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Deer
Scouting Techniques
-Best times to
scout:
Scouting out potential hunting areas is a delicate and crucial part of
deer hunting. One of the most important things to pay attention
to
when scouting is the time of year. I have learned through
experience
that the best times for scouting are early October through the end of
November. These months are perfect for scouting because weather
conditions are beginning to mimic the way they will be for the
remainder of hunting season. Deer will begin falling into
characteristic patterns that should persist until late January when the
deer season ends. Therefore, this time allows a perfect
opportunity to
gain knowledge of the deer herds routines and habits.
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-Where to look and what to look for:
Basically when scouting for deer you are looking for hard evidence of
deer activity at a particular location. The location you choose
to scout is an area where you "think" deer are occupying. This
approximation is a trial and error process to say the least, but some
simple strategies can be used. First, try searching in an are
that is heavily wooded. The thicker the are, the better it
is. Also, a thick area that is located close to a source of food
(acorn trees, red leaf briers, rye grass) is even better. Besides
food a source of water should also be somewhere in proximity.
Now that you have narrowed down your scouting to a few areas its time
to search for deer signs. The most common and easily noticed sign
of deer activity is a heavily worn deer trail. Once a trail like
this is found make sure that the tracks marking the trail go both ways,
i.e.. make sure the trail is used frequently and not just a large group
of deer that passed through. Besides tracks sometimes bucks (male
deer) will rub small cedar and pine trees with their horns leaving the
trees shaved. Also, these bucks make small scraps about 2-3 feet
in circumference in this same are. These are just some of the
signs you will learn to notice with time. Just be creative in
looking and keep an open eye!
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Heavily wooded
area
Deer
Trail
Deer Track
-Cam scouting technique:
An alternative to traditional scouting is a new technique called cam
scouting. This technique uses a blend of old and new
techniques. To scout in this manner a location should be chosen
as before. Based on your opinion of where deer are located.
Then like with normal scouting hard evidence of deer activity should be
located. Once this trail or food plot is located place an
electronic motion activated camera on a tree facing this area. I
recommend the brand Cam
trakker. This camera will then run 24 hours a day
taking
pictures as deer pass through the motion sensor. These photos can
then be checked and are a great indicator of deer activity. A
further advantage of cam scouting is that you get an idea of the time
that deer are in that particular area. I recommend a mixture of
both scouting techniques for deer hunters.
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