How late is too late?

[jhpa]

How late in the spring is too late to get in useful scouting, specifically locating good bedding areas?

It is getting very green in the area I hunt. I scouted this past weekend and it is obviously getting tougher to actually see the sign.

So, to the experienced bed hunters, my question is, how late in the spring/summer is it worthwhile to search for beds? Is there a point where the pattern tends to change significantly enough that scouting new locations is better to do in the early fall than now? Opening weekend in the areas I hunt is not until the first weekend in October. I'd like to continue finding locations through the summer, but don't want to burn spots unnecessarily or overlook locations that could be good by opener. Is it better to wait until late August/early September?

Any input is appreciated.

[tgreeno]

If you don't have the intel you need...Go get it!

Ideally, I like to do most of my scouting from the end of the season to green-up. But if you need to get in and do some now, go for it. I'm typically doing some type of scouting all year. Be it, boots on the ground, glassing, cameras or shinning.

[d_rek]

The difficulty with green up is not that you can't find the sign it's that navigating the thick and nasty stuff becomes more of a chore.

[NYBackcountry]

Get in there and scout it. I still have a few spots I need to walk and a couple I need to revisit.

[magicman54494]

Scout!
plan for the future not just this season. If you burn a bed you can always give it a month then hit it again. You gotta find em to hunt em.

[rfickes87]

How late in the spring is too late to get in useful scouting, specifically locating good bedding areas?

It is getting very green in the area I hunt. I scouted this past weekend and it is obviously getting tougher to actually see the sign.

So, to the experienced bed hunters, my question is, how late in the spring/summer is it worthwhile to search for beds? Is there a point where the pattern tends to change significantly enough that scouting new locations is better to do in the early fall than now? Opening weekend in the areas I hunt is not until the first weekend in October. I'd like to continue finding locations through the summer, but don't want to burn spots unnecessarily or overlook locations that could be good by opener. Is it better to wait until late August/early September?

Any input is appreciated.

I used to ask this question too. Keep going now there is nothing wrong, there is never a bad time to scout. Your gut will tell you when you find a good bed. Its just a little more hard to see bc its more green and thicker. Even better now for the fact that if you find a good bed and pick a tree you know what for shooting lanes you have with all the leaves on now.

Scouting in august/Sept can be tricky. My first time i Remeber finding the bed of a big buck next to a field. But it turned out to be just summer bedding. He never used it again in fall. If you go in late summer you really need to think about the beds you find. Are they able to hold a buck in fall? A lot of time that vegetation is gone by fall. It can be tricky.

[Josh_S]

I still scout but I'm less invasive after green up. For example I do a lot of stream fishing for trout....I like to wade and fish some of the streams on public. If I see something worth further investigation like a brushy creek bend with a bedding obstacle like a downed tree I'll check it out. I also do a little hiking on established hiking trails which is a good way to learn access routes and make a mental note of areas worth scouting in the future. Ironically I've "accidentally" found most of my sheds (which is not many at all) along streams while trout fishing.

[jhpa]

Thanks for the recommendations. I was thinking it would be worth it to keep pushing, but didn't know if the beds I would find would be 'summer bedding'.

But, you fellas were right. I went last night and found a promising early season location and possibly a good morning rut hunt on what appears to be a prime community scrape location between buck and doe bedding.

[Ghost Hunter]

Scouting, it's too late when somebody puts him on ground. Any time you can gain fresh sign in an area you need be prepared to get in a tree. As far as out season scouting further you get away from end season. Sign left from past season starts to deteriorate.

[Divergent]

I jump more deer after green up in big woods...something I find a lot more difficult to do on crunchy leaves in barren woods. I always drop a pin and document details when I jump deer. I like to revisit these areas for early season while you still have warm temps and foliage.

[Swedishbowhunter]

I came on here tonight to ask the exact same question so I am thankful for all the info, I am hoping for one more scouting trip to an area I have a few properties scouted, but I want to have a few more properties in my play book.

[<DK>]

At this point in the year it will be harder to see rubs at a distance and determine what is a good fall/winter bed. Anytime you can be in the woods to learn is +1 for the hunter. Those deer know the woods like we know the world around us. Its their home court so learning is always the goal! At this point most spots are going to be summer bedding situations and bachelor groups of bucks. Does can also "out of place" bc they are having fawns. With hormones/pressure not a factor deer can also be more tolerant just remember closer to season mature bucks shed sooner than younger bucks so dont muddy up your spots too close to season.

This is all great intel but can also be moot once the season opens --- BUT NOT ALWAYS. Some spots are great all year round. One really good thing about right now is wet ground can reveal tracks in places its difficult to track. Another thing you may notice is lack of sign around bedding, so concentrate on large beds and tracks. Also, start locating food (crops, acorns, water).

[<DK>]

To answer the question bluntly

Once its fully green up I stop concentrating on fall/winter beds unless there is obvious sign. My season starts Sept 15 and mature bucks shed velvet here around Aug 15th on. So if im pre season scouting in Aug or checking cams im gambling on the fact that buck will tolerate it and NOT shift to his fall pattern sooner bc of my intrusion.

[jhpa]

You guys have been hitting the nail on the head. I have found that some of the beds I find are clearly only there when foliage is heavy. The rubs are definitely harder to see, but even when the leaves were down I didn't see loads of rubs in the area.

I have found the summer scouting helpful though. You do come across a few beds that, at the very least, make sense as year round beds and are worth checking in the fall. There are a few old scrapes that were not completely covered when the leaves dropped, and I also found a fresh scrape (which I could be reading incorrectly, but I find that as a promising year round location).

Most of all, I have never hunted the area before and had limited time in the spring. So, every walk in a new section lets me see all the small points, newer clear cuts, thick patches, and terrain differences that are not apparent on the topos and aerials. I can plan approaches and stand locations for 'likely' bedding areas in the fall. Then, come hunting season, I have destinations to scout my way to and try a stand or an observation sit. Not as good as hunting known active beds (deer rather than location) but better than going in blind and oblivious.

[UofLbowhunter]

I scout any time i can!!

In summer i scout new areas and try to stay away from places i want to hunt for sure!

In the fall i scout to hunt!

After season i scout everywhere!