Summer Scouting

[Xpeditionshooter]

Recently moved to a new state and will be hunting it for the first time this fall. The good news is i have a ton of land available to hunt, all public. The bad news is, besides some spring turkey hunting, I haven’t scouted any of it. Any tips for summer scouting? Running cameras? Things to look for to help find buck bedding? Seems like one of the common things I’m reading on here is that buck summer bedding will probably not be the same as fall bedding. Thoughts?

[Raun]

I am sort of in the same boat you are, I am new to hunting public and started scouting back in April. I've cyber scouted and marked pins on different types of transitions and points also using topos to find that 1/3 elevation where I think beds are at, which I'm having a hard time finding beds. Then go in with boots on the ground to confirm or not. Find a tree and figure out best winds and access routes. Can't wait to see how this pays off, especially since this is my first year scouting before season starts.

[Xpeditionshooter]

Wish I had some topography like that. Where I hunt there’s no terrain to speak of, flat as a pancake. It’s all big loblolly pine forest with creeks and swamps in it. I’m thinking the thick cover around the creeks and swamps is what I need to focus on. I should get dans swamp video.

[Raun]

Well I live in south Alabama and there's not much elevation down here either but even if it's a 5ft rise I pin it. What state did you move to?

[wolverinebuckman]

I'm right with you. We moved to Kentucky a couple weeks ago from Michigan. Way, way, way different terrain! Going from pretty well flat ag land, hardwoods, and marsh to hills, valleys, and bluffs. We have a 300 foot elevation change out our back door to the top of the hill!
oh yeah, and let's not forget the venomous snakes... Something we don't really have in Michigan. But it should be fun to learn.

[dan]

Get out there and find a target. Glass fields. Look for tracks. Find isolated oak near good cover. Etc... just dive in and find what you find.

[UofLbowhunter]

I'm right with you. We moved to Kentucky a couple weeks ago from Michigan. Way, way, way different terrain! Going from pretty well flat ag land, hardwoods, and marsh to hills, valleys, and bluffs. We have a 300 foot elevation change out our back door to the top of the hill!
oh yeah, and let's not forget the venomous snakes... Something we don't really have in Michigan. But it should be fun to learn.

I remember you saying something about moving to ky, where did you end up movin to!

[Xpeditionshooter]

Get out there and find a target. Glass fields. Look for tracks. Find isolated oak near good cover. Etc... just dive in and find what you find.

Thanks Dan, appreciate the info. I’ll post here what I hopefully find in the upcoming weeks.

[ThePreBanMan]

Summer scouting eh... make sure you use Permethrin. That would be my advice.

[UofLbowhunter]

Wish I had some topography like that. Where I hunt there’s no terrain to speak of, flat as a pancake. It’s all big loblolly pine forest with creeks and swamps in it. I’m thinking the thick cover around the creeks and swamps is what I need to focus on. I should get dans swamp video.

Sounds like you need to purchase dans Dvds! Start with marsh then swamp then hill. They all work togather! If you have swamps you dont need hills, look at at transition lines from pine to something different, swamp transitions as well. Dont be to focused on certain things!

[justdirtyfun]

Summer scouting eh... make sure you use Permethrin. That would be my advice.

X2

My new home is a different type of area from before also. Getting after the deer will focus on vegetation transition lines and elevation lines.

Dan mentioned finding tracks, that is really a BIG part of the puzzle. Big deer have big, deep substantial tracks and are distinctive.

[justdirtyfun]

Summer scouting eh... make sure you use Permethrin. That would be my advice.

X2

My new home is a different type of area from before also. Getting after the deer will focus on vegetation transition lines and elevation lines.

Dan mentioned finding tracks, that is really a BIG part of the puzzle. Big deer have big, deep substantial tracks and are distinctive.

[wolverinebuckman]

I'm right with you. We moved to Kentucky a couple weeks ago from Michigan. Way, way, way different terrain! Going from pretty well flat ag land, hardwoods, and marsh to hills, valleys, and bluffs. We have a 300 foot elevation change out our back door to the top of the hill!
oh yeah, and let's not forget the venomous snakes... Something we don't really have in Michigan. But it should be fun to learn.

I remember you saying something about moving to ky, where did you end up movin to!

Southeast Kentucky, right on the west edge of the DBNF. Ended up scoring 25 acres, about 22 of which it's forest.

[Xpeditionshooter]

Tracks are something I need to pay more attention to. I’ve always seen them and thought “oh deer have been here” and moved on. Need to pay more attention to the size and direction and see if they have any unique characteristics.

Interesting points about how topography does not have to be significant to us to be significant to a buck. The area I’ll be hunting definitely has small elevation changes, especially by the creeks and swamps.

I’m going to order the DVDs, but in the meantime, can someone sanity check me here? Let’s say I find a bit of a peninsula of dry land that sticks out into a swampy area. We assume a buck will bed at the tip of that dry land, with the wind at his back, facing into the swamp?