early season scouting

[Derek Welch]

Hello,

  I have been tracking the local deer heard for the last few weeks, It's early but I want to know there habits through out the year and it keeps me in practice. The only time of day I'm seeing them is early morning, I think they are moving to food plots after the sun goes down, probably because the temps are cooler then.
  The other day I sat just off a game trail waiting to see if any would move a little earlier in the evening, The game trail was in a brushy area with mature oak trees for shad. I never did see deer but a bobcat came within 20 feet of where I was and sat down just on the edge of some brush, if I didn't hear it first I would have never seen it. It sat there for about 10 minutes looking around for prey before it slowly got up and left, I don't believe it ever knew I was there. 
  Do any of you guys ever scout deer this early in the season ?

Derek Welch

[Out4Trout]

I haven't been out scouting, but a small buck walked up across my back field to the edge of my lawn the other day. I took a few pictures.
http://www.myhuntingforum.com/hunting_forum/index.php?topic=128.0 scroll down to the bottom. I had a moose walk across my lawn a couple of weeks ago. I think they are trying to excape the bugs in the woods.

[adkRoy]

I've been placing out trail cameras to see whats on our farm. Works great.

[archbishop]

not really scouting this time of the year, just taking mental notes, my family like to take walks in the woods, so i always suggest we walk in my hunting area so i can get a general idea of what i can, plus my daughter will be hunting this year and she has the area completely memorized over the past few years so i dont have to worry about her getting lost, also a great way to teach the kids about the outdoors, so just scouting no, but it is the back of my mind while walking around.

[bayonne]

was out scouting today hit pay dirt today off just one soy bean field on a w.m. a i hunt i saw 1/2 dozen big deer and more tracks and dropping than i have ever seen in one area and opening day is sept 9 th man im itching

[Pikeguy]

I should be getting final permission to hunt the new girlfriends family's 1000 acres real soon. Then as soon as the bugs go down a bit and the weather cools off I'll have ALOT of scouting to do! 

[venisonman]

This time of year I am tweaking stands, trimming shooting lanes and working on the camp to make it more comfortable.

A buddy owns 65 acres next to 1200 acres of Federal land in Steuben County.He has a 55 foot mobile home on it. No power,no water. But it does have a 2 hole outhouse! We are definately not elitist. We are all friends and pay his taxes.

Anyways, we have 8 members at camp, each has a chosen designated area for opening week  of gun season. I have the place all to myself for bow season! My son may participate in his 1st bowhunt this year. I've been there 4 years and taken my 1st buck (small) and 1st doe (average)with a bow. I have also taken a small buck, large buck and huge doe with a gun, although NONE of these was from MY designated stand. So, I decided to pick a new and better venue to improve my son's odds and to lock in a great stand for years to come.

I scouted at the end of last season. We have probably 55 acres of very dense thicket. The deer tend to hide in it during gun season and the warm weather of bow season.
While most of the grasses were down, I found 5 or 6 trails within 30 yards of a cluster of trees. It is actually an opening in the middle of the thicket!! It is just over the edge of a ridge overlooking a natural funnel. Also there are wild grapes, mountain holly and a spring! The trails have been used for many, many years. The trails are about 2 feet wide and a foot deep, with lots of hoof prints. I can actually see them on an ariel map from 1994. This spring I hand cut a walking trail through the thicket to create a quiet backdoor to the stand. Last week I put up a 2 man ladder stand for me and the boy. This might possibly be the best stand location I have ever sat in. The location appears to have it all. What do you guys think?

Anyways, my point is I never would have been able to discover (pinpoint) this location if I had not scouted in Dec (no snow) and Jan (some snow for contrast). With the leaves off the bushes and the goldenrod and grasses down, I was able to see what was going on. This time of year it is way too grown up to see the trails, spring and opening in the thicket.

 Now the spot is found, the work is done. Time to practice, practice, practice......and pray.

[skundl]

nice to hear that someone is doing their homework,  sounds like a ideal stand location,  one which I might enjoy!  best of luck to you this season and special luck to your son hunting in his first season. I hope he bags a dandy.

[adkRoy]

The trail cameras are showing a lot of does with twins. 2 small bucks. No coyotes this time around. I think the mange that was going through our area last year wiped out some of the coyote population (not that I'm shedding a tear about that). Lots of tracks around and I've been seeing deer feeding in fields in the morning as I go to work. I can't wait to get back out there.

[skundl]

my trail cameras are showing mostly bucks with a couple of nice ones, hope their still here when the season starts.

[ifishhi]

how about posting some trail cam pics

[skundl]

Can someone tell me how to post pictures?

[skundl]

trying to post a picture

[archbishop]

not sure what your doing wrong? if you delete the pic from photobucket you will get the image you see there, also make sure you copy and paste the img, not the url or tag.

[skundl]

where do you paste it to??