Good scouting techniques


andrew

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I try to do most of my scouting either during the season or right after. During the season I'll just observe where the deer mostly move. Such as which trails they often use, which direction they are coming from in the afternoon and going in the morning. Since I hunt close to someone elses property I try to see which escape routes they use from his property to ours.

Then right after season I put my leg work in. I'll look for scrapes and rubs then. See which trails are being used the most during the season. Never know what ya didn't get the chance to see from the stand! If its something truly good I'll write it down in my notes or keep it in mind til spring. Then if I'm gonna move any stands around I'll do it then. All summer the deer have the property to themselves. Atleast until I start using cameras too. Then I'll be checking them pretty often.

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All year long! I find the best time is in the late summer when the big bucks are most visible and relatively easy to pattern on food sources. Of course spring is good to find sheds, after the season is good too when they are hitting food sources hard, but I be careful doing this as you don't want to stress the deer even more at the tough time of year for them.

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Personally I prefer February when the temps are cold and brush is dead making walking easier, the leaves are gone allowing me to get better visualization of low areas and other land contours, and snow that allows me to find deer trails easily and there are no bugs or snakes.

I'm sure you know that deer will pattern differently depending on the season. I don't scout in September (although many do) because it's too dang hot and the forest will grab you and not let go. Plus there are too many ticks and snakes! I just hunt all the time in October and consider the hunts scouting trips as well.

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