When to start scouting for deer?

Viper22

Viper22

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This will be my second season deer hunting. I didn't get much scouting in except for a couple days before the season started. How early should I be scouting? How early is too early/ how late is too late?



-I'll be hunting shotgun & BP.
 
Never stop.

The patterns change a bit post rut, but you should know all the trails, beds and water sources.

Look for geographic funnels and well used corridors and mark them on your gps. When the season comes, you will have a very good foundation to start with.
 
I've been trying to get out there but its been too hot to be enjoyable not to mention the horse flies have been crazy this year! I did manage to hang a trail camera yesterday though and put some acornrage juice on the ground, can't wait to see what it brings! Going to start hanging stands in the next couple weeks!
 
This will be my first year deer hunting. I picked some places to scout based on elevation (funnels, corridors, and water as HTRN said) on Google maps. I probably won't actually start scouting until September though.

I hate the idea of being a lone hunter who has no frickin' clue what he's doing, but I don't really have any other options.
 
Viper22 said:
This will be my second season deer hunting. I didn't get much scouting in except for a couple days before the season started. How early should I be scouting? How early is too early/ how late is too late?



-I'll be hunting shotgun & BP.
Click to expand...

BOTH SHOTGUN AND BP WILL BE AFTER BOW IN MASS. SO GET OUT DURING THE BOW SEASON .BEST TIME WOULD HAVE BEEN AT THE END OF LAST SEASON . EARLY BOW WOULD BE MORE FOOD SOURCES AND LATER PRE-RUT ,RUT ,POST RUT ,SCENTS HAVE BEEN EFFECTIVE FOR ME
 
Any time I see a "Deer Crossing" sign along the road, I Google Earth it and start seeing why the are there and where are they going.

Have moved some stands that were unproductive last year. Hung a trail camera and have gotten pics of does. They were in their summer red as early as June. Had planted some clover, but the hot weather did it in. Transplanted 5 hostas, and they ate 3 to the nub. I'll try to post pics later.
 
SUNP0003.jpg

NearKevsStandLex.jpg

Deer0709100117.jpg
 
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Freshscatoldrub032610.jpg

Fresh scat and old rub
FoodPlot061010.jpg

Planted three food plots like this, and two died. The one along a brook (to attract the deer across : )survived.
 
scouting will be more effective for archery season and towards the end of blackpowder.

I don't scout deer in MA for the gun seasons anyway, never seen the need. just hunt it like a deer drive. other states yes lots of scouting and research.

the hunters go where the deer were.

does/younger bucks run the easiest paths to safety and that’s usually downhill etc. they can also be stirred up easy and pushed around in a circle when the shooting starts and that always makes things interesting.

A dominate buck will put his nose into the wind and go, he is running into the wind away from where the hunters went.


[smile]
 
I start scouting the day after the season ends. When scouting I try to position a camera in a well traveled run between 2 food sources, that way I can get a good idea of what kind of deer I have on the property. Once I get a picture of the monster buck. I follow up with cameras to figure out what his patterns are and hopefully I can get him down and he walks by my stand on opening day...doesn't always work that way though. Also I'll put cameras on rubs and scrapes. As far as cameras go I have 2 of the wild game but batteries only last a week or so. I bought some 6volt rechargeable batteries and hooked it up to the camera, I can get about 1 months use this way I'm not throwing scent into the area every week. I also have a cudde back and I love the thing I get 6 months use off one set of D batteries. I'll post some of the pictures that I have so far this year.....A bad day in the woods always beats a good day at work
CDY_00012.jpg

CDY_0002.jpg

CDY_0003.jpg
 
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Great pics! I have yet to snap a buck. Saddly one of mine was killed by a car this morning.

You are right, I'm running through batteries on the Wildgame.
 
SAV said:
Great pics! I have yet to snap a buck. Saddly one of mine was killed by a car this morning.

You are right, I'm running through batteries on the Wildgame.
Click to expand...

The wildgame camera isn't bad I have the s4 I think, it the ones with the flash and the pictures are pretty good. The way I set mine up with the rechargeable batteries was to use 2 allagator clips. With the cam open and you are looking at the front of the camera. The positive terminal is the bottom left plate inside the left hand side battery hole and the negative terminal is the top right spring inside the right hand battery hole. Since I only paid 60$ for these I drilled a hole through the bottom to run the cables through to the battery; I then used some epoxy to seal up the hole so water doesn't get in. I put the battery in a water-proof box and cover it with some brush to keep it out of sight.
 
Went out to check my camera yesterday, and it was gone.[sad2] So make sure you guys have some kind of lock on them. Good thing it was only a cheapy, guess its time to find a new spot! Those bastards![angry]
 
The frustrating thing is knowing where the deer are... and it is un-huntable land. If a town throws a bike path or trail through a bit of woods, it gets posted no hunting. There are a zillion deer in zone 10 in MA, but population density makes it damned hard to find huntable areas. I have been frustrated for years by Danvers closing off some deer heavy areas near Hathorne. I see them dance in front of my truck when traveling up and down Dayton Street constantly... including some very sizeable bucks. GRRRRRR!

I have been using Google Earth to try to find a legal corner in that area far enough from the road and structures where I can hunker down with my TC Hawken. I'll probably have to have the map on me to prove it though.


JR
 
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Viper22,

IMHO, one of the best times to start scouting is after the season is over and I'll continue through out the winter depending on how much snow is on the ground. Get out and hunt spring turkey if you can and I'll also use small game season to scout for deer also. During the summer heat I'll "scout" using a variety of maps and mapping programs and locate as many key areas such as funnels and saddles.

Chris
 
does anyone know any good hunting forums that keep it related to New England... like this site....
 
Keep looking like everyone said try and find new spots to check for sign. And if none of that works go out buy a bow some arrows and some broadheads sight it in and get an archery stamp that should take care of most of the nasty trucks parked out in front of the good spots works for me anyway.
 
I scout all year long. When it comes to opening day archery season I already know where the deer are, where they were, and where they are going in the AM and PM. When deer get pressured they still like to go to very predictable places usually to feed and sleep. Some obscure deer trail you found might not show any animals when they get spooked during the season and choose another route to these destinations. Learn where they are going and coming from and you will be in the best position to see more deer. Scout early and often.

Fish
 
Bubba said:
does anyone know any good hunting forums that keep it related to New England... like this site....
Click to expand...

CT Hunting and Shooting is a good New England forum that I visit often:

http://www.cthuntingnshooting.com/vBforum/index.php

Archery Talk is an archery forum that has a huge membership but you have to sift thru the crap.

http://www.archerytalk.com/vb/index.php

Bowsite is a traditional archery only (read verticle bows only) website that is organized by state. I hunt with a crossbow now so I am no longer welcome there and had them delete my account, but it is still a good source of info for vertical bow hunters:

http://forums.bowsite.com/TF/REGIONAL/threads.cfm

This is a really good traditional muzzle loader forum:

http://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/fusionbb/fusionbb.php?


Bob
 
Quinn800x said:
Went out to check my camera yesterday, and it was gone.[sad2] So make sure you guys have some kind of lock on them. Good thing it was only a cheapy, guess its time to find a new spot! Those bastards![angry]
Click to expand...

That royally sucks man. Someone snagged my camera 2 years ago with a 2gb card in it. I was more pissed about the loosing the pics as I had been scouting this run for some time and was dying to see what was using it. Now I use 4" screws to mount a camera and pull them out when I move it.
 

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