When mobile hunting an area you haven’t scouted what is most important sign to look for?

[checkerfred]

if it's a brand new spot I've never been to before the first thing I'm gonna do is stop and stare at an aerial for 10 minutes or so. I'm gonna try to imagine first where others setup and how they access. Next, I'm gonna try to find a way to be original. Remember, This is first of all a running and gunning kill mission. Stay aggressive, Scout as you go but that isn't the objective if you are actively hunting.

I could go on and on but simply put, If I'm walking in blind I want the area to have some food or browse, be fairly thick and I want to see fresh tracks and fresh poop. Then I would have plenty of confidence to set up and hunt.

If I bump deer I watch which way they ran, their reaction, and often I will setup right there and see if they return within 2-3 hours.

While sitting there, try to imagine how deer would use the area. Question yourself, Is the sign your hunting over nighttime sign? If I don't see deer within 3-4 hours I make a move. Creep closer into projected bedding. When I sit there I will usually pick another tree 80-100 yards away. Keep it moving till you get it figured out.

Good thread especially about patterning hunters. This above is awesome stuff too

[fishlips]

The sign that seemsnto correlate with the most encounters seems to be tracks but that is also the hardest sign for me to interpret.

[DaHunter]

If you were being hunted, where would you hide? That's really all you need to know. Probably in a difficult to access spot with a sight/scent/sound advantage.

Don't just look at an aerial, use a topo with it.

[JAK]

Big tracks leading to or from suspected bedding

X2...Also fresh high rubs, fresh scrapes & large well used beds.

X3 hardest part is knowing how far to push into it though. Without messing up the hunt

[tgreeno]

Big tracks leading to or from suspected bedding

X2...Also fresh high rubs, fresh scrapes & large well used beds.

X3 hardest part is knowing how far to push into it though. Without messing up the hunt

I agree Jak! I think most guys (including myself) don't push far enough. I think you need to possibly jump deer every so often to find that point!

[strutnrut716]

Big tracks leading to or from suspected bedding

X2...Also fresh high rubs, fresh scrapes & large well used beds.

X3 hardest part is knowing how far to push into it though. Without messing up the hunt

I agree Jak! I think most guys (including myself) don't push far enough. I think you need to possibly jump deer every so often to find that point!

x2 tgreeno..... Dan has often said "If you aren't bumping deer, you aren't in the game"

GREAT thread !, by the way ....

[Rob loper]

I agree great thread guys
If you dont bump a few deer here and there you are probably not where the deer are

[JAK]

Just my observation but I believe if you scout enough and see how deer bed on points and islands. I believe you can put yourself in a pretty good spot just by an arieal. I'm still learning but to me it seems they bed almost all points I have scouted the same. But like was mentioned before won't learn unless you bump a few

[Jon308]

what if you can’t find sign should you just hunt a thick area you think holds a mature buck ? Or just keep looking for sign?

[Rob loper]

Just my observation but I believe if you scout enough and see how deer bed on points and islands. I believe you can put yourself in a pretty good spot just by an arieal. I'm still learning but to me it seems they bed almost all points I have scouted the same. But like was mentioned before won't learn unless you bump a few

How bout bowls too?

[BackCoverBowHunter]

Hunting an area I have not had boots on the ground yet. So, I cyber scout it and assume bedding. I tend to hunt terrain. Benches, drainage areas, knobs & funnels.

[JAK]

Just my observation but I believe if you scout enough and see how deer bed on points and islands. I believe you can put yourself in a pretty good spot just by an arieal. I'm still learning but to me it seems they bed almost all points I have scouted the same. But like was mentioned before won't learn unless you bump a few

How bout bowls too?

From what I've seen in bowls anywhere there was dry ground they bed in. I haven't really scouted to many bowls. But I did have an encounter with a pretty big 10 this year on a cyber scout and hunt and he came out of a bowl.

[hunter_mike]

Hot scrape near thick bedding cover is a usually a good sign to me. With that said, I know of areas that are tore up with scrapes and yet they are a hundred or more yards from where the bucks actually bed, and trail cam photos show big bucks not getting to the scrapes till after dark. Knowing what key features (in your terrain) make a solid bedding area would be the ticket to good stand placement and educated guess of where the buck(s) are hanging out in daylight.

[Rob loper]

Just my observation but I believe if you scout enough and see how deer bed on points and islands. I believe you can put yourself in a pretty good spot just by an arieal. I'm still learning but to me it seems they bed almost all points I have scouted the same. But like was mentioned before won't learn unless you bump a few

How bout bowls too?

From what I've seen in bowls anywhere there was dry ground they bed in. I haven't really scouted to many bowls. But I did have an encounter with a pretty big 10 this year on a cyber scout and hunt and he came out of a bowl.

Bowls seem like good spots very much looked over especially when pressure is put on all the points