#1839030 - 03/14/10 07:14 PM
Early Season Scouting
|
TN RDG RNR
12 Point
Registered: 06/28/07
Posts: 6103
Loc: Rhea County
|
Offline
|
|
I hear a lot of the older experienced hunters saying how important it is to hit the woods this time of year and do some scouting. Why? Other than the leaves off the trees and being able to see forever, why bother the deer will be in a totally different pattern come the opener.
_________________________
WARNING: The above post may contain sarcasm and/or sophisticated satire. I will not be held liable for any psychological damage sustained.
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
#1839053 - 03/14/10 07:32 PM
Re: Early Season Scouting
[Re: TN RDG RNR]
|
Pursuit Hunter
8 Point
Registered: 10/01/08
Posts: 2084
Loc: Way out there
|
|
Offline
|
|
I don't know if I'm older or more experienced. For me it is partially an excuse to get out in the woods, but more about just learning the area better. I will look for good mature oak trees or persimmon trees and note them on my topo map so that in the fall, I can concentrate my scouting on those areas rather than searching the entire woods. I also like to walk the deer trails to learn their travel routes and mark potential stand locations near funnels or trail junctions that I might use in the late season when their patterns are similar to what they are doing this time of year. I'm trying to post a video about just that topic, but I'm having technical problems...
Edited by Pursuit Hunter (03/14/10 07:34 PM)
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
#1839089 - 03/14/10 07:49 PM
Re: Early Season Scouting
[Re: Pursuit Hunter]
|
TN RDG RNR
12 Point
Registered: 06/28/07
Posts: 6103
Loc: Rhea County
|
|
Offline
|
|
Kinda what I was thinking about being able to see with the leaves off. If you get that video posted shoot me a PM let me know where its at, Id be interested in checking it out.
_________________________
WARNING: The above post may contain sarcasm and/or sophisticated satire. I will not be held liable for any psychological damage sustained.
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
#1839132 - 03/14/10 08:01 PM
Re: Early Season Scouting
[Re: TN RDG RNR]
|
Mag
8 Point
Registered: 11/12/07
Posts: 1413
Loc: Hendersonville
|
|
Offline
|
|
And I use this time to work out access routes to good spots as well as preparing cover for ground hunting spots
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
#1839160 - 03/14/10 08:12 PM
Re: Early Season Scouting
[Re: Mag]
|
Wildcat
Non-Typical
Registered: 06/10/00
Posts: 39162
Loc: Western Ky.
|
|
Offline
|
|
Not now, this is March, but as soon as the season closed, in fact the day after my season closes I'l out there all day scouting for next year, NOT next Sept.
You can find things you never saw before, ever on the farm you've hunted for years. One example is you can find small little used trails off from the much more used trails. More times than not the mature bucks are the ones that use those trails while the other deer use the other trails. That's hard to find in Aug-Oct.
Also you can go into areas you know that hold deer but were afraid to go into because you might run them out then the week right after season is the time to do it. They will have 9 months to forget all about you being in there. this is the way my cousins grandson was able to get thet wide racked buck last year. When the season closed in Jan 2009 he went though the large CRP field and found which trails the buck used, all the trails in there come out somewhere on the farm. He was able to set up on one outside the CPR field and scored opening morning of rifle season.
_________________________
A Government that does not trust its law abiding citizens to keep and bear arms, is itself unworthy of trust..... - James Madison
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
#1839194 - 03/14/10 08:24 PM
Re: Early Season Scouting
[Re: Wildcat]
|
TN RDG RNR
12 Point
Registered: 06/28/07
Posts: 6103
Loc: Rhea County
|
|
Offline
|
|
Done used up all my kitchen passes and then some by the end of season Wildcat. I might have to save one next year and give it a look see.
_________________________
WARNING: The above post may contain sarcasm and/or sophisticated satire. I will not be held liable for any psychological damage sustained.
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
#1839262 - 03/14/10 08:43 PM
Re: Early Season Scouting
[Re: TN RDG RNR]
|
Wildcat
Non-Typical
Registered: 06/10/00
Posts: 39162
Loc: Western Ky.
|
|
Offline
|
|
Done used up all my kitchen passes and then some by the end of season Wildcat. I might have to save one next year and give it a look see.
DO!!! You will be supprised what you will find. You put what you find with what you know already and what you find next the next season and it just might be the missing key to the puzzle that always seems to not be there.
_________________________
A Government that does not trust its law abiding citizens to keep and bear arms, is itself unworthy of trust..... - James Madison
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
#1839489 - 03/14/10 09:48 PM
Re: Early Season Scouting
[Re: Wildcat]
|
BoneHead1
4 Point
Registered: 09/15/09
Posts: 199
Loc: East tn
|
|
Offline
|
|
yeh it's nice once season is over to just get out and snoop.No telling what you might find out.
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
#1839518 - 03/14/10 09:54 PM
Re: Early Season Scouting
[Re: BoneHead1]
|
Setterman
8 Point
Registered: 12/31/09
Posts: 1783
Loc: Knoxville, TN
|
|
Offline
|
|
Mature bucks consistently use the same travel corridors, terrain features, and bedding areas. If they used them this fall they will use them in every fall to come, unless dramatic changes are made to the property.
Food sources can be uncovered, which were not previously known about as well.
The secret to killing mature bucks every year is knowing how deer use the property you hunt, and the best time to learn this is from the end of the season until leaf out.
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
#1839630 - 03/14/10 10:32 PM
Re: Early Season Scouting
[Re: TN RDG RNR]
|
Pursuit Hunter
8 Point
Registered: 10/01/08
Posts: 2084
Loc: Way out there
|
|
Offline
|
|
Kinda what I was thinking about being able to see with the leaves off. If you get that video posted shoot me a PM let me know where its at, Id be interested in checking it out.
Still fighting with the digital demons. I'll let you know when I whup 'em.
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
Moderator: RUGER, Tennessee Todd, Unicam, Cuttin Caller, CBU93, stretch, Bobby G, Outdoor Lady, TurkeyBurd
|
12166 Members
39 Forums
117579 Topics
1427765 Posts
Max Online: 756 @ 11/20/12 09:10 AM
|
|
|
The TnDeer.Com Deer Talk Forum is for Tennessee Deer Hunters by Tennessee Deer Hunters. If you enjoy using our Talk Forum and would like to contribute to help in it's up-keep. Just submit your contribution by clicking on the DONATE button below and paying with PayPal or a major credit card. Any amount is much appreciated. Thanks for your support!
|
|
|
