Here's Your Sign

Discuss the science of figuring out our prey through good detective work.
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Cchez
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Here's Your Sign

Unread postby Cchez » Tue Aug 13, 2019 5:47 am

I'm kind of spinning of Stash's earlier thread about in season scouting. The common theme is about finding the hot sign. So I'm starting this thread to see what "hot sign" guys are looking for. Differentiating between hot rubs and scrapes, vs. ones that may be a week or 2 old, and may not be worth hunting. Sign that may be made during night time vs. sign thats likely made in and visited in daylight. Where are you looking for this sign? Near known bedding, transitions, etc.? Just looking to help myself and fellow newer beasts become better at reading sign, and getting ourselves get in the game.

Here's some things Im looking for in fresh sign. Rubs: made on larger trees, belly high or above, is the bark still wet or dry, are the bark shavings on top of the leaf litter or buried, on conifers is the sap dried or is it still wet?
Scrapes: are there tracks in it? is the dirt exposed, or is there leaves filling it in? does it stink to high heaven? is there a licking branch over it?

I'm by no means great at reading sign, but these are just some things I look for to determine if its fresh or not. Curious to see what some more seasoned guys have to share.


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Re: Here's Your Sign

Unread postby greenhorndave » Tue Aug 13, 2019 5:59 am

Cchez wrote:I'm kind of spinning of Stash's earlier thread about in season scouting. The common theme is about finding the hot sign. So I'm starting this thread to see what "hot sign" guys are looking for. Differentiating between hot rubs and scrapes, vs. ones that may be a week or 2 old, and may not be worth hunting. Sign that may be made during night time vs. sign thats likely made in and visited in daylight. Where are you looking for this sign? Near known bedding, transitions, etc.? Just looking to help myself and fellow newer beasts become better at reading sign, and getting ourselves get in the game.

Here's some things Im looking for in fresh sign. Rubs: made on larger trees, belly high or above, is the bark still wet or dry, are the bark shavings on top of the leaf litter or buried, on conifers is the sap dried or is it still wet?
Scrapes: are there tracks in it? is the dirt exposed, or is there leaves filling it in? does it stink to high heaven? is there a licking branch over it?

I'm by no means great at reading sign, but these are just some things I look for to determine if its fresh or not. Curious to see what some more seasoned guys have to share.

Turds: Do they taste creamy or nutty.
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Cchez
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Re: Here's Your Sign

Unread postby Cchez » Tue Aug 13, 2019 6:02 am

greenhorndave wrote:
Cchez wrote:I'm kind of spinning of Stash's earlier thread about in season scouting. The common theme is about finding the hot sign. So I'm starting this thread to see what "hot sign" guys are looking for. Differentiating between hot rubs and scrapes, vs. ones that may be a week or 2 old, and may not be worth hunting. Sign that may be made during night time vs. sign thats likely made in and visited in daylight. Where are you looking for this sign? Near known bedding, transitions, etc.? Just looking to help myself and fellow newer beasts become better at reading sign, and getting ourselves get in the game.

Here's some things Im looking for in fresh sign. Rubs: made on larger trees, belly high or above, is the bark still wet or dry, are the bark shavings on top of the leaf litter or buried, on conifers is the sap dried or is it still wet?
Scrapes: are there tracks in it? is the dirt exposed, or is there leaves filling it in? does it stink to high heaven? is there a licking branch over it?

I'm by no means great at reading sign, but these are just some things I look for to determine if its fresh or not. Curious to see what some more seasoned guys have to share.

Turds: Do they taste creamy or nutty.



So, is the creamy flavor the telltale sign of freshness? Or is it the nutty?
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Re: Here's Your Sign

Unread postby greenhorndave » Tue Aug 13, 2019 6:24 am

Cchez wrote:
greenhorndave wrote:
Cchez wrote:I'm kind of spinning of Stash's earlier thread about in season scouting. The common theme is about finding the hot sign. So I'm starting this thread to see what "hot sign" guys are looking for. Differentiating between hot rubs and scrapes, vs. ones that may be a week or 2 old, and may not be worth hunting. Sign that may be made during night time vs. sign thats likely made in and visited in daylight. Where are you looking for this sign? Near known bedding, transitions, etc.? Just looking to help myself and fellow newer beasts become better at reading sign, and getting ourselves get in the game.

Here's some things Im looking for in fresh sign. Rubs: made on larger trees, belly high or above, is the bark still wet or dry, are the bark shavings on top of the leaf litter or buried, on conifers is the sap dried or is it still wet?
Scrapes: are there tracks in it? is the dirt exposed, or is there leaves filling it in? does it stink to high heaven? is there a licking branch over it?

I'm by no means great at reading sign, but these are just some things I look for to determine if its fresh or not. Curious to see what some more seasoned guys have to share.

Turds: Do they taste creamy or nutty.



So, is the creamy flavor the telltale sign of freshness? Or is it the nutty?

Hmm... I'm going with creamy. :lol:
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Cchez
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Re: Here's Your Sign

Unread postby Cchez » Wed Aug 14, 2019 1:13 am

bump
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Re: Here's Your Sign

Unread postby Bowfisher » Wed Aug 14, 2019 2:29 am

Another thing to look for with super fresh scrapes is dirt thrown up on top of the perimeter leaves. Or leaves turned upside down that are a little damp on one side. When they were resting on the ground the underside sits against the earth, retaining a little moisture. when they are kicked up, they dry fast. If they are damp when turned over, it is fresh fresh fresh.
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Re: Here's Your Sign

Unread postby Twenty Up » Fri Aug 16, 2019 2:19 pm

For me it’s more about the location of the sign than anything. It’s hard to beat fresh kicked up leaves, big tracks and some big poop mixed in. Throw in a nearby primary scrape and I’m happier than a fat kid at the Waffle House 8-)
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Cchez
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Re: Here's Your Sign

Unread postby Cchez » Sat Aug 17, 2019 9:43 am

So i did a little digging through some previous posts, and here's kind what i intended when i made this. Lockdown actually did a rub aging experiment and posted some great pics (i was actually just considering doing this exact experiment this weekend haha). Hope this helps some fellow beasts along their journey.

http://www.thehuntingbeast.com/viewtopic.php?t=47279
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Re: Here's Your Sign

Unread postby stash59 » Sat Aug 17, 2019 9:53 am

Cchez wrote:So i did a little digging through some previous posts, and here's kind what i intended when i made this. Lockdown actually did a rub aging experiment and posted some great pics (i was actually just considering doing this exact experiment this weekend haha). Hope this helps some fellow beasts along their journey.

http://www.thehuntingbeast.com/viewtopic.php?t=47279


Yeah this popped in my head. But I didn't bookmark it. Then couldn't find it when I searched. Biggest thing I took from it is. Scratch on a rub with the back of your knife or saw. Compare color and dampness. Will take a season or two of experience to get a real handle on it. Especially when you add in all of the different tree types and weather combinations.
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Re: Here's Your Sign

Unread postby mipubbucks24 » Sat Aug 17, 2019 10:53 am

It’s hard to define because it takes getting in the woods and seeing it to know. But when you have a primary scrape area and they are all tore up with fresh tracks and a couple of them are wet from deer peeing in them and you can smell deer pee, specifically buck pee. You know it’s pretty hot. Fresh poo that is still warm, or if you don’t want to touch it, it’s very soft. Shavings from a rub that are laying on the ground, not covered or mixed with leaves. Sap flowing from the tree. Those are some of the things, tracks are harder for me, still figuring that out. but if you can get a snow you know if the tracks are fresh or not.

Also if you walk an area and 2 days later you walk through again and now there are rubs and scrapes everywhere you know it’s pretty fresh.
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Re: Here's Your Sign

Unread postby editingspace0 » Wed Sep 11, 2019 5:48 am

You could also do the same experiment with tracks if you wanted to.

I killed a doe this morning and one of my dogs ran off with one of her hooves. I'll find it in the back yard and make a print in some mud and take a picture at the same time every day for a week. You could do this with your own footprint also.


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