Scouting or hunting?

[WIpubhunter 87]

Hey all,
Have been scouting as much as possible since the season ended and had a question for all ya. I have noticed over the last couple of years since starting beast hunting and scouting that although I love to sit in a tree and hunt, I love to get out and scout a new piece of public about a hundred times more than actually hunting. While I love the anticipation of seeing deer and possibly getting a crack at a monster buck, I have to admit I love the adventure of trying to find that next mature buck bedding area even more. For me it’s hard to beat getting out and about on new ground and feeling the childlike excitement of finding a bunch of monster buck beds and mature buck sign in a new area. So, what are your thoughts? Which one do you beasts really enjoy doing more?

[Moose]

I personally enjoy the hunt more. And then you can see if your scouting has paid off hopefully. Good thing about scouting is you can do it all year long.

[Smitty]

I agree with you I really enjoy seeing new ground from the scouting aspect. I even found myself during season passing opportunities for known ground to scout my way in on new pieces of property while my success isn’t great doing that yet, I feel like I learn twice as much.

[Grizzlyadam]

I've always enjoyed the scouting for the adventure and exploration aspect of it, but I enjoy the actual hunting more because that's where the real nuts and bolts all need to come together. To me the scouting is like setting up the chess board and having a plan in mind then the hunting is actually playing the game. Everything from getting in to your spot to setting up in it then having the deer follow the script you had planned and getting that shot opportunity without being winded or spotted. That's what really gets me going.

[noob18426]

I'm new to this racket entirely. At first I saw the amount of scouting people were doing and thought, "that's overkill, those guys are crazy, etc". A couple of hunts in and plenty of scouting done, I can see how enjoyable it is. Time outside and observing nature is always rewarding, but walking into a huge tract of land and finding sign is incredibly rewarding. Its easy to underestimate the amount of work it actually takes. I've also already seen that there's an art to scouting too. I'll tell ya, I've been on this Earth for over 30 years and I've dipped my hand into a lot of pots, but nothing has been as cerebrally engaging as scouting and hunting. Wish I found out I enjoyed this 20 years ago!

[jkelley1487]

After a long season of sitting for hours and hours on stand --->Post season scouting is a refreshing break and I can just walk around. I don't have to plan every detail like hunting, no stand on my back, I can stay warm from walking, free exercise, and it feels good to accomplish something that I can use for next season.


Once the woods gets green again---> no thanks, I'm done until hunting season and onto fishing.

I enjoy them both but nothing beats early November mornings when all that work gives you an opportunity.

[Hawthorne]

After a long season of sitting for hours and hours on stand --->Post season scouting is a refreshing break and I can just walk around. I don't have to plan every detail like hunting, no stand on my back, I can stay warm from walking, free exercise, and it feels good to accomplish something that I can use for next season.


Once the woods gets green again---> no thanks, I'm done until hunting season and onto fishing.

I enjoy them both but nothing beats early November mornings when all that work gives you an opportunity.

X2 on everything you said

[Lockdown]

I enjoy scouting more. I get a big sense of satisfaction and accomplishment when I find great bedding.

[NorthStar]

I enjoy scouting more. I get a big sense of satisfaction and accomplishment when I find great bedding.

I am starting to agree with this. There is also less stress involved with scouting. This is probably a personal problem but I get really nervous about bumping deer when hunting. It seems like I put so much work in to get to my spot and I seem to be pushing the envelope a little too hard. Great learning experience though!

[Dewey]

I love hunting but I love scouting even more. Figuring out the puzzle is my favorite part and when all of the pieces come together it's an awesome feeling. It's a feeling you can never get by just hunting blind without any prior knowledge gained by scouting. Finding beds, rubs, scrapes, and travel routes and then formulating a plan is what it's all about. Applying it all to a hunt and then seeing the results is awesome but I can honestly say if for some reason I could never hunt again I would still scout. Nothing I enjoy more than exploring new areas and figuring out how bucks are using it.