Scouting Whitetail bucks !!

[Cobequid Big Game Adventur]

Tracking as we all know is an art , you either have the knowledge for it or you don't. But for some hunters ,we tend no to pay attention ot the most important things such as "Sign" .

Whitetail sign weither it may be scrapes ,rubs ,tracks ,shed antlers ,droppings and such are more important than most hunters think when it comes to harvesting a mature Whitetail buck.

How many hunters on here take the time to scout out for these things ?

How do you track ?

What do you look for ,for sign ?

What has been your success at tracking ?

Which areas do you like to hunt more ,spruce ,hardwoods ,etc.?

Tracking big bucks can be tricky ,,,it is sorta like a language whitetails speak but without speaking a word . Can you tell the differance between a buck ,doe ,fawn ,heavy buck ,small buck ,heavy doe ,small doe ,,what ever it may be ? great success comes with knowledge ,it is not just luck in some cases .

For me scouting can be just as rewarding as harvesting a mature Whitetail Deer. Scouting trail ,river bottoms , funnels ,hardwoods, spruce, can tel lyou alot of what type of bucks are in the surrounding areas .

How many believe that 90% of hardwood bucks antlers are alot lighter color then spruce bucks ? Spruce bucks antlers are alot more chocolate color then hardwood buck .

Please share some of your experiences and tactics in which you use to track or scout Whitetail Deer . You will be surprised on how much we can all learn from such endavours !!!!

[fly]

Lot of questions there. I'll hit on a couple.

I've heard a lot of talk about habitat (nutrition) and antler color. Not so sure about it honestly. I would think that genetics also plays a part. I've shot deer from the same stand that had light color one year and dark the next. Perhaps one year the acorn crop was better? It does seem that I see more dark colored antlers (on hunting videos) on deer in Canada.

Where I bow hunt I don't have a lot of ground to scout. There are a few hot spots (areas I regularly see deer) so that's where I hunt.

Where I gun hunt there is almost endless land to scout. Since it is public I concentrate on where all the hunters will be and how they will be entering the woods. Then I take a back door route and find the funnels/pinch points that the deer will take when pushed by the hunters as they enter the forest. I'll also look for the thickest spots I can find. Generally there will be sign (scrapes/rubs/droppings) in or near these thick areas. I like to set up shop near these places waiting for deer to leave or enter.

[Ethan Givan]

Yes I look for sign every time in the woods. Tracks, droppings, rubs, and scrapes mostly. I use what I find to try to understand what the deer are doing in the area. I also look at ariel maps of the land and I try to walk all over the area during the spring and summer months to learn the land. I try to think how a deer would travel, like what would be the easiest route from one ridge to another with some cover. I hang trail cameras where I find a good amount of sign and I usually get some pics of good bucks. I usually can tell by the tracks if its a doe or a big buck as well. Finding sign and knowing the lay of the land is the main ways I find deer.

[Casey]

I really never took Whitetail hunting very serious. I don't put all my effort into it like I do turkey hunting. My uncles's have had this farm where my mom grew up, 4,000 acres of farm land with lots of strips of woods and river bottoms. In the past I have seen some monster rubs that would make any Realtree ProStaff hunter go to bed with a smile on their face lol. Since this land is here for me to hunt, most of the time by myself time to get my head out of my rear and start hunting a little harder.

I look for deer trails. I also look for bedding areas cause it can get thick in the river bottoms due to flooding, the floods will bring all kinds of junk and logs. I also look for trails leading to and from the crops. I have a few stand sights right now for a muzzleloader hunt. I don't really look for rubs while in the river bottoms, I look for where the does are bedding at. I look for bedding areas and deer trails. Since the river is so close, I see a lot of deer swimming the river to get to and from areas to feed. Across the river is another county. They too have a lot of crop land. So I will sometimes look across the river and look for trails leading to and from the other side of the river side. See if I cannot find a trail leading to the water, then find a trail coming back to our side. Might sit close to find a water logged deer coming from the river.

River Bottom deer here where I hunt don't usually hit the fields til night, so finding rubs close to the field don't mean squat to me. I find more deer sign in the river bottom itself than the field.

I also glass up on the hills during the evening hours.

Edited August 9, 2009 by Casey