scouting

[chrismcd]

So I went on my first scouting trip last week, and oh was it a lesson. I should've gotten my muffler welded before I left. About 10 minutes before I got to the spot muffler shook itself off from the long dirt road. Didn't realize there was a whole in jacket pocket so my GPS fell out along the way. As I was watching some hills a black bear snuck up behind me about 30 yards awaybefore I turned to get a snack and saw home starring at me . And on my way home left wallet on the roof.
Throughout my adventures I only saw one doe on the road up

Since then my wallet got mailed to me, brand spankin New muffler and got a new map instead of GPS ffor now.

I'm going to head back out during the week, does anyone have any quick tips I might be able to use to spot more deer. When is a good time to walk and when should I just sit and watch? Would it be a bad idea regarding scent, to bring my dog, she's a rotweiler. I wouldn't bring her hunting most likelyJust to scout.



Thanks for any help

[bc_buckshot]

My suggestion is to leave the pooch home. Any unwanted scent including your own is not a advantage. Eventually the scent will be home but i would say not a good idea. Best time to scout is anytime you can. Nothing in the rule book that says this is the perfect time. Alot of
people including myself scout all year long. It being just going for a bike, quad ride, or putting up trial camera. I even scout when im hunting for future hunts. Couple time i scout half a day when a deer tied up on the bike. Heading back to the truck. Any bush time is good time.

But as for now, best time to spot deer and watch is first light and last light. Thats when they will be out feeding or by some water. After that they are bedded up in the thick laying down. If it was me, find a a common area you seen deer. Make sure there is food, shade, and water. Watch them from a far so your not already putting pressure on them. After watch which way they go into the thick and rest. Deer are everywhere just gotta find them.

[lovemywinchester]

From the sounds of that trip I would stay at home if I were you!:tongue: It might help to let us know where you are located and what species you are looking for.

I have been "scouting" for a few months already. If you don't have any Trail cams out, get some. They are a great way to motivate yourself to get out and find areas where deer are travelling. Go back once a month to switch cards and you will have a good idea of what's living in the neighbourhood. I concentrate my cams on areas where trails cross so you will get a lot of action. I have yet to kill a deer I have caught on cam first but they are a great tool even if it's just to get you out looking.

In this heat I would expect to see deer on the hoof mainly in the mornings and evenings. During the day I would hike the thick stuff and try to bounce deer from their beds. If you find them there now they may still be there around opener. Hike on breezy days with the wind in your face and you should be able to get close to deer. Hike north sides of hills or valleys, out of the sun. Hiking in the bush is not fun this time of year with the thick veg and bugs, prepare for both. And always look for sheds!

I would pick no more than three areas to key on and preferable closer to home if possible. Maybe pick two spots for mulies and one for WT. Spreading yourself too thin is not productive and being close to home will allow you to spend more time in these areas. Pick one or two mountains or valleys and consider that your spot for the fall. If you spend a lot of time in an area you will learn where the deer are, or aren't.

Invest in some good binos or a spotting scope and spend time glassing. Glass in thick stuff as well as open clearcuts and alpine areas. Deer can hide in thick bush like you wouldn't believe. Look for deer parts in the thick stuff. Leg, antler, ears, shiny nose, horizontal shapes.

Good luck and post some pics this fall of your success.

[hoochie]

dog is fine for scouting.. had a few rotties myself. They will let you know to pay attention to things.. they are an extra set of ears.
When it comes time to hunt, I take my dog ( she's a pittbull), but she stays in the truck when I stalk or sit. she can come out when the deer is down or if Im grouse hunting she walks beside me.
I have found that deer are like us going to work and coming home in the evening. You will see deer in the morning, you may see the odd one during the 10-2 times, but after dinner they move again.
The deer we watched and stalked for a couple days last year always had a pattern. in one location in the morning, then we would find them again in the evening. I was lucky enough to find them around 10am one day and I sat and watched them bed down for an hour or so. They act kind of like dogs.. they take naps etc.
The deer that walk through my back and front yard are only seen at about 9 am, sometimes at noon. Ive never seen them in the evening, so they must go somewhere else after dinner.

[hoochie]

oh ya.. another thing about dogs...
my rotties in the past, and my 1.5yr old pittbull are great at smelling the trails. They may walk ahead and they always stop at deer poop. There are times when I ve missed a trail, but my dog has found it. Walk the trails and see where they come out. sometimes there is a clearing at the other end where you can see the deer have been there before.
watch the tree lines with binos. if you see trails.. sit and watch them and along the tree lines.
Last year I got in the middle of maybe 12 deer in a tight set of trees between two cuts. a doe walked toward me and got within 10 feet before she spotted me. she stomped, snorted.. alerting all others and that was the end of that! Ultra cool experience.
just get out and keep your eyes peeled.
what area do you live in?

[brian]

Find and walk the deer trails to get an idea of how they are using the landscape. Look for old sign that indicate rut activity (rubs etc) this will be one of your few indicators of potential deer activity come fall. Also look for areas where multiple trails come together and trails seem to be everywhere. This is indicates you are in a heavy use area as opposed to an area where the deer are simply traveling through to get to somewhere else. This time of year is not a great indicator of what their fall habits will be. The bucks are still in velvet and more likely to be seen in the open. The does are up browsing plenty of times during the day to get enough energy for their milk. But you won't know if the deer you are seeing are local or migrating. Also they are browsing on their favorite in season summer food right now, but there is a constant shift of seasonal food sources and the deer adjust to it. So don't be surprised if you think you have them nailed only to have them suddenly vanish when their next favorite food ripens and you are left scratching your head wondering where they have all gone off to. Take plenty of time to soak in the sights sounds and smells of deery areas when you find them and try not to make any assumptions, just soak in the info and ask yourself lots of questions about what you are seeing.

Your dog should be fine. Just make sure you can control him, especially with the bears around. Generally it takes more than a bit of pressure to knock the deer out of their preferred ranges. They may change their habits if you make more regular appearances and will head to more secure secondary ranges if the pressure becomes more intense.

[OutWest]

Was up in the Ashnola last weekend. The bucks are feeding late into the mornings and moving throughout the day. The bugs were pretty bad and they were clearly irritated with them. I didn't have to do a ton of hiking, just found a nice perch I was able to glass a few bowls and some alpine from and parked myself for a few hours at a time. I would suggest doing the same - less hiking more glassing once you get to your area.