Just remember when your scouting in snow

[mainebowhunter]

Others will know where you have been. Had 2 guys track me right to both of my trail cams. Luckily one they did not see...the other they did not take. I pylled both the same day.

It's not going to stop me from being on snow shoes...but with late season cams...pretty easy for someone to find.

[Bubbles]

I pulled my cams during a snowfall for that reason, and tried to cover up where I jumped off the trail initially.

[First Sit]

This is a constant issue where I hunt on public once the snow is on the ground. A lot of guys would rather hunt where someone else is rather than find their own spot, others follow the tracks just to check out where others are hunting especially if you leave signs from a deer you dragged out. From my experience if a hunter tracks to your spot you will see him there next season.

I always try to walk in a way my tracks are hard to see for a ways and actually brush them back over with a stick if the snow is powdery. I sometimes almost tip to so I don't leave a actually foot print just sort of a small hole and step where snow is sort of lumpy not flat smooth areas. Once I get off the trail a ways for road way from high human traffic areas I will walk normal.This seems to help a lot and if possible scout right before a snow which will cover your tracks as well.

I had one hunter find a spot I hunt by tracking and hunts it wrong so he burned up 2 trees. However his access is predictable and he only hunts 2 trees in the area both of which were ones I prepped in post season which is when he found em I saw his tracks in the snow following mine. The deer are still there just onto those spots he hunts which I abandoned. I'm going to actually post season scout that area after snow melt and find new areas and see how the deer are avoiding his hunting spots aka my previous spots. That guy hunts those two trees so much that the bark is almost completely worn off from his climber on the bottom 10 ft. I've ran into him a few times at the parking area and hes only seeing 1.5 yr old bucks and does occasionally just over hunting prime areas and hunting before the area should be hunted.

It sucks when another hunter finds an area but its public land and they have the same right to be there but it it really stings when its a awesome spot this area when hunted right usually provided a encounter with a P&Y buck annually my first year I had 3 encounters with 2 different P&Y bucks and had a arrow deflect off a tree on a solid 150 10 pt. The bucks are still there just a lot more nocturnal now and adjusted daytime movement areas.

[mainebowhunter]

I am not really to concerned about it. Both guys had "beverages" in there hands and did not look at that serious. No one appeared to have a GPS. I was surprised to say the least.

Tough hunting though. There are stands around. I keep track of all of them. Never seen another trail cam. Or another hunter.

[checkerfred]

We don’t have to worry about this in the south. You guys could always make an mile or longer random track in the woods to a “dump site”

[Noreast10pt]

This is why I try to do camera pulls or scouting just before a snowstorm.

[Jonny]

It also shows you were other guys are or in my case, leads you to illegal stands.

Good post. Staying out of one overlooked area specifically for this reason

[mainebowhunter]

Its a risk I am willing to take. Where I live, not such a big deal. High pressured public...much higher risk.

Be honest, I was VERY surprised. Rarely catch guys in the woods outside of the season.

[Twenty Up]

Being so far South we don't experience this issue BUT if I was in yalls shoes I'd get a kick outta messing with people. Like putting a second pair of soles on shoes facing backwards or taking guys on long walks out to nowhere good.

[mainebowhunter]

Being so far South we don't experience this issue BUT if I was in yalls shoes I'd get a kick outta messing with people. Like putting a second pair of soles on shoes facing backwards or taking guys on long walks out to nowhere good.

Takes to much energy for that. lol. They go well in a straight line

[Whitetailaddict]

Both guys had "beverages" in there hands and did not look at that serious. No one appeared to have a GPS. I was surprised to say the least.
.

With the extreme cold you've been having maybe they were just trying to get out of the house and needed said beverage to thin their blood so they didn't freeze to death. Good reminder that not everyone is looking for deer sign.

[ghoasthunter]

just walk in foot prints on your back track like a deer or bear then jump off to side a bunch of times or walk a hundred yards up a brook works for animals works for me lol

[SmallJawNH]

Does anyone bring climbing sticks to put the camera up a tree out of reach? I thought about doing this to deter theft on public land. Figured they might not see it and if they do they can't reach it without coming back.

[ghoasthunter]

Does anyone bring climbing sticks to put the camera up a tree out of reach? I thought about doing this to deter theft on public land. Figured they might not see it and if they do they can't reach it without coming back.

I do it with all my cameras put it on tree with no limbs 12 to 15 feet in the air. its saved me hundreds of dollars I'm sure also helps with bears and I don't get big bucks looking at my camera and never coming back. I think they see lights in air all the time with airplanes and never think twice. also make sure its a thick tree or real short one the wind will set the camera off all day otherwise.

[ghoasthunter]

one more thing cut some wood wedges for getting the angle right it will save you time and headaches finding that perfect log you need to put behind it