Pre-Season Scouting

Pre-season scouting is vital for a hunter to learn what is out there and where these deer are spending their time. This information will really help a hunter in early season.  Of course you do not want to disturb the area the deer are in, you want to do all your scouting from a far or via a trail cam.  Spooking deer out of the area they are living this time of year could hurt your chances early season.  So, you want to do your scouting and if you are hanging stands in such a manner that you do not push the deer from their area any more than you have to. So find  a preferred route  in and out that disturbs them as little as possible and spend as little time as possible in the woods.

The better choice is watch field edges, follow roads around the property that the deer are use to cars being on, or walk trails that are used either by farm equipment or fire trials that are used by walkers, hikers, dog walkers, bikers etc. on a regular basis.  You can learn so much about what deer are in the area this time of year and do it sometimes from the comfort of your air conditioned car! A good pair of binoculars or a spotting scope is very important to this.

Again, trail cams are also your friend, they can allow you to see nighttime movement that even scouting would not expose to you without this technology.  It will also allow you pattern deer if they are coming through an area every day around the same time.  Plus who doesn't like looking at those big boys in full velvet this time of year!  I saw several big deer while out driving this weekend and they still have a solid month of growth ahead of them.  So of these deer could add 2 - 4 inches of growth.  However most of what you will notice in growth this time of year will be in the points rather than the main beam.

We should start getting trail cam photo's soon as we finally got trail cam's out.  Hopefully we will get some pictures of some antlers, but either way we will soon be sharing the first of hopefully many trail cam photos!

Is everyone tired of the off-season and ready for the season to start?  Have you put out trail cam's?  Love to hear what everyone is doing to get ready for the season or see pictures!

2 Responses

  1. Henry
    Each night I have spent about and hour or two target practicing. I set up a stand in my back yard so that I could practice shooting from multiple angles and positions. Actually I think I over did it, since my neck is all messed up and muscles I didn't even know I had are sore. I work out a lot and consider myself in good shape but when it comes to pulling a bow back I am out of shape. I am going to continue practicing as much as possible until opening day to make sure I am ready. I have hung a few new stands this week. I am loving my new Millennium M 100, it is like a lounge chair in the sky!
    • admin
      Henry, Great to hear from you, an hour or two a night is a great way to make sure you are ready for the season. We have been shooting 2 or 3 times a week for an hour at a time and I plan to hang a stand in our yard in the next couple weeks like you did to allow us to shoot the different angles. I will start shooting every day after the first of August. Hopefully work and life slow down some by then so I have more free time :-) Even though we do not have much land to hang a lock on stand, I will have to find somewhere to check these Millennium stands out since you seem to have such high praise for them! Thanks for the info!

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