouting with the lights on (long ramble)

Unread postby cbay » Fri May 16, 2014 1:35 am

Thanks Guys, this site should have some sort of warning notice when you register though, letting you know that your likely to become overly obsessed with deer and devote large amounts of time towards them. :lol:
Scout.  Learn.  Hunt
User avatar
headgear
500 Club
Posts: 11625
Joined: Wed Sep 08, 2010 7:21 am
Location: Northern Minnesota
Status: Offline

Re: First year scouting with the lights on (long ramble)

Unread postby headgear » Fri May 16, 2014 1:43 am

Fun read, sounds just like me a few years back. Wheels turning and eyes wide open. Keep on scouting and learning, the bucks might come easy or you might struggle but keep at it and keep learning. The rewards will come with time and patience.
User avatar
Bigburner
Posts: 2097
Joined: Thu Jan 09, 2014 6:41 am
Location: Delaware?
Status: Offline

Re: First year scouting with the lights on (long ramble)

Unread postby Bigburner » Fri May 16, 2014 3:03 am

Good post
Stay thirsty my friend....
Montani Semper Liberi
Instagram @formationoutdoors
User avatar
ozzz
Posts: 2189
Joined: Tue Dec 14, 2010 4:27 am
Location: Your spot
Status: Offline

Re: First year scouting with the lights on (long ramble)

Unread postby ozzz » Fri May 16, 2014 3:09 am

Im right there with you bud. Bowhunting for whitetails becomes a whole lot more fun when its way more than simply walking to your one lock on and waiting.
If it bleeds, we can kill it . . . .
User avatar
PK_
500 Club
Posts: 6894
Joined: Tue Nov 20, 2012 5:10 am
Location: Just Off
Status: Offline

Re: First year scouting with the lights on (long ramble)

Unread postby PK_ » Fri May 16, 2014 3:40 am

Good read. In the airport right now Omw for out of state long weekend scouting trip...

[ Post made via iPad ] Image
No Shortcuts. No Excuses. No Regrets.
Everybody's selling dreams. I'm too cheap to buy one.
Rich M wrote:Typically, hunting FL has been like getting a root canal
User avatar
cbay
500 Club
Posts: 1196
Joined: Mon Nov 25, 2013 8:39 am
Location: Mo
Status: Offline

Re: First year scouting with the lights on (long ramble)

Unread postby cbay » Fri May 16, 2014 5:33 am

PalmettoKid wrote:Good read. In the airport right now Omw for out of state long weekend scouting trip...

[ Post made via iPad ] Image


Sounds like you got the bug pretty good!
Scout.  Learn.  Hunt
mheichelbech
500 Club
Posts: 4188
Joined: Thu Nov 21, 2013 10:00 am
Facebook: mheichelbech@gmail.com
Location: Charlestown, IN
Status: Offline

Re: First year scouting with the lights on (long ramble)

Unread postby mheichelbech » Fri May 23, 2014 5:38 am

Excellent! In my first full season of the beast style application also. You said what I've thought much better than I could ever have said!

[ Post made via iPhone ] Image
"One of the chief attractions of the life of the wilderness is its rugged and stalwart democracy; there every man stands for what he actually is and can show himself to be." — Theodore Roosevelt, 1893
KLEMZ
Posts: 1705
Joined: Wed Jan 26, 2011 2:28 am
Location: SE Wisconsin
Status: Offline

Re: First year scouting with the lights on (long ramble)

Unread postby KLEMZ » Fri May 23, 2014 11:09 am

cbay wrote: So now i'm learning about scouting huntable areas.


Wow. You are way ahead of the curve for someone committed to learning to hunt big bucks based on bedding. To figure out that some areas are a lot harder to hunt, this soon in your learning curve, is a real good sign that we will be reading about your success very soon.


  • Advertisement

Return to “Scouting”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 30 guests