Scouting for deer in December and Janurary

[20ftupatree]

  I talked with a guy for about 3 hours on a car trip about hunting, and one thing he does that I don't do is scout his deer (trails, hangs/moves stands etc.) in december and january, snow on the ground so the trails they use DURING hunting season are visible. He can tell how heavy they are traveled, direction, bedding is easier to find and you can tell where they paw for food during the later months.

  Im not sure why this never occurred to me as a PRIME TIME to scout, It makes perfect sense.

  Any one else use this down time to scout trails and strategy?

[Doc]

In my neck of the woods, December and January have the deer in completely different patterns than what they will be doing the following bow season. Food sources are different, they have been pushed all over the place by the prior gun season, and the weather is radically different which changes their bedding locations.

About the only thing that scouting at that time tells me is just how much of the herd is still in tact and what kinds of critters may have made it through the gun season ...... not bad info to have.

Doc

[20ftupatree]

Huh, ya good point, I've never done it during that time (i'm usually on to ice fishing then) but it sounded like he had an idea but I can see why it wouldn't work too. If I had em figured out I'd be rich and famous!

[Bleitten04]

yea I read all about that in a NAHC book.  It says that it is suppose to be a must because you won't be disturbing the deer as much and things like scent won't play a factor during the season.  Its also suppose to be a good time to find a bucks bedding area.  Basically what it said was that this was the best time to scout.  Only problem I see is the book was talking about a "Ranch" which has QDM and less hunting pressure when it comes to deer drives and tons of people being in the woods.  I feel like if your hunting state land or an area where there is a lot of hunting pressure the deer may still be hidding and scared of hunters.  I could be wrong though Just my two cents. 

[Geno C]

the end of the season scouting is great! especially when the snow in on the ground. i hang stands sometimes according to travel routes where there are ALOT of tracks. i did this last year and found one specific area of travel i decided to hang a stand. this was in december. i hung it, put a trail cam out the next season first week i got over 600 trail cam pics and a bruiser 140" monster. Unfortunatly i hunted it 1 time and it was an evening hunt. i got in there late had about an hour and half left of light i saw over 15 deer that night.

that was the first time i did that late season scotting, i will be doing this again this year.

[Buckstopshere]

I never quit scouting, before the season, during the season, and after the season. January through April is a great time to be in the woods, especially now that our snow is so light for easy walking.

Doc is right. The deer do change their patterns as the food, cover, and their requirements change. But there are a lot of things to learn out there that gives us a better edge come game time such as a cluster of apple trees you never knew was there, a major scrape cluster, replete with 10 years worth of rubs, new access trails, adjacent landowner patterns, etc., etc. not to mention sheds! And it keeps us in good shape.

[Doc]

I agree as long as the snow is off, trails and scrapes become obvious and since they are features that are habitually re-used, finding these things are quite valuable. Of course rubs are always visible regardless of whether there is snow on the ground or not. However, checking out tracks, bedding areas, feeding areas and movements of deer in the midst of winter will likely lead you to incorrect conclusions about what deer will be doing when bow season rolls around. So if you are going to be scouting at that time of the year, you have to pick and choose what info you place any stock in.

Doc

[sweet old bill]

Doc I found the best time is when the snow first goes off in late March. It is easy walking no new growth, all the sign of the breeding scrape are easy to read as well as rub lines.

I thne follow up with a check in the early september to again read the sign to see if anything has changed as for the overall pattern of the area.

[Doc]

Doc I found the best time is when the snow first goes off in late March. It is easy walking no new growth, all the sign of the breeding scrape are easy to read as well as rub lines.

I thne follow up with a check in the early september to again read the sign to see if anything has changed as for the overall pattern of the area.

That is a good time to read the signs of the season past and like you say, it serves as a good baseline to compare against the following fall. Also, it gives you the added benefit of perhaps finding some sheds. That is a good time to be out snooping around the woods. Besides, after a long boring winter and a hard case of cabin fever, it is a good excuse to get out and limber up those muscles.

Doc

[Fantail]

It would seem like a good idea, I mean maybe take the 22mag or .243 out for a walk and all. But if the access road by camp isn't plowed (and w/winter off the tug hill area) - I am not counting on getting up there after December untill March. Plus I agree deer will go where they can spend as little energy as they can to find food.

[gjs4]

best day to scout is the first day after season and every day during season. Notes are key. Hunt recorder diary kind of thing. Winds direction, moon, crops, pressure.....it is amazing how the details paint pictures in retrospect and how your approach will take confidence for future hunts. Draw maps, take pics, and never go into the woods at any time of year w/o binos....

just some ideas...feel free to take or leave em