Food is everywhere, the hunting pressure is off, and the stress of growing. One of the most highly visible pieces of deer sign is the deer trail. Dead buck scouting tips whitetail habitat solutions. He has given us a photo essay on early scouting for whitetails way before they become wise to your. This can guide you through travel corridors you had overlooked because you were scouting. That doesnt mean your downtime between deer and turkey season should be wasted though. Scouting and hunting heavily pressured whitetails wdan infalt. In this video on how to scout whitetail deer, you learn how i approach scouting during each season of the year. Gerald almys guide to scouting for whitetail deer field. The more time and effort you spend scouting, observing and patterning deer after the hunting season, the less time you have to spend doing it before the next season. Scouting for deer free hunting tips and information. Oct 16, 2017 scouting public land for whitetails really doesnt have to be that difficult. Jul 20, 2017 highly efficient buck scouting tip successfully scouting for bucks on a new chunk of ground doesnt actually take as much time as you may think.
But there may be a few things that you do in that routine that could make or break bringing in that big buck. It only makes sense to take that obsession to the next level, make the most of your time right now, and implement early spring scouting into your game plan. Northern minnesota can present its challenges when it comes to spring scouting, simply because our spring is so short. You next look at the woods beyond the buck and wonder how you can get him in your sights in autumn daylight. While most hunters forget about whitetails during the latewinter period, it has become one of my favorite times to scout. Are you guys mostly just placing trail cameras out at this time of the year, or do you walk around and look for sign as well as potential entrance and exit routes for new stand locations. Ponds youll often discover a trail leading to water where deer come to drink in hot, dry. Sep 01, 2017 three tips for lowimpact deer scouting. The boys of summer, bachelor groups of whitetail bucks basking in the. In other words, information gathered regarding doe bedding areas, travel corridors, food sources, escape routes, rub lines, and so on, will likely hold true the following year. I say, keaton, im talking to you because there is no bull in you, just. Remember, moving about in a slow, sneaky pace marks you as a predator. I realize scouting trips are supposed to factfinding missions, but you must learn to gather your facts on the move.
The importance of the information gathered from scouting is similar to that of a set of blueprints for a house. One of those being that you can avoid the perils of procrastination. Two days after sighting in my rifle, i got a call from tim fallon. Pretty sure its the old buck i told you about last hunting season. My biggest lesson to date is the difference in the behavior of bucks between our bow and rifle seasons. Scouting is the most important work you will do all year in your quest for whitetail success. Its difficult to walk into an area, pick a random tree, and experience consistent success without it. Postseason scouting for whitetails 11 reasons to start. Being new to bow hunting, there are a lot of things i need to learn. The sign from the fall is all there waiting for me the trails, the rubs, and the scrapes. Postseason scouting hunting, whitetail hunting tips and. Heartland bowhunter photo scouting is the most important step in killing a deer. He dedicates so much time to the virtual mapping program partly because its his job, but also because he knows its the first critical step in finding and patterning mature bucks. Deer trails often intersect the tip of these fingers.
I prefer to do the majority of my scouting during the season after leaving the stand in the mornings. Pro guides and top outdoor writers provide tips, tricks and howtos for improving hunting and fishing success. Scouting public land for whitetails really doesnt have to be that difficult. Scouting public land for big buck whitetail movements, doesnt have to take a long time. This time of year, chasing big whitetails couldnt possibly feel further away. Tips for speed scouting public land whitetails youtube. I got my first lesson in deer scouting from a gentleman named ray bimber while we were sitting in front of a potbellied wood stove in a hunting camp. Scouting whitetails for archery season the blog of the. The mention of scouting for whitetail is likely to conjure up a multitude of ideas and interpretations.
If youre in the woods scouting for squirrel season, you also can scout for deer. Seeing bucks outside of our rifle season is great, of. You see a buck across a field in the soft, late light of a summer evening. Remember, whitetails possess far keener hearing abilities than we do. The truth is we dont do much scouting in the summer, he says. Any noise you can hear for any distance can be heard for a far greater distance by the deer. How to escout for public land whitetails meateater hunting.
Duckbuckgoose phj prostaff cincinnati, oh so the hunting season is over, now what. Now is the time to scout for whitetails midwest outdoors. Then when deer season arrives, thats where youll find both the bushytails and the whitetails. Take his suggestions, and youll be more likely to score some nice antlers this fall. Deer hunting tips guaranteed to improve your success in the. Highly efficient buck scouting tips whitetail habitat. Its a risky practice on public land, but in my book, the information to. Boone and crockett clubs complete guide to hunting. You can combine post season scouting with looking for shed antlers.
Milliken is a land specialist with whitetail properties a realestate company. In addition, while spring scouting for whitetail deer, hunters will be doing so under game conditions. Bow hunting tips for early season whitetails the first several weeks of october can be some of the most exciting days spent bow hunting or they can be downright tough. That can be tough, mentally, for the aspiring bigwoods bowhunter. Squirrel hunting requires you to stalk slowly and to listen and look. Scouting is an integral part of my yearly deer hunting experience. Mar 28, 20 whitetails for many, is a passion, an obsession. The whitetail addicts guide to postseason scouting. If you would like a ton of tips for archery and bowhunting whitetailed deer.
This video teaches you some of the basics on what to look for deer sign and how to analyze it when scouting for a good hunting spot. I like doing so during the late summer, but i do most of my scouting starting in late winter. So while im dreaming about scouting, heres a few things to love about it while youre out collecting information for next deer season. Leave the hard work behind, because here is a proven scouting tip to help you locate mature bucks in 2 days or less. Boone and crockett clubs complete guide to hunting whitetails. Highly efficient buck scouting tip successfully scouting for bucks on a new chunk of ground doesnt actually take as much time as you may think. Finetuning stand locations with the use of aerial photos and topographical maps was one of the topics discussed. He has given us a photo essay on early scouting for whitetails way before they become wise to your ways. During the deer rut, bucks will seek out doe bedding areas so remember where such spots are in your hunting area. Ive experienced that it is easy to over complicate your scouting efforts, in particular when it comes to public land whitetails. I concede the summer to the deer, and start scouting again late summer to early fall, mostly from a distance. Sep 17, 2014 the mention of scouting for whitetail is likely to conjure up a multitude of ideas and interpretations. American hunter summer scouting for big whitetails.
Aug 23, 2016 maybe too, im a bit old school when it comes to scouting for mature bucks. To make that happen you have to concede and understand a. Feb 15, 2020 the whitetails winter woods are a virtual blueprint for the upcoming season and the daily movement patterns of the deer in the area, revealing security cover that is otherwise obscured by the massive brush and food it offers in the fall. Scouting in the snow is a good way to locate bedding areas. For those of you who shed hunt, winter scouting to locate rub routes and buck bedding areas is an excellent way to stumble across a shed antler.
The easiest way to harvest a whitetail is to spend an evening waiting for one to arrive at its dining room. This is the only way you can remain on stand several hours without getting tired muscles. Steep ridges and points, combined with heavy thickets make it hard to get a good look at anything that isnt setting right in your lap. Speed scouting whitetails during the rut traveling to deer camp this year. Something many hunters dont realize is that the late winter and early spring months offers some of the best deer scouting opportunities of the year. In your deer hunt, scouting plays the most critical role. Scouting for whitetail through the season 365 whitetail. Milliken is a land specialist with whitetail properties a realestate company that deals some of the best deer hunting land in the country and its his job to assess properties and predict how trophy bucks will utilize them. In season scouting for whitetail deer sharing the outdoors. The importance of scouting before your hunting trip. The velvet on his rack in the diffused light is giving the buck cartoon proportions. Now is the very best time to scout your hunting area. Thats why countless hours are spent each year preparing for the hunt. Now is the perfect time to scout your deer hunting grounds.
Aug 29, 2014 every fall deer hunters go through their routine of getting ready for whitetail season. When i get in the thickbedding type areas keep your eyes open. I look for bedding areas, usage within heavy cover, and i also note how far the deer go during a normal cycle, if possible. In fact, the very deer youre after could pass by as little as 50 yards away and you would be none the wiser. Youre just not going to like what i have to say about earlyseason scouting. Nov 22, 20 whitetails most whitetailed deer live in heavy cover offered by woodlands, and hence, are most abundant along rivers and in forested areas of eastern nebraska. By bob fratzke this is a partial list of the questions most commonly asked over the years at the conclusion of my deer scouting and bowhunting seminars. And for the practical hunter, the work put in will equal the reward that comes out. Scouting smarter is worth far more then scouting longer. In order to scout properly you need to be able to interpret the signs. By scouting this way, you are scouting smart and not giving the deer a lot of opportunities to pattern you. Hi bill, i was curious about how much summer scouting you do on your land, as well as how much summertime scouting the public land guys do. Mar 10, 2015 5 expert spring scouting tips from dan infalt by mark kenyon were finally getting some warm weather up here in michigan and the monthslong blanket of snow is quickly disappearing. Deer hunting tips guaranteed to improve your success in the field boddington, craig, whittington, gordon, weishuhn, larry, winke, bill on.
Nov 17, 20 in season scouting for whitetail deer sharing the outdoors. When doing your inseason scouting, take the same scent free precautions you would take before preparing for a hunt and make sure to do it during mid day when whitetails arent as likely to be on their feet. Over the last ten years, one frequently asked is about the moon and its influence on the whitetailed deer. If you want to capitalize on the long offseason, now is the perfect time to download onx, put your virtual boots on the ground, and start e scouting. At 105years old, clyde roberts is the oldest hunter in north at 105years old, clyde roberts is the oldest hunter in north america. Schmidt deals with deer hunting a little more generally than the trophy hunting books. Oct 06, 2016 bow hunting tips for early season whitetails the first several weeks of october can be some of the most exciting days spent bow hunting or they can be downright tough. May 07, 2016 too, plan to squirrel hunt where youll bowhunt during the early bow season.
Wait until you see the trail camera picture we got of a buck last night. Revealing buck of a lifetime strategies since 2005. Heavily scouting bedding areas is best done during the offseason when disturbance will be a nonissue. Every bowhunter has his or her strategy for scouting and depending on the type of terrain and whether the location is eastern, southern, midwestern or western, there are a multitude of methods that will work effectively. The foliage on the trees and brush is down so you can see the lay of the land with ease and read subtle changes in the terrain that signal deer travel routes. American hunter scouting secrets for earlyseason bucks. The whitetails winter woods are a virtual blueprint for the upcoming season and the daily movement patterns of the deer in the area, revealing security cover that is otherwise obscured by the massive brush and food it offers in the fall. Also, try to move about the woods at a fairly good clip when scouting. How to scout whitetail deer seans outdoor adventures. Share this on facebook opens in new window share this on twitter opens in new window post a comment view 1 comment. Bowhunting mountain bucks hunting whitetails in the high.
In fact, you can speed scout your way to public land big buck success in just 2 scouting trips or less. Youre always teetering between knowing enough about a big whitetail to kill him and pressing so hard that you alert the. Hunt the fringes of bedding areas as not to disturb the deer. Whether you are hunting your best stands right away or saving them so you do not burn them out early in the year, think about what early season bow hunting tips may make you. Whitetails most whitetailed deer live in heavy cover offered by woodlands, and hence, are most abundant along rivers and in forested areas of eastern nebraska. More than one of my really nice texas whitetails were scouted during early fall dove season.
Hunting trophy whitetails is an endless journey that never truly ends. Sean mccosh duckbuckgoose phj prostaff cincinnati, oh last november three buddies and i traveled to a new location in south central ohio for a longweekend hunt during the rut. Big bucks, land management, rut reports, and tips and tricks for the. Speed scouting whitetails during the rut traveling to. Aug 30, 2012 i got my first lesson in deer scouting from a gentleman named ray bimber while we were sitting in front of a potbellied wood stove in a hunting camp.
Post season scouting is the most valuable scouting i do. Aug 01, 2005 gerald almys guide to scouting for whitetail deer. The influx of hunters orange into deer territory is gone and the animals have settled back into feeding patterns. Read finding lateseason whitetails and other bowhunting, hunting, whitetail hunting tips at s guide outdoors. I can hardly see anything at all because of how much snow weve got right now. My approach to bowhunting the area begins with a quick scouting trip of the feed. Here is a sevenstep plan to kill a giant whitetail next season. The sign from the past season is still reasonably fresh and visible. Deer trails are worn paths that are made by constant use as deer travel back and forth throughout the woods.
Every fall deer hunters go through their routine of getting ready for whitetail season. The importance of summer scouting for whitetails midwest. And now i can roam at will, explore those bedding areas, follow those scrape lines, hike every trail to see where it goes and where it comes from and all the while not worry a lick about spooking. You should be looking for trails, tracks, droppings, beds, food sources, rubs, scrapes, doe home ranges. A little time spent in the field before the beginning of the hunting season can make a huge difference in the success rate of the hunt. How to interpret deer sign rubs, scrapes, trails etc to reveal a bucks travel pattern, rattling. Scouting is the most important step in killing a deer. Posted on september 1, 2017 by ammoland editor duncan johnson. Highly efficient buck scouting tips whitetail habitat solutions. Jun 05, 20 hes one of the best whitetail photographers in the country, and hes no slouch at hunting either. Look for acorns, the squirrels will showup in these trees first and then the deer will appear there at the beginning of bow season.
A good hunter possesses both an analytical and a creative mind. I say, keaton, im talking to you because there is no bull in you, just experience with lots of big whitetails, so lay it on me. And in the case of human voices especially, the results are going to be far less than desirable. When to start and when to stop scouting for deer season.
Scouting in the spring time has several advantages. Postseason scouting for whitetails 11 reasons to start scouting for next season now. Big bucks, land management, rut reports, and tips and tricks for the whitetail obsessed. The next step to public land deer hunting success is making a call to. He has a lot of valuable tips that most hunters overlook and he bases his hunting on statisticssigthings in his hunting areas and compiled thousands. At 105years old, clyde roberts is the oldest hunter in north america, but he still returns to the woods every fall to hunt whitetail deer with his sons on their family farm. You will see a lot of deer when you are snow scouting and when they jump the chase is on. I then stop scouting that spot until i am walking in and out of the woods on the one or two days i hunt that spot during the hunting season. Im paraphrasing here, but the question generally is, what are your feelings about what role the moon plays in deer activity and the rut. Posted on november 1, 2016 october 9, 2019 by kate lobanova. Scouting is actually getting on the land to discover the high use areas of the animals by the sign they leave behind.
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