Post Season Scouting

[Natty Bumppo]

Anybody else love this time of year to get out put some serious miles on? No bugs. No ticks. Last fall's scrapes and rubs are still obvious. First migrant birds are beginning to pass through. Added bonus is doing some early spring gobbler scouting. On a beautiful blue-sky day there's nothing like packing a lunch and getting out and covering some ground. Had one of those days today. Not a care in the world. No place I'd rather be than in the Northwoods looking for new places to hunt watching my labs run.

Who else likes to get out this time of year?

 

[Native Hunter]

Yes, I love this time of year and have been seeing some great turkey activity. I saw a single tom all blowed up out in a field the other day about 300 yards away. It looked so big, that I thought it might be an Angus bull that had escaped from a nearby farm. Had to look at it through field glass to make sure it was a turkey....

 

[j-bird]

I like to do my scouting more so in January.....the reason being....I want to know what the deer are doing when they are still feeling pressure. This really helps me figure out what to expect during the season next year. I love a fresh covering of snow in January or even february.....it makes finding the tracks easy and you know the movement you are seeing is pretty recent. It's also easy to find beds as well. Rubs and scrapes are fine....I like finding beds. I think I learn more from beds more so than any other sign.

 

[Natty Bumppo]

Yes, I love this time of year and have been seeing some great turkey activity. I saw a single tom all blowed up out in a field the other day about 300 yards away. It looked so big, that I thought it might be an Angus bull that had escaped from a nearby farm. Had to look at it through field glass to make sure it was a turkey....

That's funny! Hoping to see one that big soon in 5 weeks or so. If my high school ends up calling it quits for the remainder of the year I am going to have an epic turkey season like I had in 1988. I had just dropped out of college in Dec. and was about to go to basic training in June...and I had no job. I hunted every day for the entire 4 week season.

 

[Natty Bumppo]

I like to do my scouting more so in January.....the reason being....I want to know what the deer are doing when they are still feeling pressure. This really helps me figure out what to expect during the season next year. I love a fresh covering of snow in January or even february.....it makes finding the tracks easy and you know the movement you are seeing is pretty recent. It's also easy to find beds as well. Rubs and scrapes are fine....I like finding beds. I think I learn more from beds more so than any other sign.

I hear you j-bird. I like finding beds too. I get out there in January once our season closes on the last day of December. The thing here is that I hunt very big woods with minimal pressure. And there are very few, if any, food to cover kinds of patterns in these big woods. The deer can bed almost anywhere, and they are true browsers....eating just about anywhere. For me, finding scrape lines is more beneficial. Yesterday I found two such lines. Massive and frequent scrapes on two old logging or skid roads that have long since begun to grow in. One of them led to an old New England homestead...old foundation, rock walls, and about 75 beautiful old apple trees growing in and amongst the taller hardwoods. Really remote and tough to get to....there's no sign that anybody is hunting it. I'm not even sure how I am going to hunt it. It's in the middle of nowhere, and quite a long walk from the nearest trail. But, I'm going to try!

 

[j-bird]

I hear you j-bird. I like finding beds too. I get out there in January once our season closes on the last day of December. The thing here is that I hunt very big woods with minimal pressure. And there are very few, if any, food to cover kinds of patterns in these big woods. The deer can bed almost anywhere, and they are true browsers....eating just about anywhere. For me, finding scrape lines is more beneficial. Yesterday I found two such lines. Massive and frequent scrapes on two old logging or skid roads that have long since begun to grow in. One of them led to an old New England homestead...old foundation, rock walls, and about 75 beautiful old apple trees growing in and amongst the taller hardwoods. Really remote and tough to get to....there's no sign that anybody is hunting it. I'm not even sure how I am going to hunt it. It's in the middle of nowhere, and quite a long walk from the nearest trail. But, I'm going to try!

That shows how the difference in habitat impacts the way the deer act and how we should take note. Heck in some areas getting out in January could be nearly impossible.....I don't get much snow.....so I try to take advantage. Here the deer are not pressured like in many other areas....but it's still nice to learn as much about the deer and how they use the land and try to figure out "why" as much as possible. I like looking now for browsed plants and IDing them or marking them for ID later...that way I can promote them as well. Scrapes here are mostly a night time thing.....I find more rub lines than I do scrape lines....but yes, any piece of the puzzle we can use the better.

 

[trampledbyturtles]

Beautiful evening for a stroll out in Gods creation.

 

[Natty Bumppo]

Beautiful evening for a stroll out in Gods creation.

Good Lord, that is beautiful country! Thanks for sharing.

 

[bowhunternw]

Beautiful evening for a stroll out in Gods creation.
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I like your Golden retriever. Grew up in Swmn and spent a lot of time pheasant hunting. We had a couple of goldens in those years. Great natured dogs, only negative is a lot of burrs can get tangled in that hair

 

[trampledbyturtles]

I like your Golden retriever. Grew up in Swmn and spent a lot of time pheasant hunting. We had a couple of goldens in those years. Great natured dogs, only negative is a lot of burrs can get tangled in that hair

Ha, yeah she got a funky haircut after this adventure. Very patchy to say the least. Looks like a wet muskrat.

Hopeing she will take some training. Already running and flushing birds. But right now she is just a wild one.

 

[trampledbyturtles]

Since it was the first day in the 60s.
Thought I'd sneak out after work for a quick hike/scouting mission.
In hindsite probably should of brought some water.
Found some decent sign.