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Post season scouting, How's it going?

BTaylor

Well-Known Member
SH Member
Joined
Oct 23, 2019
Messages
6,414
Location
Central Arkansas
Just curious how everyone's scouting is going? I have been focused on scouting an area in the mountains nearby and good grief it is different than the bottoms I am used too. So far I am close to or at about 40 miles and have found one area that has the kind of sign to warrant some interest and a camera later this year. Did a 7 mile loop Saturday and biggest rub I saw was thumb sized. Have found lots of spots to kill a deer, just not the right deer.
 
I've done nearly 37 miles since February 1st. I've been scouting all new to me territory. So far, I've found quite a few really good spots including two isolated primary scrape areas. Up to this point I have been scouting low country and swamps. I plan to take this week off and get back at it hard next week.
 
Just curious how everyone's scouting is going? I have been focused on scouting an area in the mountains nearby and good grief it is different than the bottoms I am used too. So far I am close to or at about 40 miles and have found one area that has the kind of sign to warrant some interest and a camera later this year. Did a 7 mile loop Saturday and biggest rub I saw was thumb sized. Have found lots of spots to kill a deer, just not the right deer.
Hunting whitetail in the mountains is a freakin blast. Scouting is at least half the fun in my mind!

Have you started using Caltopo yet? I'd be happy to explain here or in a DM how I use it for scouting in the mountains
 
Hunting whitetail in the mountains is a freakin blast. Scouting is at least half the fun in my mind!

Have you started using Caltopo yet? I'd be happy to explain here or in a DM how I use it for scouting in the mountains
Yes I have started using caltopo in conjunction with the google earth and Spartan Forge and Onx. Fire away on how you use it.
 
I've done nearly 37 miles since February 1st. I've been scouting all new to me territory. So far, I've found quite a few really good spots including two isolated primary scrape areas. Up to this point I have been scouting low country and swamps. I plan to take this week off and get back at it hard next week.
Yeah, all of mine so far is in entirely new to me ground and terrain. One thing is for sure, logging all these miles in the mountains is going to make scouting easy when I go back to the flat river bottoms lol. May be able to hunt bucks there like Massai, just run the sob til he gives up. :tearsofjoy:
 
Yes I have started using caltopo in conjunction with the google earth and Spartan Forge and Onx. Fire away on how you use it.
Incoming...

I'm going to break this post down into a couple of sections:

Layers
For my base layer, I always use "MapBuilder Topo" and with it, I almost always have on "40 foot contours" and "Slope Angle Shading (Gradient)"
Why?
MapBuilder Topo is the most clear, concise layer when hunting in the mountains. Yes, it is helpful to know what kind of foliage is where or if there is an opening, but you are going to be able to discern way more pertinent information from changes in topography. Obviously, something like a logging cut is going to change this dynamic, but I'm speaking more in generalities for big woods mountain hunting, where foliage is largely continuous.

40 foot contours would be way to large of a margin without SAS gradient turned on. If this feature wasn't here, I would go with a narrower margin like 10ft contour. Once you start plotting points, you would be quickly overwhelmed by how much is going on on your screen by using 10ft margin.

SAS gradient gives you the microscopic precision you are missing with contour lines of greater value. Using SAS gradient in conjunction with 40 ft contour allows you to see, in two distinct layers, the micro and macro terrain features. It also allows you to take full advantage of plotting markers when you are out there scouting.

Markers
If you go to the top of your screen and click the + button, a drop-down menu will show you the "Add Map Item" screen. "Markers" is what you are looking for here. The marker will pop up where your crosshair indicator is located on the screen. So, if you want the marker to pop up at your location, first click the crosshairs button in the bottom right ( I always press it 3 times to make sure it is actually where I am while the map calibrates), then click the "add map item" button and click "marker." When you are making a marker, always go with the size XS so you can be as precise as possible.

Establish a color code w/ numbers for your points. Feel free to use the same color scheme that I have: blue = deer sign, red = POI (point of interest) to scout (use this while e-scouting on the couch), yellow = visual landmark seen in-person, orange = preset tree, purple (letter/number) = camera location, purple (date) = where/when I killed a deer, light blue (date) = spot I sat without killing.

Blue- I define "sign" in the broadest sense of the word: droppings, rubs, scrapes, prints, beds, spooked deer, etc. I tried using different colors for different sign, it just got confusing. Now, I just use the same color and I'll name the point "poop" or "bed" etc etc. In the notes for each sign, I will put the date and time, and anything else I feel is pertinent to know about the specific sign. For beds, I always get in them and try to find hair and will note if I do or not. For trails, I will make a note of which directions they are going in or terrain feature they are moving along. If I spook deer, I'll make a sign called "spooked" and in the notes I'll put the date, time, wind direction, how far away they were from me when they jumped, whether they smelled me or not, how many there were, sex, and what direction they moved in. When I get home, I'll look up the historical weather on weather underground and get a sense of what the weather had been doing the day before, the day of, and the day after (I usually only do this for bucks). Marking where I have spooked deer and returning to these spots has by far been the biggest factor in my success with caltopo in the mountains so far.

Red- I use this color to mark interesting terrain features or breaks in vegetation that I want to check when I get out there. After I do, I'll either delete the point or change the color, if there is a sign or a landmark there. Sometimes, I'll make a box around an area that I want to explore, and I'll use red points to mark the four corners.

Yellow- If I come across an unusual tree, a spring, a weird rock formation, a fork in a logging road, I'll mark with yellow. It helps me visualize where I am and navigate later, especially in the dark.

purple/light blue- I use the notes here as my hunting journal. What did I see, how was the weather, etc etc.

The other colors are self explanatory

Strategy
I start by e-scouting (in the layers mentioned above). I'll find a point or a general area that I want to check out (marked red). Then, I make my way to those and mark all of the above points along the way. After doing this a couple of times, you will see a pattern start to develop for your area. At that point, you are off and running to figuring out a new area. The cycle is really easy to repeat.
 
I have mostly just been messing with the 10 foot lines and the sun exposure layer. Will have to look at that 40" lines w/ SAS and see how that compares or maybe helps. Most of the other stuff I have been doing in hills and on flat ground with color coding for different info but in other apps. So far, the biggest difference I am seeing in the mountains as compared to hills or bottoms is the general lack of rut sign. But there are for sure less deer per sq. mile. Knowing the kind of deer that are in the general area though, I am somewhat surprised by the near total lack of what I would consider decent buck sign.
 
Just curious how everyone's scouting is going? I have been focused on scouting an area in the mountains nearby and good grief it is different than the bottoms I am used too. So far I am close to or at about 40 miles and have found one area that has the kind of sign to warrant some interest and a camera later this year. Did a 7 mile loop Saturday and biggest rub I saw was thumb sized. Have found lots of spots to kill a deer, just not the right deer.
40 Miles, you are tuff. I give up after 4.
I need to get out and cover some ground. Seems like when I get a couple days to get away, it rains.
If I look at one more map I am going to croak.
 
I haven't been doing as much as usual. Been messing around with learning how to trap in my spare time, which hasn't been a whole lot. Very challenging, but a blast. It's checked my wanderlust boxes for this offseason. And it serves as some double-duty deer scouting at times too.

Find some thicker areas and run cameras for a season, you might be surprised by what you find. I think coming from wet creek areas to the high ground you will find a significant adjustment to the degree of sign deer leave behind. In the dry hardwoods, it's often not much of anything discernible in areas they just travel through. Depending on the terrain deer may be more or less nomadic and only cycle through seasonally, which makes that even more difficult.

I put very little stock in rubs also. Or more specifically, while their presence is great, their absence is not necessarily a negative at all imo.
 
I had a hunter safety course this past Saturday and another one next. Then I'll get back to more scouting. I have scourted out properties I already hunt on to clarify things more. There are a couple of others I am doing that with then I'm going to start new public ground scouting. With some of the information I will find trying to refine my use of caltopo etc. I'm hoping to double check with boots on the ground and then have a frew more spots in my arsenal. Been super busy though and its beginning to frustrate me.
 
Yes I have started using caltopo in conjunction with the google earth and Spartan Forge and Onx. Fire away on how you use it.
So what are your thoughts on the Spartan Forge app? You're still using OnX Hunt too even though you have SF?
 
I have mostly just been messing with the 10 foot lines and the sun exposure layer. Will have to look at that 40" lines w/ SAS and see how that compares or maybe helps. Most of the other stuff I have been doing in hills and on flat ground with color coding for different info but in other apps. So far, the biggest difference I am seeing in the mountains as compared to hills or bottoms is the general lack of rut sign. But there are for sure less deer per sq. mile. Knowing the kind of deer that are in the general area though, I am somewhat surprised by the near total lack of what I would consider decent buck sign.
The rut sign will be there. I didn't start finding scrapes until around Oct. 20 this past year. Rub lines, from what I saw this past season, were coming into heavily used (what I assume are doe) bedding areas. Most of these spots were coming off the main ridge, on the east facing slope, on a sort of point or flat spot. Most of these rubs were right darn near on the bedding areas, so you might benefit from walking along elevation lines along the slope until you hit something. This would be on the upper half (mostly upper quarter) of the hillside. I also found concentrations of rut sign around cedar thickets for whatever reason. I haven't cracked that one yet, but if you find a patch of cedars in what is otherwise hardwoods, go check it out
 
I put very little stock in rubs also. Or more specifically, while their presence is great, their absence is not necessarily a negative at all imo.

I live for Rubs. If there is a big buck using the area, their will be Rubs. From Nov 16 2022. Seen the buck that made this twice, within 75 yards from this rub.
Screenshot_20221112-101315_Gallery.jpg
 
I went out last weekend just trying to get a little shed hunting in and there's still knee deep snow down in the swamps. I've still got a bit before I can do any meaningful scouting. :tearsofjoy:

1679389663395.png

On the plus side I did actually find some snowshoe rabbit tracks. These things used to be everywhere around here but since the coyote numbers have gone up so dramatically I almost never even see tracks from them anymore. In fact these are the first tracks I've run across in the last three years. They typically turn white a bit before snow is here to stay and the coyotes have no trouble locating the white bunnies in the brown woods. The rabbits think they're hidden but in reality they look like someone left a gallon of milk in the woods.

1679390049619.png
 
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With the arrival of a baby girl a few weeks ago I have not done anything. the quad around my buddies farm looking for sheds but came up empty.

April 15th I am allowed back in the military base I hunt so hopefully can get out before we hit up a vacation and then it’s turkey season

I just love being in the woods. Def will take my 3 yr old out and start showing him more deer sign. I love taking him out back in the field and having him find deer tracks
 
Haven't gotten out yet at all. Hoping to change that this weekend and head north to the mountains on Sunday. My one son signed up for baseball and that's throwing a wrench into some of the plans. I should scout the local game lands I hunt, but I'm still a little pissed about 2 trail cameras getting stolen from there last season.
 
So what are your thoughts on the Spartan Forge app? You're still using OnX Hunt too even though you have SF?
I really like the SF app on my phone but for some weird reason I can not get it to open on my computer at home. Been emailing back and forth with them but havent got that worked out yet. Onx was already paid and decided I was not going to cancel it until I messed with SF for a while. Onx has worked great for me for several years and worse case, I cancel SF and stay with Onx.
 
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