• The SH Membership has gone live. Only SH Members have access to post in the classifieds. All members can view the classifieds. Starting in 2020 only SH Members will be admitted to the annual hunting contest. Current members will need to follow these steps to upgrade: 1. Click on your username 2. Click on Account upgrades 3. Choose SH Member and purchase.
  • We've been working hard the past few weeks to come up with some big changes to our vendor policies to meet the changing needs of our community. Please see the new vendor rules here: Vendor Access Area Rules

3/28

redsquirrel

redsquirrel

Administrator
Staff member
SH Member
Joined
Feb 19, 2014
Messages
14,958
Location
NJ
My scouting time is very limited this year due to just starting a new job and other career obligations but I managed to get out for a few hours this afternoon. It was a pretty successful trip, I found 3 spots worth trying out. The first is a pinch point along the bottom of a small ridge between the ridge and a thick swampy area. There were a bunch of tracks going through there right now and I'm sure it will be used even heavier in the fall. The second spot is a very heavily used bedding area up on the top of the same ridge. As I was coming out of the bedding area I found this guy!
c8cb1c25e4bbc6bc72b910e4bfc015b9.jpg


The third spot was along the southern bottom of the same ridge, but a ways away after it hooked around. I was finding a ton of old rubs and thinking about why there were so many. I figured that the bucks must be cruising through there either when there is a north wind or when the thermals are dropping and scent checking up higher for does. Along the way I came across about 5 new nice rubs along that line. I found a nice spot where everything pinches together. I'll be saving that for November.

Also came across this little guy
a9d79b5d7a8c701e04dd77a43f151645.jpg
 
Cool, man. Looks like you're onto some good locations. I know what you mean about not having time to get it done the way you'd want. So far, I've only scouted and prepped trees in the 30 or 40 acres around the house (the neighbors own most of that). I have worked pretty hard on my 5 acres the last few years planting fruit trees, berries,and seasonal food to attract more wildlife , especially down the draw toward the creek where it's always thick and has more scrapes and rubs than such a small property should. I barely got to hunt last year so I really hope that I at least get to hunt near home this year. Would be great if I get to go with my friend to his hunting grounds, but not sure if time will allow. I'm just glad that there seems to be a lot of deer pushed my way by the several hundred acre hunt club that borders me on the back side. I don't see many big bucks, but I get a couple year old buck here and there. Lots of does, though, and they are tasty.
 
There is never enough time! I have lists of places I've cyber scouted but never gotten to put boots on the ground. I just check them out whenever I can.

It sounds like you've got a nice little spot close to home! Its not always about shooting big bucks :cool:
 
That's awesome, I love being able to go out and come across the little things that you just don't see in you backyard. I took my boy for a walk yesterday(he's 2 so I have a framed baby backpack which doubles as a good workout!) To check the snow depth and I still have about a foot of snow in most places.....looks like it'll be a few more weeks until I start my spring scouting.

Good finds red let hope that buck is around this year for you he ought a be a dandy!
 
Almost all of our snow is gone, but there is still some on the northern slopes and some shady spots.

I love the baby backpack! My wife makes fun of me but I keep telling her when we have kids I'm lugging them around in one of those, and I'm going to take them out hiking just like you. She gave me a really hard time when I tried out friends baby on in their baby backpack!! :lol: :lol:
 
redsquirrel said:
Almost all of our snow is gone, but there is still some on the northern slopes and some shady spots.

I love the baby backpack! My wife makes fun of me but I keep telling her when we have kids I'm lugging them around in one of those, and I'm going to take them out hiking just like you. She gave me a really hard time when I tried out friends baby on in their baby backpack!! :lol: :lol:
Click to expand...

Hahhaha! I can't say enough about them mine was given to me by a friend when my daughter was young. Back they we couldnt afford one and i was telling him how i used my frame pack to take her for nature walks and mild scouting ventures! The only problem with that is they alway fall asleep and end up in a ball at the bottom lol.... not to mention the potential of falling out!

20141006_101432_zpswlc8o15q.jpg


This is me and my boy last Sept. Doing some squirrel hunting and late scouting. Another benefit is the workout, i cant think of a better way to carry an extra 30lbs of dead weight on my back then to do it with him. I just hope that doing stuff like this while he is young will deeply embed the love for the woods into him for life.
 
Thats awesome! I agree! I hope to have someone who will want to do that stuff with me until I get old :D
 
Red I was out on Sunday myself scouting for turkeys up behind my buddies house in Oakland NJ and all we found was deer sign, not that I'm complaining but it figures you look for turkey and find deer sign. We found a bunch of big rubs and 3 big scrapes right by a hiking trail, we have to put a trail camera out and see what shows up, hopefully the buck won't be nocturnal.

ADK those backpacks are awesome and the kids love them as well I took my daughter Katey in ours a lot but not just out in the woods, but anywhere a stroller would be a pain, stopped taking her in the pines because of the ticks they are terrible here in the pines. As a matter of fact I took two of them off me the other day after scouting at my buddies property in South Jersey, I hate those blood suckers almost as much as chiggers!

I plan on setting up a couple of new stand locations before the weather gets too hot and the chiggers and ticks get really bad. ADK think of black flies only a hundred times smaller and way itchier! Have fun scouting guys!

Roger
 
Hope you get some nice pics of him Roger.

I've already picked ticks off me the 2 times I've been out!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top