In-season scouting

Discuss the science of figuring out our prey through good detective work.
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justdirtyfun
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Re: In-season scouting

Unread postby justdirtyfun » Fri Jul 24, 2020 7:47 am

Grasshopper wrote: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.



For the "stupid spot" idea, I have seen a few like that also. On a farm property, one major rub area was downwind of the night time feeding area. He tore the place up but is not a worthwhile spot to hunt. Just on example from my experience.


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Re: In-season scouting

Unread postby Trout » Fri Jul 24, 2020 9:14 am

I was actually thinking about how I can do a better job of in season scouting during a boring meeting at work today and told myself to find this thread tonight.

I had a thought, almost an epiphany, that I think is going to take my in-season scouting to the next level. Think about how we scout post season and during the spring. We go out there like we have nothing to lose and find so much great sign. We find great sign scouting during the season, too, but as aggressive as we are, not many of us are as aggressive as we were when we scouted during the off season. And because of that, I am sure there are times when we dont find the hot sign. Well what if we threw caution to the wind in season the way we do when scouting out of season. What would the result be? What if we treated every hunting trip like an off season scouting mission, only difference being that we bring a treestand or saddle platform and sticks and a weapon so we can set up on hot sign? We would look some deer here and there, for sure, but we would have a heck of a season.
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Re: In-season scouting

Unread postby oldrank » Sat Jul 25, 2020 9:26 am

Sometimes you hit that point in the season where plan A has failed.
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Re: In-season scouting

Unread postby greenhorndave » Sat Jul 25, 2020 9:33 am

Trout wrote:I was actually thinking about how I can do a better job of in season scouting during a boring meeting at work today and told myself to find this thread tonight.

I had a thought, almost an epiphany, that I think is going to take my in-season scouting to the next level. Think about how we scout post season and during the spring. We go out there like we have nothing to lose and find so much great sign. We find great sign scouting during the season, too, but as aggressive as we are, not many of us are as aggressive as we were when we scouted during the off season. And because of that, I am sure there are times when we dont find the hot sign. Well what if we threw caution to the wind in season the way we do when scouting out of season. What would the result be? What if we treated every hunting trip like an off season scouting mission, only difference being that we bring a treestand or saddle platform and sticks and a weapon so we can set up on hot sign? We would look some deer here and there, for sure, but we would have a heck of a season.

I think you pretty much just described bowhunter4life and PK.
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Re: In-season scouting

Unread postby Dewey » Sat Jul 25, 2020 9:55 am

Trout wrote:I was actually thinking about how I can do a better job of in season scouting during a boring meeting at work today and told myself to find this thread tonight.

I had a thought, almost an epiphany, that I think is going to take my in-season scouting to the next level. Think about how we scout post season and during the spring. We go out there like we have nothing to lose and find so much great sign. We find great sign scouting during the season, too, but as aggressive as we are, not many of us are as aggressive as we were when we scouted during the off season. And because of that, I am sure there are times when we dont find the hot sign. Well what if we threw caution to the wind in season the way we do when scouting out of season. What would the result be? What if we treated every hunting trip like an off season scouting mission, only difference being that we bring a treestand or saddle platform and sticks and a weapon so we can set up on hot sign? We would look some deer here and there, for sure, but we would have a heck of a season.

Your describing exactly how I used to hunt years ago and had great results. In recent years I believe I am being a bit too cautious at times and not getting right in the hottest sign. I’m always looking for it but not always pushing the extreme limit. Like Dan says sometimes you just gotta roll the dice and go for it. Thinking back I had some really crazy hunts doing that before I knew any better. Thanks for bringing this up as a refresher. Sometimes we need to hear stuff from others to light the fire. I’m gonna make a conscience effort to really push the envelope this season.
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Re: In-season scouting

Unread postby greenhorndave » Sat Jul 25, 2020 10:39 am

Dewey wrote:
Trout wrote:I was actually thinking about how I can do a better job of in season scouting during a boring meeting at work today and told myself to find this thread tonight.

I had a thought, almost an epiphany, that I think is going to take my in-season scouting to the next level. Think about how we scout post season and during the spring. We go out there like we have nothing to lose and find so much great sign. We find great sign scouting during the season, too, but as aggressive as we are, not many of us are as aggressive as we were when we scouted during the off season. And because of that, I am sure there are times when we dont find the hot sign. Well what if we threw caution to the wind in season the way we do when scouting out of season. What would the result be? What if we treated every hunting trip like an off season scouting mission, only difference being that we bring a treestand or saddle platform and sticks and a weapon so we can set up on hot sign? We would look some deer here and there, for sure, but we would have a heck of a season.

Your describing exactly how I used to hunt years ago and had great results. In recent years I believe I am being a bit too cautious at times and not getting right in the hottest sign. I’m always looking for it but not always pushing the extreme limit. Like Dan says sometimes you just gotta roll the dice and go for it. Thinking back I had some really crazy hunts doing that before I knew any better. Thanks for bringing this up as a refresher. Sometimes we need to hear stuff from others to light the fire. I’m gonna make a conscience effort to really push the envelope this season.

Great comments from both Trout and Dewey. Much appreciated.

I’ve been feeling like Im in a rut (not THE rut) going into my second full Beast season. I’ve found some spots, some beds but I don’t feel like there’s anything dialed in. My best encounters last year... only one was pre-planned (and of course, I made a mistake). But the others were cyber scouting, knowing where human pressure was and reading the sign of that day or very recent days.

Your posts have helped energize me a bit and realize that I don’t need to have perfect plans, but at least a semblance of one, to not get discouraged by bumping stuff I didn’t know was there and let the dice fall where they may.
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Re: In-season scouting

Unread postby Dewey » Sat Jul 25, 2020 10:43 am

greenhorndave wrote:
Dewey wrote:
Trout wrote:I was actually thinking about how I can do a better job of in season scouting during a boring meeting at work today and told myself to find this thread tonight.

I had a thought, almost an epiphany, that I think is going to take my in-season scouting to the next level. Think about how we scout post season and during the spring. We go out there like we have nothing to lose and find so much great sign. We find great sign scouting during the season, too, but as aggressive as we are, not many of us are as aggressive as we were when we scouted during the off season. And because of that, I am sure there are times when we dont find the hot sign. Well what if we threw caution to the wind in season the way we do when scouting out of season. What would the result be? What if we treated every hunting trip like an off season scouting mission, only difference being that we bring a treestand or saddle platform and sticks and a weapon so we can set up on hot sign? We would look some deer here and there, for sure, but we would have a heck of a season.

Your describing exactly how I used to hunt years ago and had great results. In recent years I believe I am being a bit too cautious at times and not getting right in the hottest sign. I’m always looking for it but not always pushing the extreme limit. Like Dan says sometimes you just gotta roll the dice and go for it. Thinking back I had some really crazy hunts doing that before I knew any better. Thanks for bringing this up as a refresher. Sometimes we need to hear stuff from others to light the fire. I’m gonna make a conscience effort to really push the envelope this season.

Great comments from both Trout and Dewey. Much appreciated.

I’ve been feeling like Im in a rut (not THE rut) going into my second full Beast season. I’ve found some spots, some beds but I don’t feel like there’s anything dialed in. My best encounters last year... only one was pre-planned (and of course, I made a mistake). But the others were cyber scouting, knowing where human pressure was and reading the sign of that day or very recent days.

Your posts have helped energize me a bit and realize that I don’t need to have perfect plans, but at least a semblance of one, to not get discouraged by bumping stuff I didn’t know was there and let the dice fall where they may.

“If your not bumping them from time to time your not even in the game”

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Re: In-season scouting

Unread postby greenhorndave » Sat Jul 25, 2020 11:46 am

I play that one in my head all the time.

Maybe one day it will sink in. :lol:
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Re: In-season scouting

Unread postby MichiganMike » Sun Aug 16, 2020 6:11 am

burkhart wrote:I have to agree...if ur scouting you should have your gear and if your Pushing bedding you should nt burn any bridges and if u do scout it and press further.


Reading back on this thread- you guys make great point here about bringing your gear when in season scouting. I'll Try to make as brief of a point/short story here, something I encountered: I made the mistake of checking a rub line without my bow a couple years ago. I was on my "lunch break" and being nonchalant. I went down the ravine from where I parked to check a rub line on a creek bottom. The creek bottom is surrounded by thick brush and smaller poplar and ash that bucks traditionally rub. The rub line heads over to doe bedding that is on an oxbow of the creek. I was on the opposite side of creek to keep off the trail/rubline just so I could get a glance. I knew the beck beds fairly close to this line. Well- the rub line was opened and fresh. As i started back from where I came from, I heard some faint low grunts and sloshing in the swamp at about a 11:00 angle from me if I am looking South. Here comes a 140+ to check me out- thinking I am a doe. Oh crap! fortunately there were blow downs on the side I was on and hid behind one. There he was about 30 yds from me- No bow in my hand. put his nose up in the air and was scent checking the wind stream. Started to get a little nervous and eventually headed away from me and up an alternate trail from where he came. wouldn't of taken the shot because there were briars and brush etc in the way, but he very well could of started down his rubline trail toward me. Long story short and lesson for me? BRING YOUR BOW OR GUN WHEN IN SEASON SCOUTING PERIOD! :)
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Re: In-season scouting

Unread postby MsDeltakilla » Thu Aug 27, 2020 12:44 pm

hunter_mike wrote:Another spot to walk that i think of when i in-season scout is all the areas where all the other hunters are hunting or basically any area that you aren't intending to hunt. Thats where i find a lot of the scrapes and rubs that are mainly made at night. This stuff is usually far enough from bedding that im not going to booger any bucks but often its location will indicate to me that one or two bedding areas are where the buck who is working the scrape is hanging out.

I really do this in season: i draw an imaginary 150 yd circle around all the beds in the area and that leaves me with plenty of space to walk and find nighttime sign that can help me zero in on certain bedding areas that are way hotter than others. I do this myself and it sounds dumb because we always preach to go where others dont go but if you think about it, it makes sense and i honestly think it helps me. And im not really adding pressure by walking where other people walk. There is buck sign all over these areas in many instances. Even when there is tons of hunters hunting right over top of it. Where is the one place you dont want to scout in season? A bedding area that is occupied by a big buck. You already know where the bedding is, so you want to read the land around the bedding to try and read which bedding is hot. Thats my take on in season scouting.



This is 110% true in the Mississippi delta. Guys here hunt the same as anywhere else. See a brand new scrape and 3 rubs next to it and they are setting up right there. I love what hunter mike said, walk around the bedding, where others may go. Read the sign to know if a good buck is in the area. I only go IN a bedding area when I feel like it’s time to kill.
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Re: In-season scouting

Unread postby LCAHOONE » Sat Sep 17, 2022 10:37 am

A basic and stupid question: It's in-season, you are hunting, and you come upon an empty bed (a lone and large buck bed, or one of a set of doe beds), how do you know whether it is a night-time feeding area bed, or a day-bed that you have just bumped them out of? Deer bed at night too. How do you recognize that it's a huntable day bed, maybe one you just bumped, or an unhuntable night bed? Is the only clue the surrounding area (best food source, minimal cover = night bed)? Or something about the bed?
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Re: In-season scouting

Unread postby Tennhunter3 » Sat Sep 17, 2022 10:50 am

LCAHOONE wrote:A basic and stupid question: It's in-season, you are hunting, and you come upon an empty bed (a lone and large buck bed, or one of a set of doe beds), how do you know whether it is a night-time feeding area bed, or a day-bed that you have just bumped them out of? Deer bed at night too. How do you recognize that it's a huntable day bed, maybe one you just bumped, or an unhuntable night bed? Is the only clue the surrounding area (best food source, minimal cover = night bed)? Or something about the bed?


I'm still learning this myself.
Early season bedding can be tricky because at least in my areas even the open areas appear sort of thick.

Late season I'd say anything very open and exposed is likely night bedding. I think in some spots the only way to know is to hunt downwind of it in the morning. If a buck tries to enter in Am it's a day bedding area. It may ruin that spot for a month or two but it's intel. If I see nothing multiple sits am I assume it's night bedding. I'm sure I'm wrong sometimes.

Rut bedding can also be tricky if it's near a doe group. You can sit it early season and never see a thing and assume it's night bedding when it's a set period of time bedding. I think rut bedding is the most difficult to figure out.

Cameras can help but a cam over the bed is risky.
You may be able to put a cam on a low trail a hundred yards or so from the expected J hook.

Throw some am sits if you not sure anytime were able to enjoy nature its a great day. I always view morning hunting as a learning experience while saving my go to for sure spots pm..
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Re: In-season scouting

Unread postby szwampdonkey » Thu Sep 22, 2022 1:29 am

LCAHOONE wrote:A basic and stupid question: It's in-season, you are hunting, and you come upon an empty bed (a lone and large buck bed, or one of a set of doe beds), how do you know whether it is a night-time feeding area bed, or a day-bed that you have just bumped them out of? Deer bed at night too. How do you recognize that it's a huntable day bed, maybe one you just bumped, or an unhuntable night bed? Is the only clue the surrounding area (best food source, minimal cover = night bed)? Or something about the bed?



Don’t overthink it.

Wide open and exposed would be a night bed where they laid down for a bit. They don’t regularly use a certain bed at night they just lay down where they like. They are to be ignored as they have no bearing on where or how you’d hunt them.

I have an old trail cam pick of three deer bedding in a mowed hay field 100 yards from the land owners house. The cam was there just to catch nighttime activity of deer cruising the tree line along the field yet these deer bedded right in front of it for several hours in the middle of the night and clearly would never choose that spot in broad daylight.

Day bed will be in thick security cover and used over and over until something changes causing them to use a different spot be it food source changed or human intrusion.
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Re: In-season scouting

Unread postby Huntress13 » Fri Sep 23, 2022 12:15 am

Gòod thread, I just read the recent posts, need to go back and read the whole thing.

I plan to do more of scouting new places I've never been in this year. So based on cyber scouting, make a plan for the day based on wind and access and scout into the areas I think look promising.
Also plan to get a little more aggressive on private club land, last year I went just a little deeper than my previous spots and started seeing bucks, I think I need to push in just a little farther for better kill spots.
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Re: In-season scouting

Unread postby Ack » Fri Sep 23, 2022 2:54 am

Post number 2 by Magicman is in my opinion the best way to go about in season scouting. You have to be smart about it and not just blow through the secure bedding areas. Too many guys doing the same thing on a piece of public is eventually going to push those deer to other properties. Tread lightly, scout smart and be ready to hunt the sign you find immediately.


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