The Exit Trail

[funderburk]

So, I’m already putting my new beast scouting tactics to work. I’m thankful to be finding beds with white belly hair. So exciting! Although, once I get back home and study the location of the beds on topo and aerial maps, I’m starting to see how important it is to define their exit trails from bedding.

Let’s say I find a bed and follow his exit trail out 100 yards. Will there be rubs along this with the rubbed part of the tree facing back towards the bed showing me his direction of travel?

Now, let’s say I don’t find a defined exit trail, would my best guess be to look at a topo and find the nearest saddle or steep military crest for him to be walking along? Basically looking for the nearest funnel?

[freezeAR]

Usually the exit trail will be the most obvious. If no trail is determined you will have to take your best guess as to why he is bedding there. When all else fails you might consider an observation stand.

[ghoasthunter]

So, I’m already putting my new beast scouting tactics to work. I’m thankful to be finding beds with white belly hair. So exciting! Although, once I get back home and study the location of the beds on topo and aerial maps, I’m starting to see how important it is to define their exit trails from bedding.

Let’s say I find a bed and follow his exit trail out 100 yards. Will there be rubs along this with the rubbed part of the tree facing back towards the bed showing me his direction of travel?

Now, let’s say I don’t find a defined exit trail, would my best guess be to look at a topo and find the nearest saddle or steep military crest for him to be walking along? Basically looking for the nearest funnel?

rubs exiting are great but dont forget about that trail of droppings if a deer constantly exits one direction you should see a trail of droppings exiting. take the biggest tallest rubs and biggest piles and you will draw a better line. also look for older rubs even if they are years old bigger old rubs will add too the exit direction. the more evidence you can uncover the more your odds line up. look at everything even simply better cover on exit or too much you might sometimes find a real heavy exit trail from bedding and learn that its simply too thick for a big rack too fit sometimes the little subtle clues are the most important. the buck is leaving with a goal ether food or girls. when im not sure on a exit i always look for the first acorn tree. dont look for a major oak flat that means nothing too a big buck and could likely be night time. i located a big buck bedding area today that got me thinking. it was in a big brush meadow with scattered cedar tree there must have been 50 exit trails leaving the area. i took a look around and noticed one thing the entire area surrounding the bedding was cattails bullrush maple trees and blueberry bog. then i looked over too the north end and saw it 2 lone pin oaks 50 yards off the edge. i walked over and within 5 mins located a clump of old rubs one tree was lightly hit. the whole bedding had no rubs but it had big buck droppings. i followed the trails from that section of oaks half a mile and located a large island covered with pin oaks. that island was where all the big buck rubs and scrapes were but the buck was not bedding there or going strait line too it like the other deer he was likely staging up under the closest trees then continuing under the security of dark on a different angle from the other deer. this is prob his pattern early on then once the tree is cleaned out and it gets closer too rut he will prob take a more direct rout too the main island.

[funderburk]

So, I’m already putting my new beast scouting tactics to work. I’m thankful to be finding beds with white belly hair. So exciting! Although, once I get back home and study the location of the beds on topo and aerial maps, I’m starting to see how important it is to define their exit trails from bedding.

Let’s say I find a bed and follow his exit trail out 100 yards. Will there be rubs along this with the rubbed part of the tree facing back towards the bed showing me his direction of travel?

Now, let’s say I don’t find a defined exit trail, would my best guess be to look at a topo and find the nearest saddle or steep military crest for him to be walking along? Basically looking for the nearest funnel?

rubs exiting are great but dont forget about that trail of droppings if a deer constantly exits one direction you should see a trail of droppings exiting. take the biggest tallest rubs and biggest piles and you will draw a better line. also look for older rubs even if they are years old bigger old rubs will add too the exit direction. the more evidence you can uncover the more your odds line up. look at everything even simply better cover on exit or too much you might sometimes find a real heavy exit trail from bedding and learn that its simply too thick for a big rack too fit sometimes the little subtle clues are the most important. the buck is leaving with a goal ether food or girls. when im not sure on a exit i always look for the first acorn tree. dont look for a major oak flat that means nothing too a big buck and could likely be night time. i located a big buck bedding area today that got me thinking. it was in a big brush meadow with scattered cedar tree there must have been 50 exit trails leaving the area. i took a look around and noticed one thing the entire area surrounding the bedding was cattails bullrush maple trees and blueberry bog. then i looked over too the north end and saw it 2 lone pin oaks 50 yards off the edge. i walked over and within 5 mins located a clump of old rubs one tree was lightly hit. the whole bedding had no rubs but it had big buck droppings. i followed the trails from that section of oaks half a mile and located a large island covered with pin oaks. that island was where all the big buck rubs and scrapes were but the buck was not bedding there or going strait line too it like the other deer he was likely staging up under the closest trees then continuing under the security of dark on a different angle from the other deer. this is prob his pattern early on then once the tree is cleaned out and it gets closer too rut he will prob take a more direct rout too the main island.

Good stuff. Thanks for this.