Scouting WT

[kodiak06]

Do ya'll have specific altitudes, slope direction, or terrain you search for e-scouting for whitetails OR just beat the bush? I spent HOURS e-scouting an Idaho unit last year and of all areas, I hunted two of them lol. Thankfully, e-scouting is just familiarization for me and I beat the bush for a week in July to sort out the spots. I'm doing the same for NE Washington now and will lace the boots up in May. I was a little limited last year with my total knee replacements courtesy of the VA/Uncle Sam so this year I'll be more mobile

EDITING: I'm not asking "how to hunt or where to hunt", I'm just curious what others look for on maps/topo maps compared to myself? With that said, if you need an older guy to kill a mature buck on ya property lemme know

[hunter399]

I'll just hit some bases on my e scout.
Food,water,cover or bedding.
When you do the boots on the ground.
Spring and summer will hold different patterns then fall or late fall.
Find the bucks in the summer,they will change patterns come fall.
But usually not to far away from the summer patterns,just look for a little more cover come fall.
Rut hits , sometimes they just fall into whatever patterns the doe are on.

Maybe someone else will chime in.
Maybe hit up some turkey hunting in the spring,double down on scouting and hunting.

To answer you question,
WT can be found at almost every altitude in the area.
If your looking for just WT. Try 2500-4500 range.

[kodiak06]

I'll just hit some bases on my e scout.
Food,water,cover or bedding.
When you do the boots on the ground.
Spring and summer will hold different patterns then fall or late fall.
Find the bucks in the summer,they will change patterns come fall.
But usually not to far away from the summer patterns,just look for a little more cover come fall.
Rut hits , sometimes they just fall into whatever patterns the doe are on.

Maybe someone else will chime in.
Maybe hit up some turkey hunting in the spring,double down on scouting and hunting.

To answer you question,
WT can be found at almost every altitude in the area.
If your looking for just WT. Try 2500-4500 range.

Not trying to be a weenie but I know how social media makes things look so, I post with just good intentions. I grew up hunting a 3 month deer season with a buck a day limit and have topped 150 WT kills so, I'm familiar with their seasonal patterns. I'm basically just curious what others look at online. I know guys that drive 2 days and hunt blind, I'd go insane doing that with my time. I look for funnels and saddles on the topos mainly BUT, I'm a sucker for swamps. I'm hunting mature deer and that plays a role in my hunts. I had a few in Idaho I hope made it cause we never crossed paths. Here's the 2nd best buck, an up and comer and I also had a several that should be good bucks this year. Both of these working licking branches I made.

[hunter399]

I'll just hit some bases on my e scout.
Food,water,cover or bedding.
When you do the boots on the ground.
Spring and summer will hold different patterns then fall or late fall.
Find the bucks in the summer,they will change patterns come fall.
But usually not to far away from the summer patterns,just look for a little more cover come fall.
Rut hits , sometimes they just fall into whatever patterns the doe are on.

Maybe someone else will chime in.
Maybe hit up some turkey hunting in the spring,double down on scouting and hunting.

To answer you question,
WT can be found at almost every altitude in the area.
If your looking for just WT. Try 2500-4500 range.

I grew up hunting a 3 month deer season with a buck a day limit and have topped 150 WT kills so, I'm familiar with their seasonal patterns. I'm basically just curious what others look at online. I know guys that drive 2 days and hunt blind, I'd go insane doing that with my time. I look for funnels and saddles on the topos mainly BUT, I'm a sucker for swamps. I'm hunting mature deer and that plays a role in my hunts. I had a few in Idaho I hope made it cause we never crossed paths. Here's the 2nd best buck, an up and comer and I also had a several that should be good bucks this year. Both of these working licking branches I made.

Sounds like you got it down .
Nice pics,that first pic,has a pretty good spread.
Good luck on the hunt.👍

[buckfvr]

Accessibility in the form of areas with less hunters and camps.  Lots of timber company land and national forest.  Big bucks are where you find them as Im sure you know, cams in the mountains for extended soaks can tell you a lot.

[nwwanderer]

They are home bodies, pick a high spot with decent glass

[kodiak06]

They are home bodies, pick a high spot with decent glass

Just curious what people's looking at online, not how to hunt them but, thanks.

[huntnnw]

Before trail cams I spent thousands of hours glassing , driving and siting through the summer. Whitetails live everywhere and are where you find them. Last 25 years I’m usually hunting specific big bucks and with the invention of trail cams it’s changed the way I scout. Im placing cams all over then once I find something I’d like to hunt then I start breaking down the area I got him on cam. Usually putting out more cams in the area trying to find where he likes to call home and if possible I’m sitting and glassing as actually seeing and watching a buck unlocks allot more than getting some pics.