Which land or areas to scout in general? When and why?

[johndeere506]

When you guys are scouting public lands for big bucks, how do you choose the areas to start with? Do you choose areas close to home, or areas farther from cities that should be less pressured? Do you pick swamps or big woods, hills or river bottoms? Do you pick the counties known for big bucks? When (Example: If you scout swamps, do you only hunt them early, rather than late season)?

I started my searches by scouting the areas I had hunted previously. The scouting went great. Now I want to scout more areas for backup, to take a friend or my boys out, or simply just to scout and learn more ( I like scouting now even if I never hunt the spot). How do you pick where to scout first on aerials or in person?

[johndeere506]

Sorry I posted to wrong section. I thought I was in scouting.....

[Singing Bridge]

When you guys are scouting public lands for big bucks, how do you choose the areas to start with? Do you choose areas close to home, or areas farther from cities that should be less pressured? Do you pick swamps or big woods, hills or river bottoms? Do you pick the counties known for big bucks? When (Example: If you scout swamps, do you only hunt them early, rather than late season)?

I started my searches by scouting the areas I had hunted previously. The scouting went great. Now I want to scout more areas for backup, to take a friend or my boys out, or simply just to scout and learn more ( I like scouting now even if I never hunt the spot). How do you pick where to scout first on aerials or in person?

If you have a decent hunting area close to home it can be a huge advantage. Being able to just pop out of the house a short distance to scout or hunt whenever the opportunity presents itself will lead to a better understanding of the hunting spot and likely an increase in overall success. I mix it up with distant destinations when I take time off from work, its a long holiday weekend, etc.

Regarding swamps, the areas I hunt have local and transient bucks. The locals are there most of the hunting season, while the rut and hunting pressure can and will increase the transient buck population in the swamps.

[fishlips]

For me it has become a matter of time I have to hunt and scout, so I end up scouting and hunting lesser quality land closer to home. If I had more time, I would definitely look at branching out a little more and hunting more productive land.

I supposed though that someone could argue that you can get the job done in less time total hunting that higher quality land than hunting that more convenient lesser quality land. I haven't been doing this long enough to figure that part of the equation out.

[johndeere506]

I only know I've found a big buck by either large rubs, or small rubs with long tines marks on the small trees behind it. Big tracks are more rare on public as they have been killed or moved to private from pressure. How do you know you are on to a big buck?

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[headgear]

I posted about this before, I kind of have a public land "formula" of sorts. Basically I am looking for a sizeable chunk of land with maybe 50% or more that is wet and or nasty and or has few huntable trees. Ideally I'd find a peace about 1000 acres or more with 500 acres ore more of swamp, if you can expand on those number the bigger the better. What I am looking for is land that is going to hold a public land mature buck year after year. I don't have a lot of hills by me so this is obviously more for marsh style hunting.

With all of that said I have found great mature buck bedding in much smaller area so you should also be looking for quality bedding above everything but I have had my best luck finding what I am looking for in places with enough water/cover to hide the big boys no matter how much pressure the area might get.

[fishlips]

I posted about this before, I kind of have a public land "formula" of sorts. Basically I am looking for a sizeable chunk of land with maybe 50% or more that is wet and or nasty and or has few huntable trees. Ideally I'd find a peace about 1000 acres or more with 500 acres ore more of swamp, if you can expand on those number the bigger the better. What I am looking for is land that is going to hold a public land mature buck year after year. I don't have a lot of hills by me so this is obviously more for marsh style hunting.

With all of that said I have found great mature buck bedding in much smaller area so you should also be looking for quality bedding above everything but I have had my best luck finding what I am looking for in places with enough water/cover to hide the big boys no matter how much pressure the area might get.

I think that is a great starting point. I know that I really struggle with identifying properties that will hold a big buck. The good news for me is that a good 2.5 year old for me is enough for me, which means most everything that is close by has a deer like that at some point during the season.

[palmbardier]

I agree with headgear. Tangly marshes and swamps in the winter are easier to scout because they're frozen over. It's also very easy to see beds melted into the snow and ice. In my area deer tend to group up in the swamps during the winter. I dislike scouting in mature, open hardwoods in high winter winds. If it's uncomfortable for a human to be walking around in wind blown areas with little cover, you can bet there won't be deer hanging out there.

[johndeere506]

I posted about this before, I kind of have a public land "formula" of sorts. Basically I am looking for a sizeable chunk of land with maybe 50% or more that is wet and or nasty and or has few huntable trees. Ideally I'd find a peace about 1000 acres or more with 500 acres ore more of swamp, if you can expand on those number the bigger the better. What I am looking for is land that is going to hold a public land mature buck year after year. I don't have a lot of hills by me so this is obviously more for marsh style hunting.

With all of that said I have found great mature buck bedding in much smaller area so you should also be looking for quality bedding above everything but I have had my best luck finding what I am looking for in places with enough water/cover to hide the big boys no matter how much pressure the area might get.

Thanks for the detail Headgear. That's what I'm currently looking at is some of the larger public parcels, but are a good drive from me. I could care less about the drive if scouting it shows me why I'm there.

[Dewey]

I posted about this before, I kind of have a public land "formula" of sorts. Basically I am looking for a sizeable chunk of land with maybe 50% or more that is wet and or nasty and or has few huntable trees. Ideally I'd find a peace about 1000 acres or more with 500 acres ore more of swamp, if you can expand on those number the bigger the better. What I am looking for is land that is going to hold a public land mature buck year after year. I don't have a lot of hills by me so this is obviously more for marsh style hunting.

With all of that said I have found great mature buck bedding in much smaller area so you should also be looking for quality bedding above everything but I have had my best luck finding what I am looking for in places with enough water/cover to hide the big boys no matter how much pressure the area might get.

Same here. No matter where I hunt I tend to gravitate towards the wet nasty stuff and this is always where I find mature buck sign. If there are cattails in the bigwoods you can be sure I will find them.

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[whitetailassasin]

Transition lines.

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[PK_]

I generally look for areas loaded with big bucks…

Still looking.

[dan]

I look for areas that are remote and get little hunting pressure, or areas that are thick, wet, and nasty, where deer can grow old despite pressure.

[seeds]

There's a LOT of public land within 30 miles of my house. I've atleast looked at all of it but have not thoroughly scouted all of it. Some I never will because it gets too much pressure and it's "easy" (for humans) to move around and there are not the numbers of deer as in other areas.

There's areas I've hunted a lot and there's some areas I hunted/scouted last year. I'd briefly scouted them the year before... Areas that merit a much closer and thorough look.

I scouted one area like that on Saturday. Found several buck beds - and saw three bucks with one a very nice 10 - and four clusters of doe bedding. There's a lot of wet,a lot of thick...but there's ways thru it...I did find evidence that someone trimmed a "crawling trail" thru one particularly bad area. Cuts were at least 2 1/2 years old. I saw the cuts while crawling thru a "tunnel"....I hunted that area 3 times last season and saw deer every time.

On the way home I stopped somewhere that had been "bothering" me for a couple years. Small and overlooked...Muddy springs and seeps make even winter access difficult...Thick once in but there's some trees....a cursory look showed NO evidence of other hunters and that's really what I was looking for. I didn't have to look for beds - found clusters of doe bedding and large singles...I can get in but how to do it without being seen or smelt...

[Swampbuck]

I generally look for areas loaded with big bucks…

Still looking.

I spend the whole season doing this with the same results, and finding the thick and nasty is a breeze :)

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