scouting a new area

Discuss the science of figuring out our prey through good detective work.
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oldtimer71
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scouting a new area

Unread postby oldtimer71 » Sat Aug 13, 2022 7:40 am

I finally received permission to hunt a new piece of private. I've been talking to the owner since April. Went out last night for the first time and glassed from several hundred yards and saw several bucks and two very nice bucks. Couldn't count the points, to far away. Anyway since I have permission to hunt this property and it being so close the hunting season should I wait until a rainy day and go in and look around? This is ag country in central Michigan with roughly 75 to 100 acres of woods. A anyone have any thoughts on this. I'm the only person who will be hunting this property and I don't want to screw this up.


Moose
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Re: scouting a new area

Unread postby Moose » Sat Aug 13, 2022 2:19 pm

Can you set up an observation stand to see where the bucks are coming from? If your season opens in September I would wait. If it opens in October I would say go in 1 time and that's it. I like to play it safe when season is close especially if you're the only one hunting it.
oldtimer71
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Re: scouting a new area

Unread postby oldtimer71 » Sat Aug 13, 2022 3:01 pm

yep, that's exactly what I've done. I've only been able to glass for two days and it's suppose to pour tomorrow. I'm going in as soon as it starts raining. Thanks for the feed back. Good luck this year.
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justdirtyfun
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Re: scouting a new area

Unread postby justdirtyfun » Sun Aug 14, 2022 9:49 am

Can you see expected travel routes on an aerial map? More to the point, can you see travel routes beyond the property boundaries?
Try not to pressure those trails unless you are doing it for a reason. We should be able to pattern them, but not the other way around.
Private ground usually means 1 or 2 access points and the deer know them. So make a plan to be unpredictable for the deer.
What spot do they get a free pass on? To thick, wrong end of property? Somewhere in there, they are most comfortable so being close to that spot without being detected is high odds for success.
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szwampdonkey
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Re: scouting a new area

Unread postby szwampdonkey » Thu Aug 18, 2022 4:09 am

If I was in your shoes i’d scout via aerial photos to find my top 2-3 likely spots, good well run trails, etc and then plan a way to get in to those spots. Then i’d stay out of there completely until the day i plan to hunt it, stand on my back. I wouldnt walk around in there at all if you’ve already been able to locate nice bucks via glassing. For me, that would be all i need to know i’d figure out the rest as i hunted them.

Every time you step foot in there you’re increasing the odds those bucks will figure out you’re on to them and they will become that much harder to kill. Scouting your way in as you hunt is the best way to get the jump on them.

Good luck!
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Re: scouting a new area

Unread postby Jello » Wed Sep 07, 2022 2:43 pm

Hey! This is my first post on this site and this may not be the way to go about this and I apologize if in a way I'm highjacking this thread or changing the subject but I have a scouting question. I recently got permission to hunt some private land. It is about 200 acres in a fairly residental area. I have one spot that I found with some good sign when doing a little scouting this summer. However, the other night got a text and picture from the owner with a very nice buck at 10pm. He is not where I thought a buck would be nor near where I thought the bedding would be in this area. Just looking for some advice on where you guys might focus since the season is right around the corner and I am new to deer hunting. Only my second season hunting and though I have read a ton and watched a lot of videos I still feel like my scouting and hunting knowledge is very minimal. I appreciate any advice you guys can share. The red star is where the buck was spotted.
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Huntress13
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Re: scouting a new area

Unread postby Huntress13 » Thu Sep 08, 2022 12:26 am

Jello wrote:Hey! This is my first post on this site and this may not be the way to go about this and I apologize if in a way I'm highjacking this thread or changing the subject but I have a scouting question. I recently got permission to hunt some private land. It is about 200 acres in a fairly residental area. I have one spot that I found with some good sign when doing a little scouting this summer. However, the other night got a text and picture from the owner with a very nice buck at 10pm. He is not where I thought a buck would be nor near where I thought the bedding would be in this area. Just looking for some advice on where you guys might focus since the season is right around the corner and I am new to deer hunting. Only my second season hunting and though I have read a ton and watched a lot of videos I still feel like my scouting and hunting knowledge is very minimal. I appreciate any advice you guys can share. The red star is where the buck was spotted.


What time did he see the buck? At night? The buck can cover a lot of ground after nightfall.

If before dark, I would think he could have been bedded in that swamp across the street and was moving somewhere else and using the strip between that trail and the residential street to get there. Any oaks in those woods? What are the deer eating?
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<DK>
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Re: scouting a new area

Unread postby <DK> » Thu Sep 08, 2022 1:16 am

Walk the crop field edges and locate the biggest tracks. Its very minimal intrusion and then start to try and piece together some more of the puzzle.

Figure out if the woodlots are bedding or transition zones only
Last edited by <DK> on Thu Sep 08, 2022 1:24 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: scouting a new area

Unread postby <DK> » Thu Sep 08, 2022 1:22 am

Jello wrote:Hey! This is my first post on this site and this may not be the way to go about this and I apologize if in a way I'm highjacking this thread or changing the subject but I have a scouting question. I recently got permission to hunt some private land. It is about 200 acres in a fairly residental area. I have one spot that I found with some good sign when doing a little scouting this summer. However, the other night got a text and picture from the owner with a very nice buck at 10pm. He is not where I thought a buck would be nor near where I thought the bedding would be in this area. Just looking for some advice on where you guys might focus since the season is right around the corner and I am new to deer hunting. Only my second season hunting and though I have read a ton and watched a lot of videos I still feel like my scouting and hunting knowledge is very minimal. I appreciate any advice you guys can share. The red star is where the buck was spotted.


More info would help. Where did you expect them to be ? What was the wind direction for the day of the pic ? What are the property lines ?

Here is a quick mark up, id say across the road in that thick bottom looks the best

Image
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Re: scouting a new area

Unread postby Jello » Thu Sep 08, 2022 2:44 am

Thanks so much for the replies guys. I scouted the marshy area across the street and didn’t see a lot of sign. I’m not saying that isn’t where he is bedding just that I didn’t see much sign. The property has red oaks scattered throughout it mixed in with pines and maples with a lot of thick areas of mountain laurel. There are cart roads cut through parts of the property with campsites that are used in the summer. There isn’t really what I would call crops on the property, there is a ball field and a few open lawns but nothing planted. I found an area where I believe deer are bedding and several trails converging with historic rubs. I set a camera up but have only seen does come through. The buck was seen at 9:40pm (a little over 2 hrs after sunset) heading south east towards the road and the marshy area with a WSW wind. I highlighted in red where I believe bedding is and where the rubs are located, ( sorry not great at editing photos on my phone with my fat fingers) blue is the property boundary.
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