How you know when a spot has potential

[Northcountryman]

The past week , been scouting out some land for potential alternative spots for the upcoming season. Since it’s a pretty large tract, my strategy has been to pick a spot on the  map and Walk it looking for sign ; this sign includes tracks , scat , rubs / scrapes or actual sightings , of course . If I see none of the above , then I move onto the next spot . Of course , that doesn’t necessarily mean there are no deer there as I’m sure there would at least be transients passing through . But , the way I see it , if it’s a productive Tract, you should be able to discern some fairly obvious sign without tremendous effort ; otherwise , chances of success are not good , at least in my book . What do you think ? 

[Splitear]

Keep in mind, it’s been a really dry year, so tracks/trails are going to be scarce with drey ground. Look for transitional areas and bottlenecks, places where 2 types of terrain come together. I’m a big fan of hunting fencerows. If you can find a spot where a couple of fencerows come together, you’ll have a good spot. Remember that if you can find where the does are traveling, you’ll eventually wind up with a few bucks in the area. Also remember to find a place where you can see well.
I’ve hunted over scrapes and never seen a darn thing, but if you put yourself in a spot where deer are likely to travel, you’ll see some action. 

Edited October 22, 2020 by Splitear

[crappyice]

Food, cover, water. I start there and then look for the sign you mention. Sounds like a “which came first?” type question!
Once I find those I look to see if they are being used at that moment or during this season (especially when there are no acorns in my spots the year).
I have been hearing the deer are all “on greens and grasses” so far in 3S so I found the greenest stuff, the started poking around for beds and turds. It just so happens that it’s right off the parking area which makes these deer blown out of there when I arrive. I may need to slip in mid day and wait them out


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[Kmartinson]

What season, archery is in full swing? I assume your talking about rifle season? In which case still hunting large tracks of land can be a productive way to kill deer, even with a bow. Also a great way to notify all the deer in that tract of land that they are being pursued. I try to find a balance of what land I can pressure and what land I need to avoid that will create the highest likelihood of getting my target deer. Buck or doe in my case. Im a freezer meat guy mostly.

You have many great ideas.  One of many things to keep in Mind is that during major foliage falls much of the sign is covered by leaves. I love fresh snow. And if you see major ripped up trails during this heavy leaf fall you can bet its being used frequently. 

I use my gun lots to cover large areas especially in new pieces of.woods walking from tree to tree, bedding area to bedding area hoping to get a focused steady but timely shot before the deer bounds away, all the while scouting for how I will hunt this land from a stand in the future. 

[grampy]

Having just aquired a new property to hunt myself, it's cool finding that spot within the spot. First thing l look for is obvious deer runs. This time of year look for scuffed up leaves. Or any tracks in the mud or dirt. Some concentrated scat helps too. Then try to figure where they are coming from, and going to? Bed to feed is what I want to know. What are they eating? Anything obvious?

I'll also look for rubs, or rub lines. Old and new. To tell me where bucks like to travel through, or perhaps stage in the area. 

Elevation changes, even small ones in a relatively flat area will sometimes have deer following the contours. Or saddles and benches in the hilly areas. Deer will use these, along with pinch points or funnels, that concentrate movement.

Where if any, is the hunting pressure coming from? Where is the thickest nastiest cover around, where they would feel safest? What's it look like just outside of that?

Where are you in relation to the prevailing wind? Always want that in your favor.

Many things to consider. This was just a few of the obvious ones that come to mind. Our biggest advantage over the deer's keen senses, is what's between our ears. Though deer can and do make me look dumb a lot of times!