2022 scouting thread

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Re: 2022 scouting thread

Unread postby -db- » Sat Mar 19, 2022 11:28 pm

I'm usually in swamps and swales but went shed hunting in a drier area yesterday and it turned into a short scouting session in a small clear cut:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQLGh9RLN50

Short Part 2 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=raNeew1CEQQ


Go afield with a good attitude, with respect for the wildlife you hunt and for the forest and fields in which you walk. Immerse yourself in the outdoor experience. It will cleanse your soul and make you a better person. - Fred Bear

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mipubbucks24
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Re: 2022 scouting thread

Unread postby mipubbucks24 » Sun Mar 20, 2022 6:16 am

Finally got in some spring turkey and deer scouting. Found 4/5 really good stand locations, and a pile of turkeys, good morning.
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Re: 2022 scouting thread

Unread postby mauser06 » Mon Mar 21, 2022 2:32 pm

Talked to my buddy about "the monster" he saw near the beaver ponds I worked last week. My hunch was right. The deer are higher. The hillside is pretty big. But if he's living there, I should be able to find him.


Next 2 days look good. Going to try to get out both days.
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Re: 2022 scouting thread

Unread postby mauser06 » Mon Mar 21, 2022 4:49 pm

Looking at the maps....the way that hill lays out, I can almost bet all the public pressure is walking right by that entire side of the ridge. And it's a Leeward ridge for most the season. No real bedding points....about 150 acres in total. There are several cuts in the hill side at least down low. Those often lead to little bedding knobs...and can funnel deer movement.

I've hunted these woods for over 20 years now and I've overlooked this patch. Hopefully I'm heading down the right path. It's all adding up and making sense for a big buck to be there.


If I cross it off the list, I wanna disect the other side of the road. I had a 130-140 in front of me over there a few years back. Snuck up on him bedded. Beautiful shot. Of course it was bear season. Lol.


Kinda focusing on closer stuff for my 2022 scouting incase gas is nuts. Most my normal hill country rut stuff is over 100 miles a day. 120-150 miles a day will hurt the wallet quick. I can round trip these areas in about 25mi. And still be in good deer and good hunting.
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Re: 2022 scouting thread

Unread postby WisBowhunter » Tue Mar 22, 2022 8:50 am

Mauser06,
Looks like you have a good plan in mind and action being taken. Hope you find where this buck is at and can hunt him effectively. Nice to find those 'overlooked' areas.
I agree with the 'closer to home' thought process. Hoping to find some good sign closer here in case of continued high gas prices. Good luck with the scouting.
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Re: 2022 scouting thread

Unread postby mauser06 » Tue Mar 22, 2022 10:51 am

I walked the entire ridge to the private. Zigzagging up and down between the top 3rd and a couple benches. There are deer on that ridge. I saw probably 12-15 in 2 different groups. But buck sign is lacking big time. Almost no rubs. 1 scrape that looked like it was hit once or twice.

Thinking back, another buddy saw what he said was a monster last fall or the fall before in a field not far from where I had to end due to private land.


I'm kinda dumbfounded at the lack of buck sign.

Definitely a little bit of hunting pressure but nothing too crazy.


Probably going to write it off for now and hunt it in the late season.
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Re: 2022 scouting thread

Unread postby Hookslinger » Tue Mar 22, 2022 11:05 am

Got some more scouting in today. Learned alot about this piece as far as where guys seem to be hunting, and how the deer are using the terrain. Still seems to be pressured alot less than other public land nearby, which is great. I got two more trees picked out, close to confirmed bedding areas. One bed has a really tall rub right in it, so it's definitely a buck bed.

Something different I'm doing this scouting season is I am taking my sticks and saddle with me so that when I pick a kill tree I can actually get up in it and make sure it will work out good. This will give me more confidence in my set ups and give me more reps of practice so it's a win win.

I had a problem my first couple seasons hunting mobile in that I just didn't have the experience to pick out a tree by eye and know it was gonna work. I'd either pick a tree that was really difficult to climb, had no shooting lanes, or I would just be stuck not even being able to find a tree and end up pushing too far and ruining the hunt. Learning from my mistakes.
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Re: 2022 scouting thread

Unread postby mauser06 » Wed Mar 23, 2022 3:57 pm

Went to the other side of the road today.


Access isn't easy...even when the gate is open.


I've been in there a few times. One bear season I peeked over the hill to look for a bear. A 130-140 class buck was laying there. He slowly stood up. Stood there. Finally decided to sneak outta there.

Went back and bow hunted a different year. Didn't see a deer. Looking back at it today, my setup wasn't perfect...but it was good.

I put on probably 4 miles today.

The sign was unbelievable for big woods hill country around here.

There were plenty of distinct mature buck tracks. Rubs...historic and the past seasons. Some legit 4 finger tracks.

The top 1/3rd trail is distinct and followable just on rubs.

Found a few scrapes that will be killer.

I never found bedding. But with the scattered oaks and big hill country, it can be real tough to find. Traditional points are limited...so I'm not real sure how the mature bucks bed....it's something I'm trying to figure out because we run into that a lot. Not like SE Ohio where there are points everywhere. We often have ridges that can run for a mile or more.


Anyways, I'm excited with today's findings.


Onto the next, next week. Not sure where that is yet. I do have 1 area I need to re-scout and it's a priority....it was unbelievable scouting it last year. I only threw 1 hunt at it and saw 1 lone antlerless deer....going the wrong direction from what I thought. So I'll probably hit that next week because the sign was too good to let go.
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Re: 2022 scouting thread

Unread postby Hookslinger » Thu Mar 24, 2022 11:47 am

Went at it again today for about 5 hours. I finally got this particular game area done. I have five trees prepped and ready to go for four different bedding areas. One area in particular is just littered with good rubs from last year. In this spot the actual bedding is just across a creek, about 75 yards away from the tree I'll be in. The rubs are scattered all through out the area near my tree set up. Not sure what it all means yet, maybe a staging area coming out of the bedding so the bucks rub it up? Maybe lots of doe traffic making the bucks rub? Maybe an aggressive buck marking his core area? Not sure but I'm looking forward to finding out. I think my set ups are on point, but more than anything I will learn about the area by hunting it. Hopefully stick my first public land buck this year!
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Re: 2022 scouting thread

Unread postby Stingray713 » Sun Mar 27, 2022 2:03 pm

Bout as big a track as you can find around here
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Re: 2022 scouting thread

Unread postby Evanszach7 » Mon Mar 28, 2022 12:10 am

18 miles Friday in Ohio Hill country. Burned through the first 3 sections in 8 hours. 1 community scrape. Talked myself into the last one. 3 legit stand locations at that one. Best looking spot I've found out of the past 3 seasons. Picked up a 6 point side out of bedding from a young buck that was dropped 2 years ago. Good genetics
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Re: 2022 scouting thread

Unread postby Hookslinger » Tue Mar 29, 2022 11:47 am

Got some work done on a sliver of private ground I can hunt in farm country. New trees prepped farther in closer to the bedding. The owner and his son got into riding quads a little bit and made some trails back in there which messed my hunting up last year, so that's why I have to get farther in. I'm confident the deer still bed there, the back half is still untouchable even with them riding quads in the front half. I think the activity of the riding trails might actually help me because it eliminated some of the satellite bedding that use to make it hard to access without kicking up deer. Found some really tall rubs from last fall in there, chest high. I know the area has some mega bucks. If I play my cards right I should have a pretty good chance at something here.
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Re: 2022 scouting thread

Unread postby Elite » Thu Mar 31, 2022 4:03 am

I didn’t investigate this “bed” because of the wintry mix I was in. Work was closed today due to the weather so I decided to shed hunt a private spot. No sheds but I did find this possible bed right on the hard transition of where the pines meet the beans. Would be a north based bed. What do you think?
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Re: 2022 scouting thread

Unread postby Tennhunter3 » Fri Apr 01, 2022 10:27 am

Elite wrote:I didn’t investigate this “bed” because of the wintry mix I was in. Work was closed today due to the weather so I decided to shed hunt a private spot. No sheds but I did find this possible bed right on the hard transition of where the pines meet the beans. Would be a north based bed. What do you think?


Nightime bed probably.
Its too open to be a daytime bed in late season of a mature animal i think.

If the beans are tall. And it is out of direct sun in the afternoon a buck may use it in daytime early season.
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Re: 2022 scouting thread

Unread postby Elite » Fri Apr 01, 2022 11:08 am

Tennhunter3 wrote:
Elite wrote:I didn’t investigate this “bed” because of the wintry mix I was in. Work was closed today due to the weather so I decided to shed hunt a private spot. No sheds but I did find this possible bed right on the hard transition of where the pines meet the beans. Would be a north based bed. What do you think?


Nightime bed probably.
Its too open to be a daytime bed in late season of a mature animal i think.

If the beans are tall. And it is out of direct sun in the afternoon a buck may use it in daytime early season.


I thought it was too open too. Thanks


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