What’s the point on summer scouting?

Discuss the science of figuring out our prey through good detective work.
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Seeker529
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What’s the point on summer scouting?

Unread postby Seeker529 » Wed Sep 25, 2019 5:27 am

I am very knew to this style of hunting and will be my first year of mobile... but our season does not open until oct 5th... and I was wondering if the bucks shift their bedding locations due to food change or not enough foliage or hormones changing after velvet ..then what’s the point in scouting summer beds if they are gana move from them by October? Trail cameras can tell ya what size of deer and when they move threw and stop bedding in that spot!


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Re: What’s the point on summer scouting?

Unread postby Tennhunter3 » Wed Sep 25, 2019 5:34 am

This really depends on where you hunt.
Here in Tn bucks don't shift much.

Only the nighttime food bedding changes the Primary bedding doesnt change far. May move upto 50 yards.

Primary bedding is good no matter what time of year you find it.

Summer scouting I do when setting up cams.
I'm pretty much always scouting.

If you live in a area with alot of Agriculture bucks shift much further distances I think.
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Re: What’s the point on summer scouting?

Unread postby stash59 » Wed Sep 25, 2019 8:04 am

I'd say the vast majority of Beast members are not scouting for beds in the summer. Most are finding beds post season to spring green up. The few that are trying to locate beds with summer scouting. May just not have been able to earlier in the year. When you find beds in the summer, you need to try and analyze if they will also be used in the fall.

Most Beasts' summer scouting involves getting inventory of available bucks. Seeing what crops are where. Which mast trees have nuts/fruit. Some bowhunters that use ground setups. Need to get shooting lanes opened up mid July to the end of August. If you do it earlier it'll just grow back too much.

Some just can't get enough of all of this.
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Re: What’s the point on summer scouting?

Unread postby mheichelbech » Wed Sep 25, 2019 8:26 am

People define it differently. For me, Sunmer scouting consists mostly of watching fields where I can and drooling over the bucks I see and also to see if there are any around I didn’t already know about. However, I don’t even do that much as I feel it pressures deer to some extent. Around here, deer don’t tolerate traffic too well. Too many poachers.

I do however, continue to try and find new spots to hunt and when I do, will go in after cyber scouting for a quick run through of what I find from viewing aerial maps. In fact, I did this just a few weeks ago on a spot. It was much different from what the topo map showed, several unmapped ditches.
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Re: What’s the point on summer scouting?

Unread postby justdirtyfun » Wed Sep 25, 2019 11:31 am

In my case and probably others, the point is being more prepared for killing season .

Correct summer scouting and scouting in general is an art form. A minute to learn yet a lifetime to master.
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Re: What’s the point on summer scouting?

Unread postby PK_ » Wed Sep 25, 2019 12:32 pm

If it is ground you know I wouldsay spend your time doing something else. If it is ground you have never stepped foot on then summer is a fine time to scout it out. Fine, but not ideal.

I think I can count on one hand the amount of times I have truly ‘scouted’ in the summer.

If I lived somewhere that it was effective, I sure would love to glass and shine during the summer though.
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Re: What’s the point on summer scouting?

Unread postby DaveT1963 » Wed Sep 25, 2019 1:35 pm

beats sitting on the couch watching football. I scout 12 months a year, late summer I'm trying to keep tabs on a few and scouting out new ground. Personally, I believe any day you are out in the woods scouting, you can also be honing your skills at scouting.
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Re: What’s the point on summer scouting?

Unread postby Seeker529 » Thu Sep 26, 2019 10:39 pm

Thanks guys for the opinions... even though o never did the spring scouting and all summer scouting and it may not even be beneficial this year but I def have a great step in the right direction for next year!
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Re: What’s the point on summer scouting?

Unread postby <DK> » Sat Oct 05, 2019 10:51 am

I agree w what is posted already, especially by PK and what was said about crop locations.

The point of summer scouting for me - whether its new or known ground - is to locate where the bucks are bedding to try get onto one right away. During summer, while in velvet they arent always in the winter spots or deep in the timber. I see them bedding closer to access, tight to crops and in tall fields. Odd spots. They have yet to be pressured so they likely wont be in the winter beds iv found.

The last part of it is, once they shed the shift will happen. Happens every single year a guy gets big ones on cam all summer and bam they are gone when the season starts. Generally I see the mature bucks shift or shed sooner than the young ones.

All that varies deer to deer and property to property. For an example - in summer months I find bucks bedding in cool temp areas like a water hole close to a crop field surrounded by tall grass or in creek/river bottoms. Obviously once the temps drop there is no need to bed there anymore and they'll eventually start branching out to chase does or food sources.

Based on when your season starts it probably wont help you much to do so. Everything depends on the velvet shed and timing for me.
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Re: What’s the point on summer scouting?

Unread postby <DK> » Sat Oct 05, 2019 11:07 am

I just enjoy it. Sometimes its useless and sometimes it's jackpot. One thing I see is they are slightly more tolerant of intrusion, slightly. Sometimes im just need to verify a few things.

One thing iv learned recently is spots I find in winter that look like rut only spots turn out to be amazing early season spots.

This was my last outing

https://youtu.be/P1K6oSeu8aI


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