When to scout a new area

[fishuhalik]

Hey guys, I'm looking at leasing some land up in the Hinkley area, but I haven't had a chance to check it out yet. They have 120 acres butted up to 800 acres of public land, and it sounds like a really good area. Would you go right now when they're still laying down sign, or would you wait to check until they start dropping sheds? Also, what's some stuff you guys would look for when you're checking out a new area?

[motley man]

Now, If there's snow on the ground you will see any sign easy. And you can get into soft area's with ground being froze.

[Bear55]

Get up there now and check things out, the fresh sign will tell you a lot. When I get a deer I like to do a lot of in season scouting, just after season is good too.

If you do lease the last head back right away in the spring once the snow is gone. You will see the land/terrain as it was in the fall plus all the beds, rubs, and scrapes are still visible. Plus you might even find a shed or two.

[pulleye16]

Snow will give you the easiest time if time is limited. Look not just for tracks but well worn down trail and that'll tell you deer are stayiing in that area and not being pressured in there cause of hunting

(of the nearby public). Rubs and scrapes will also tell you that bucks are in the area and staying around.

Find out how hard the public area gets hit during opener. If its a heavy hit area you can expect some pressured deer to hit up that private land if it's not been hit hard itself. Also, being butted up against public, expect some tresspasser (very unfortunate but it may happen).

Look to see if there are feeding and bedding areas and a spot for the deer to drink. If all present then you should be seeing some deer.

[fishuhalik]

Just outta curiousity, how do some of you guys try to keep tresspassers out? I've always hunted public land so it's never been something I've had to deal with. Do I have to put "no trespassing" signs up on every other tree along the border of the property?

[jnorm1984]

Do I have to put "no trespassing" signs up on every other tree along the border of the property?

Yep, especially since it butts up to public, but you still wont keep em all out!

[pulleye16]

diddo...putting up signs will keep honest people out, some just don't realize where the boundries are in a forest and it's not their fault. Some will realize all the deer maybe on your land and will cross it knowingly. I'd say I wouldn't worry about it as mostly hunters are pretty good.

I'd didn't mean to scare you by saying there will be tresspassers, just being right next to public land your risk is just a little greater.

[fishuhalik]

Get up there now and check things out, the fresh sign will tell you a lot. When I get a deer I like to do a lot of in season scouting, just after season is good too.

If you do lease the last head back right away in the spring once the snow is gone. You will see the land/terrain as it was in the fall plus all the beds, rubs, and scrapes are still visible. Plus you might even find a shed or two.

I guess I'm just use to doing my scouting in the fall and hunting active sign. There's been a couple of times where I set up in a new area that's really hot one year, and then the next year there's almost nothing. It's like there's a hot doe or two in the area, a couple of bucks move in and tear up the area and make it look great, then are gone after they've done their business. It seems that in the areas that I've found some sheds, those bucks are there for the long run, not just passing through. I'd really hate to spend all of the money and especially the time that goes into establishing a hunting property (stands, shooting lanes, food plots, etc.) and discover I found one of those hot-one-year-dead-the-next areas.

And I guess on that same note, what do some of you guys do to keep deer around all season, especially later in the year?

[nonteepical]

to hold deer all year you need good cover and food. plenty of it if you want big numbers of deer on your property, the average deer consumes a ton (2000lbs) of food a year. scout it in the spring when the snow melts, all the buck sign you find will be in the same area of the property year after year, their travel routs won't change unless the property changes.

[Bear55]

I think hot one year and cold the next might have to do more with an older buck living in the area instead of a hot doe. More than likely you have does just about everywhere and they are all going to come into heat at one time or another. Bucks however can come and go and it might depend on how many older bucks are in a given area from year to year. Bucks do live in preferred areas so if you find one good spot it could hold some good bucks every year or it could be hot/cold depending on the area.

Unfortunately you might need to hunt an area several years before you can really learn the land enough to know what you have. When I was young I only thought I had one good stand, but over time you learn the land a little bit and it has really opened by eyes. Many of our stands can produce great bucks, its just that whole timing thing that is important.