2018 Scouting Reports

[JAK]

Went out this morning for a few hours spot I cyber scouted looked awesome on computer once I got in not to much that looked good at all But nice to be out

[RidgeGhost]

Scouting mission number 2 and two more spots to the list. One is right near the top of the list as far as true giant buck potential.

It's about 1.5 miles in and I walked right to the bed where I had pinned it on the map. Just amazes me how predictable it can be. Huge rubs everywhere. It will be hard to Hunt because of a rocky ridge between my access and the bed. It will force him around the ridge one way or the other but I'm not sure what makes him choose which derection. May be a guessing game but if I play it right I may get more than one hunt in this spot. His bed is bullet proof....he ain't gonna leave it because of one intrusion I don't think.

[Boogieman1]

Scouting mission number 2 and two more spots to the list. One is right near the top of the list as far as true giant buck potential.

It's about 1.5 miles in and I walked right to the bed where I had pinned it on the map. Just amazes me how predictable it can be. Huge rubs everywhere. It will be hard to Hunt because of a rocky ridge between my access and the bed. It will force him around the ridge one way or the other but I'm not sure what makes him choose which derection. May be a guessing game but if I play it right I may get more than one hunt in this spot. His bed is bullet proof....he ain't gonna leave it because of one intrusion I don't think.

I have had descent luck in the past intentionally over hunting one exit trail, then waiting for conditions to be right and hunt the other one. U know he’s not gonna use the one that u saturated with scent so it stacks the odds. Guess it all depends on how close u r to the bed, sounds like a great spot none the less

[mike_mc]

I should be able to draw to hunt a county park this year in Dane County. I have been thinking about it for a few years, but decided to invest my time on the regular public. The first property I went to they had taken out most of the deer cover, found this one in the little cover left.


Headed to a different nearby park. Didn't find any big buck sign, but I did find a lot of tracks. I'm going to try to scout this property again this year.

[headgear]

Mostly cyber scouting right now, I have already confirmed several bucks made it through rifle season via tracks so things are looking good for next year. Expanding my range a bit this year and found a new massive swamp with dozens of points and islands. About 12 square miles so enough to keep be busy for a decade or so. Still have to hit some older spots and re-scout a couple of places too, its going to be a busy spring.

[JAK]

Scouted again this afternoon a island I'll have to float to a oak island with about a dozen oak trees right tight to the lake then to North nasty thick 3 big rubs. Couldn't find his bed though.. gunna look again this spring

[fishlips]

Took a quick hike behind the house yesterday to check out a spot I sat a couple times. Sign was almost non-existent. it's a spot I really liked initially but may have gotten too excited about it when I found it. there is a chance that the wet fall though may have forced the deer out of the bedding. Hard to say for sure.

Today I took the dog out on a property I haven't set foot on before. only had an hour so I hightailed it back to the stuff I thought looked best. Buck sign was sporadic but I did stumble across a bedding area with waist high rub.


On the way out I cut a sizeable track heading out of the bedding area to the high ground. It got me excited. I also crossed a number of beds along the transition where the deer have been bedding in this cold weather. That was good to see as deer #s seem low on a # of the properties i hunt.


I will be back. Hopefully i can figure this property out quicker than normal!

[Missionshooter]

Had to get out today and mark some bedding on my GPS. Found one good buck bed with bit droppings next to it. In these river bottoms it is completely flat timber so I find the beds near deadfalls and blow downs where I deer can have cover.







Found a bunch of doe bedding, but I was surprised that I didnt find any big rubs anywhere today at all. Small rubs, but nothing impressive. It's a 2300 acre parcel, so I still have more river bottom to cover though.

[UofLbowhunter]

I went for a swamp scout on some public yesterday. Driving into the main road entrance of the public, out of the corner of my eye i catch two dandy shooter bucks (one target buck) coming out of the public woods across a big open crop field headed to some private ground. I instantly turned around and followed the bucks as far as i could from the road to see what was going on. They entered a small woodlot, about 10 minutes or so 9 does came busting out of the woodlot like there butts were on fire,:think: im thinking a possible late doe fawn coming in heat somewhere?
Anyway i went to scout a section i have scouted close to but wanted to penatrate a little futher. Ended up gaining some intel about hunter pressure, found a couple of still hanging stands that probally been there for a couple of years , i scratched that area off the list as being a prime area for a big target buck to be in. There was some bedding there but nothing that made me think big buck. Im doing my best to narrow down this one big buck i have only encouted once, but know he is using that area. I have two of his bedding areas pegged but still feel there is quite abit of info to learn. This buck is nearly a ghost, it is very very hard to catch a track at all,i have only found 3 solid tracks(walking track) in almost 2 years of scouting it, but he leaves sign enough to let me know he is there!
Its has been extremly cold here in western ky like most of the upper midwest has been for a week or so, like low teens and single digit and minus digits at night. this crap can stop!! Good luck to those scouting and hunting!

[Twenty Up]

Here's an early season buck bed I found while on a late season rifle hunt. Right in the thermal tunnel and the nearest parking lot is down wind of the bed when he would bed here. If a truck pulls out, he's gone before you open the door...

Judging by the hunting pressure, browse on the briars in front of the bed and lack of fresh scat or hair this bed hasn't been used in at least a month or two BUT it's cool to see buck beds within 75 yards of a parking lot. it's definitely a spot I'll check out in early season before the orange army hits

[Jonny]

I’m a 42” waist. Deer must be a 20” judging by these trails in the cattails. But, every lone tree has a bed

[Jonny]

Actually in a pretty decent looking spot for the rut. Hasn’t been used in awhile though

[Dewey]

Actually in a pretty decent looking spot for the rut. Hasn’t been used in awhile though

Jonny...wanna take my stand down? I forgot it on Monday.

[Jonny]

Actually in a pretty decent looking spot for the rut. Hasn’t been used in awhile though

Jonny...wanna take my stand down? I forgot it on Monday.

Maybe later. Trying to track down somebodies lost cow



Might be one of the biggest tracks I’ve found. I’m wearing size 14 aeroheads for comparison

[Jonny]

Actually in a pretty decent looking spot for the rut. Hasn’t been used in awhile though

Jonny...wanna take my stand down? I forgot it on Monday.

Or was this stand yours?