Tips For Scouting Deer

Well, it's that time of year again and the fever is already taking hold. I'm talking about deer hunting and if you are like me, you know exactly what I am talking about. One of the first things we need to do in order to help make a successful hunt is scout the areas we will be hunting. Here are some tips for scouting deer.

Know your area and know the signs of life

Pick out several different areas that you will want to hunt. The main idea in scouting deer is to know the area well. Remember that you are entering their home and they know it a lot better than you do. Walk through the area few weeks prior to hunting season and look for signs of deer life. Deer leave behind a few visible signs that they are there, like rubs, scrapes and bedding spots. Knowing how to spot these things is vital to our success as hunters.

As you walk through the area, keep a sharp eye out for the signs that deer are in the vicinity. During the early archery season, males (bucks) are not yet territorial and run in packs of three or four along with a few females (does). So what you want to look for now are tracks. Take note of what direction they are pointing and follow them until you cannot go any further.  This will give you a clear picture of where the deer run and where they run to.

Sometime in the middle of November, the bucks start rutting and become territorial. This is when they run alone or with a doe or two. Scouting during rutting season is a bit different. During this time, you need to look for buck rubs, ground scrapes and bedding areas. Deer are creatures of habit and usually stay within a two mile radius if where they are born. If you can lock onto that, you'll find them; IF you're patient.

Scouting from afar

Another scouting method is to find a vantage point that overlooks the area and simply watch the activity. Areas that offer all the necessities are what to look for. This includes cover, water and food sources. Find a combination of any two of these elements and you are just about certain to spot deer there.

During your walk through, take notes on the places that look promising, then find the vantage point and watch with a spotting scope or binoculars. Deer will normally travel through the same spot every day at the same time. As I said, they are creatures of habit, so get to know their habits and routes.

Scouting (trail) cameras are good for pinning down when deer are in a specific spot at a specific time of day. This information can be vital to a successful hunt. Once you get the deer's routine down, you can tailor your excursion to that schedule and see more deer than you shake a stick at.

Scouting deer is not a hard thing to do or difficult to learn. It is a little time consuming and requires you to think ahead a bit, so get off the couch a couple weeks early and scout out your areas!

NOTE: Always place your deer stands or blinds at least a month prior to opening day. Deer know what does and does not belong there. Becoming a part of the natural setting goes a long way to bagging the big one!