In-season scouting

Discuss the science of figuring out our prey through good detective work.
  • Advertisement

HB Store


User avatar
headgear
500 Club
Posts: 11625
Joined: Wed Sep 08, 2010 7:21 am
Location: Northern Minnesota
Status: Offline

Re: In-season scouting

Unread postby headgear » Wed Oct 30, 2019 2:44 pm

Excellent post DaveT, absolutely nailed it.


User avatar
jporcello
500 Club
Posts: 1228
Joined: Fri Oct 20, 2017 1:07 pm
Location: Louisiana
Status: Offline

Re: In-season scouting

Unread postby jporcello » Thu Oct 31, 2019 2:34 am

DaveT1963 wrote:My opinion, not that it counts for much:

1) - there is no right answer that works everywhere. Some areas and times are more conducive to scouting during the day and setting up on fresh sign. Others not so much.

2) there are many forms of scouting - boots on ground, aerial photos, cameras, observation sits, etc....

3) You have to be willing to blow it. I pushed my luck yesterday. Had a great gusty NE wind so I tried to move in close to a know bedding area. Got busted by some does on the fringe and they took the buck with them. It happens. Success can be a few mere yards more as Dan always says; but so can failure - you have to be able to smile and say you got me this time - then store it away in the noggin for another location or day.

4) Use weather to assist. Rain, fog and wind can be an asset - use it.

5) It Always works better for me the better I know an area. If you skip post season scouting to find beds, rut activity, food sources, don't expect to be able to overcome that 100% with in season scouting. You will NEVER know a piece of ground as well as a mature buck does. But the closer we come to that the better we know where we can look for "hot sign" without sending up an arrival notice.

6) Having some info is better than no info. If you are totally in the dark about a piece of property then by all means get in there and get after it. even if it means you risk not killing your buck. IMO it is far better to bust everything and get the info you need then to blindly hope for the best (if we are talking mature animals). If you need to go in and learn then do it, but be smart, do it once and do it thoroughly. You should walk out feeling like you found the 1-3 best tress to kill a mature buck from.

7) Do not underestimate looking at maps/photos and then making some assumptions and even guesses. It is surprising to me still that so often I can cyber scout a new piece of property, go in there and often my assumptions prove out and that is where all the sign led me. I suck at it compared to most, but it happens enough to get me doing it more consistently.

8) Humans are the only predators that feel like they need a plan rather than using their God giving abilities to hunt in the moment. we actually suck at hunting if we had to rely on our abilities rather than our tools. Learn to do both. Focus on and develop your God given abilities FIRST, then get the tools. Most hunters would be far better to focus on getting closer to their quarry rather than the current trend of a new tool to shoot further. If we are honest, most of our weaknesses are not related to the tools we have available.

9) there is no better time then to learn where pressure deer go then during season and immediately following season.

These are a few of my thoughts on in-season scouting. Hunting and scouting to me are a blurred line - to me its all hunting.... sometimes I just have a weapon in hand and a tag in my pocket. other times i am definitely thinking and planning for the times when I do.



:clap: :clap: :clap:
“The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting different results” Albert Einstein
User avatar
Twenty Up
500 Club
Posts: 1885
Joined: Sat Oct 25, 2014 1:06 pm
Location: Dirty South
Status: Offline

Re: In-season scouting

Unread postby Twenty Up » Fri Nov 01, 2019 2:08 am

Agreed with Dave, he broke it down very well.

What has helped me with in-season scouting has been having a specific plan and getting hyper aggressive when necessary.

Example:
2018 I hung a trail camera in August-September and had 2 mature bucks coming through around 9PM.
B2709C9A-DEF8-4037-AC57-E7F704AA5F15.jpeg


Due to chasing other bucks and life, I never got to hunt them until November. Unfortunately for me, this tract of WMA was only open for 7 days.

First afternoon of the hunt I scout/hunt my way in. First hunt I overthought it and pushed too far in. The next morning I hunted an overlooked funnel and had a doe bring one of my shooters in to 18 yards. Luckily for him, the light rain and an Apple iPhone was his saving grace. Not realizing the doe was directly under my stand, as I drew back she heard my rain jacket rustle and bounded off.. with the buck right behind her.
CF8388FC-5B0A-40ED-91FF-C3253F82DE3B.jpeg


The setup. Due to property lines, wind direction, deer trails and back-cover this was my best option. Roughly 6-7’ up and despite this angle, I was covered very well thanks to the cedars around me. For reference, the doe was between the fallen tree on the right and my stand.

I also had a second hot doe bring 7 bucks in 20 minutes later, with my second shooter at 34 yards. As many know, bowhunting the rut brings many heartbreaks and as fast as they all ran through, they were gone. The neighbor ended up shooting this buck and he scored in the low 140’s..

Based off of the sign & sightings, I knew this was a Buck bedding area. I immediately began scouting around noon when I got down and found multiple buck beds in the rain.
22E7BC36-F638-4B4F-8D26-A0D5AB28A4D9.jpeg


One of many beds. All marked on OnX for their respected wind directions, picked stand locations and access routes.

On the last day of the hunt I got the wind I needed him to be bedded there. I crept in to 173 yards of the bed on a very calm, dry day and setup shop. The falling thermals and terrain had me hand-cuffed, if I pushed any closer my thermals would drift towards him.

The last 20 minutes of shooting light I see a large bodied deer slowly walking through. He was at 54 or 56 yards and came right from the bedding area I had previously scouted, less than 5 days before.

A sequence of light grunts, rustling branches and throwing Gatorade bottles behind me brought him right in.. After legal shooting light.

Not the success story most guys share on here.. but with only 7 days to hunt, no possible chance to do observation sits... I had to utilize map scouting, anticipating sign, reading sign and getting aggressive to get on bucks.
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
Trust the Process~~ Lost Boys Outdoors ~~

YoutTube: https://youtube.com/channel/UC7TXknGut5WfZQ6CbddgqYg
CSmith
Posts: 4
Joined: Tue Jul 02, 2019 2:17 am
Status: Offline

Re: In-season scouting

Unread postby CSmith » Fri Nov 08, 2019 2:24 pm

example: (Public land) in august i found a scrape in an overlooked marshy area 100yrds from the main access road, near a huge Crp field, followed a trail 80yrd that lead me to bedding, both buck an doe i assume.
got a positive I.D. on a buck bed. smelted like a buck/fresh rubs, i was pumped.
hunted it 2 man style cover 2 exit trails in different directions,.
only a doe an a fawn showed.
came back pre rut, oct 23rd A.M.
had a good visual from the stand, near that bed, 50yrds away.
multiple deer came back to bed/bedding area just before daylight,
one deer walked across the crp an bedded in a thick tree line/peninsula.
i did not no the deer bedded, thought maybe it was a young buck cruising.
big mistake! i walked out near the area i last saw the deer. in the peninsula. it was a bIG Mature BUCk! I bumped him out of his bed i never new it was there.
CONCLUSION to in season scouting.
I only hunted that spot again that day because i found the scrape the day prior to the am sit, to be opened back up very recently, along with 2 others.
rhagenw
Posts: 414
Joined: Sun Jan 26, 2020 6:37 am
Facebook: Rhagen Wiederholt
Status: Offline

Re: In-season scouting

Unread postby rhagenw » Sat Apr 18, 2020 5:54 am

Awesome thread!
Paul J
Posts: 2
Joined: Thu Apr 09, 2020 10:44 am
Status: Offline

Re: In-season scouting

Unread postby Paul J » Wed May 13, 2020 12:52 pm

Just a new guy to the beast awesome reading. I was doing some scouting a couple weeks ago and came a crossed some buck bedding I assume from the pictures I have seen on the beast. So I did some poking around and found eight to ten rubs all knee to thigh high. So would you hunt this early morning or afternoon? Spent last year sitting in preset stands and never seen a deer. Decided things need to change. Any advice is appreciated
User avatar
krent12
Posts: 207
Joined: Thu Aug 09, 2018 4:01 pm
Facebook: Kyle Rentmeester
Location: Wisconsin
Status: Offline

Re: In-season scouting

Unread postby krent12 » Fri May 15, 2020 2:19 pm

Paul J wrote:Just a new guy to the beast awesome reading. I was doing some scouting a couple weeks ago and came a crossed some buck bedding I assume from the pictures I have seen on the beast. So I did some poking around and found eight to ten rubs all knee to thigh high. So would you hunt this early morning or afternoon? Spent last year sitting in preset stands and never seen a deer. Decided things need to change. Any advice is appreciated


gotta find more then one spot my guy. Go on youtube and watching every deer video. then go and buy his 4 dvd's and watch em all. by that point you will be 150x closer to seeing deer than you will if you just read these post. good luck
User avatar
justdirtyfun
500 Club
Posts: 2973
Joined: Sun Sep 22, 2013 4:10 pm
Location: Misery, previously Hellinois
Status: Offline

Re: In-season scouting

Unread postby justdirtyfun » Sat May 16, 2020 5:32 am

krent12 wrote:
Paul J wrote:Just a new guy to the beast awesome reading. I was doing some scouting a couple weeks ago and came a crossed some buck bedding I assume from the pictures I have seen on the beast. So I did some poking around and found eight to ten rubs all knee to thigh high. So would you hunt this early morning or afternoon? Spent last year sitting in preset stands and never seen a deer. Decided things need to change. Any advice is appreciated


gotta find more then one spot my guy. Go on youtube and watching every deer video. then go and buy his 4 dvd's and watch em all. by that point you will be 150x closer to seeing deer than you will if you just read these post. good luck


Good luck out there Paul. The Beast style will produce if you put in the work. A basic thought that can help almost anyone is ask WHEN the sign was made.

Bedding hunts are more successful because you are on daytime sign.
You don't have to be the best, just do your best.
User avatar
may21581
500 Club
Posts: 1186
Joined: Mon May 28, 2018 12:48 pm
Location: north east ohio
Status: Offline

Re: In-season scouting

Unread postby may21581 » Sat May 16, 2020 9:53 am

I like doing alot of my in season scouting "during" rainstorms. Most of your sound is muffled, the ground is quieter, and the rain helps displace your scent. Also it seems the deer are alot less on edge because most folks just dont hunt during this period. Of course I still play the wind and stay away from bedding and do the rubber boots thing. I also try not to touch or rub up against stuff.
"Failure is the price for entry for achieving something great"
Rmallen
Posts: 57
Joined: Tue Jun 11, 2019 3:41 pm
Facebook: Roth mallen
Location: Cameron Mo
Status: Offline

Re: In-season scouting

Unread postby Rmallen » Sat May 16, 2020 12:12 pm

I felt the same way last year being new to the beast. I didn’t feel like I was finding the sign I wanted on the fringes of bedding on public. It was my own fault I didn’t do my late winter scouting.
I didn’t want to waste time hunting marginal stuff. I barreled in. I blundered through stuff I shouldn’t have. I didn’t really linger just followed sign back what I believed to be the spot. Came back a few days later when wind was right. Had an encounter with the buck. Just my two cents.
User avatar
tgreeno
500 Club
Posts: 4770
Joined: Fri Feb 19, 2016 5:06 am
Location: WI
Status: Offline

Re: In-season scouting

Unread postby tgreeno » Mon May 18, 2020 9:41 am

krent12 wrote:
Paul J wrote:Just a new guy to the beast awesome reading. I was doing some scouting a couple weeks ago and came a crossed some buck bedding I assume from the pictures I have seen on the beast. So I did some poking around and found eight to ten rubs all knee to thigh high. So would you hunt this early morning or afternoon? Spent last year sitting in preset stands and never seen a deer. Decided things need to change. Any advice is appreciated


gotta find more then one spot my guy. Go on youtube and watching every deer video. then go and buy his 4 dvd's and watch em all. by that point you will be 150x closer to seeing deer than you will if you just read these post. good luck


Paul...You need to relate the rubs to bedding. Where is he coming from? Where is he going to? Many rubs are made in the middle of the night, and would not be productive to hunt over! Kyle is also correct...You need to find as many spots as you can with good sign.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It's better to keep your mouth shut and appear stupid, than to open it an remove all doubt
Paul J
Posts: 2
Joined: Thu Apr 09, 2020 10:44 am
Status: Offline

Re: In-season scouting

Unread postby Paul J » Wed May 20, 2020 7:48 pm

Thanks guys. I will need to get the dvd's and watch them
User avatar
funderburk
500 Club
Posts: 826
Joined: Fri Nov 23, 2018 10:16 am
Location: South Carolina
Status: Offline

Re: In-season scouting

Unread postby funderburk » Sun May 24, 2020 6:34 am

Love this thread. Figured I’d chime in. Earlier I was watching THP’s 2019 Public Land Challenge and noticed a perfect example of what this thread is all about. Plus, it resulted in a kill.

If you watch the episode where Joe killed his Michigan buck, you’ll see Dan and Joe scouting earlier that day looking for hot sign. From what I can remember, they came across a freshly opened scrape on the field edge, then ventured into the timber finding well-used paths and fresh rubs. They were talking to each other the entire time working out details and making a plan. They didn’t necessarily seem too worried about spooking deer as they were conscious of the potential bedding that was being used a little further out. Once they found the sign, they made a plan, and went back to get ready for a same-day hunt.

Joe ended up having to readjust his sit later that evening, but it seemed to still be within the general area of that fresh sign. Because of in-season scouting, and relating hot sign to bedding, he ended up killing a great Michigan buck. It’s a very educational episode to watch if you’re trying to figure out in-season scouting. It also helps us see that it doesn’t need to be as confusing as we often make it.
“I’ve always believed that the mind is the best weapon.” John Rambo
dan
Site Owner
Posts: 41588
Joined: Sat Feb 13, 2010 6:11 am
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HuntingBeast/?ref=bookmarks
Location: S.E. Wisconsin
Contact:
Status: Offline

Re: In-season scouting

Unread postby dan » Sun May 24, 2020 11:04 am

tgreeno wrote:
krent12 wrote:
Paul J wrote:Just a new guy to the beast awesome reading. I was doing some scouting a couple weeks ago and came a crossed some buck bedding I assume from the pictures I have seen on the beast. So I did some poking around and found eight to ten rubs all knee to thigh high. So would you hunt this early morning or afternoon? Spent last year sitting in preset stands and never seen a deer. Decided things need to change. Any advice is appreciated


gotta find more then one spot my guy. Go on youtube and watching every deer video. then go and buy his 4 dvd's and watch em all. by that point you will be 150x closer to seeing deer than you will if you just read these post. good luck


Paul...You need to relate the rubs to bedding. Where is he coming from? Where is he going to? Many rubs are made in the middle of the night, and would not be productive to hunt over! Kyle is also correct...You need to find as many spots as you can with good sign.

I do my best bed hunting evenings, but during the rut mornings can work good. Outside of rut they get back to bedding most of the time before daylight. But, they almost always leave there bed in the evening before dark. Follow the rubs and trails back till your far enough away to be out of sight, sound, and scent stream, but no firther... As close as possible. Make your set up there. Try to determine the best time to hunt that spot. Ask yourself when the buck beds there? Rut? for a nearby foodsource? when is that food prime? If its tore up with rubs, might be pre-rut? What wind is he bedding there on? Then go out and find 20 more spots like that so your not over hunting it, or hunting it at the wrong time... If your serious about hunting this way, it takes effort and time to get real good at it... Check out the deer video's on my youtube page (in my signature)
Grasshopper
Posts: 449
Joined: Fri Aug 05, 2016 11:10 pm
Location: PA
Status: Offline

Re: In-season scouting

Unread postby Grasshopper » Fri Jul 24, 2020 4:26 am

A few years ago I moved in late summer. I had to start from ground zero. Even finding the access points was necessary. At the time I was working swing shift, so on my afternoon shift days I would go out late morning and walk and just cover ground. I needed to build my mental map of the terrian. In season I was either scouting with my gear or throwing darts based on wind and topos. I had a ton of encounters, but one thing I feel like I was too paranoid about burning spots. I probably gave up on a few spots or encounters too soon.
One thing I have learned is not to look for too much sign. Loner bucks don't make it like a doe group. When I'm scouting my way in based on maps I often see something that says here it is, and I second guess myself and take a few more steps and there he goes.
Another thing is it seems like bucks bed in "stupid" spots close to the rut. Sometimes it seems like they just end up there because they were tired of walking. I think it's much more strategic than that though. If I had a beagle nose it might make a little more sense. If you are scouting in late October and your gut says hunt that sign listen. Now that I have a mental map of the area I have ignored sign in "stupid" spots that if I had no knowledge of the terrian I probably would have setup on. Sometimes I'm my own worst enemy.


  • Advertisement

Return to “Scouting”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 23 guests