If you are scouting, how's it going and what are you finding? There's a lot more to this time of year than workshops with previously located sign.
I see more excuses to not scout at this time of the year than any other... too bad because it is critical to me and many serious public land hunters. It's one thing if you are in the Lake Superior snowbelt and have 6-20 feet of snow on the ground, but other than that...
Let's look at Michigan, which because of its 2 peninsulas has tremendous length and variety of conditions on public land for winter scouting. Think tracking mature bucks in the snow has no relevance to the previous hunting season? That is a very large mistake. Even if the deer are yarded up, that shouldn't slow you down from getting out there and scouting. No need to harass the yarded deer, but there are many other public land habitats with fall buck sign that need you to take a look at and find bedding. If there's a couple of feet of snow or less you need to get out there. A little more snow? Get the snowshoes out and roll.
All the deer yarded up in cedar swamps in your area so you think there is nothing to scout? Think again. Some of the oldest, largest and mature bucks on public lands spend the majority of their lives in the big swamps... not just winter. Local bucks, as opposed to transient bucks, have preferred bedding areas within related to security, water, food and other deer. These big buck beds aren't in the middle of the yarded deer frenzy either. Never say never when it comes to scouting mature bucks.
And finally, I'll borrow another of my recent posts to show the variety in winter severity in a single state... Michigan. I think some of you will like what I mention about clearcuts and scouting RIGHT NOW.
Michigan is so long with the 2 peninsulas that it really depends on where you hunt. Southern Michigan to Copper Harbor in the U.P is about 620 miles... If you went South instead you would be in Georgia and 300 out of Florida...
The snowbelt areas, especially the Lake Superior snowbelt, can have off the chart deep snow and heavily yarded deer in protective cedar swamps, primarily. On a winter with no snow at my home in the lower peninsula I would have 4 feet of hard packed snow at my cabin in the U.P... winters with a lot of snow I could step off my roof on the hard pack... and there are Superior snowbelt areas that are much worse than that. Pretty tough to tie midwinter bedding to other seasons. The Grand Marais deer yard has deer migrating north, which shows nothing is ever guaranteed in deer hunting (it is on the shoreline of Lake Superior). As you drive into town in February, I've had several herds of whitetails travelling in different directions cross in front of me. While eating pizza in town I've had February whitetails walk up to the window and peer in at me. The locals, even though they are not supposed to, put food for the deer on Lake Superior and watch them walk out onto the ice to feed.
Outside of that I don't let winter slow me down, even if the deer are somewhere else for the winter period. When you become highly experienced at finding buck beds you can recognize bedding areas and individual buck beds on sight even with a couple of feet of snow. When I recognize a buck bed with a couple of feet of snow on the ground I look for verification... I kick off the snow with my boot, kneel down and scratch the ground with a gloved hand... when I find deer hair and I usually do... SHAZAM !!
Right now in some nearby big woods areas where winters are less severe, the clearcuts are absolutely loaded with deer that are feeding. You can find a big buck track and back track it to its bed... it may or may not be used in the fall, figuring that out is up to you. These buck beds are pretty secure so you have a decent chance.
Bridge
