Deer hunting season starts in a little over two months from now. And, now is the time to start preparing for it. Yes, it's hotter than blazes outside but in order to be ready to hit the woods come opening day, you need to start now.
So, what should you be doing? This is the first in a series of articles in which I will talk about preparing for the hunt to include scouting, checking your equipment, practice at the range, treestands, blinds, physical fitness, safety precautions, among other things. The things I do work for me but in no way are they the ONLY way to do it or even the best way. I encourage you to take what you need and leave the rest. So now that the disclaimer is out there, here we go.
In order to hunt on opening day, you need to first find a place to hunt. Even if you've hunted the same place for years, I encourage you to still do the leg work during the summer to learn even more about the place(s) you hunt. I believe you can always learn something new each time you step into the woods. And trust me, you will never know the woods better than the deer you are hunting.
So for me, scouting is comprised of several "methods" or steps which collectively comprise my scouting adventures. First, there's the look everywhere for deer method. That is, every time I am driving or riding in a vehicle, I'm looking for deer. And when I see them, I make mental and written notes of what, when and where I see them. Why? Because it leads me to places that I know for sure have deer. And, seeing deer is always a good thing. It may lead me to a farmer's house to ask for permission to hunt or to a Walk In Hunting Area (WIHA) or to public land. The point is to look and see. Observe what the deer are doing; what time it is; how they behave; which direction they are traveling; if you were to hunt there, where would you put a stand or blind; which direction does the wind primarily come from. The more you observe deer from a distance (you don't want them to know you're there and you don't want to spook them) the more you can "pattern" them.
A second method is the aerial and topo maps method. When I determine a piece of land is worth a look, I get an aerial and/or topo map and study them before I go to the woods. I want to know the boundaries of the land so I don't trespass. I want to know the elevation changes. I want to know where water is. I want to know if there are crops and/or food plots. I want to know where the "edges" are. Basically, I want to get an idea of what to expect when I get there. If I can determine from the maps where possible crossings are or bedding areas or feeding areas are, it can help me pinpoint my scouting efforts rather than walking every inch of the area I am scouting.
Thirds is the get off the couch and out of truck into the woods method. Yep, this is the hot and sweaty one. During this time of the year be sure to spray down with plenty of insect repellant--see my earlier article on this--to try to avoid chiggers and ticks. When you find a place that you might want to hunt, you need to walk the area (be sure to have permission first if needed). The two methods above hopefully have narrowed down the areas I want to walk but walking the land is critical to knowing your hunting area. Seeing deer from a distance and looking at pictures can't tell you what actually seeing up close and personal what is in the woods can. When walking the woods, I look for tracks--are there clearly defined trails? are there multiple deer using the trails? which way do the tracks travel? are there multiple trails crossing in an area? are the tracks large or small?. Tracks can tell me where the deer have been and which way they usually go. Sometimes, though, it's difficult to see tracks because of the ground being too dry and hard or there's too much brush in the way. I also look for deer poop--I may not be able to see tracks on hard, dry ground but I can certainly see poop pellets or clumps. If you find deer poop that is clumped together, it generally means that the deer was bedded down close by. I look for buck rubs from the last year or prior years. I look for acorns from previous years. I look for areas that might be suitable for bedding. I look for food sources.
Fourth is the get information from others method. Listening can be one of the best ways to find out where to hunt. Some people will tell you lots about where they hunt or where to hunt (farmers are really good for this). If you can find a farmer that will allow you hunt their land, be sure to ask them if they would recommend where you should hunt.
The fifth method is using trail cameras. If you find a place that you think might be a good area, you might try putting a trail camera there to take pictures of what you can't see because you're not there. If nothing else, it's a great way to get some candid wildlife shots.
To me, scouting is an ongoing process even in the hunting season. So don't think it's a one time deal to get out into the woods and think you are going to have enough information to pick the best place to set up come opening day. Lots of things change between now and hunting season. I'm not suggesting that you go scouting every day, but the more effort you put in now will likely be rewarded come time for hunting.
No comments:
Post a Comment