Scouting?

[dbltree]

The poll about scouting kind got me thinking...I remember the days when I used to be able to scout, but they are long since gone in my area

I know we are all always aware and observing, but scouting??

Just wondering how many of you actually can go "scouting" and get permission to hunt on new ground?

I answered "I don't scout this time of year". To me scouting is done in the late winter, early spring when foliage is off, runways and rubs stand out and the weather is cool enough to put up a stand for the following fall.

All I can do these days is fine tune things on my own property and again I do that after season.

If I saw a buck somewhere else...it would be nothing more exciting then seeing a pic of a big one on here, cause getting permission in my neck of the woods is out of the question.

It's a big state though...how many of you are able to watch for big deer and gain permission for this fall?

What do you consider "scouting"? Do you drive and look for a big buck or do you use topo and areial maps to look for funnels and high percentage spots?

Enquiring minds want to know...

 

[blake]

Late winter and spring I am in the woods checking for travel patterns and bedding areas and spots for tree stands.

In the summer my hunting partner and I spend a lot of time flying around looking for potential bucks . If we see something we like we ask permission to hunt. Often we are granted permission for bow hunting, rarely for gun hunting.

We also spend a good deal of time driving around and using bino’s and spotting scopes from a distance. There is a big difference in the way a buck looks from the air and from the ground.

As always we are frequently checking out topo maps and aerial maps looking for the perfect spot to place a stand.

Then of course we just started using trailcams this year and they have been a new found bonus.

To answer your question Paul, I scout/observe year around.

 

[dbltree]

Scouting used to be something I really enjoyed but it's gone the way of the passenger pigeon around here

I'm glad you are still able to enjoy it Ron, based on replies I'd say a lot of folks are in the same boat as I am