Scouting..now is the time!

[jlm]

Hi all! Well, the ice and snow are all but gone in most of the state which means that NOW is prime time for scouting your favorite whitetail deer hunting grounds. If you are looking for new areas to hunt or want to get to know the deer in your area a little better, early Spring is prime time! The amazing thing about this time of year is that after everything melts off, the woods looks very much the same as it did in the Fall. Rubs, scrapes, and other deer sign appear as fresh as the day they were made. Spring scouting offers several advantages. On major reason to scout in the Spring is that you do not have to worry about bumping mature deer out of the area. Most deer are transitioning out of Winter patterns and looking for new browse such as grass shoots or agricultural land that is now easy to get at due to lack of snow. The only thing on their mind at this point is feeding and bulking up after a long Winter. This will allow you to enter into the forbidden core bedding areas because deer will spend more time away from these areas. Keep an eye out for droppings, sheds, scrapes, and rubs. Mature deer will usually mark areas adjacent to their core bedding areas. It will be likely that mature bucks will return to these areas in the Fall and particularly when the hunting pressure returns. Keep an eye out for secondary trail systems to and from the bedding areas. They are most easily seen in the Spring and can go unnoticed any other time of the year. Mature bucks will often use secondary trails rather than major trail systems. I highly recommend that you keep a journal to document your findings. Topo maps are a great idea to mark scouting observations. I like to write or draw right on the map itself. After you learn the area well, your topo map or journal should tell you a story and give you a good idea as to where stands should be placed. So, now is the time, take advantage of the opportunity that Spring provides. You can also use this same time to shed hunt, mushroom hunt, and just get some exercise. Strap on your boots and good luck! Its always better to be good than lucky....Spring scouting will certainly make your chances BETTER!

[Jim Hudson]

jlm great post... I totally agree, great time to find them bedding areas and those routes the big boy could be using... Also a good time to trim a few branches or smaller trees in an area you plan to hunt...