Late Spring Scouting Tips

Discuss the science of figuring out our prey through good detective work.
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swiftni
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Late Spring Scouting Tips

Unread postby swiftni » Sat Apr 30, 2022 2:49 am

After seriously ramping up my post season scouting efforts this year, I still can’t stay off of OnX and I’ve identified more locations I need to explore.

Are there any extra considerations to think about when scouting at this stage in the spring? Green is popping more and more daily here in MI, and I want to make sure I maximize my scouting trip even though it isn’t the ideal time to scout.

Scouting terrain in mind is mixed swamp habitat.


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szwampdonkey
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Re: Late Spring Scouting Tips

Unread postby szwampdonkey » Sat Apr 30, 2022 3:26 am

Any time to be out scouting is an ideal time to be scouting. Any time you spend out there will slowly help you piece it all together. I scout year round basically and my technique never varies. Anything i find i simply think to myself, “where is he bedding and how/when can i get close enough to kill him”, that’s basically it.
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Re: Late Spring Scouting Tips

Unread postby swiftni » Sat Apr 30, 2022 3:45 am

szwampdonkey wrote:Any time to be out scouting is an ideal time to be scouting. Any time you spend out there will slowly help you piece it all together. I scout year round basically and my technique never varies. Anything i find i simply think to myself, “where is he bedding and how/when can i get close enough to kill him”, that’s basically it.


What types of things are you looking for post-green up to identify fall time buck bedding? I have terrain features (points into the swamp, isolated trees) that I believe could hold bucks, but will I be able to find evidence of fall time bedding? Should I be focusing on finding rubbed up areas in places I suspect to be prime bedding?
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szwampdonkey
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Re: Late Spring Scouting Tips

Unread postby szwampdonkey » Sat Apr 30, 2022 4:12 am

swiftni wrote:
szwampdonkey wrote:Any time to be out scouting is an ideal time to be scouting. Any time you spend out there will slowly help you piece it all together. I scout year round basically and my technique never varies. Anything i find i simply think to myself, “where is he bedding and how/when can i get close enough to kill him”, that’s basically it.


What types of things are you looking for post-green up to identify fall time buck bedding? I have terrain features (points into the swamp, isolated trees) that I believe could hold bucks, but will I be able to find evidence of fall time bedding? Should I be focusing on finding rubbed up areas in places I suspect to be prime bedding?


Yep to all above. Buck sign, mainly old rubs in spots you’d think they’d be in fall.

Additionally though pay attention to the fresh sign you’re seeing out there too. As they transition to summer patterns they’ll most likely be doing the exact same thing when the season opens. Sept in WI or the first two weeks in any state is one of the best (and underrated/overlooked) times to kill a mature Buck while they 1. are still in summer patterns and 2. haven’t been harassed by hunters in months. If you are able to pattern a buck in July or Aug you have an excellent chance to kill him before a lot of guys even think about entering the woods.

You can start putting that type of intel together right now. One thing i’ll add though is once we start to slide into late July or for sure Aug is stay out of anyplace i consider a kill spot or bedding. I have my early season game plan well established by then and wouldn’t want to alter their movements right before i have a chance to hunt them. I often keep tabs on these areas from afar via good vantage points with binos or even roads adjacent to ag fields they’re using.

Best of luck.
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Re: Late Spring Scouting Tips

Unread postby swiftni » Sat Apr 30, 2022 4:43 am

szwampdonkey wrote:
swiftni wrote:
szwampdonkey wrote:Any time to be out scouting is an ideal time to be scouting. Any time you spend out there will slowly help you piece it all together. I scout year round basically and my technique never varies. Anything i find i simply think to myself, “where is he bedding and how/when can i get close enough to kill him”, that’s basically it.


What types of things are you looking for post-green up to identify fall time buck bedding? I have terrain features (points into the swamp, isolated trees) that I believe could hold bucks, but will I be able to find evidence of fall time bedding? Should I be focusing on finding rubbed up areas in places I suspect to be prime bedding?


Yep to all above. Buck sign, mainly old rubs in spots you’d think they’d be in fall.

Additionally though pay attention to the fresh sign you’re seeing out there too. As they transition to summer patterns they’ll most likely be doing the exact same thing when the season opens. Sept in WI or the first two weeks in any state is one of the best (and underrated/overlooked) times to kill a mature Buck while they 1. are still in summer patterns and 2. haven’t been harassed by hunters in months. If you are able to pattern a buck in July or Aug you have an excellent chance to kill him before a lot of guys even think about entering the woods.

You can start putting that type of intel together right now. One thing i’ll add though is once we start to slide into late July or for sure Aug is stay out of anyplace i consider a kill spot or bedding. I have my early season game plan well established by then and wouldn’t want to alter their movements right before i have a chance to hunt them. I often keep tabs on these areas from afar via good vantage points with binos or even roads adjacent to ag fields they’re using.

Best of luck.


Perfect thank you! My thought was to wrap up the deep dive scouting very soon (like you said about staying out of the bedding) and then focus on monitoring movement and later in the summer seeing what food sources will be producing come October.
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Re: Late Spring Scouting Tips

Unread postby Hookslinger » Sat Apr 30, 2022 2:18 pm

Green up will make scrapes and rut sign more difficult to see, but bedding in swamps will still be easy enough to find, unless the water level is high and the beds are flooded. The exit trails should be pretty visible too. An area that only gets bedded early season will be harder to see also. I'm new at this, only a few years into Beast tactics, but that's my 2 cents.
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Re: Late Spring Scouting Tips

Unread postby swiftni » Sun May 01, 2022 12:54 am

Hookslinger wrote:Green up will make scrapes and rut sign more difficult to see, but bedding in swamps will still be easy enough to find, unless the water level is high and the beds are flooded. The exit trails should be pretty visible too. An area that only gets bedded early season will be harder to see also. I'm new at this, only a few years into Beast tactics, but that's my 2 cents.


That’s still helpful, I was wondering if those fall beds would be visible still. Planning on spending some time in the woods tomorrow.
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Re: Late Spring Scouting Tips

Unread postby Dewey » Sun May 01, 2022 3:41 am

I like early stages of green up for finding primary beds. You can still see the old matted down vegetation from last fall and also see the current green sprouts packed down as well showing bed usage right now.
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Re: Late Spring Scouting Tips

Unread postby swiftni » Sun May 01, 2022 3:17 pm

Dewey wrote:I like early stages of green up for finding primary beds. You can still see the old matted down vegetation from last fall and also see the current green sprouts packed down as well showing bed usage right now.


That’s a great piece of advice, will keep that in mind. Thank you!
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Re: Late Spring Scouting Tips

Unread postby dan » Tue May 03, 2022 4:17 am

I would like to add that yiu should keep in mind that there are turkey hunters out there and you should avoid areas that have trucks parked to be respectful to their hunt
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Re: Late Spring Scouting Tips

Unread postby swiftni » Tue May 03, 2022 1:02 pm

dan wrote:I would like to add that yiu should keep in mind that there are turkey hunters out there and you should avoid areas that have trucks parked to be respectful to their hunt


Good point, would hate to have someone come stomping through my turkey hunt. Had it happen to me on private 2 weeks back actually.


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