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!