*Official 2020 Scouting Thread

Discussion in 'Bowhunting Talk' started by virginiashadow, Jan 4, 2020.

  1. WildernessPhantom

    WildernessPhantom Weekend Warrior

    Joined:
    Aug 21, 2018
    Posts:
    248
    Likes Received:
    125
    Dislikes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Western Pa
    I put about 6 miles on the boots Thursday. I found a some decent sheds and found some good trails throughout a big red brush/overgrown weed field. It’s on top of a big ridge which is creating a good looking rut funnel. Here’s a trail leading to a transition line I’ll be hunting somewhere off of. I love this part of it all!
    [​IMG]


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
     
  2. virginiashadow

    virginiashadow Legendary Woodsman

    Joined:
    Mar 6, 2009
    Posts:
    27,658
    Likes Received:
    48,825
    Dislikes Received:
    33
    Motivation to keep scouting before it gets too hot...

    [​IMG]
     
    Shocker99, Longdraw and arrowflinger1 like this.
  3. virginiashadow

    virginiashadow Legendary Woodsman

    Joined:
    Mar 6, 2009
    Posts:
    27,658
    Likes Received:
    48,825
    Dislikes Received:
    33
    My canoe is a little overkill. I have a solid kayak I got last year that I want to use to access the water. This mount looks perfect for a trolling motor. Railblaza transom mount.

    [​IMG]
     
    Shocker99 and Ridgerunner3 like this.
  4. WildernessPhantom

    WildernessPhantom Weekend Warrior

    Joined:
    Aug 21, 2018
    Posts:
    248
    Likes Received:
    125
    Dislikes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Western Pa
    I’m thinking that’s perfect.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
     
    virginiashadow likes this.
  5. WildernessPhantom

    WildernessPhantom Weekend Warrior

    Joined:
    Aug 21, 2018
    Posts:
    248
    Likes Received:
    125
    Dislikes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Western Pa
    Sit on top kayaks are great for stands and equipment.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
     
    virginiashadow likes this.
  6. Longdraw

    Longdraw Weekend Warrior

    Joined:
    Nov 1, 2011
    Posts:
    801
    Likes Received:
    401
    Dislikes Received:
    0
    Location:
    Dupage CO. IL
    Finally made it to my cousins new farm.
    Tons of deer sign, a dozen turkeys were seen last week in the middle of the farm, no sheds found but I’m sure they are there.
    Can’t wait until turkey season and more scouting!!!
    The plans and layout for the hunting lodge are so cool I might just not leave (-;
    :usa:

    Longdraw
     
    virginiashadow likes this.
  7. virginiashadow

    virginiashadow Legendary Woodsman

    Joined:
    Mar 6, 2009
    Posts:
    27,658
    Likes Received:
    48,825
    Dislikes Received:
    33
    Ive only found one tiny shed this year. Looks like most bucks around here dropped in the last couple weeks. Im hoping to find some this week.
     
  8. Shocker99

    Shocker99 Grizzled Veteran

    Joined:
    Aug 18, 2015
    Posts:
    7,423
    Likes Received:
    14,433
    Dislikes Received:
    16
    Location:
    Southwest Illinois
    I’ve heard mix of bucks still holding and bucks dropping in all of my stomping grounds. I’m going back to the same place I found the bigger sheds I found couple weeks ago. Hopefully find some matching sides. I’m getting lucky this year. Also even the older ones I’m finding have very little chews or none at all. Good year
     
  9. Shocker99

    Shocker99 Grizzled Veteran

    Joined:
    Aug 18, 2015
    Posts:
    7,423
    Likes Received:
    14,433
    Dislikes Received:
    16
    Location:
    Southwest Illinois
    I’ll be getting the canoe out and heading down south to scout/fish here in a couple weeks. Hope to be able to put a master plan together for next year. This will be all that flooded stuff I was hunting at end of season
     
    virginiashadow and cantexian like this.
  10. alenhard15

    alenhard15 Grizzled Veteran

    Joined:
    Feb 15, 2015
    Posts:
    4,939
    Likes Received:
    16,570
    Dislikes Received:
    7
    Location:
    Lancaster PA
    Thank god for daylight savings time!!! Was finally able to get out and scout, first day out dad and I scoured about 150 yards closer to where I confirmed the does are bedding, thick as crap and trails going every which way, some of the most heavily worn deer trails I have ever seen on state game lands and keep in mind it’s march, I usually get almost no camera activity from after rifle season till March but these trails are worn into the side of the hill!! IMG_2830.JPG IMG_2831.JPG IMG_2832.JPG

    Not a ton of buck sign but I’m pretty positive this is a doe bedding area as a few years ago I bumped about 8-10 does out of there in late muzzleloader and found dozens of beds. Got a camera up on one of the 3 main trails going through the area can’t wait to see what I get on it


    Sent from my iPhone using Bowhunting.com Forums
     
  11. alenhard15

    alenhard15 Grizzled Veteran

    Joined:
    Feb 15, 2015
    Posts:
    4,939
    Likes Received:
    16,570
    Dislikes Received:
    7
    Location:
    Lancaster PA
    You can see the road in the last picture, it’s a very steep hill going down to the road, and the wind is coming from the opposite direction so the deer have a perfect place to bed. Here is the map of it, the X is where I put my camera and the stand marker is where my stand was this year IMG_2833.JPG


    Sent from my iPhone using Bowhunting.com Forums
     
  12. virginiashadow

    virginiashadow Legendary Woodsman

    Joined:
    Mar 6, 2009
    Posts:
    27,658
    Likes Received:
    48,825
    Dislikes Received:
    33
    Day 10...Have I told you I dont like Holt and that he has made this the muddiest scouting year for me? Ha...scouted another swamp today. Prob the most fun I've had this off season. I needed to bring in my waders and kayak but I still got in on some good finds. Check out this buck bed..pretty awesome. Followed some big tracks along the edge and I found it.

    20200312_135239.jpg 20200312_110413.jpg 20200312_110400.jpg 20200312_105954.jpg 20200312_104252.jpg
     
    Last edited: Mar 12, 2020
    Holt, arrowflinger1 and cantexian like this.
  13. virginiashadow

    virginiashadow Legendary Woodsman

    Joined:
    Mar 6, 2009
    Posts:
    27,658
    Likes Received:
    48,825
    Dislikes Received:
    33
    I need to get my waders and kayak to get out on this islands to check for beds. 20200312_120102.jpg 20200312_115704.jpg 20200312_115539.jpg 20200312_112932.jpg
     
    arrowflinger1 and cantexian like this.
  14. alenhard15

    alenhard15 Grizzled Veteran

    Joined:
    Feb 15, 2015
    Posts:
    4,939
    Likes Received:
    16,570
    Dislikes Received:
    7
    Location:
    Lancaster PA
    virginiashadow likes this.
  15. Holt

    Holt Grizzled Veteran

    Joined:
    Dec 13, 2012
    Posts:
    7,781
    Likes Received:
    20,048
    Dislikes Received:
    19
    Location:
    MD
    That's awesome! You need to be there the first or second week of October this season. Oh yeah, is it weird that I'm starting to enjoy the smell of swamp muck? Lol

    Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk
     
    cantexian and virginiashadow like this.
  16. Holt

    Holt Grizzled Veteran

    Joined:
    Dec 13, 2012
    Posts:
    7,781
    Likes Received:
    20,048
    Dislikes Received:
    19
    Location:
    MD
    So I was going thru some old photos and came across this pic. It was a buck bed in the middle of thousands of little 1" trees growing in a old cut over. I did hunt this spot 1 time this past season and passed multiple small bucks. I have 3 years of history with a mature buck in this spot but have yet to see him. This year I missed him by 1 day. Hunted November 1, and he came thru on October 31. I will be in there on Halloween! But this is one of my all time favorite finds![​IMG]

    Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk
     
  17. virginiashadow

    virginiashadow Legendary Woodsman

    Joined:
    Mar 6, 2009
    Posts:
    27,658
    Likes Received:
    48,825
    Dislikes Received:
    33
    That is awesome!
     
  18. Holt

    Holt Grizzled Veteran

    Joined:
    Dec 13, 2012
    Posts:
    7,781
    Likes Received:
    20,048
    Dislikes Received:
    19
    Location:
    MD
    I got out for a couple hours yesterday. Wanted to check a couple areas on the same ground I spent most of my time last season. Found a new bedding area I didn't know about and had a great trail walking around it. The problem is its were several steep ravines meet at a swamp. It's guarantee that all thermals will be dropping from ag fields above in the evenings from every direction. It won't matter the wind. I had the wind blow hard from the north at one time, then walk 50 yards then blowing from the south. It swirls bad in there. That's why the deer are in there. I need to find the weaknesses of this spot. Big blow down in the middle, when I walked over I found a dead buck laying in the middle. I also cut a huge track walking thru there that was a day or 2 fresh. So looks promising. Also think spring is almost here![​IMG]

    Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk
     
  19. virginiashadow

    virginiashadow Legendary Woodsman

    Joined:
    Mar 6, 2009
    Posts:
    27,658
    Likes Received:
    48,825
    Dislikes Received:
    33
    Covid smovid. Time to scout.
     
  20. Holt

    Holt Grizzled Veteran

    Joined:
    Dec 13, 2012
    Posts:
    7,781
    Likes Received:
    20,048
    Dislikes Received:
    19
    Location:
    MD
    Good luck! Look to be a great day for scouting! What kind of spot you going to today?

    Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk
     
    virginiashadow likes this.

Share This Page