2023 Scouting Report

[Hawthorne]

I checked out two new spots yesterday I’ve never stepped foot on. First spot didn’t turn up anything of interest spent 3 hours of walking there. Second spot has more potential started finding good sign. Will return a second time to really pick it apart. Also it looked like a great turkey spot . Droppings and scratching all over the ridge. Walked about 5 hours total yesterday

[oldrank]

We put down about 6 miles of boot leather Saturday. I'm ready for deer season. I am really liking the big woods habitat of Northern Michigan. I feel I'm starting to understand the movements alot better. The space is amazing. Our main objective was to have enough area scouted to support 5 hunters at deer camp without stepping on each other's toes. I feel that is now accomplished. There is still so much land to explore within easy driving distance. I may never get to all of it in my life time.

[MartyMoose]

Went out yesterday morning for 3 hours to scout a section of public not far from my house. The front by the road is all row pines with several old skidder trails leading toward the back. I walked the trail back 1/4 of a mile and it split to the east and west, continued to the north and happened upon a decent size marsh. Cut across the marsh and found some sign out by the willows and tamaracks. Came upon a decent sized island with lots of sign, but also hunter sign. Circled the whole perimeter of the island until I found very faint sign leading out towards a small creek. There was a buffer of about 60-80 yards between the island and the creek. Found a lot of rubs from this season and some fresh buck beds on a small oxbow. Continued on and found a lone burr oak tree that had a large amount of poop and tracks beneath it, trails coming to the tree from multiple directions. Also found another high spot near a small pond where there were a large amount of doe beds. Hopeful that I can give that area a shot next season. Plan to go in and hang a camera or two in a couple of weeks to let soak. First time venturing into a wetland/marsh area. A little intimidating for a fat guy like me!

Marty

[Hookslinger]

If this weather keeps up I'll have my spring scouting done before spring . I'm dialing in some of my private land spots. One in particular I have dissected in depth, using trail cam data and following the trails back to the beds in the swamp. I also popped into a public land marsh that I believe may be overlooked, and found a good looking buck bed. Tomorrow will be 40 degrees and looks like I'll be able to hit it again!

[justdirtyfun]

I hiked a perimeter of a river bottom field with the wife. Cut a nice track near the creek and found it back again on opposite edge.
Warm and enjoyable. Pressure of season has gone.

[Evanszach7]

Scouted a spot between parking lots I've overlooked a few years. Jumped 2 doe family groups and a couple bucks. Looks to be the missing piece to an area I've got history with. 2 hours to breakdown 20 acres. Pic is from a buck bed watching a hiking bridge. Place was tore up from prerut.

[Usi05]

My oldest daughter and I did a few more hours today. Found a few solid rut areas and a few solid early season spots.

Limited parking access near this spot and you have to cross water! Feeling good about deer being pretty unpressured in that area.

[Usi05]

3 more miles today. The snow we finally got in Lower Mi made it so I was only one out. Every weekend prior there was nature walkers everywhere. Enjoy being able to scout without other people out.

Went into an area that starts with corn fields. Behind them is thickets and then oaks. Behind them is a creek that runs all though property and you have to cross it to get to marsh.

Had two areas picked on map and found good sign and kill trees in both. Kill trees must be from some old beasts because I found old pegs in a tree in each area but they look old.

Slowly working through different areas each weekend and pinning different areas of interest. By April I should have more spots marked then I could possibly hunt in one season.

Feels good get a good scout and workout in. Walking through all the snow was no joke!

[Trail]

Finally able to head out yesterday and put up a trail camera. I still have a few places I need to scout within the next month which is exciting.

[Trail]

Went to check out my family's back 40 today. There's about 4 acres of thicket/crp that's gotten real nasty over the past few years. The does bed towards the northern end while a few bucks have always bedded to the south. Found a pretty good trail running through it from bucks scent checking the does it during the rut. About 10 rubbed trees along the trail alone. There's a pretty secure buck bed to the south. I can't come up with a plan to hunt it as there's no trees capable of a stand within 75 yards of it. It's situated perfectly to allow him to lay in his bed and scent check the does while watching to the south. Found a pretty big pile of droppings in the middle of the bed.

Quickly put up a trail camera three days ago on the same property. Went to check it after checking out the crp bottom and it was gone. Funnily enough my uncle went down there squirrel hunting yesterday. Somehow over 5 years I've never had a camera stolen on public land but I've had 3 stolen within the last year on my family's.

[Usi05]

Gang, stop me at any point if I began to update too much.

I feel like I’ve gotten better as a hunter every year since finding this site. My encounters have gone up and up each year. I’m passing more deer each year looking for the right deer but still filling my buck tags each year.

This year I’m really focused on Hill country. I feel like it’s the weakest part of my skill set and here where I hunt the pressure in hills is pretty light in comparison to flat lands.

I have been reading mapping trophy bucks and scouting each weekend. Combine those two things with all I’ve learned from here and hunting elk out west and I am finally feeling like I’m reading to bridge that gap in my hill country game.

I have been finding beds and checking key topo features while marking stand locations each scout.

I used to spend the first 9 months of year heavily focused on Elk. This last two years it’s really been all about deer and it doesn’t stop until I have an elk tag and can start planning that trip as it’s my first hunt each year.

I have some pins set now and I cannot wait until this weekend to get 4-5 miles in to validate my map thoughts.

[Usi05]

Got a few miles in today in Marsh and then in another section of hill country. Found some solid beds and marked some trees. We will see what next weekend brings

[Wihunter95]

Checked out a section yesterday and found 3 illegal stands and a camera and not much for BIG sign. Feels nice to be able to get out and scout, I have some spots im really excited about figuring out.

[justdirtyfun]

Had 2 cameras on National forest and picked them up today. Setting since Dec.
Found a couple daytime buck pics. 1 had 2 bucks in it.
They survived even though the nearby saddle has 2 ladder stands on it. And the field edge has another ladder stand within 120 yards of the camera. So much for the orange army ruining things.

Better up my game for next year.

[Usi05]

2 miles this afternoon in some thickets. Found some killer sign for next year. I suspect it will also be a great rut spot