Anyone do their scouting this time of year?

[andr3wxmma]

Was thinking about it and i feel like right now would be the perfect time to be looking for your spot next year. Sadly I wont be in this state for next years season but if i was id be out looking for where the deer go to rut.

[fishnfur]

Good thought, but if you're hunting the late season, anytime after next weekend would probably be better.  You'll move deer around a bit and increase their anxiety by scouting.  More pressure = less daylight movement in many cases (harder hunting).  Off the top of my head, here's a few other reasons to wait to scout:

- if you're hunting blacktail, where they rut is where they winter (in general).  Since you don't need to see the deer to know that they are there, late-Feb is just as good as late-Nov. for finding deer sign.  You could possibly find shed antlers too, which some people consider to be a pretty good clue that there are bucks close by  .

- Deer trails are much more visible in in winter.  Less foliage = better understanding of how the deer move.  Deer rubs and beds are also much easier to find in winter.

Good luck!

[JakeLand]

This is when I do my scouting!!! They are active during the day and you can see what's in each area you hunt
My opinion this is the BEST time to scout

[Turner89]

This is when I do my scouting!!! They are active during the day and you can see what's in each area you hunt
My opinion this is the BEST time to scout

Same here.
I'm scouting all year, but this is my favorite time. Now through February.


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[fishnfur]

Ya can't argue with Jakeland's logic.  He kills a monster every year.

[bobcat]

If I remember correctly, Boyd Iverson's book talks quite a bit about the advantages of scouting for blacktail deer in the late fall/winter. I used to do it, and it really is amazing how much easier it is to see deer trails, rubs, beds, etc.

I'm not sure if the same logic applies to mule deer. I would think not, since they're mostly migratory and where they winter is not where they will be in October during hunting season.

[7mmfan]

This is when I do my scouting!!! They are active during the day and you can see what's in each area you hunt
My opinion this is the BEST time to scout

Same here.
I'm scouting all year, but this is my favorite time. Now through February.


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[Skyvalhunter]

There pretty much is not a time in the year when I am not scouting. Got a few more cams placed out this weekend for Blacktail breeding areas. The bucks are finally starting to rub in my area.

[Skyvalhunter]

This is when I do my scouting!!! They are active during the day and you can see what's in each area you hunt
My opinion this is the BEST time to scout

Your suppose to be out trapping and catching predators!!

[fishnfur]

There pretty much is not a time in the year when I am not scouting. Got a few more cams placed out this weekend for Blacktail breeding areas. The bucks are finally starting to rub in my area.

What types of areas do you consider to be used most often as breeding areas - terrain/vegetation? 

[Skyvalhunter]

The deer in my area like the alder tree stands, mostly where the does hang out at. They also like old logging roads that are decommissioned or over grown.

[fishnfur]

Thanks.  Good luck with those cam sets.

[JakeLand]

The deer in my area like the alder tree stands, mostly where the does hang out at. They also like old logging roads that are decommissioned or over grown.

BINGO !!!!

[fishnfur]

You've got me curious Jakeland.  Do you hunt alder stands at all?  I've been busted so many times trying to get well inside an alder stand that I changed tactics and pretty much only hunt the peripheral fir and glass into the alder.  I see fewer deer this way for sure.  Is there a better way?

[JakeLand]

with a lot of pre scouting I find spots that I can glass into or onto a old decommissioned  rds or alder groves from a distance and when I get close and into the area I go slug slow so slow and quiet that your legs actually get sore . I look for ears tines backlines a lot of the time if you play the wind and with rain you can get so close on them that if they do stand they still don't know exactly where you are . Areas like this I prefer the open sight 30x30 for quick shots .

[JakeLand]

Older rub but you get the idea
Rain is your friend hunting areas like this

[7mmfan]

You've got it. I've got some spots that pained me this year because I couldn't hunt due to dry/noisy conditions. Wish I could have hunted them today!

[Turner89]

with a lot of pre scouting I find spots that I can glass into or onto a old decommissioned  rds or alder groves from a distance and when I get close and into the area I go slug slow so slow and quiet that your legs actually get sore . I look for ears tines backlines a lot of the time if you play the wind and with rain you can get so close on them that if they do stand they still don't know exactly where you are . Areas like this I prefer the open sight 30x30 for quick shots .

Hmmmm! I'm gonna try that tactic.

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[Turner89]

with a lot of pre scouting I find spots that I can glass into or onto a old decommissioned  rds or alder groves from a distance and when I get close and into the area I go slug slow so slow and quiet that your legs actually get sore . I look for ears tines backlines a lot of the time if you play the wind and with rain you can get so close on them that if they do stand they still don't know exactly where you are . Areas like this I prefer the open sight 30x30 for quick shots .

Hmmmm! I'm gonna try that tactic.
Lol
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[Skyvalhunter]

This was from scouting this past weekend

[JDHasty]

Now that I have kids, I am way to busy.  I go bird  shooting on weekend mornings when not big game hunting and do family stuff in the afternoons.  They know when I am deer or elk hunting that I am not there on the weekend, but they also know that when I am not big game hunting that I am available to participate in their activities. 

If it were not for the above, you better bet I would be scouting like a demon. 

STAY OUT OF BEDDING AREAS or you will probably do more harm than good! 

[fishnfur]

Nice shot Sky - I'm very familiar with that "gotcha" look on her face.  Cool pic - it has a whole story going on in there.

Thanks Jakeland.  Even when going slow, slug slow, sooner or later one of those alder branches lying on the forest floor, invisible to the eye and hidden under last years grass growth fools my foot and I alert the entire forest of my presence.  With too little cover to hide my human form, I'm surely busted next time I move. Done it a thousand times it seems. 
I'll keep working on my technique.    BTW - That's one hell of an enormous rub on that big alder.  (and one long barrel on that rifle).

[MAVsled]

just remember...
when you are out there scouting now, someone else could be hunting. Late archery or special permits.

I've had late permits and been foiled off stalks due to some idiot "scouting" and blowing my intended buck (bull) into the next county.

[JDHasty]

Nice shot Sky - I'm very familiar with that "gotcha" look on her face.  Cool pic - it has a whole story going on in there.

Thanks Jakeland.  Even when going slow, slug slow, sooner or later one of those alder branches lying on the forest floor, invisible to the eye and hidden under last years grass growth fools my foot and I alert the entire forest of my presence.  With too little cover to hide my human form, I'm surely busted next time I move. Done it a thousand times it seems. 
I'll keep working on my technique.    BTW - That's one hell of an enormous rub on that big alder.  (and one long barrel on that rifle).

I stumbled onto a small stand of alders that had a tree of that caliber that was torn up every year for almost fifteen years.  Then some idiot cut them down for fire wood.  I had a friend put cameras on it and he never caught a buck there during the day.  It was close to his private access but located on closed public (water district)  land.  That told me that that was used by many different bucks over the years.  He and his partner take real nice bucks off surrounding access almost every year.

It was only after locating that rub that I knew exactly where they were hunting.  We get together for a beer after quitting for the evening for over ten years at his camp site and compare notes, he has a fire pit.