Live from the field - 2016 Scouting Report

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

HB Store


User avatar
Lockdown
Moderator
Posts: 9957
Joined: Fri Jul 18, 2014 4:16 pm
Location: MN
Status: Offline

Live from the field - 2016 Scouting Report

Unread postby Lockdown » Sun Jan 10, 2016 7:30 pm

It's that time of year my friends! Lets see your findings from the field...

Image
Big track I followed all the way to a secondary/late season bed

Image

Image
Trail/escape trail leaving the bedding on the back side

Image
Left work early to scout a spot in late December. Despite the warm air and el nino like temperatures, the water still felt plenty cold.


User avatar
DEERSLAYER
Super Moderator
Posts: 8352
Joined: Sun Mar 14, 2010 3:22 pm
Location: Western L.P. of MI
Contact:
Status: Offline

Re: Live from the field - 2016 Scouting Report

Unread postby DEERSLAYER » Sun Jan 10, 2016 7:54 pm

Nice. Do you plan to put out cams to get an idea of the age and size of any bucks that made it through?
You cannot invade mainland America. There would be a rifle behind every blade of grass.
Isoroku Yamamoto, Japanese Admiral
User avatar
Lockdown
Moderator
Posts: 9957
Joined: Fri Jul 18, 2014 4:16 pm
Location: MN
Status: Offline

Re: Live from the field - 2016 Scouting Report

Unread postby Lockdown » Sun Jan 10, 2016 8:10 pm

DEERSLAYER wrote:Nice. Do you plan to put out cams to get an idea of the age and size of any bucks that made it through?


I have 5 cameras going most of the year, 3 right now... Lucky for me both of my big bucks are still out and about :mrgreen:

Image
Jan 5th


Image
Better pic from earlier in the year

Image
pic with 5 days of loader season left. I know a guy who knows the family who has gun/muzzleloader access to this property and supposedly they didn't kill anything this year. I bowhunt this property along with one other person. I spent 4 or 5 hours on this property a week ago (told the wife I was working :shifty: ) and gained some valuable intel.

Work is getting slow and I'm chomping at the bit to get out there and scout some more....
User avatar
Hawthorne
500 Club
Posts: 6217
Joined: Mon Dec 15, 2014 2:13 pm
Location: michigan
Status: Offline

Re: Live from the field - 2016 Scouting Report

Unread postby Hawthorne » Mon Jan 11, 2016 2:51 am

Went out yesterday on some public and picked up two more buck bed spots. I jumped a buck out of a dogwood patch on the edge of a oak knob. He had it tore up in there with fresh rubs everywhere. Just by the height of his rubs and track size I think he's a 2.5 year old. This was off two the side of an access path I think hunters walk past.

The second bed was way on the back side of a piece of public bordering a major highway. It was along a creek bottom along a blowdown and tall grass. He had three beds in one small area with rubs coming and going. Pretty cool got down in the bed and looked where he might stage by the looking at the trails with the exiting rubs. Up on an oak knob I picked a tree about 75 yds away. He looks to.be bedding there with a west wind. Not a bad day. Half day of scouting and found two new spots to try next year.

I would post pictures but I haven't figured out how to do it with my android

[ Post made via Android ] Image
User avatar
Lockdown
Moderator
Posts: 9957
Joined: Fri Jul 18, 2014 4:16 pm
Location: MN
Status: Offline

Re: Live from the field - 2016 Scouting Report

Unread postby Lockdown » Mon Jan 11, 2016 9:18 am

Image
Fresh scrape


Image
Doe beds on a mound that is 3' high. I've watched does stand on that mound many times. They use it as a vantage point to look for danger.


A week ago I spent 4 hours in some private land that I have permission for. Verified some solid doe bedding and found some suspected buck bedding as well. Most of the deer had vacated the property due to the fact that they don't winter there. I'll need to go back in the spring and to try and pin point beds that were covered in snow.

I was hoping to go scouting today but with these temps I opted to pass. I'll probably drive around at dusk.

[ Post made via iPhone ] Image
User avatar
Scoutking07
Posts: 53
Joined: Wed Dec 23, 2015 3:57 am
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WisconsinWhitetailTrailCam/
Location: SE WI
Status: Offline

Re: Live from the field - 2016 Scouting Report

Unread postby Scoutking07 » Mon Jan 11, 2016 11:17 am

I like the continual scouting thread, great to learn from what others are seeing and hear what they are looking for. I've been out a few times this past week, Friday I went and scouted a piece of public that is a very large continuous block of timber. It is mixed with what looks to be a select cut from about 15-20 years ago with lots of popples with mature oaks scattered throughout. There is very little variation in elevation as it is mostly flat and has many small pot holes and grass marshes. I didn't come across any buck sign that really got me excited so I started looking for prime bedding spots and ended up finding a nice sized marsh with thick grass and red brush. It was very wet and about 40 yards from the outside edge I could see a few taller trees in the marsh and naturally thought it would be a great bedding area so I followed a strip of trees into the high spot and found two buck beds. Further North 60 yards there were many smaller beds in groups which had to be does.

Image
Image

I checked one of my cameras in the northwoods of WI this afternoon and was very happy to see one of the big boys we were after this fall made it through the hunting seasons. He hasn't shed as of Dec 31 but I am pumped to get out and try to find his sheds.

Image
Image
Always pick a spot!
User avatar
Zona
500 Club
Posts: 725
Joined: Tue Nov 25, 2014 11:10 am
Location: Pennsylvania
Status: Offline

Re: Live from the field - 2016 Scouting Report

Unread postby Zona » Tue Jan 12, 2016 3:47 pm

Put 3 cams up today on one property for inventory purposes. I need to really breakdown the properties I have with good bucks on them. I know they are there but was not able to pin any of th hem down.

[ Post made via Android ] Image
User avatar
Lockdown
Moderator
Posts: 9957
Joined: Fri Jul 18, 2014 4:16 pm
Location: MN
Status: Offline

Re: Live from the field - 2016 Scouting Report

Unread postby Lockdown » Tue Jan 12, 2016 3:52 pm

Work is getting slow and layoffs are looming :? that is bad news for the bank account, but great news for scouting :mrgreen:
I left work early today and went back to a private parcel I have access to. There is an extreme lack of buck sign here, and I've had a tough time pinning down good bedding. Well I think I finally found a good bed. I would consider it parking lot bedding. I hung two cameras in the area in late December, and I was in there to pull them, as deer don't winter in there and I knew it would be empty by now.

In a ravine where a wheeler trail intersected, I saw a decent rub. There were old tracks in the snow so I decided to follow them. 100 yards later I found another rub

Image
They weren't anything impressive, but with the lack of rubs in here my interest was peaked. 50 yards later I found another rub, and 20 yards from that I found a bed. It was located where two ravines formed a "T". The terrain looked like the thermals would drop down to him from all around.

Image
It was the only bed around, and it had trails coming to it from multiple directions.


Image
I followed two different rub lines leaving the bed, and there were old rubs in the area as well. I am pretty happy that I finally made some progress in this area. I did kill my biggest buck here, but it was in a rut funnel.


I unknowingly placed one camera about 80 yards from the bed. I actually set it on one of the exit trails too. What luck. Here was the first picture on the card
Image
I know for a fact I've never seen this buck before.

The game plan is to keep a close eye on this bed and when the timing is right I'm going to camera bomb the exit trails. The surrounding fields were corn this year, so I'm hoping the farmer plants beans this spring. Maybe I can get him early when they're green. Hopefully he doesn't plant wheat.

After that I went to a small piece of public that gets bowhunting pressure and absolutely pounded by pheasant hunters. I have permission for the adjoining property, which consists of canary grass, cattails, and hollow cane. There are no thickets and only a couple trees. I am going to start keeping an eye on this spot, as I think "The Hulk" (The heavy 10 in my previous post) beds here once in a while. Hunting him here would be extremely tough cover wise, but doable.

Image
There are lots of rubs on the public, which I am certain is 95% night sign. This monster rub almost had to be left by The Hulk. :shock: It might be the biggest rub I've ever seen. Funny thing is, someone trimmed a ground blind 10 yards away from it. This public is the classic scenario... little bucks and does stringing guys along. There is a corn plot and the deer hit it after dark and leave rubs and scrapes. Looks like a great spot to most people.

On the private land, I found a fair amount of beds in the cattails and cane, right where you'd expect them.... on transitions and in pockets.

Image

Image
Hard to see the beds here, but they're there.

I did jump one doe but that was it. I've got a couple spots picked out that should work good for a camera and bait near bedding. So I'll be back soon to try and see whats around. Aside from the hulk I know there's some decent 2.5's around too.

I might skip out on work Wednesday since we don't have much going on and the high is suppose to be 21. If I get the go ahead I'm going to scout all day. Can't wait.
User avatar
Zona
500 Club
Posts: 725
Joined: Tue Nov 25, 2014 11:10 am
Location: Pennsylvania
Status: Offline

Re: Live from the field - 2016 Scouting Report

Unread postby Zona » Wed Jan 13, 2016 10:17 am

Good stuff Lockdown!

We finally got some snow here today. Planning on sneaking out to some public and following some tracks around.

[ Post made via Android ] Image
User avatar
rbuckleyjr1
500 Club
Posts: 763
Joined: Thu Jan 24, 2013 5:56 pm
Location: W MI
Status: Offline

Re: Live from the field - 2016 Scouting Report

Unread postby rbuckleyjr1 » Wed Jan 13, 2016 12:13 pm

Great write up! Looking forward to reading more. Those are some great bucks!
User avatar
Lockdown
Moderator
Posts: 9957
Joined: Fri Jul 18, 2014 4:16 pm
Location: MN
Status: Offline

Re: Live from the field - 2016 Scouting Report

Unread postby Lockdown » Wed Jan 13, 2016 1:37 pm

Got lucky and skipped out of work at noon, also got all day off tomorrow!

Went to an area I scouted pre-beast and never hunted. There are trees but almost non small enough to rub on. I found some random doe bedding and possibly 2 buck beds.

Image
There weren't any fresh beds here, but I'm pretty sure it's a big bed next to that log. I'll stop back in spring for this one.


Image

Image
Biggest track of the day. Not a big buck, but he might be big enough next year. This was the only bed in the area and judging by bed and track size I'd say 2.5 yr old buck. (Just a guess)....150 yards away I found some doe bedding. The doe and buck beds were located on a long narrow peninsula. Running camera here would be extremely beneficial, but it's public... Not allowed in MN.

Like I said I'll be back in the spring to pick stand trees and take a second look at everything.

[ Post made via iPhone ] Image
User avatar
wickedbruiser
500 Club
Posts: 1307
Joined: Tue Jul 29, 2014 3:58 am
Location: MA
Status: Offline

Re: Live from the field - 2016 Scouting Report

Unread postby wickedbruiser » Wed Jan 13, 2016 2:28 pm

Did a quick scout through some public Sunday. Located 2 nice bedding areas. One being in an overlooked clear cut overgrowth located on a small pine knoll within 100 yds from entrance.

I also pulled a chip from one of my private grounds to see who made it. Happy to say all 4 bucks I knew about in this small pocket survived. One being a solid 8 point.

My goal is to get out at least once a week with our first newborn at home. Looking forward to more in depth scouting

[ Post made via Android ] Image
User avatar
Lockdown
Moderator
Posts: 9957
Joined: Fri Jul 18, 2014 4:16 pm
Location: MN
Status: Offline

Re: Live from the field - 2016 Scouting Report

Unread postby Lockdown » Thu Jan 14, 2016 2:02 pm

New property today. I saw does galore and at one point I was pushing close to 50 along in front of me. Between sunrise glassing and scouting I'd say I saw 150 deer, 7 bucks, all yearlings.

I thought there was a lack of rubs at my private property, well this place is even worse! logged over 4 miles, scouted some awesome bedding, and I never saw any mature buck sign. No big rubs, no big beds or tracks. In fact, I don't think I found 20 rubs all day.

Pretty sure the gun hunters are cleaning them out. I know this place gets more pressure than any other property I hunt.

For some reason they wouldn't rub the willows at all, but I did find 2 spots where they're coming out of the thickets and rubbing when they reach the grove... About 150 yds from bedding. It will require waders but I have a good game plan for this spot.

Image

Ignore the "stopped time", that isn't right

[ Post made via iPhone ] Image
User avatar
olivertractor
Posts: 1484
Joined: Fri Sep 20, 2013 8:10 pm
Facebook: what's facebook
Status: Offline

Re: Live from the field - 2016 Scouting Report

Unread postby olivertractor » Sat Jan 16, 2016 5:59 am

Got enough snow now that had to break the snowshoes out for 1st time this year! This week i've walked 6ish miles solidifying some assumed bedding i was hunting and was spot on, just bucks weren't there when i was. We've been getting little lake effect snows almost every day this week, so I spent the time putting miles on the truck looking for tracks, so far it seems it's a mirror image of last year as far as deer sign is heavier along residence corridors and once get away from that sign is nonexistent. Deer slowly move from the areas that were getting fed during season to winter feeding areas. I've struggled to pin point any sign (tracks) I've seen last year during offseason and convert it to huntable deer during season, so I'm questioning on how to put the pieces together. I'm thinking it's just gonna be a little more difficult with the population levels, also, just keep hitting transitions, water and learning properties, tracking tracks, just keep plugging along.
"Sad state of affairs when I'm voting for who's gonna hurt us less, than who's gonna help us more"
cedarsavage
500 Club
Posts: 1137
Joined: Thu Nov 05, 2015 4:42 am
Facebook: No facebook
Location: Michigan
Status: Offline

Re: Live from the field - 2016 Scouting Report

Unread postby cedarsavage » Sat Jan 16, 2016 7:00 am

30 minutes and I'm a free man for 3 days got a long list of spots to check and keep working on my longbow.

[ Post made via iPhone ] Image


  • Advertisement

Return to “Scouting”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 40 guests