Which do you prefer? Snow or bare ground?

[Josh_S]

I was planning to scout an area in the northern part of the state tomorrow, but found that area got 4-5 inches of snow. I prefer bare ground scouting, so decided to stay local where we have very little snow instead. Just wondering what the rest of you prefer, and why?

[Dewey]

Snow for sure. Great for seeing how deer use the terrain and following tracks right to super secure primary beds that bucks like so much. Most of my best beds were found while snow scouting.

[P&YBuck1]

I also put snow for reasons similar to what Dewey stated, but there is a limit of amount of snow for me. I recently walked in about 8-9 inches and you could tell it was much more physical then bare ground...

[brancher147]

Seems like when it’s bare ground I want snow and when it’s snow I want bare ground

But I do prefer bare ground. Wet bare ground if possible so I can see tracks better. Snow will change deer’s behavior and bedding sometimes and it’s a real pain in the steep stuff I hunt.

[greenhorndave]

Snow, preferably less than 4 inches. It's enough to see the tracks easily but doesn't change their patterns much. Also can see beds even if not used. Anything more than that and they can get lost.

[stash59]

Depends on whether the deer/bucks are still using the same bedding with snow on the ground, as in the fall. Plenty of areas I've been in are total deer ghost towns all winter. So going into those looking for beds, while there is snow on the ground is pretty fruitless. If they are using the same beds as in the fall, while snow is on the ground. It can help speed up the whole process of finding beds.

[ihookem]

I prefer about 1" of snow. This way I can scout without being followed much cause 1" can melt in a day or so and get hard to follow my tracks. I am just paranoid out there but that does not mean noone is following me. In all fairness , I see very few human tracks in the snow come winter. I like it when the marsh is frozen. it's like walking in a park sometimes and can really put on the miles.

[OH nontypical]

Depends on whether the deer/bucks are still using the same bedding with snow on the ground, as in the fall. Plenty of areas I've been in are total deer ghost towns all winter. So going into those looking for beds, while there is snow on the ground is pretty fruitless. If they are using the same beds as in the fall, while snow is on the ground. It can help speed up the whole process of finding beds.

Voted bare for this reason as well. All depends on what you are looking for and the terrain in my opinion. Also matters when you plan to hunt the area.

[DaveT1963]

What the heck is snow?

[Mschmeiske]

A couple or few inches is great for seeing sign, but much more and it gets to be a pain walking around... that’s when I’d rather the bare ground.

[headgear]

In seasons it is hard to beat snow on the ground, in the spring I want to see all the sign when trying to break down an area no snow is nice, deer are often on different patterns anyway so fresh tracks in the snow don't mean as much to me then.

[elk yinzer]

Prefer to scout an area with both. Light snow, especially inseason or early postseason is great for revealing travel routes.

Bare ground shows rut sign better and leaves me feeling I took in a better overall feel for the lay of the land.

Deeper snow and late snows are the most useless to me because sign will be covered up and it shifts the deer into wintering cover.

[Swedishbowhunter]

Light snow that has been around for at least a week, or just melted snow looking at bare ground.

[ZSV]

I voted bare ground. I like to see the rut sign since that’s when I do most of my hunting.

[NorthStar]

Depends on whether the deer/bucks are still using the same bedding with snow on the ground, as in the fall. Plenty of areas I've been in are total deer ghost towns all winter. So going into those looking for beds, while there is snow on the ground is pretty fruitless. If they are using the same beds as in the fall, while snow is on the ground. It can help speed up the whole process of finding beds.

I am so glad you mentioned this! I am new to pre season scouting and I hit a swamp that had all sorts of sign early season. I scouted it yesterday and was super excited as we just got 4 inches of snow. It is only a 200 acre property so I was able to hit the interior and exterior transition lines.

The only tracks I saw was someone’s boots and a dog that appeared to follow him along. I didn’t cut a single deer track. Not one! And this swamp has very little hunter sign and is low pressure. All I can think of is that it got hit hard by neighboring private during gun seasons or the food sources have changed so rapidly that the deer do not bed here anymore. Any insight from others on this?