Scouting means different things to different people. It is a huge topic on its own. So I will just give you my methodology for scouting. My goal with scouting is to first see if I actually want to hunt a new area and then to learn as much about this area as possible in order to hunt it better. I equate it to finding the pieces to a puzzle and then figuring out how they fit together. It is ultimately an organic process where scouting and hunting work hand in hand together to generate a deeper knowledge of a hunting area. For me scouting begins at home. I research satellite maps, topo maps, and any online resources I can come across to find areas that look interesting. I'll do searches on hiking sites to see how specific areas are accessed and if it is a highly used/ popular place for recreational use. Personally I will dismiss an area if it is loaded with hikers or mountain bikers. I'll start earnestly looking for access routes once I zero in on an area that I feel has potential. I'll also look for areas of particular interest where I think animal activity will be highest. I look for broken tree canopy, cut blocks, natural openings, benches, ridges, pinch points, knolls, anything that just peeks my interest and stands out from more homogeneous habitat. I'll take note of these specific areas as goals to check out while on the mountain. Alas there is only so much you can do staring at maps on a computer screen, eventually you just have to get out there and let the mountain guide your efforts. First thing I do is simply drive out there and get to know the FSR's in the area. Just figure out the general lay of the land. I'll stop often and look for sign in and around the roads and in the cut blocks. I'm looking for browse, scat, rubs, beds, deer trails and anything else that peaks my interest. At a certain point I will leave the vehicle behind and put boots on the ground. My hiking will usually involve finding sign and letting it guide me to more sign. At this point I am starting to piece together patterns of deer use. I take notes and often start generating gps waypoint maps of anything of interest. I map out deer deer trails, bedding sites, areas of heavy browsing, and previous years rut sign. I keep in mind the areas of interest I generated at home as a goal destination, but really I am most interested in what the local terrain/habitat is like and what the sign is guiding me to. In short I try to learn as much about an area as is possible, with full knowledge that deer will change their current use of the habitat depending on so many different circumstances. It will usually take me many scouting trips and years of actively hunting an area to get to know it well. A huge driving part of scouting for me is curiosity. What is beyond this ridge? I will wonder what is the north side of the mountain like if I currently spend most of my time on the south and vice versa. What kind of deer activity will I see on all the areas which are tough to access? That is a brief overview of my scouting methodology. I hope it helps.
