Scouting advice for a new hunter

[barnaby]

I am new to hunting, only my second season.
I'm looking for some advice for scouting deer. I am going to head out on Sunday. I plan on scouting at Millville (Bevans) WMA.

What are some things to look for?
I've read a few articles, and they all indicate he obvious - tracks, droppings, rubs.
Any others?
Any general advice?

[ub1243]

find out what they are feeding on, fields, acorns.
for a morning hunt you don't want to walk down the field edge if thats were they are feeding. come in the back door and set up between the food source and the bedding area. but keep the wind in mind. a lot of times the wind won't be in their favor coming to bed, they want to bed with the wind in their favor, understand?
for the afternoon set find were they want to feed, don't sit right on the food source, if they come there you will blow them out when you leave. get in off the field edges 50-100 yards, wind in your favor. don't expose yourself when you leave, don't let them know they are being hunted. don't go touching the brush on the way in.
don't smell pretty, scent free soap, D.O. and clothes that have been washed-scent free and dryed outside.
when doing in season scouting and stand hanging, try to do it right before a rain, it will wash away you scent before the deer find it.

[stephenf]

The very first thing i would say to do is to go to google earth or google maps and look at the property ,look for any pinch points ,creeks that come together ,or where a pine section meets the hardwoods look to terrain or vegatation changes that either make an edge or makes a funnel or pinch point. then mark the spots that look good print them out and start walking , this will save alot of shoe leather and time. If you can lock up a game camera they are a great tool to see when the deer are using a trail ,find where the deer like to cross a creek find a spot where two or three trails come together. find a good tree that will hide your shape in the tree ,dont let them see your outline ,make sure there are natural shooting lanes ,dont go in there and clear out like a brush hog came through the deer will avoid that spot like the plague, if there are limbs down inthe area use the to block off trails or to reroute the deer to a trail closer to you ,deer are lazy and if they feel safe they will walk around stuff so use this to your advantage. try not to set up on the creeks where when the deer are climbing the embankment they will be looking right at you . If you find a well worn trail with a few light trails off to the side make ssure you can cover those trails ,does tend to browse slowly eating and nibbling everything iin sight makeing for well worn trails easily seen ,bucks seem to have a location in mind they are heading to and seem to use the less defined trails as they dont seem to browse as much hence the slightly worn trails ,the buck i killed monday night came in on a very light trail when 20 yds over was a well worn trail i could have ushed a wheel barrow down with out hitting any briars ,he came in on the slight trail, just my opinion hope it works out for you ,dont get discouraged if you find alot of other hunters use them to your advantage start noticing there patterns of coming and going use them to move deer to you ,the deer will have allready patterned most guys ,they know when they are coming an going ,if the guy close to you leaves at 9 am every saturday stay tiill 10 am ,hunt midday all year you will be surpried how much activity you will see ,good luck remember they are public lands and they are everybodys ,

[QuintonZ29]

walk in the first time with your bow n climber....when you see the sign listed above set up on it..first time in is the best.....once you sit and watch where the deer move you can adjust accordingly on your next hunt...just walking around this time of year will spook deer and change what they are doing....

[wreckless]

I'm with QuintonZ29. Also find a tree with some cover but make sure you can get a shot.

[ub1243]

here's were i hunted tonight and why.
http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h149/ub1243/SUC50282-1.jpg
first there is a 50ac turnip field about 100 yards away, food source. also you can see the vegatation change, hardwoods on the right, cedars on the left.
http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h149/ub1243/SUC50283-1.jpg
this was a field about 25 years ago. it is now red cedar, it's the perfect bedding area. on the left you can see a few hardwoods, this was the original hedgerow. right behind me is a hardwood/briar swamp with a stream about 60 yards in. this place is the intersection of different vegatation.
http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h149/ub1243/SUC50286.jpg
one of my shooting lanes. the deer come from any direction and feed on the grass along the horse trail and the green brier leaves. they feel very safe with think cover one bound away. and they can slowly move to the field for a nights feed, but they stage back here.
with this place i can enter from the field for a pm hunt, or enter from the cedars for a morning hunt. if i have deer go to the field in the afternoon i can leave from the cedars. they never know i was there.
you have to think about entrance and exit, or you will burn a stand quickly.
find the food then find the edges.

i saw two bucks and four does in this stand tonight, and i can only see 30 yards.

[barnaby]

Thanks for all the good replies.

I plan on hunting on the ground for 6 day shotgun.

[ub1243]

if your hunting on the ground in bevan get ready for the clubs.
they drive the sh*t out of that place. you need to take a long walk, go above what the others are willing to do. maybe cross some water to get were your going. it may be had to find a place like that were you can ground hunt. those deer are going to bury in the thick cover after opening day. at least sit agains a laural thicket.
good luck.

[Nitrous SwampRat]

as for scouting i would agree find places others wont go. google earth find some swamps and head in there..you find some high/dry ground....you've found "home". I did this after the seasons were over. when ground was frozen and hunters were not around. makes ya mad but you'll find some dead deer in there sometimes...bad shots or the deer made it in there before expiring. be surprised what ya find in a middle of a swamp.

as for hunting...was always taught to hunt into the wind. if ya have a spot you can walk without distrubing hunters or the animals to much....still hunt it....hunt into the wind...take 2 steps per minutes. you'll be surprised how much more you see around you.

Nick

[cancerbeater]

some of you guys talked about the areas where the cedars meet the hardwoods or areas where the vegetation changes...WHY. Im new so forgive my ignorance. Is it because there is a natural break in the ground patterns making a natural trail or is it the variety of food. Is it better to hunt from one or the other
:confused:

[ub1243]

cedars provide shelter or bedding, white or red cedar. when the cold sets in white cedar swamps always hold deer. it's a few degrees warmer and they will eat it, and you can't get in there quietly.
deer are edge animals, they always follow them. it could be just a ridge or any change in elevation. or it's a vegatation change. it gives them variety of food at one place. and there always is a trail on the break. and they are close to cover if they sense trouble.
this is why deer do so good in the suburbs. food, edges and shelter.

sometimes it's hard to see why the deer are were they are, but there is always a reason. when i started trapping it was hard to see why the fox came were it did. you will start to learn and see it as soon as you come across it.

[Barrell]

Black thread...is the most valauble tool in scouting for deer. Find a long dirt road and walk it threading every deer trail even the ones that seem barely used. Go back each day and observe the trails that the thread is broken on. The thread will also show the direction they traveled if you thread at night and check in the morning you will figure out the direction of travel. Trails showing very liitle use that are broken daily are the ones you want to concentrate on for older bucks.

[bigolebuck]

Thanks for all the good replies.

I plan on hunting on the ground for 6 day shotgun.

Only being your second year hunting, Bevans isn't really a good choice for shotgun week. There are about 10 clubs that drive that entire WMA! It is like a war zone, no different than bird hunting out there! I would choose a different area that you will at least see deer, and not just orange warriors... If you need a little help Im not to far PM me and I will give you a few little spots around the area that hold nice deer...:thup:

[mccool]

this late in the season the deer know they are beeing hunted on state land look for a road as a natural boundry get as close as you can I think its fifty yds in archery and 150 for gun walk along the road and look for signs they will use this as a travel corridor hunt with your back to the road and the wind in your face if you are lucky and no one else hunts this close to the road this would be a good place to hunt as every other square inch has been over hunted:thup: