Scouting Help

[EHOIV]

Went scouting last week on a piece of property theat we gained access to for hungting. As we were driving around we see a huge buck standing in the middle of one of the trails. It was the widest rack that I had ever seen. My question is by seeing him in that area, would that be a good place to hang a stand? Do they generally stay in the one general area or will he be gone and it is n't worth it? The area where we saw him is in the middle of a recently timbered area. The property is very large and this is the first year we have access so we are trying to figure out where to set up.

Thanks,
Ed

[MeOff]

Hunt that cutover!! Not just for him. A first year and second year cutover are GREAT places to harvest deer period. There is lots of fresh young vegatation to feed on like honey suckle, greenbriar etc.. Try to find the bedding area close and put up the stand close to the trail that leads into the cutover....YOU WILL LIKE IT!!!!! We have 2 fresh cutovers on our property this year and we are already seeing the big boys feeding there in the evenings.

[EHOIV]

Meoff,

Thanks for the response. The piece of property contains all types of areas from new clear cuts, recent clear-cuts, thickets, pines, hardwoods and swamps etc. There is so much there it is hard to figure out where to start.

[choptankcrabber]

Ed-

Its hard to give advice from such a general description. Send me a PM with the address and the exact GPS coordinates for the spot you saw the big buck, as well as a schedule of any days that you guys won't be anywhere near the property and I'll see what I can do for you. :roflguy:

Just kidding, but getting to know a new property is tough but fun. I'd highly recommend using climbers/portables for a year so you don't get stuck in a rut of hunting just a few spots.

[MeOff]

If you can get the info choptankcrabber; I'll drag for you; if you drag for me!
Seriously though if you can get aerials that is always a good way to check out a new property. If it has any address you can map Quest it and get what you need. FOOD, WATER AND BED are always where I like to start! Everything else will fall into place from there.

[vbfdsooty]

You'd better hunt that deer before the first of November. After the rut starts, all bets are off. He may be 10 miles from there looking for some action. Agreed on the cutover...if it is a fresh cutover, find yourself a tree on the edge that is between feeding and bedding areas and you may find yourself successful. Climbing stands are the ticket on a new piece of property. It gets you mobile as conditions change.

[smellslikefish]

Dont loose too much sleep over that one Buck....... Mature Bucks, by nature, cover alot more territory than Young Bucks, or Does.....There are some good studies done, and if memory serves, Does home territory is about 3/4 of a mile......Young Bucks about 1- 1 1/2 miles, and Mature Bucks, 4-5 miles. As you can see, just by default, your less likely to get as many sightings on a Mature Buck as you will other deer. The clearcut would be a good place to see multible deer sightings, and a good starting point.

As far as scouting for Bucks: Remember, when you find obvious heavily worn trails, littered with lots of droppings, what you have found are the Does travel rts. Does are usually in groups, and therefore have more impact on the terrain(deer trails). Bucks are traveling alone(at least in a week or 2), and they dont often step in the same places like Does will, so they wont leave much sign. Most of the spots I have hunted for Mature Bucks, you would'nt even think deer where using the area, except for a BIG footprint hear or there. As far as Scrapes and Rubs, that tells you a Buck is interested in that general area, but 90% or rubs and scrapes are made at night and most times, they are not very productive to hunt over. Instead, find heavy travel routes of the Does, and learn the prodominant wind for your hunting area. The Bucks(about mid Oct.) will walk on the downwind side of the does travel routes, scent checking.......... And if you can find those downwind spots on an edge, or heavy cover, all the better( a spot I hunt, the Does are parrelelling a swampy area, on higher ground littered with oak trees. I can sit on the higher gound and see several deer, does, fawns, small bucks, almost like clockwork. If I sit 20yds inside that swamp, thats where the big boys travel, and they almost never step up, and out of that thick area)........

[jkapl001]

If you said there is swamp, I would think about starting there. If you can get between water and food then you should see something. Might want to invest in some trail cams. Just a thought.

[BLUEYZWAITN]

are you Bow hunting this deer or During gun season?

[jkapl001]

double post

[EHOIV]

Thanks for the help guys. We went out this weekend and set up some ladder stands and also scouted for setting up climbers. We set one ladder in a bottom area along a creek/swampy area. The other climber is in a funnel of hard woods leading to a clear cut. The areas where we are going to use the claimbers are baically the same but on the other side of the property. All areas show alot of trails along with some very large sets of prints. We can't get out there this weekend for opening bow but we are going to definately get out there one afternoon next week. We also set up two game cameras where we placed the ladder stands to see what is moving in there.

Thanks,
Ed

[GregB]

I think Smellslikefish gave excellent advice. It may take some early season hunts to determine how most of the deer travel/use/feed in the immediate area. I would not over pressure the area and consider the early season hunts almost like scouting missions. Don't ever hunt the stands on unfavorable winds. You may have to tweak the stand sites after you have hunted the area a couple of times early. I would try to study the terrain/deer travel corridors and adjust the stands in a few weeks. Then I would leave the place alone til the first or second week of Nov when they start getting rutty. As you mentioned, edges and funnels would be my focus points for stand sites and always downwind. Bucks do travel but I recently read that most mature bucks that were caught on trailcams were killed with a quarter mile of where the picture was taken. If you find his core area he should be in that vicinity most of the time unless he goes on an excursion which is common durng the rut. Good luck!