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Need some scouting advice

Allegheny Tom said:
I have a couple cameras that I can just about see from my house. I can't tell you how many times I've seen really nice bucks headed right for the camera location. I couldn't wait to pull the card and check out the "great" pics I was sure that I got. But then I would find out that the deer somehow avoided getting it's picture taken. I'm convinced that scenario happens a lot more than we realize.
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Some people recommend setting two cameras back to back to cover 360°.
 
Hoping to see this guy in the fall. Early to know for sure but I think he is a nice public land buck hanging out near one of my cameras.
 

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DroptineKrazy said:
Sweet! A lot of hunters don't realize that deer will use scrapes year round. Good spot.
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Yeah. I have cameras over a few community scraps. Besides deer I'm getting coyotes, foxes and even a ground hog.
 
I'll second @kyler1945 on the suggestion of Dr. Shepperds book. I Read it this winter and it really beefed up my strategy for scouting this year. I think I got this from @kyler1945 on another thread as well, but it's been awesome advice: scout until you bump a deer.

Simple formula for scouting is: 1) find a field or cutover where it bumps up against woods (this is called a transition). 2) Walk this transition till you see a deer trail. 3) Follow the deer trail until you bump a deer or it leads you to another trail, etc. I like to go scout 2 hours before sunset if my schedule allows. This is when deer will begin moving, and it enhances your chance for bumping a deer.

This is hard at first, but I'd say now I am bumping at least one deer 85% of the time I go out. Once I bump them, I drill down on why they were there- food, bedding cover, trails, etc. THEN I put the camera out. The camera is there just to confirm what you've already seen and also to see how frequently they are using that area and what deer are there. And guess what, sometimes I find what you found and there were not really any pics. And guess what, that's okay cuz you just found out where you are NOT hunting this fall. It's valuable info either way.

Deer hunting really does present a steep learning curve; just be patient and stick with it until it clicks. Trust me, this is why most people do not deer hunt. There is something wrong with this small percentage of us who love this kind of punishment.
 
philsanchez76 said:
I'll second @kyler1945 on the suggestion of Dr. Shepperds book. I Read it this winter and it really beefed up my strategy for scouting this year. I think I got this from @kyler1945 on another thread as well, but it's been awesome advice: scout until you bump a deer.

Simple formula for scouting is: 1) find a field or cutover where it bumps up against woods (this is called a transition). 2) Walk this transition till you see a deer trail. 3) Follow the deer trail until you bump a deer or it leads you to another trail, etc. I like to go scout 2 hours before sunset if my schedule allows. This is when deer will begin moving, and it enhances your chance for bumping a deer.

This is hard at first, but I'd say now I am bumping at least one deer 85% of the time I go out. Once I bump them, I drill down on why they were there- food, bedding cover, trails, etc. THEN I put the camera out. The camera is there just to confirm what you've already seen and also to see how frequently they are using that area and what deer are there. And guess what, sometimes I find what you found and there were not really any pics. And guess what, that's okay cuz you just found out where you are NOT hunting this fall. It's valuable info either way.

Deer hunting really does present a steep learning curve; just be patient and stick with it until it clicks. Trust me, this is why most people do not deer hunt. There is something wrong with this small percentage of us who love this kind of punishment.
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Does your advice change if the transitions are seperated by county roads? in my area everything is in 1 square mile blocks separated by a road.
 
You want to kill a deer? Find food. I prefer apples early season. Also, contrary to alot of what is posted here, you CAN hunt a spot 2, 3 or sometimes more times. Additionally, just because a guy wanders through doesn't mean the deer dive into holes. I have a spot that I have killed multiple deer from that is in between 2 fields that get HAMMERED by bird hunters. Once the deer acclimate to the ramp up in pressure, they do become extra cautious, but I have literally watched them lay down until the bird hunters go on by, then they continue on. My advice, find their food. Kill them there. Also, stay late. Like dark late. Not sure what quitting time is in OH (I should find out, heading there this year) but hunt right up to it. Last, you'll also hear alot of "I hunt 16.8 miles from anybody, hike for 8.2 hours to get to my spot, etc....", but I contend that is unnecessary. Scout close, you might be surprised.
 
huntin_addict said:
You want to kill a deer? Find food. I prefer apples early season. Also, contrary to alot of what is posted here, you CAN hunt a spot 2, 3 or sometimes more times. Additionally, just because a guy wanders through doesn't mean the deer dive into holes. I have a spot that I have killed multiple deer from that is in between 2 fields that get HAMMERED by bird hunters. Once the deer acclimate to the ramp up in pressure, they do become extra cautious, but I have literally watched them lay down until the bird hunters go on by, then they continue on. My advice, find their food. Kill them there. Also, stay late. Like dark late. Not sure what quitting time is in OH (I should find out, heading there this year) but hunt right up to it. Last, you'll also hear alot of "I hunt 16.8 miles from anybody, hike for 8.2 hours to get to my spot, etc....", but I contend that is unnecessary. Scout close, you might be surprised.
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Thanks for the advice food is looking like the way to go. We can hunt until one half hour after sunset.
 
LarkHarrison243 said:
Thanks for the advice food is looking like the way to go. We can hunt until one half hour after sunset.
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Identifying preferred food sources can be a huge challenge.
Deer can bed and feed in standing corn.
The period of leaf drop can also be a problem. I've watched deer glued to freshly fallen leaves. Poplar and maple are favorites and in certain woods, those species are often found on almost every acre.
Hard and soft mast can be everywhere.
There can be a glut of a variety of foods that come available in a short period of time.
Food is the common denominator but figuring out WHICH food is easier said than done.
And when you do figure out which food is the preferred food, then the next task is knowing how to hunt it without blowing everything out during stand access. Deer tend to be in the food sources in pre-dawn and post dusk...just the exact times that we walk to/from our stands.
Hunting a food source doesn't necessarily mean hunting AT the food. Hunting the travel patterns between beds and food makes for less deer disturbance and fewer educated deer.
 
LarkHarrison243 said:
Does your advice change if the transitions are seperated by county roads? in my area everything is in 1 square mile blocks separated by a road.
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no I don’t think it should change. Deer never seem to pay much attention to roads. You should hopefully be able to walk those road transitions and still find the Deer trails leading in and follow them. Also I agree with @huntin_addict to hunt late (I’ve killed SO many deer in the last 2 mins of legal shooting light). Also reiterate scout late too. About half an hour before sunset you can just bunker down on the corner of a field and watch the deer come out. You’ll learn a lot about where they’re coming from etc.
 
philsanchez76 said:
no I don’t think it should change. Deer never seem to pay much attention to roads. You should hopefully be able to walk those road transitions and still find the Deer trails leading in and follow them. Also I agree with @huntin_addict to hunt late (I’ve killed SO many deer in the last 2 mins of legal shooting light). Also reiterate scout late too. About half an hour before sunset you can just bunker down on the corner of a field and watch the deer come out. You’ll learn a lot about where they’re coming from etc.
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I plan on heading out tomorrow evening to scout again, ill let you know if I see anything.
 
Kurt said:
Along with books on how to hunt deer do some reading on general deer habits. Get to know what deer like to eat (preferred food) in every season, and then learn to identify the food sources in the field. Lots of great plant, shrub, and tree identification guides to be read. Once you know about deer it's easier for you to cross paths all year round not just hunting season. Learn what they like in the summer and then go find those things. It should help you cross paths more frequently. I love vegetative transitions especially when they coincide with topography.
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Any book recommendations?
 
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