Last year was the first year that I actually did any real in-season scouting. I found a good rub line with a huge scrape and got a shot at what would have been my biggest bow buck to date if I had not missed. The in-season scouting was a great tool for me and I need to learn how to get better at and use it more next year. So for you guys that do in season scouting, how much has it helped you? Did it allow you to kill a deer that you wouldn't have if you hadn't went and scouted during the season? How do you go about it and what do you look for in particular? Rubs and scrapes or trails and terrain features? Any advice would be appreciated.
I think in-season scouting is an under utilized tool. Sometimes for me it is very hard to "give up" time in the tree to go and figure things out for tomorrow hunt. You can have all general knowledge of terrain & all that garbage, but some years, the deer shift just a little bit & you need to find out what area is hot. Assuming I already know the lay of the land & terrain, I am looking for hot fresh sign, period.
From what I have learned over the last couple of years there is no way I wouldn't do in season scouting. If you are going to hunt scrapes, there not there when the season opens and unless you stumble on one walking out to your stand, you will have to spend some time looking for them.I put on miles last year looking for the right scrape to hunt.
well i always used any info, regardless the time of year to learn as much as i could. if your hunting the same land i think you have an advantage because over time you learn what the deer do at certain times of the year. we all know that deer always surprise us and that alot of the time they do the opposite of what we think. figuring out where their going to be is the key to success, whether it's food, bedding, or looking to breed. you can look for new clear cut areas, natural funnels, food sources new and old, beds, rubs, scrapes, and worn down trails. another thing i believe that is overlooked is how you get to and from stands or blinds or where ever you hunt. when i was younger i never thought it would matter and as i have become a better hunter(at least in my own mind) i learned this can make or break you. i don't think there is any substitute for knowledge of the area and surrounding areas of where you hunt, get as much as you can and go from there, good luck
Personally, I don't do much in-season scouting. The reason for this is that I hunt very small places. A lot of the time, it is 40 acres or less. Usually, I spend a lot of time post-season scouting and then some pre - season glassing. I do, however, use a lot of in-season observation stands. Stands that I have selected and hung well before the season. If I have to modify my position, I do so at a time least likely to disturb deer. I don't like walking all over my area during the season. I cover it from observation stands, narrow it down and hope things work out!
Good post. This is the type of knowledge we all need to understand. I am not a big in-season scouter. Although recently while I was scouting I began to think that I need to scout more in-season. One of the reasons I do not scout much in-season is because of my daily life obligations. I cannot hunt/scout 6-7 days a week. It is just not possible, so I choose to hunt when I hit the woods and try to observe then readjust if necessary for my next hunt in the area.
You described my strategy as well. I scout in spring and after the season. If there are any changes to me made it is because I am observing something from my stand or while I'm walking in. Right or wrong it is what I do. If I learn something mid season I usually apply it to next season rather than make changes all the time. I don't like the thought of putting all that pressure on the land during the season.
Why wouldn't someone in-season scout is beyond me. Hot sign is only hot if you find it... and sitting in a tree you've sat more than once already means he likely already knows you are there. I say get out.. look beyond the confines of not ruining todays hunt... make todays hunt better. Scout... scout... scout!
I think in season scouting is a great deal. I try to take in everything during the season. Just like someone said earlier on here, they just change patterns sometimes. They could change what their doing do to human pressure. So setting up in a new location just 60 yrds away from your stand could change everything.
I didn't realize you would stop scouting. While I won't walk through an area unless it is dizzling or raining... I will continue to long range scout. Helps that it is very open here verses your guy's tree areas. Things change alot here and I need to adjust to it. Scouting is the fastest way to adjust. I would much rather take a night off from hunting to go scouting then hunt in a spot and waste my time. As the season goes on... deer are using the area different then they were a week before or a month before. Pressure, crops, harvest, fall green up ( worked fields ), the different stages of rut and winter feeding will cause the deer to use the area differently during the season. What was once a hot spot can go dead in a weeks time here. Tim
