Speed scout or go in blind

[EJAJTNER]

Hey guys, looking for some advice. I'm new to the beast style hunting, but I'm going all in this year to hunt as close to bedding as I can. I'm going to be able to hunt in northern Wisconsin this year for gun season, but I can't get up there before the Thursday before the opener, I only get home about a week and a half a year. I found some good looking swamps/marshes and see the trails on Google Earth and on x. I'm concerned that if I go in to scout Thursday and try to hunt Saturday I'll destroy the area before I even hunt, but I like to know I'm hunting something at the same time.

I figure I have 3 options,
1. Scout and then hunt Saturday (same old, but closer to bedding this time, but I haven't really had results before)
2. Go in blind, hope something's there (any advice on how to be confident this way would be great)
3. Shine expected food sources Thursday/Friday night and try to get into bedding to hunt (I'm pretty sure you can shine till 10 in Wisconsin)

Any help/words of wisdom would be really appreciated.

[Cchez]

I would try to scout it as carefully as you can. Especially if you have snow like we had for the gun opener last year. See where theyre traveling. Gets you closer to being in the game than going in blind with fingers crossed.

[Scott S]

This is a cool topic. I'm mostly commenting so I can be notified of the responses.

My opinion, however useful it may or may not be... I'm scouting until my legs fall off Thursday and Friday. Maybe not as agressively or invasively as I would in March, but I'm scouting until I think I know enough to hunt.

[Tribute80]

This has worked in the past for my out of town short 3-4 day hunts. When you scout Thursday try to stay off the trails and mark out all the tracks you see. Observe from a distance in the afternoon on Thursday or ride around looking for people pressure. Go back Friday check the trails for fresh tracks. Maybe get in the woods around deer movement time try to catch a glimpse of them on there way in and out of the swamp but with the wind in your favor. Set up as close as possible on hunt day.

[tundra@1]

I am sure someone has been in there already, either bird hunting, bow hunting etc...... when I hunt N Wis, the old days of setting up and sitting on a stand all day, on good sign, are gone. I also have my house in the UP, so I cross the border. I would go in there, on opening morning and hunt. Of course I hunt all day long on the ground, and cover a lot of ground. this will give you way better intel on what is going on, pressure, how the deer react, if in fact they are even bedding where you think. think about this, its gun season, so if there is pressure, them bucks, are going to get the heck out of dodge, and get in some awful thick cover,,,,, No I would suggest putting out shoe leather, and really get at it, all day

Very few hunters can hunt like that. They want to be in that stand. They want to watch and wait,,,, etc..... N Wis big woods, those tactics work at times, but your going to learn little on how the area really is wired. IF you get snow, than your way ahead.

Last year I shot a deer in the UP, that was 3.2 miles from my car..... I thought that was pretty close, as I have shot them from being over 5 miles from the truck..... I had a young guy in his 30's, sitting on a bait, and was upset, that someone was actually hunting on foot,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Another idea, is do not think a lot of bucks will not stay close to roads. If it has cover that is needed, hunters will walk by them all season,,,,,,, these bucks are so nocturnal now, what gets them up is weather

[Ghost Hunter]

If I'm going into a spot blind. It is because I have a history with that place. I feel like it might be productive. If I walk in and do not see sign I want to see. I turn and walk out. Still have time to get to a second choice spot. I start making my move most afternoons around 1:30.

[tgreeno]

IMO...If you have the ability to scout prior to a hunting a spot, you always should. Fresh sign is king! That scouting trip may save you sitting in a dead spot. And give you an opportunity to find some hot sign to setup on. The only time I go in blind is when I don't have the time of ability to scout beforehand.

Scout, Scout...Hunt! I remember hearing that somewhere

[Dewey]

Option four. Hope for some tracking snow on opening day, get in there at daybreak and hook up with a good buck track and hunt him down. No better way to learn how the deer use the land and you may even get lucky and catch up with a good one. These days in the northwoods you gotta make something happen. Sitting on stand all day in one spot is a thing of the past. Going in blind on opening day and finding bedding in the bigwoods is a crapshoot at best.

[dan]

Going in to where your planning to hunt Thursday and letting them know they are being hunted is about the worst thing you can do.... Scout in the spring, winter and after hunting in the fall for best results. Scout midday the day of a hunt slipping in close to bedding without bumping them for an evening hunt the same day...

If the DNR ever made deer hunting start opening day of gun at noon rather than at dawn, you would see a lot of big bucks die opening day. If I owned a large property that would be the rule.

[Moose]

I personally wouldn't want to scout that soon to hunting. Maybe you can take along weekend and go scout as soon as possible. Worst case scenario is you know the lay of the land and can make an educated guess. Best case scenario is you find some good beds and feel confident for your gun season.

[brancher147]

If it’s a gun hunt somewhere new I would cyber scout identify key areas. I would scout a little on the ground Thursday and Friday from a distance but stay away from key areas. If it would help I would drive around and scout also close to roads. Then opening morning I may setup in the morning based on some sign I found or hunt my way in and plan to hunt all day and stay mobile.

[EJAJTNER]

Thanks for the advice everyone. I'm thinking I could really mess things up getting boots on the ground that close to hunting and would be better off scouting my way in for the afternoon hunt and set up on good sign. I was thinking an alternative for my scouting days are to bring my glass with me and try to find a creek bed with some hills to watch it from 600-1000 yds out watching the 2/3 line on the opposite and the transition where it gets thick. I would think opening morning could be spotting and then either try an old fashion stalk, or move in quiet with my stand for the afternoon hunt on the likely exit route (Similar to what I do out here). I'm wondering if any one has tried/been successful spotting deer in the north woods. We do it all the time out west, but the vegetation is very different.

[austin1990]

I'd wait and go in at noon and scout your way in for an evening hunt. Ideally I would scout it the winter/spring and have an idea of where to be come fall. I also do a lot of squirrel hunting in the summer, and early fall and that's a perfect way to scout to me. I've squirrel hunted in the morning and scouted and came back and deer hunted that afternoon.

[Jphunter]

Observation stand may be an option.

[RiverBottoms]

I agree with the general sentiment. I’d sit back in an observation stand opening morning and scout my way in for an evening set