Mid July Scout...Worth it?

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Mid July Scout...Worth it?

Unread postby TN Whitetail Freak » Fri Jul 13, 2018 11:26 am

I have plans to head north to Ky tomorrow to put boots on the ground at a public spot for some Sept. 1 bow hunting. Here home I've been scouting some and running cams. Have found some things and 350 videos over 30 days have only produced one 6 point, 3 fawns, and about 25-40 does. I've laid out a route on google earth that measures 4 miles and probably will take me four hours to walk it before breaking for lunch. I plan on getting a grip on roads, parking, habitat, nearby crop type, water, and terrain layout. May stop at the DNR try to get information on pressure and previous harvest. Being that it wont be hunting season I cannot get a real idea of it. Would I be better off running and gunning blind or would you make the trip. If so what would you be focusing on or might ask a warden. Also it being early season, I wont be diving in deep into the "rutty" looking spots off the beaten path and Ill hunt it September and first week of October. I've never hunted this early and have never killed an October buck which I directly relate to my inexperience with successful early season strategies.


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Re: Mid July Scout...Worth it?

Unread postby Rich M » Sat Jul 14, 2018 1:46 am

You will always benefit from making the trip. You'll know the area that much better just by showing up.

Watch Dan's hill country video and apply it. If you look at the topo maps that get marked up on here - many of them show the deer bedding on knobs and off the sides of points at the top 1/3 of the elevation.

You may try that at home too and see if you can locate more bucks in your home terrain. Then you'll know what to look at/for when you travel.
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Re: Mid July Scout...Worth it?

Unread postby NYBackcountry » Sat Jul 14, 2018 1:51 am

What type of terrain is the public piece you'll be traveling to?
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Re: Mid July Scout...Worth it?

Unread postby <DK> » Sat Jul 14, 2018 2:22 am

Then yes you would benefit greatly scouting. Check my recent posts in the scouting report. You can get in the nasty if you want just need some bug protection and spray. Also, id suggest a water bladder like a camel pack, fill it to the top w ice, then cold water and add some more ice. I use rhyno skin or pantyhose under my cloths plus bugspray. If you are scouting hill country or a mix w farm land then a good tactic is walking creek bottoms. It allows you to stay out of the heat and the bottoms hold moisture well so identifying trails crossing creeks w tracks. Identify some good tracks or sign then you can pretty much narrow down bedding areas at higher elevations. Also I have found many bucks bedding low in these cool temp areas right now and for the opener so its possible you could jump some, come back and kill them. Take binos with you and be ready to try identify what jumps up. If you have time then glassing fields would be one of the best options for finding them.

If youre not going in to scout the dirty areas then walk crop fields and search for tracks that way. If its farm land then locating the isolated woodlots is a good start. Scout early in morning till midday then do your driving scouting once its too hot to be out. If you see bucks bedded off crop fields but are closer to parking then its probably safe bet other hunters will push them back once the season opens.
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Re: Mid July Scout...Worth it?

Unread postby Cuzzinfish » Sat Jul 14, 2018 2:26 am

Darkknight54 wrote:Then yes you would benefit greatly scouting. Check my recent posts in the scouting report. You can get in the nasty if you want just need some bug protection and spray. Also, id suggest a water bladder like a camel pack, fill it to the top w ice, then cold water and add some more ice. I use rhyno skin or pantyhose under my cloths plus bugspray. If you are scouting hill country or a mix w farm land then a good tactic is walking creek bottoms. It allows you to stay out of the heat and the bottoms hold moisture well so identifying trails crossing creeks w tracks. Identify some good tracks or sign then you can pretty much narrow down bedding areas at higher elevations. Also I have found many bucks bedding low in these cool temp areas right now and for the opener so its possible you could jump some, come back and kill them. Take binos with you and be ready to try identify what jumps up. If you have time then glassing fields would be one of the best options for finding them.

If youre not going in to scout the dirty areas then walk crop fields and search for tracks that way. If its farm land then locating the isolated woodlots is a good start. Scout early in morning till midday then do your driving scouting once its too hot to be out. If you see bucks bedded off crop fields but are closer to parking then its probably safe bet other hunters will push them back once the season opens.


This is good stuff.
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Re: Mid July Scout...Worth it?

Unread postby Tennhunter3 » Sat Jul 14, 2018 2:32 am

I scouted Beechy Creek and Western Kentucky wma.

Watch out for no shoulders.

Heard theres some great bucks up at Ballard wma.
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Re: Mid July Scout...Worth it?

Unread postby TN Whitetail Freak » Sat Jul 14, 2018 3:09 am

Tennhunter3 wrote:
Watch out for no shoulders.
a.



Explain please
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Re: Mid July Scout...Worth it?

Unread postby tbunao » Sat Jul 14, 2018 4:51 am

I had gone to Ky a few years ago basically blind. I had one private parcel to hunt but that did not set up well for the early opener. I began working a nearby public piece by scouting nearby ag fields first thing in the am and again in the pm. Worked transition lines mid day looking for tracks coming in and out of areas I would suspect bedding to be always doing so with wind to my face. I eventually located a good buck and went after him, passed one I regret I didn’t take.

If I were In you shoes I’d do exactly what you plan on doing. Darknight hit on areas to scout. It was HOT when I was there and found that they were escaping heat and bugs by bedding out in corn fields which hurt me on that private piece. So knowing what ag is around will help come the day you arrive to hunt, beans. Check the transition lines of those corn fields for oaks, could possibly catch them coming from the corn to those oaks. Pretty much in that scenario they only need one leap and disappear. The more you know about the area the higher your odds.
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Re: Mid July Scout...Worth it?

Unread postby Killtree » Sat Jul 14, 2018 6:28 am

TN Whitetail Freak wrote:
Tennhunter3 wrote:
Watch out for no shoulders.
a.



Explain please

Snakes
:violence-bowandarrow:
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Re: Mid July Scout...Worth it?

Unread postby tgreeno » Sat Jul 14, 2018 6:36 am

A scouting trip is always worth it!

Doing your homework studying aerials beforehand, can really shorten your learning curve! Focusing on those prime areas you found while cyber-scouting will maximize your productivity. And will help reduce unproductive scouting.
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Re: Mid July Scout...Worth it?

Unread postby tim » Sat Jul 14, 2018 8:30 am

Now I’m gonna play devils advocate . Everyone says to stay away from checking cams much in the summer but go do a full on scouting mission? Not sure that’s the best idea at this point
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Re: Mid July Scout...Worth it?

Unread postby tim » Sat Jul 14, 2018 8:33 am

I always feel I’m going against the grain on these posts :lol: . I hope I don’t come off like a jerk it’s not my intention
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Re: Mid July Scout...Worth it?

Unread postby Josh_S » Sat Jul 14, 2018 8:50 am

Absolutely worth it. Last weekend I went in with a buddy to scout a small piece of private he just got permission to hunt. We found 2 exit trails with a set of the same large tracks coming out of a thick brushy knob that screams bedding area. No fawn tracks were seen here. Lots of old rubs on and around the exits.

To make a long story short, my friend is now one step closer to killing a buck here because of this July scouting expedition.
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Re: Mid July Scout...Worth it?

Unread postby Bonecrusher101 » Sat Jul 14, 2018 10:17 am

TN Whitetail Freak wrote:I have plans to head north to Ky tomorrow to put boots on the ground at a public spot for some Sept. 1 bow hunting. Here home I've been scouting some and running cams. Have found some things and 350 videos over 30 days have only produced one 6 point, 3 fawns, and about 25-40 does. I've laid out a route on google earth that measures 4 miles and probably will take me four hours to walk it before breaking for lunch. I plan on getting a grip on roads, parking, habitat, nearby crop type, water, and terrain layout. May stop at the DNR try to get information on pressure and previous harvest. Being that it wont be hunting season I cannot get a real idea of it. Would I be better off running and gunning blind or would you make the trip. If so what would you be focusing on or might ask a warden. Also it being early season, I wont be diving in deep into the "rutty" looking spots off the beaten path and Ill hunt it September and first week of October. I've never hunted this early and have never killed an October buck which I directly relate to my inexperience with successful early season strategies.


Dude I know of no man who kills mature bucks every season before mid October in tn. Its rare to even hear of a decent buck being killed anywhere in to public or private until later in October. It's hard to do, I've tried and will continue to try every bow season but I can't figure it either. All I ever see is does, just like you described on your cameras. I never even see bucks (mature bucks not dinks) during the majority of our bow season until halloween or so.

Yeah I'd learn the roads, make the trip, scout from a distance, find the soy beans, then walk the edges of soy bean fields at a minimum. If you get into the woods I'd spray permethrin on my clothes for ticks and wear bug spray on top of that.

Making the trip may give you just the edge you need to get ahead. I'd do it just to find out what is planted where at least.
Be original and Enjoy every step along the adventure.
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Re: Mid July Scout...Worth it?

Unread postby ghoasthunter » Sat Jul 14, 2018 1:23 pm

i just did a scout today and found the biggest set of tracks ive seen in a long time right in a overlooked spot on side of road. to add to it where i found those tracks i also found some monster scrapes and rubs from last year. the trail the buck is taking out to an island in middle of blue berry bog is solid mud and knee deep water. i had a good feeling the buck was in there so i backed out to edge picked a tree and left. there are white oaks all over the transition line so ill be taking some shots at this spot come season. so yea scouting this time of year is worth it you just never know what you will stumble on picking berries. and every time out in woods is something too learn and just honing your skills. best bet to find the early season pattern is buy the best food if blue berries are major scout that black berries scout that. bucks are looking for the best food. so look for the best palatable greens and fruit you can find lots of variety is best. and come season be prepared for the switch over too mast crops white oaks are normally early fallowed buy pin oak and chest nut oak the deer will target red oaks and black oak last. they will also prefer the better tasting ones so pay attention to soil quality the richer the better. mature bucks will plain and simple be in the best food till rut. same goes after the rut the best food will produce.
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