2018 Scouting Reports

Discuss the science of figuring out our prey through good detective work.
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Dewey
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Re: 2018 Scouting Reports

Unread postby Dewey » Fri Jan 05, 2018 7:23 am

Both. You found my honey hole. :lol:


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Re: 2018 Scouting Reports

Unread postby ghoasthunter » Sat Jan 06, 2018 10:49 am

Lockdown wrote:Love that rub with the sunglasses HM 8-)

I’m not even disappointed the season is almost over. Can’t wait to scout :L:

I hear ya on that I think I love tracking scouting and shed hunting more than hunting sometimes
THE MOST IMPORTANT TOOL A HUNTER HAS IS BETWEEN HIS SHOULDERS
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Re: 2018 Scouting Reports

Unread postby SouthpawSwitchback » Sat Jan 06, 2018 12:49 pm

Went out scouting for the first time this year. While walking a poplar/hardwood transition, I stumbled upon a porcupine honey hole :lol: There were several mature trees that had fallen victim to the hungry rodents. I wound up finding 3 doe beds on the transition. While walking back to the car, I was making my way through a small tamerack swamp paralleling the road when I came to a hump about 7 or 8 feet higher than the surrounding ground. On the edge of the hump there was a huge bed overlooking the road. About 100 yards down the road is an access point where I usually see trucks parked during season. I think the bed is either used when he can wind the access or the swamp behind him while keeping an eye on the road. I picked out a tree just out of sight of the hump. Hopefully he'll walk that way when I'm hanging out there this October!
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Re: 2018 Scouting Reports

Unread postby Lockdown » Sat Jan 06, 2018 1:23 pm

Went to Wasteland after work and had an incredible scout. MAJOR puzzle pieces added. Pumped is an understatement. Jumped 8 bucks... one was BIG. And bedded right where he was suppose to be...
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Re: 2018 Scouting Reports

Unread postby mainebowhunter » Sat Jan 06, 2018 3:25 pm

Lockdown wrote:Went to Wasteland after work and had an incredible scout. MAJOR puzzle pieces added. Pumped is an understatement. Jumped 8 bucks... one was BIG. And bedded right where he was suppose to be...


Thats the stuff that keeps the fires fueled!!
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Re: 2018 Scouting Reports

Unread postby Lockdown » Sat Jan 06, 2018 5:10 pm

mainebowhunter wrote:
Lockdown wrote:Went to Wasteland after work and had an incredible scout. MAJOR puzzle pieces added. Pumped is an understatement. Jumped 8 bucks... one was BIG. And bedded right where he was suppose to be...


Thats the stuff that keeps the fires fueled!!


Yep!! As always i’ll go into detail in my journal. I took lots of pics, but postimg is down at the moment.

I know most of these deer don’t live on this property during season. They are wintering there and could have easily come from many miles away. However the season hasn’t even been closed for a week, which means they were likely there and huntable at the tail end of bow season. Might have to put some extra effort into holding out for a really big one next year as this property seems to heat up the later it gets.

I kicked the big one out of a bedding area I hunted twice prior to gun season. My kill tree is 75 yards from where he was laying. He fled from bedding and stopped on the edge of the willows to scan for danger before busting out into the open CRP, literally feet from where a shotgun hunter had his pop up blind.

I think he’s a 140ish nine pointer :shock: not impossible he’s bigger than that. Low to mid 30’s for mass, probably 18” wide. Huge body. And he will be bigger next year :L:
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Re: 2018 Scouting Reports

Unread postby Tradstalk777 » Sun Jan 07, 2018 1:24 am

I had a bachelor group of bucks I kept my eye on in the summer that frequented a field next to public land. Some of them disperse in October and some I believe stick to the private (no hunting allowed) once hunters move in. Went back to look for tracks since no one has been back on the public much since gun season. I normally don't hang cameras on public, but I threw one up and was happy to see a couple nice bucks have survived! Heavy, trail and a fresh scrape was where they passed by in daylight. Since my buck tag is already punched, I offered to put my buddy on the spot for the last day of season but he can't make it out. I'm excited to know I've found another late season spot for next year at least. Well worth a couple cold hikes back in the woods before work. Always shooting. :D
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Re: 2018 Scouting Reports

Unread postby Tradstalk777 » Sun Jan 07, 2018 2:20 am

Meant to say always SCOUTING, not shooting.
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Re: 2018 Scouting Reports

Unread postby Jonny » Sun Jan 07, 2018 6:17 am

Out in a pretty thick area. Not real impressed with the sign given how much activity is going on up in the hardwoods.

Dewey will you please stop leaving treestands for me to find :lol: this one is in a closed section of the property
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You have a monkey Mr. Munson?
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Re: 2018 Scouting Reports

Unread postby Jonny » Sun Jan 07, 2018 6:53 am

This was humorous at first but now it’s getting old

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Gonna need a spreadsheet to send these stands to the dnr. Thought the spot looked a little too good
You have a monkey Mr. Munson?
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Re: 2018 Scouting Reports

Unread postby Jonny » Sun Jan 07, 2018 7:47 am

Finishing up day 1 of at least 3 on this property. Way too much bedding cover to cover in one day. Did find one bed that looked like it was from early season and picked out a kill tree/observation tree that should allow me to see over a lot of the cover. But also has a couple beat down trails in bow range. Access is good but will have one heck of a time keeping quiet.

Looking at observation trees now in case I want something to do the week before opener
You have a monkey Mr. Munson?
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Re: 2018 Scouting Reports

Unread postby JAK » Sun Jan 07, 2018 11:32 am

Jonny wrote:This was humorous at first but now it’s getting old

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Gonna need a spreadsheet to send these stands to the dnr. Thought the spot looked a little too good

If u find beds like you do stands never beable to hunt them all :lol:
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Re: 2018 Scouting Reports

Unread postby Jonny » Sun Jan 07, 2018 11:40 am

JAK wrote:
Jonny wrote:This was humorous at first but now it’s getting old

Image

Gonna need a spreadsheet to send these stands to the dnr. Thought the spot looked a little too good

If u find beds like you do stands never beable to hunt them all :lol:


I found more stands in 10 hours of scouting this week than I have in 10 years up north.

Only 2 portables though which is nice but then again the season is over for everybody except the few crazies
You have a monkey Mr. Munson?
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Re: 2018 Scouting Reports

Unread postby RidgeGhost » Mon Jan 08, 2018 9:42 am

First official day of the off season for me and a somewhat disappointing scouting mission. Went to check out two points pretty far in and on the way in I cut a faint trail. I thought it looked like a human walking path, leaves mashed down but not broken like when a deer walks it. Got near where I would start looking for sign and spotted a camera. Checked out the point anyway, found a bed but lightly used and not much showing me a big buck is using the ridge. Checked out a second point and again the same faint trail and a camera. They both are forest service cams so I don't know what exactly they are doing although I have a hunch. One thing for sure, if they are leaving a visible walking path they are checking them too much and no big buck is gonna tolerate that.

Woods were too mature for my liking anyway. Scratch them off the list. Sometimes finding a reason to cross a spot off is almost as useful as finding a reason to hunt it. Helps to narrow down the list for the future.
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Re: 2018 Scouting Reports

Unread postby UofLbowhunter » Mon Jan 08, 2018 1:53 pm

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Found this giant sucluded scraping area today, its the biggest area i have ever seen! I had to look it over for several minutes, its legit, the whole area is scraped, pooped in, and licking branches broke all the way back to the brush gets thick! Look a little futher back there is another one starting its about 6’ by 6’, there also other nice size scrapes scattered around that area, about 20 best counted! Rubs of all size to boot. Thats my bow laying on the ground it 36”, i could judge the size of it, its just big. This spot is very near where i had a run in with a nice shooter in late octber.
I also had some luck finding some new bedding areas and 4 big lone buck beds kind of deep in probably over looked spots, two were not far from that giant scrape. I was actully trying to hunt today, but with all the i e i new the deer were not out in the good spots so i took advantage of the very thick ice and made my way to some islands that i could not get to without taking a swim! Great scouting day! Marking some very intresting spots for next year!
Bucks,ducks, turkeys,and bass!


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