Scouting your way in

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csb1780
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Scouting your way in

Unread postby csb1780 » Tue Oct 06, 2020 9:32 am

My question is specifically for hill country. I've heard Dan talk about scouting his way in during a hunt. The best I understand is he would find a transition line of some sort and walk it while looking for sign. After he found sign he was interested in he would relate that sign to the nearest likely bedding. I'm little confused as to what type of transition to look for in hill country. I know that bucks like to bed on leeward ridges on the top 1/3. So should I walk the top 1/3 when scouting my way in? Will I bump deer from their bedding if I do this? I thought about walking the valley below looking for crossings but in that case wouldn't I get busted from my thermals rising?

Any tips would be appreciated.


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isitseasonyet?
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Re: Scouting your way in

Unread postby isitseasonyet? » Tue Oct 06, 2020 11:15 am

Where is the food?

Is it at the top, or bottom?

If you know where they are, and where they are going I think you have a great start.

I also just bust into areas and figure it out because I don’t know crap, and figure I need to know what’s going on. So there are a lot of guys who know better than me. I love spooking deer when I scout an area. Means I found a good spot.

Personally, Id blow it up now, but have it figured for next year, And feel pretty good about myself! :lol:
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FRH
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Re: Scouting your way in

Unread postby FRH » Tue Oct 06, 2020 1:56 pm

isitseasonyet? wrote:Where is the food?

Is it at the top, or bottom?

If you know where they are, and where they are going I think you have a great start.

I also just bust into areas and figure it out because I don’t know crap, and figure I need to know what’s going on. So there are a lot of guys who know better than me. I love spooking deer when I scout an area. Means I found a good spot.

Personally, Id blow it up now, but have it figured for next year, And feel pretty good about myself! :lol:


If you tip toe around an area and never dive all the way in you might be hunting a crappy area. I would go all in if it is an area I've never scouted or hunted before. You are going to learn it a lot quicker by doing so. And you never know if someone hasn't blown it up already, maybe someone is hunting 1/4 mile further in than you and you wonder why your not seeing deer. Jump in there and find the sign that you're looking for. If you don't, then don't be afraid to scrap that property and try a new one. It might heat up later in the year. Each property is different.
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Crazinamatese
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Re: Scouting your way in

Unread postby Crazinamatese » Tue Oct 06, 2020 2:30 pm

Logging clear cuts is an example of a transition. Different types of timber like a section of pine trees up against mixed hard woods is also another example.
The cave you fear hides the treasure you seek!!!
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PK_
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Re: Scouting your way in

Unread postby PK_ » Wed Oct 07, 2020 1:06 am

CHeck the funnels like creek crossings, saddles and benches for sign, make a guess on the bedding. Typically the bedding is the steepest sections, the small secondary points that work for multiple winds and/or the thickest sections.

Typically what guys are doing when talking about scouting their way in, it’s in a place they already know. So they are checking ag fields and the other places I mentioned for big buck sign. If they find big buck sign in an area they then move to checking exit trails of known bedding for big fresh sign. Sometimes you skip step 1 and go straight to the exit trails...

Honestly just go get the boots dirty, bust some deer and have fun learning. Generally the application of the methods discussed here are not nearly as cut and dry as they are portrayed when executed in most real world field applications.
No Shortcuts. No Excuses. No Regrets.
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headgear
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Re: Scouting your way in

Unread postby headgear » Wed Oct 07, 2020 3:23 am

I am generally checking areas around the bedding but still a ways out to check for older bucks in the area. If I see something I like I will scout in closer to bedding and setup or sometimes scout my way around the bedding area depending on the size. Every spot is a little different too, some spots are easy to check and hunt and others are just bigger bedding areas that need a closer look. Heck sometimes I wish I had 5 guys to place around some of these spots because they are big and thick and the bucks don't want to leave.
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Re: Scouting your way in

Unread postby Cutter » Wed Oct 07, 2020 3:34 am

As long as you're being inductive/deductive with your reasoning to get a piece of information you're better off doing what you have to do so in the future you can reflect back on what you've learned, even if you're wrong. Like PK said it's not cut and dry like it may be portrayed some times. Something that has helped me is finding areas that I think are interesting then going to walk them with an idea in mind of what's going on and what I'll see. At the end of the day, go burn the woods up, learn as you go, and run your game. You'll have more fun and learn a lot doing that. I hunt hills, I look at east & south facing slopes/points, tree plantings with points jutting into hardwoods, and benches. Transition wise I look at cedar thickets and river bottoms transitioning to hardwoods. Found interesting stuff in those places.
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Re: Scouting your way in

Unread postby Nelson87 » Wed Oct 07, 2020 8:34 am

THP just did a podcast talking about their Iowa opening day hunts. Lots of good info on what they were thinking, what they saw while walking in, how they thought through things and why they set up where they did ect. Got my wheels turning for a property I just got permission to bowhunt but havn't set foot on yet.
https://thehuntingpublic.podbean.com/e/ ... -day-buck/


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