starting to scout

[jcdeer54]

When is a good time to start scouting for deer hunting, do you think this is too early. This trail cam pic was taken in August www.huntbunk.com I am thinking the deer has been in velvet for some time.

[Trigger]

I'm not sure about where you are but up here it's really good to start looking right after the snow goes to look for last years scrapes, you won't be bothering the hunting spot and the deer are most likely to came back here the next year too. and no bugs!!!!

[sskybnd]

i dont know if you want to call it scouting, but i did fill my feeder back up with 300 pounds of corn today and walked around, i found plenty of tracks around the creek bed, think there starting to get into there summer patterns now.

[DropTine49]

I've had my cameras and feeders out since deer season ended, trying to find out what is where. If you are putting out supplements and feed to bring the deer in and keep them there, it can never be too early.

[mallard_drake85]

Scouting for us is a year round process. We are constantly driving the back roads and traversing the properties with binoculars and spotting scopes searching for deer. If we find a likely place, we mark it on a plat map and keep an eye on it for the next few months leading up to deer season. If it looks to be promising, we'll hang a stand...if not (as is sometimes the case with early season patterning) well you're not of any resources and a few extra miles on the old legs is a good thing! lol

[TN Bucknasty]

I've got all of my stand locations picked up and trimmed out right now. This weekend I'm going to finish putting out my minerals and planting the rest of my clover, soybean, and corn plots. I'll check cameras once every three weeks all year. To me, January- February is the best time to scout and pick stand sites.

[Rhino]

The best time to scout IMHO is from right after the end of the season until spring green up begins. You can learn a lot about what the deer were doing then without any concern about spooking them. You can backtrack trails to see where they came from and where they go. You can also see rubs at a distance, especially if you take your binocs along.

[dbHunterNY]

yea my best times to scout are after late season and into spring. deer are back to their homerange by then and you can wonder where ever without worrying about spooking them out of the area as said. also, just before early bow season starts is usually when deer are changing their range areas (bucks mostly). I've watched many bucks all summer long, only to find them pack up and leave right before season opened. All that scouting kind of went out the window. However, sometimes you can pattern them going to food, before they switch and it may be at the start of the season. Also, not all bucks move to somewhere else.

[Jorden]

Never to early to start scouting IMO.