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Thread: What to be looking for when scouting?

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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Nov 2014
    Posts
    243

    What to be looking for when scouting?

    Hoping to make more of a time commitment next year (spring & summer) to doing some scouting before the season to try to increase chances of getting a deer next fall. Can anyone give some advice on what to look for preseason? Hoping to choose a few spots to focus on during the season.
    Are you looking for present deer signs in the summer time? Or looking for areas that you would expect the deer to start coming down through in the fall - looking for spots with lots of food, good shooting spots?

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  3. #2
    Join Date
    Nov 2006
    Posts
    1,800

    Re: What to be looking for when scouting?

    I find that getting out there and finding sheds tells me one thing the deer in this case are close by in late fall, having found many sheds has attracted me to a few areas that have rewarded me well .... April brings on the spring bear season and never a better time out there to actually hunt and scout at the same time.
    Not a tree goes by without me having a closer look ... have a old friend who has taken many good blacktails ... none scored nor advertised .... but he did mention to me to look for the rubs and used the word
    “perennial “ to me that has meant year after year.... with me finding sheds in areas warrant further investigation into the areas .
    Last edited by Ferenc; 12-24-2018 at 03:22 PM.

  4. #3
    Join Date
    Nov 2014
    Posts
    243

    Re: What to be looking for when scouting?

    Quote Originally Posted by Ferenc View Post
    I find that getting out there and finding sheds tells me one thing the deer in this case are close by in late fall, having found many sheds has attracted me to a few areas that have rewarded me well .... April brings on the spring bear season and never a better time out there to actually hunt and scout at the same time.
    Not a tree goes by without me having a closer look ... have a old friend who has taken many good blacktails ... none scored nor advertised .... but he did mention to me to look for the rubs and used the word
    “perennial “ to me that has meant year after year.... with me finding sheds in areas warrant further investigation into the areas .
    Thank you. Will get out there in the spring and summer and look for them. Do you guys specifically look for bucks before the season (sheds, rubs) or just for any signs of deer?

  5. #4
    Join Date
    Sep 2015
    Location
    British Columbia, Canada
    Posts
    607

    Re: What to be looking for when scouting?

    Learn about the animal and its habitat. Head into the areas around you that you think hold animals and start marking what you find in a mapping app on your phone. You'll learn a lot about travel patterns. Head back in the fall and hope you get lucky.

    http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/wld/documents/muledeer.pdf


    https://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&sourc...OmV3AOuPjzaPfC

  6. #5
    Join Date
    Nov 2014
    Posts
    243

    Re: What to be looking for when scouting?

    Quote Originally Posted by dapesche View Post
    Learn about the animal and its habitat. Head into the areas around you that you think hold animals and start marking what you find in a mapping app on your phone. You'll learn a lot about travel patterns. Head back in the fall and hope you get lucky.

    http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/wld/documents/muledeer.pdf


    https://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&sourc...OmV3AOuPjzaPfC
    Awesome articles. Thanks!!

  7. #6
    Join Date
    Jan 2019
    Posts
    27

    Re: What to be looking for when scouting?

    Quote Originally Posted by dapesche View Post
    Learn about the animal and its habitat. Head into the areas around you that you think hold animals and start marking what you find in a mapping app on your phone. You'll learn a lot about travel patterns. Head back in the fall and hope you get lucky.

    http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/wld/documents/muledeer.pdf


    https://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&sourc...OmV3AOuPjzaPfC
    Very interesting, thanks

  8. #7
    Join Date
    Sep 2015
    Location
    British Columbia, Canada
    Posts
    607

    Re: What to be looking for when scouting?

    Quote Originally Posted by BGHA View Post
    Very interesting, thanks
    No problem. You'd be surprised what's out there when yiy search. The ministries has done a lot of studies on ungulates. You can learn a lot thanks to their work.
    You get a greater appreciation for your prey when you know more about them. What's cool is when you take your new knowledge to google maps to pick spots ad when you puts boots on the ground there is sign.

    Have fun.

  9. #8
    Join Date
    Jan 2019
    Posts
    27

    Re: What to be looking for when scouting?

    Quote Originally Posted by dapesche View Post
    No problem. You'd be surprised what's out there when yiy search. The ministries has done a lot of studies on ungulates. You can learn a lot thanks to their work.
    You get a greater appreciation for your prey when you know more about them. What's cool is when you take your new knowledge to google maps to pick spots ad when you puts boots on the ground there is sign.

    Have fun.
    Yes indeed. Thanks again!

  10. #9
    Join Date
    Oct 2011
    Location
    108 ranch
    Posts
    963

    Re: What to be looking for when scouting?

    My suggestion is to get the record book of BC ...In your management hunting area see the locations in the record book of the species you"re after and it should give you some locations ...In your MU walk the areas and look for rubs...This is where the deer are during Nov and Dec ...They might migrate after heavy snow to a different area to winter...They winter in Mature Douglas fir and pine stands ...Old log blocks next to mature forests is a good starting point..My area is near the hwy about a mile to 3 away..These areas tend to be protected from logging because they are mule deer winter range...Also a trip to the Forestry dept in your town closest to your area should let you know of deer winter areas..Areas that have sheds can be good hunting and also can be poor hunting ..Its all weather dependent ...In my area I dont find many sheds ...The odd one but.....there are some big deer there ..The numbers of deer now in some traditional areas has really thinned ..Why because of all the logging of beetle kill ...What was mature barren forest now is sucession feed areas ...They used to migrate from there to further away ...Now they have logged regen blocks and mature timber to winter so they stay more resident.....One thing I have noticed is that now the big bucks tend to be daytime shy more and move more in timber and late in the day or very early..Good luck hope I've helped ...Dennis

  11. #10
    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    In the bush near a lake
    Posts
    7,198

    Re: What to be looking for when scouting?

    All 3 deer species act different and like different habitat so scouting “deer” is too vague. I look for vet different things for each species

    Learn about the 3 species and the habitat they like for starters

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