Public Land Scouting

[BigRed]

I did some scouting on Sunday in the land hurricane, and found some promising sign. I did find an old buck bed on a point not currently in use, and had multiple large rubs around it from years past. Its a great spot on a sharp point where a buck could use with multiple winds. I anticipate it will be used again. But it made me think as i was standing there. How much of what i found today will be useful to me? I have found in the past scouting public land is a crap shoot. The buck there today could be spooked off by tge next time i hunt and i have no way of knowing. How do you guys deal with this? Its more of an issue in the hill country we hunt as compared to the swamps. But it can be frustrating because my scouting time in the spring is very limited, and sometimes i feel like its a waste because someone could come through and change everything.

[Jay]

Good question BigRed, I've also wondered the same thing but I think thats why it is so important to set up on hot sign and hunt it right then. The old rubs probably mean it was a good spot at one time but someone may have found it before you. i would probably keep looking until i found a good track and recent activity then hunt it!

[Buckfever]

In my experience I find that the hunters are easier to pattern than the deer on public land. But that is definitely part of the learning process on public land. Most of the spots I have that are consistent are simply too thick. There's an army of guys that rotate through and will hunt 200 yards away and never see anything, even though the rubs and scrapes are there in the wide open. There are very few out there making the hunts that we make, don't worry that you won't be able to carve out areas where you can experience consistent success, you can. But yeah it is a leaning curve.

[wibow]

In season scouting on public...I usually have a stand on my back. Since im in there I might as well hunt. Just because I don't find a fresh track or rub doesnt mean much. Theres a reason there was old sign there,I think time of year means more. A recon hunt or two will let a guy know.

[dan]

There are many varibles as to why, when, or where a buck beds.... But one thing is pretty consistant. There primary bedding areas really don't get much human activity. Thats why there is a buck bed there in the 1st place. Sure, sometimes a guy finds or walks thru the buck bedding area, but for the most part they are in the spot they are for a reason...
Some beds are only used when a certain mast or crop is nearby which might be every other year... Some beds are used before pressure hits the area, some after... The best beds, and the ones I often find the oldest bucks at are the ones that are used all year and are in hidden, over looked, or very remote areas...
The problem with finding a buck bed now is, your going to have a much harder time doing the proper investigative scouting to determine things like "why, when, how often," is he useing that particular bed, and where exactly you should set up... That is better done in the spring... In season I guess where beds should be located based on past experiance hunting and scouting and set up without going over and boogering the bed.

The buck there today could be spooked off by tge next time i hunt and i have no way of knowing

Good buck beds are used by more than one buck... I have several spots where I have shot more than one good buck out of the same bedding area... So really, maybe the spot did get walked or hunted by someone else. I am sure that even happens to me occasionally. I give a potential bed a hunt and move on to the next if nothing shows.
After a lot of scouting and a lot of hunting your going to find some bedding areas are the old reliables, and some never produce... I think if you hunt this method, you just keep scouting and adding more spots, dropping the old ones that did not produce and trying new ones till you have a lot of great spots...

[BigRed]

Yeah thanks for the input Dan, i know spring is the best time to scout. I just got a little over anxious even though i knew better. I guess i got a little carried away when my hunting turned into more of a scouting trip because it was so terribly windy. I was also tryin to still hunt the ridge out to this point. Then i got pumped when i found this bedding area because im fairly new to "beast style". Guess it was more the newbie in me.

[BigRed]

Dan could you explain how the evening thermal tunnel works again? I know they are collapsing down the hill, but how is the tunnel created? In the morning its on the leeward side with thermals rising and where the prevailin meets the thermal, but how does that work in the evening? Wouldnt that put the tunnel on the winward side?

[dan]

Dan could you explain how the evening thermal tunnel works again? I know they are collapsing down the hill, but how is the tunnel created? In the morning its on the leeward side with thermals rising and where the prevailin meets the thermal, but how does that work in the evening? Wouldnt that put the tunnel on the winward side?

After the sun goes down to a point where the valley is shaded the thermals will start to reverse and drop from top to bottom the same direction as the wind... There will be no tunnel effect.
There could be a lot of swirlin on the side of the hill that the wind hits...

[BigRed]

Ok thats what i kinda figured but was not sure. Thanks for clarification. Still learning this hill country stuff.