I live 3 miles from a descent chunk of public land that has produced some really nice bucks for some reason I've never hunted it. Well I've decided next season that is changing and I know now is the perfect time to start scouting so with that being said, please comment anything you would do, things to keep an eye out for and keep in mind while scouting, and anything you do to help scout as productive and efficient as possible. Thanks in advance!
Study aerials and boots on the ground. Post a map maybe the brain trust here can point you in the right direction
As I look for deer sign I would also look for human activity as well as access. I always hate to do my homework only to find that someone else is doing the same thing and when the sun comes up on opening morning, to find myself staring at another hunter, three trees down!
I tend to focus on finding good food sources, nothing can beat a few producing oak trees. Second I look for old rut signs. Old rubs and scapes. As I explore those sights I make note of bedding areas near by. Outside of putting boots on ground as said before there are plenty of apps that can use mapping to see the bigger picture of the area. Sent from my XT1635-01 using Bowhunting.com Forums mobile app
I hunt exclusively on public land, and use several pieces that range from nearly untouched by deer hunters (land is primarly used for waterfowl/upland hunting...) to highly pressured. I am not an expert by any stretch, but have had some success over the years. Some stuff that has worked for me: Make every single trip into the woods an information gathering trip. If you don't have one get a GPS. I keep track of manmade trails, deer trails, deer sign, other hunters treestands, deer I bump, sheds I find, trucks parked on the side of the roads during season, other people I see, etc. When I get home I put it all into a google earth database. Eventually you will be able to figure out what areas people use often, and what areas are left alone. Unless you have a reason to, try to use a different route every time you go into the woods to see new stuff. Use fresh snow and fresh mud, especially during and right after the hunting season. All deer sign is useful, but often difficult to get information from. If you see deer tracks within 24 hours of fresh snow or hard rain you know that they are current. Once you know where the deer are moving, try to figure out when, why, and what type of deer. Follow the trail, record it with a GPS. If the season is open, I am still hunting along the track. If the season is closed, who cares if I push some deer. Obviously information gathered while deer feel "pressured" is more valuable then information gathered during the unpressured time of the year. I have had far more luck locating deer using this method then I have hunting more obvious food sources, bedding areas, and travel corridors. I believe that this is because hunting pressure is the biggest influence on when/where deer move. Also, those obvious food sources, bedding areas, and travel corridors are typically places where loads of hunters compete to hunt and inevitably frustrate each other, in addition to educating deer not to use those areas until after dark... Don't get frustrated when other people ruin your hunts. If you hunt public land long enough it will happen. You can't control who uses the land or when and how they use it. When this happens all you can do is be flexible, change your plan accordingly, and keep trying.
Look for different access points, away from where everyone parks, even if you have to be dropped off. Or get permission to cross private land? Or maybe bike in? Then don't go far, stay very near where you entered, it will likely see little pressure.
You said decent chunk of land but, did not really say how many acres. Would be very keen to know the approx amount. Others have posted good advice so, I'll keep these short. Few comments: - Trail cams might tell you next to nothing this time of year. I would still put a couple out for fun. Just don't make judgement so quickly. - Cover lots of areas and try to narrow down a handful of sections you think look good. Signs of deer are a bonus. - If you plan to target big buck..which it sounds like you want to do. I would simply look for large rubs. That is a clear sign that big buck have used the area in the past season or two. Can start using those markers to find specific areas in and out of cover, food, etc.
Just remember you aren't gonna be the only one out there. Lock your trail cams and equipment up if you leave it in the woods. Public land can be good if you have some elbow room.
One of the main things i look for when scouting is the direction the tracks are going,,,, If I see the tracks going in the direction of a known food source, I come in early like 3 am, set up and wait as deer will be headed home to bed down,, I'll also be in this spot again about 3pm as the deer will be headed out to eat in a short while...Remember this though, the bucks will be the last out in the evening, and the first in, in the mornings. Also stay in your stand, blind whatever it is you use, between 11 am and 3 pm as most of the reports I've read show this is when most big bucks are taken due to the human foot traffic , and them moving to avoid the humans..... Good luck
Not sure what the weather is like in Kentucky right now, but I would wait until mid-March to start your scouting if deer are still struggling with food sources you don't want to push them too hard. Start by shed hunting, this could indicate potential buck beds. Rub lines. Deer are creatures of habit, they often use the same trails. That being said; summer scouting and fall scouting are different. Just because deer are there during the summer, doesn't mean they will be there on opening day. Find food, cover & water, then you figure out the pathways they use to get from one to the other. Make sure you find adequate access to and from your stand (prevalent wind direction and cover is key here) Look up! Trees that have bite marks of climbers in them, indicate pressure. Sometimes you will find "the perfect spot" only to be surrounded by other hunters. Go far, go deep, get into the thick of it and wait for the right moment. You don't want to educate other hunters of your spot, nor the deer. Most people are lazy and wont go that extra mile to get to a good stand location. Be that guy that goes beyond to make it happen. Definitely trail cameras, but make sure you use bear boxes & python locks or something, or they will go missing. Best of luck
Also as far as gps goes, would you recommend buying one or are there any apps that work well or better? Sent from my iPhone using Bowhunting.com Forums
On x hunt maps is awesome it also tells you who owns each piece of private land I've gotten permission to so many spots just cause this app. But it has a topographic maps and all kinds of structure maps you can mark were you hunt and it tracks your foot steps each time so you won't get lost or know where that exact tree is for the next time on public it also tells you the public boundaries and let's you know if your across them it does a whole bunch check it out it a great app to have.
But I don't use a GPS I use onx hunt maps and scoutlook those 2 apps is all you need I'm my opinion. Now if I was mountain hunting then I'd get a GPS but here in the Midwest you don't need one imo.
The more I keep scouting the more I realize how hard it is to find a really good spot. Some days I scout for 5 hours I don't find a spot where I would waste a hunt. So in a nutshell, scout harder than you hunt.
Is it an area that produces big bucks? is the public parcel terrain rolling hills? does the public parcel have farmland? is it a really big place for yearling buck harvest for gun hunters? All those answers will tell you if that areas got nice bucks year after year.
What virginiashadow said, the harder you scout the better. With big parcels bottlenecks are key IMO, anything to constrict deer movement. If you don't have a lot of time, pick an area, say 300 acres for now, and learn it intimately. Avoid deep woods, hunters migrate to deep areas(you know, the whole "go deeper than the next guy") and it's a load of crap, stay near the edges.
Hard scouting doesn't tell you if that areas got a big buck. You could be scouting and all you saw is a yearling buck, a doe and got pics of a yearling bucks and does . Size, terrain and if the areas for farmland are the main keys if that parcels got big bucks roaming around year after year. If its all big woods. Lots of scouting, more hit or misses if there's a big buck there or not and try not getting lost.
