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Rookie Question

TonyGreenway

TonyGreenway

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 18, 2018
Messages
556
Location
Cartersville, Georgia
My archery season opens September 8th. My work and family situation prevented me scouting the public land I'm planning to hunt this year. So, should I scout one or two days between now and the opener and risk blowing them out, or just scout while I hunt on opening day? I have been e-scouting and have several areas picked out, and I'll be still hunting until my Mantis arrives. I appreciate any advice you guys have for me.

North Georgia foothills, river bottoms, TONS of thick bedding area, tons of hardwoods. One huge White Oak I'll be checking out while I'm there to see if it's going to produce this year.
 
I would want to, at a minimum, get a lay of the land with my own eyeballs. Public land has hikers, bikers, dog walkers, berry pickers, general weirdos, etc roaming around all year, so I don't worry to much about bumping a few deer checking areas out. I wouldn't go landscaping or presetting anything personally but I wouldn't want to hunt a new area totally blind and have any expectation of success either unless I absolutely had to like an out of state trip.
 
elk yinzer said:
I would want to, at a minimum, get a lay of the land with my own eyeballs. Public land has hikers, bikers, dog walkers, berry pickers, general weirdos, etc roaming around all year, so I don't worry to much about bumping a few deer checking areas out. I wouldn't go landscaping or presetting anything personally but I wouldn't want to hunt a new area totally blind and have any expectation of success either unless I absolutely had to like an out of state trip.
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That makes since. I probably should have given more details, though. I hunted this area last year, and I've got a pretty good idea of the terrain. The area seems to be overlooked by other hunters because there's a gated two-lane dirt road they use to cross county property that's closed to hunting but open for foot traffic. I go through the county timber instead, perpendicular to the road, and reach the WMA through the super thick, thorny stuff they avoid. It leaves me a large area to hunt myself. :cool: What I'm concerned with, mostly, is not knowing what kind of pattern their on right now. It seems like a sort of sanctuary for the deer to evade hunters, so should I wait until I've got weapon in hand to walk it, or go ahead and scout? Thanks for the advice!
 
TonyGreenway said:
That makes since. I probably should have given more details, though. I hunted this area last year, and I've got a pretty good idea of the terrain. The area seems to be overlooked by other hunters because there's a gated two-lane dirt road they use to cross county property that's closed to hunting but open for foot traffic. I go through the county timber instead, perpendicular to the road, and reach the WMA through the super thick, thorny stuff they avoid. It leaves me a large area to hunt myself. :cool: What I'm concerned with, mostly, is not knowing what kind of pattern their on right now. It seems like a sort of sanctuary for the deer to evade hunters, so should I wait until I've got weapon in hand to walk it, or go ahead and scout? Thanks for the advice!
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Given you know the area, I'd say get in early in the AM, hunt til noon, and them tromp it up and relocate based on current deer sign. Just my opinion.
 
TonyGreenway said:
My archery season opens September 8th. My work and family situation prevented me scouting the public land I'm planning to hunt this year. So, should I scout one or two days between now and the opener and risk blowing them out, or just scout while I hunt on opening day? I have been e-scouting and have several areas picked out, and I'll be still hunting until my Mantis arrives. I appreciate any advice you guys have for me.

North Georgia foothills, river bottoms, TONS of thick bedding area, tons of hardwoods. One huge White Oak I'll be checking out while I'm there to see if it's going to produce this year.
Click to expand...

Tony you need to read through all of this and also listen to WHM podcast. This is the best solution you have. I guarantee it.

Louisiana Bowhunter Podcast
https://r.tapatalk.com/shareLink?sh...ouisiana-Bowhunter-Podcast.7858/&share_type=t


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
Cajunshooter said:
You’re welcome. Read as much of this as you can and ask question if you have some. This will be the best advice for your circumstances you’ll get.


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I just finished reading it, and I'm going to listen to the podcast tomorrow at work. Thanks, again! Mr. Womack really seems to know his stuff.
 
TonyGreenway said:
I just finished reading it, and I'm going to listen to the podcast tomorrow at work. Thanks, again! Mr. Womack really seems to know his stuff.
Click to expand...

He does know his stuff. Also go to Outdoorcore.com. I believe he started this forum, read his journals. You’ll also learn even more there. This might get you there.
http://outdoorcore.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=45&t=9190&start=30

For some reason the link doesn’t work. Go to the forum, look up The Womack Journals, and enjoy reading.
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
If you're going to be moving already just still hunt in the AM and after start moving faster as the day warms up and get your scouting in. If you are sitting I would plan to get there late, 15 to 20 min pre shooting with grey light to make sure the spot you picked on the map is not going to be completly different from what the maps and photos show. If you get a chance to scout it prior I would do a "quick scouting" trip. Basically confirm waht you expect from the e-scouting and pick your tree then get out.
 
Jajtner01 said:
If you're going to be moving already just still hunt in the AM and after start moving faster as the day warms up and get your scouting in. If you are sitting I would plan to get there late, 15 to 20 min pre shooting with grey light to make sure the spot you picked on the map is not going to be completly different from what the maps and photos show. If you get a chance to scout it prior I would do a "quick scouting" trip. Basically confirm waht you expect from the e-scouting and pick your tree then get out.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the advice!
 
elk yinzer said:
I would want to, at a minimum, get a lay of the land with my own eyeballs. Public land has hikers, bikers, dog walkers, berry pickers, general weirdos, etc roaming around all year, so I don't worry to much about bumping a few deer checking areas out. I wouldn't go landscaping or presetting anything personally but I wouldn't want to hunt a new area totally blind and have any expectation of success either unless I absolutely had to like an out of state trip.
Click to expand...
I agree 100% with this. Need to at least get an idea of what you have or you'll be hunting "blind" on day 1. John Eberhart talks about when he hunts out of state and doesn't get a chance to scout beforehand he spends the first 2 days scouting and then hunts. Need to scout to know where to be hanging in the saddle. Good luck!!
 
Use day one of your to to scout and observe. May be able to Id a decent area that you think deer will be on google earth. Then just adjust your location as needed each day
 
Okay I also would like opinions. Attached is one area that I have access to hunt. From the entire length of the creek to the heavy wooded area until the edge of the pic. How should I approach this area/best hunt location??
The green line = deer path. Red dot is a current stand location. Red line is a heavy scrap/rub line.
The circles areas are of interest to me do you think it's worth setting up there? hunt.PNG
 
@DropTine I really like that little bottleneck where the road and creek get close together. I assume you are using archery gear. The question for me is can you get far enough off the road to legally hunt it without being so far in that deer crossing the road to the north or south end of the house there wouldn’t cross behind you and wind you. If not I like the funnel just south of it between the creek and the field. I would probably drop back a little in case deer are coming closer to the houses and crossing the little opening. If there’s not much pressure they may be crossing the thin section of the field and would be down wind if you were setup in the pinch point. Is the current stand location your stand? If so what have you been seeing? Is the shadowed area just north of the current stand a steep hill? Don’t overlook the right of way down close to the creek. Most of it I would access from the road. If the creek has a fair amount of fishing boat traffic you could access it that way too but assuming a nw wind you would spook a lot of deer if they aren’t used to people being on the creek. Btw that is a lot of assuming on wind direction.
 
I’d go scout it. Even if you do bump some deer a single encounter isn’t going to change their overall behavior. That being said I wouldn’t be trying to get right into bedding areas to confirm there are beds. Use a scout to confirm what you’ve seen from e-scouting and pinpoint the travel corridors. Good luck.
 
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