I scout in both my season runs till end of January and deer bed different in some spots with snow so I need inventory on snow beds for late season bucks most of my scouting is done walking open hardwoods for night sine then backtracking to beds I try and do it right after the storm cuz the deer tend to hide in same places in storms and all tracks are fresh so I know what winds the beds were used on also brings me to a lot of primary bedselk yinzer wrote:Well, I think the seasonal depression related to the end of hunting season has passed, and I am excited to get out scouting. I really enjoy post-season scouting, it's the start of next season and where hard work can really pay off.
Curious to hear some thoughts on post-season scouting with snow.
We’ll assume less than 6 inches of snow, not enough to where deer yard up or significantly shift off fall patterns.
Looking for input from the seasonal climates similar to PA….If you live in Alabama where it snows once a year, or way up North where there is snow continually until mud season, your situation is obviously different.
I’ll post some more of my thoughts below.
Question…Do you prefer snow for post-season scouting, and if so, does it change your scouting strategy?
By strategy, interpret that how you will. I typically divide my scouting into macro-scouting and micro-scouting, so that is what it means to me.
Scouting - Snow or No?
- ghoasthunter
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Re: Scouting - Snow or No?
THE MOST IMPORTANT TOOL A HUNTER HAS IS BETWEEN HIS SHOULDERS
- ghoasthunter
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Re: Scouting - Snow or No?
I also over lay my tracks on gps or threw memory from snow and see if the sine is still their under the snow really keys me on primary travel routs then I know what areas to avoid while walking to my setups the following year
THE MOST IMPORTANT TOOL A HUNTER HAS IS BETWEEN HIS SHOULDERS
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Re: Scouting - Snow or No?
Jonny wrote:It’s nice to have but you also gotta understand it’s a blanket covering part of the story. The property I scoured the other day had one set of fresh tracks from a doe and fawn. So do I write it off cause there’s no deer? Well there is a picked ag field with no tracks so the deer are already yarded up away from here.
I followed some tracks to beds I would’ve bet money were there from aerials. So the snow is nice if the deer show you the story you are looking for. Snow sucks when it covers the story.
But I scout when I can scout. Hours scouting plus hours scouting means better odds next year. Snow is just a tool and sometimes it helps, and sometimes it gets annoying.
Like I said, I think this is where you can get overwhelmed or underwhelmed. My scouting I am doing is very specific to a certain deer. I am looking for each and every clue I can find about him that will help me in the coming season. I pretty much ignore all of the deer sign / tracks and droppings. I only pay attention to the beds when I find they match up with certain terrain and fall beds. Big bucks make BIG beds. Pretty easy to tell when they are using a bedding area. I am really looking for travel routes and when you find rubs on those same routes, you know its just not a snow route.
After I posted this...finished going through photos. One of the bucks I picked up, was a buck I knew from a mile away. Then I remembered the shed I found last spring in a bed. I had no idea what deer it was. Scouting off season and running cams...I now believe I found out who it was. He winters here...moved in from mile away.
I like bare ground scouting better -- just find it more enjoyable.
- Twenty Up
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Re: Scouting - Snow or No?
tgreeno wrote:Twenty Up wrote:thwack16 wrote:Can I get an option, for "No, we get snow 1 day a year.... if we're lucky."
This^. We get a snow that lasts 1-2 days maybe once every 4-7 years. Aside from that's not much to go off of except cutting your teeth looking for tracks or bedding
Personally for me. I wish the snow would melt the day after hunting season ends!
I could see a light snow being beneficial for finding beds but trying to find early season beds is probably a chore with snow as well.. Grass is always greener on the other side type of deal
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- Southern Man
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Re: Scouting - Snow or No?
thwack16 wrote:Can I get an option, for "No, we get snow 1 day a year.... if we're lucky."
Yea me too
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Re: Scouting - Snow or No?
I prefer bare ground , but i'll get out and scout as much as I can before green up, snow or no snow. I do think snow would be better in low density areas.
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