2020 Scouting Reports

[greenhorndave]

Went looking for turkeys tonight. Didn't find any where I was expecting.

But I did bump a lone deer in an area that I've never seen good bedding before. This wasn't an amazing spot, but pretty good for being able to detect humans where they likely usually come from. (including me)

So I decided to forego the turkeys until I found the bed and figured out the why and where and how I might hunt him.

This is what it looked like...

The bed, hair, followed by what was at his back on this wind.

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And since I bumped a live one, he had fresh doodie. Of decent size.

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It's funny because this is a small patch of timber and it has like 5 ladder stands in it. But this bed could monitor just about anyone trying to get to it, can see or smell anyone of the existing stands, has escape routes and is in the one area that the stands aren't real near.

So I spent a few more minutes plotting out a tree. There's a trail cam near it that might belong to one of my buddies. I'm going to find out and then maybe pull the card to see what's on it.

No guarantee he's going to be there come fall, but I can keep tabs on it. I have a plan for the right wind if he holes up there for a while, particularly in the early season.

[Dewey]

A buck bed so easy to find even Stevie Wonder could spot it from a mile away.

Deer are losing piles of hair right now. Everywhere I go deer are leaving behind trails of hair it seems. No easier time to actually confirm you have found a bed that's being actively used.

[Marshbuster89]

A buck bed so easy to find even Stevie Wonder could spot it from a mile away.

Deer are losing piles of hair right now. Everywhere I go deer are leaving behind trails of hair it seems. No easier time to actually confirm you have found a bed that's being actively used.

I’ve been noticing the same. Even the trails that are 18-24” deep. All sorts of hair in the active trails

[Dewey]

A buck bed so easy to find even Stevie Wonder could spot it from a mile away.

Deer are losing piles of hair right now. Everywhere I go deer are leaving behind trails of hair it seems. No easier time to actually confirm you have found a bed that's being actively used.

I’ve been noticing the same. Even the trails that are 18-24” deep. All sorts of hair in the active trails

Exactly. Easy to see active trails now. Seems like shedding just started over the weekend. I didn’t see hardly any hair last week except the normal bed deposits.

[Ottercreek]

Found something kinda interesting out in the swamp the other day. This past season there was so much water out in parts of this swamp/Marsh area the typical bedding was underwater in alot of areas. I went and scouted a part of the swamp I hadn't hunted last year, but which is typically under a foot or two of water. It was almost completely dry, like dry mud out in the cattails. I kicked a big deer out of a bed that would usually be in the water and the whole area was tore up with sign. I saw a ton of fresh Beaver activity which I think might have changed the water flow enough to unflood that section. Anybody else seen beavers change a section of habitat like that? Should be interesting to keep an eye on next year.

[Swedishbowhunter]

I have noted the bedding areas changed due to the high water we have had last year. The normal beds were underwater so everything headed for higher ground.

[stinger-hunter]

Bad posts

[stinger-hunter]

Thanks for this. I began scouting again a few weeks back. I spent a few hours less than 150 yards from the parking lot near a known buck bedding area.

I have a good idea where this buck is bedded but wanted to really get in there deep in the thicket. There is a 25 meterX80 meter area that is impassable by man. Downed trees, thorny brush and worse.

I found a few spots that look good - decent circle of matted brush leeward side of hill with trails a few rubs and scat. I have spooked several lone deer (assuming bucks) a few times in the past 3 years.

While searching I found a better overlooked spot and wouldn't you know it - deer carcass laying 5 feet from me. A doe, but still. Lots of intersecting trails. No one hunts anywhere near this spot - they all walk directly north 200-1,5000 yards into the woods or walk down the street about 500-2,000 yards past this spot.

[austin1990]

Been turkey hunting some public land mountains, and I've had much better luck scouting it for deer than turkeys found several good rubs, scrapes and even a bed not far off the main road and from the bed he'd be able to see and smell anyone coming in on him. Think I've got a plan to try him this fall. Also found some pretty country!

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[Jmitch]

Walked a property I hunted a few years ago and figured out that I hunted it and accessed it all wrong the whole time. Wasn't a ton of deer seen but did find multiple well used bedding areas that overlooked the access I was using. This piece sees little pressure as it is a draw hunt so I'm not sure if they are watching the access on purpose or if thats just how the terrian played out. Anyway figured out a decent plan if I can get back in there.

Was at a different piece a few weeks back that I've hunted a fair amount and put together what I think is a pretty good layout of the bedding and cruising trails on the piece. It is a typical hill country property with access from the bottom so I think I'm going to have to access in the dark during the rut but I picked out a few trees that should be good for rut cruisers. Pretty excited for this place next fall. Hoping to fine tune a little while turkey hunting in the next few weeks too.

[Swedishbowhunter]

On my way in to scout an area I have had my eyes on for a while, I had the %&#@ scared out of me. This spot you have to go across 40 of crp, 40acres of catails/marsh grass, then cross a river. On my way in thru the crp i decide to cross the small ditch I am paralleling, it looks to be about 6-8 inches deep and about 10 feet across. Thank god I had waders on as I planned to cross the river later. The ground was good and firm as i entered the water, I sunk about a foot in the muck my 2nd step the 3rd step I went right up to my chest. It was solid muck under 6" of water, it took all I could do to get turned around and grab onto some grass on high ground. It took me about 15 minutes to work my way out. I back out about 1/4 mile to find a spot to cross, then when i got about even with where I had gotten stuck the floating bog I was walking on really started to bob up and down. I broke thru several times but the last time I didnt feel bottom, I turned around (only had 50 yards to go to the river) and I headed back to dry ground!! I wont try this entrance again without some one to come along with me!!

[JAK]

Went out yesterday to a few spot. Man have the beavers changed allot of things. Went in to a spot i know pretty well and all of the bedding i knew about was all under water with a new big beaver damn in there. Seemed to me though that the deer pushed up into the timber a little more to bed. But seems like every year the beavers flood a few more acers on this property.

[greenhorndave]

Went turkey hunting to a new place. The turkey sign where I went was nonexistent. Oddly enough with all of the edge and transitions, so was deer sign. Almost no tracks and only ancient rubs. Maybe one decent one from two or three years ago. Access and walking was way too easy. The oak islands weren’t hit and even the human sign there was old. Stem count was through the roof. Visibility wasn’t great, but moving through it was a pain. But no sign. Got out to an island in some nasty muck that was HARD to access. Trails were better, but old. Then it hit me. The leaves and grass were crazy dry. Sounded like walking on small bubble wrap. A dropped cigarette but would be a huge problem. Anyway, this wet stuff was probably underwater until not long ago. I found a number of potential beds by trees, but they were only maybe six inches above the floor. None actually had bedding, but one with with a foot or more of a hump? That would be the golden ticket. But it would take hours and hours of walking the willow/tamarcks checking each decent tree. Maybe another day. But I’ve found that, for me, turkey hunting and deer scouting don’t work together. I don’t wind up doing either one well when I try to do both.

[greenhorndave]

Here was the nasty stuff. Everything was black muck.

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I got to Frogger across this to get back to dry land... After jumping several ducks swimming in it.

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Muddy wuz here?

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[Huntress13]

Pretty big poop.

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