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Scouting Question

Now that we have snow cover, how worthwhile is it to scout for next season.

I hunt primarily big woods areas, so I normally hunt topography rather than sign. Is it worthwhile now to scout say saddles, benches or other geographic points of interest to find deer travel routes and pinch points now.

Or because of the snow, varying acorn crops, difference in season etc, is what I may find now, of no use for zeroing in on stand locations for next September?

Toonces,

I don't think it's ever a bad idea to scout when conditions favor you such as having snow cover to make tracks and trails stand out.

Obviously deer aren't on the same feed/travel pattern now they'll be on in the early season but you may find preferred bedding areas and that can be invaluable information to use all season long.

Finding bedding areas first and foremost alerts you to what areas you need to always remain downwind of when you approach your stand or hunting area. Walk the entire periphery of the bedding area and look for trails; following these will likely lead you to feeding areas; between the feeding and bedding areas look for pinch downs, funnels that can provide good bowhunting stand sites.

Chances are you will discover some of those trails that lead from bedding areas to food sources are going to lead you into oak stands and those (especially if you have a stand of mature white oaks) will produce early, mid and late season for you.

One bonus might be to walk the periphery of such a stand of white oaks looking for rubs; you may uncover a buck's rub line and if you do try to follow it as far as you can. You may be able to locate a good buck's bedding area and then you can use that knowledge (plus knowing the foods source and doe bedding area locations) to optimize stand placement for the rut.

I think it's a win-win for you so I'd recommend to go out and scout as much as you can.

Good luck!

Yes. Scout now. All I look for in the snow are for places that have a concentrated area of tracks.....that's it. The last few years have been so terrible with big snowfalls that the ability to do this was a waste, as most deer didn't go through a "normal" pattern. So it was extremely difficult to find an area that they would be moving through in September.

But now I would go out and search for areas that are loaded with tracks and pick out a good tree or two. Start there in the fall and you'll see deer. Once you've figured out exactly where they move you can adjust your set-up as needed.

Of course you'll have to identify why they are moving through that area.....terrain, cover, food, funnel, etc. and apply your skills as to when it's best to hunt there.

If anything it'll give you an idea for where to poke around next season..i disappeared for a couple of hours in the swamp today,plenty of coyote track but not one set of deer tracks...plenty of acorns still around,very strange.

Snow helps me determine the actual number of deer in the area.

Under normal undisturbed conditions bedding areas and travel routes never change, while food sources constantly do. Bedding and main trail use varies depending primarily on which food sources are being consumed throughout the year. After snow has been on the ground for a few weeks, it makes many of these areas easy to locate. Thats some handy information to have when hunting a piece of property regardless of what time of the season it is.

I used to think so until I walked in the snow last year and this past Saturday. I saw zero tracks in a spot last year but got daily cam pics in the same spot this year. I saw plenty of deer sign all hunting season long in my Berkshire spot but this past Saturday I saw zero deer tracks but a lot of coyote tracks. It will make you either think you have no deer on your spot or a lot of deer.

I love to scout after a snow or after a good rain that makes the ground soft. Bonus on the rain if you can get out while the leaves are still wet and very quiet.

+1 for quiet conditions!

And I really like he first good snow of the year because the animals don't immediately seem to understand that they are visible from much farther out than they were just the day before, so it's probably the best time you can get for glassing into bedding areas to see who beds down where. Nothing you can't see just as well from right there on the ground, but less disturbance with glasses and of course it's a Big Deal if they are bedding on property you can only view from afar....

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