Specific In-Season Scouting Tips
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Specific In-Season Scouting Tips
Just last week I drew a permit for some limited access archery on public land. With the season starting in 10 days I need to understand the property quickly. This property is hilly (not huge hills) with grassy areas in the bottom valleys and on the top of the ridges. The hills lead down to a small creek with marshy/swampy bottom land. It totals about 350 acres. There are public hiking trails littered throughout with plenty of traffic.
I scouted last week for about four hours. I was only able to check two spots but I kicked up a couple of deer, found some beds (maybe bucks) and lots of trails. I stuck to the points of hills and saddles. I didn't have a lot of time to check anything else (only covered about 60 acres). I will try to go out again this weekend for a couple more hours but my time is limited due to work and four kids (just like everybody else).
With that being said, what are some tips for in-season scouting that you guys have? What should I stick to? Where should I go? Should I invade possible bedding area or stay out? Do I scout the fringes? Or do I use a lot of observation stands until I know what is going on? Or do I just make an educated guess, hunt and have fun?
My goal with this property is to learn as much as I can and have fun, I might not be able to draw another permit again for a while so I am going to be pretty aggressive.
I scouted last week for about four hours. I was only able to check two spots but I kicked up a couple of deer, found some beds (maybe bucks) and lots of trails. I stuck to the points of hills and saddles. I didn't have a lot of time to check anything else (only covered about 60 acres). I will try to go out again this weekend for a couple more hours but my time is limited due to work and four kids (just like everybody else).
With that being said, what are some tips for in-season scouting that you guys have? What should I stick to? Where should I go? Should I invade possible bedding area or stay out? Do I scout the fringes? Or do I use a lot of observation stands until I know what is going on? Or do I just make an educated guess, hunt and have fun?
My goal with this property is to learn as much as I can and have fun, I might not be able to draw another permit again for a while so I am going to be pretty aggressive.
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Re: Specific In-Season Scouting Tips
have you narrowed down a few areas of interest? could you do some observation sits to watch these areas of interest? ideally if you could observe from one of the walking/biking trails that receive traffic you would have little to no affect on the deer, just a thought as to where to start..
- tgreeno
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Re: Specific In-Season Scouting Tips
Not knowing what it looks like here I go. I would walk the creek and the transition between hardwoods & swamp. Check-out any pinch-points or saddles they may work as funnels. In the marsh look transitions in elevation & vegetation. Points or islands of higher ground may hold buck beds.
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Re: Specific In-Season Scouting Tips
Should i stop around all of these areas and then create a game plan for later in the season, or hunt each particular area and piece it together after the hunt?
- PK_
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Re: Specific In-Season Scouting Tips
I would walk the trails where they expect human scent. The trails closest to the swamp or points you expect bedding. Find fresh rubs, guess where he is bedding/feeding and hunt it accordingly. Trust your gut. Worse that can happen is your wrong or you bugger him and it is on to the next setup.
I would check plat maps and see who/what is next door (private land? Huge tract? State owned? Closed to hunting?) and cyber scout the neighboring properties to help gain perspective on the bigger picture. Walk the boundary and see if there are signs of hunting pressure on the neighbors near the borders.
First plan of attack is to gain as much intel as possible with the least amount of impact. I do not think it is a cardinal sin to dive right in and shake things up but I don't think you need to right away. Low impact you can also observe doe groups and use it to your advantage during rut.
If you are going in stand on back in new section and not sure which potential bedding spot to hunt first, do not ever burn one by walking by it without hunting it. If you don't have time to hunt them all, simply walk into the closer one(s) that you need to walk past and if you jump a shooter, setup for that evening and potential bump-n-dump next morning. If that is a bust then you move to next potential bedding spot in that area.
I would check plat maps and see who/what is next door (private land? Huge tract? State owned? Closed to hunting?) and cyber scout the neighboring properties to help gain perspective on the bigger picture. Walk the boundary and see if there are signs of hunting pressure on the neighbors near the borders.
First plan of attack is to gain as much intel as possible with the least amount of impact. I do not think it is a cardinal sin to dive right in and shake things up but I don't think you need to right away. Low impact you can also observe doe groups and use it to your advantage during rut.
If you are going in stand on back in new section and not sure which potential bedding spot to hunt first, do not ever burn one by walking by it without hunting it. If you don't have time to hunt them all, simply walk into the closer one(s) that you need to walk past and if you jump a shooter, setup for that evening and potential bump-n-dump next morning. If that is a bust then you move to next potential bedding spot in that area.
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- seazofcheeze
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Re: Specific In-Season Scouting Tips
My pre-season/in-season scouting revolves around my spring scouting. In the areas I hunt in Michigan, it's pretty tough to get on any 3.5yr+ bucks. My pre-season/in season scouting plan is to scout the food sources on the perimeter of staging areas...let's say 300yds+ from known bedding areas. I'm focusing primarily on white oaks near bedding, exit trails from bedding to ag fields. I'm looking for signs that those bedding areas are active when I hunt. Obvious stuff, fresh rubs, big tracks, active licking branches/scrapes. I also look at the size and amount of droppings around active food sources.
As an example, I did a quick scout this weekend, I found a lot of dropings just off the edge of a bean field on a fairly faint trail. The amount of fresh dropings tells me repeated use, and the the trail being lighter in use than the average doe trail in the area makes me think it's a single deer....which leads me to believe its probably a buck.
That's kind of my thought process for in season scouting and I tweak it a little based on terrain and food sources
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As an example, I did a quick scout this weekend, I found a lot of dropings just off the edge of a bean field on a fairly faint trail. The amount of fresh dropings tells me repeated use, and the the trail being lighter in use than the average doe trail in the area makes me think it's a single deer....which leads me to believe its probably a buck.
That's kind of my thought process for in season scouting and I tweak it a little based on terrain and food sources
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Re: Specific In-Season Scouting Tips
Great stuff! Thanks for all of the tips, i think some of this is finally starting to click.
A lot of the in season scouting revolves around known bedding. If you do not know where the bedding is, I assume you make an educated guess and hunt near bedding picked from a topo map or aerial and then work from there?
A lot of the in season scouting revolves around known bedding. If you do not know where the bedding is, I assume you make an educated guess and hunt near bedding picked from a topo map or aerial and then work from there?
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Re: Specific In-Season Scouting Tips
kripp53 wrote:Great stuff! Thanks for all of the tips, i think some of this is finally starting to click.
A lot of the in season scouting revolves around known bedding. If you do not know where the bedding is, I assume you make an educated guess and hunt near bedding picked from a topo map or aerial and then work from there?
Yes exactly. Some terrain is easier than others. Swamp/marsh you can see the bedding points/islands/trees. Hills you can see the bedding points and knobs. Thicker, flatter terrain is very ambiguous.
Tread lightly, try to hunt fresh sign but if things aren't working out sometimes you have to get your hands dirty and get aggressive. Just use your head and have fun with it. Be more focused on learning than killing. The killing will certainly come with time, if we continue to learn.
No Shortcuts. No Excuses. No Regrets.
Everybody's selling dreams. I'm too cheap to buy one.
Everybody's selling dreams. I'm too cheap to buy one.
Rich M wrote:Typically, hunting FL has been like getting a root canal
- DaveT1963
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Re: Specific In-Season Scouting Tips
I don't really have a cut-and-dry method... Sometimes I'm sneaking along the edges of heavy brush until I find sign and setup, other times I will pull up an aerial on my phone and look for a travel Corridor/funnel..... and yet other times I just walk quickly but thoroughly not trying to hide my movements at all, covering as much area as I can and even jump deer... If I see something that really interests me I'll set up a stand, hunt that evening,and often return there in the morning. I think it really depends on the area, the terrain and what the deer are doing.... that's what works for me.
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Re: Specific In-Season Scouting Tips
Lots of good points. PK made a good point about learning. Many times, your first season in on a place may not be your best one. Some places you can dial in on the first year and your in. No matter what stage your at, we are all hunting new to us ground at some point. Sometimes you just have to roll your sleeves up and get aggressive. I know when I travel to hunt...if I need to, I push and push hard. Right through the bedding areas. I have blown deer out every which way til Sunday. BUT what I learned? I now know preferred bedding for future years. And the deer comeback.
Dave also mentioned using different tactics. If I walk into a spot and the buck sign is super heavy, feeding sign is heavy...no need to find a bed. I am going to throw a hunt or 2 at it. I am going to tread lightly.
I know you do not have the preseason scouting on this ground... BUT even with all of the preseason scouting and all the trail camera info, sometimes the details of EXACTLY were you are going to hunt can be a little fuzzy. Many times the ideas and stand placements are kind of broad, relating to an AREA rather than a specific tree. If deer shift bedding from your preseason scouts...the tricky part is to be aggressive without blowing the hunt. Places I know well? I know the exact tree or 20ft spot I want to be in. One in the right AREA, I keep micro adjusting till I get the right TREE.
The best part is? Its only deer hunting. If you screw it up? Oh well. I love this game. But when i start to get stressed and feel the pressure? Remind myself. At the end of the day, as long as I come home safe and enjoy myself, its all that matters.
Dave also mentioned using different tactics. If I walk into a spot and the buck sign is super heavy, feeding sign is heavy...no need to find a bed. I am going to throw a hunt or 2 at it. I am going to tread lightly.
I know you do not have the preseason scouting on this ground... BUT even with all of the preseason scouting and all the trail camera info, sometimes the details of EXACTLY were you are going to hunt can be a little fuzzy. Many times the ideas and stand placements are kind of broad, relating to an AREA rather than a specific tree. If deer shift bedding from your preseason scouts...the tricky part is to be aggressive without blowing the hunt. Places I know well? I know the exact tree or 20ft spot I want to be in. One in the right AREA, I keep micro adjusting till I get the right TREE.
The best part is? Its only deer hunting. If you screw it up? Oh well. I love this game. But when i start to get stressed and feel the pressure? Remind myself. At the end of the day, as long as I come home safe and enjoy myself, its all that matters.
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Re: Specific In-Season Scouting Tips
One more thing..may have been mentioned.
Also, really try and pay attention to tracks. I know I check every muddy spot I see. Every creek crossing, every empty puddle, every trail. When its dry, its tough. I look in every ground scrape, on every field edge where there is dirt. One of my spots has a gravel pit. Every time I check cams, I walk the pit, looking for tracks. I always always want to know A. If a big buck is around B. what is his direction of travel?
Even with trail cams, I am looking for tracks. Its the toughest part about early season...bucks are JUST shedding there velvet. No new rubs have been laid yet. They are just starting to open.
Also, really try and pay attention to tracks. I know I check every muddy spot I see. Every creek crossing, every empty puddle, every trail. When its dry, its tough. I look in every ground scrape, on every field edge where there is dirt. One of my spots has a gravel pit. Every time I check cams, I walk the pit, looking for tracks. I always always want to know A. If a big buck is around B. what is his direction of travel?
Even with trail cams, I am looking for tracks. Its the toughest part about early season...bucks are JUST shedding there velvet. No new rubs have been laid yet. They are just starting to open.
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Re: Specific In-Season Scouting Tips
Also don't underestimate the value of scouting with a stand on your back for that days hunt. You just have to know when to say this IS the spot and set up without having to backtrack into areas you have already contaminated with ground scent.
- PUBLICbowhunter
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Re: Specific In-Season Scouting Tips
I set up in a new spot I cyber scouted this morning, it was about 7:30am and some guy came strolling through. Instantly I knew I was in the wrong spot so I packed my stand up and started to scout. I found an great spot off a tiny knob with thigh size rubs in 2 directions. I knew I had two choices hang and hunt right now or scout it and stink it all up while finding the exact right tree. So I found the tree and am excited to hunt it come October. In season scouting has been vital to my success for years. I also key in on big fresh tracks and big rubs even the old ones.
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