by Rick Hall

One of my favorite parts of the hunt is scouting and I’ve actually grown to like it more and more each year. Early on in my public land hunting experiences I felt rushed to find the right spot, like I was wasting time if I wasn’t in a tree. A couple of years back, I was preparing for a 5 day trip to KY and talking with one of my friends who would be making the trip with me. We were going through our strategies and I told him I intended to scout the first couple of days, then spend the rest of the time hunting. As I was saying it, I realized how dumb that actually sounded. How could I know if the scouting time I would put in over those first days would actually turn up the kind of sign that I wanted to hunt over? Conversely, what if I found the sign I was looking for right away? That conversation started a change in the way I viewed scouting. Sure, I wanted to get in a tree and be poised for a buck to come by, but if I’m not in the right tree, what’s the point? I realize now that scouting is just as much a part of the hunt as being in the stand. We often think of the “act of hunting” as simply sitting in a spot, waiting on the right deer to show up. In reality though, hunting is the entire process from gear preparation all the way to the processor, and scouting is a major part that I think often gets overlooked in private land situations.

Almost every big buck killer you hear on podcasts or see on social media today, will agree that scouting is one of the most important factors to their success. There are a number of ways they do this, whether it’s immediately after the season, or maybe while turkey hunting in spring. There’s also the now super popular e-scouting that we all do with online maps being so accessible. Cameras have become a huge part of the way most people scout as well, giving hunters the opportunity to see what may be happening in the woods even when they can’t be there. All of these methods have their place and can certainly help put the puzzle pieces together, but I believe that the single most important method is in-season scouting. While the other methods are great for taking inventory of the herd, or giving us historical data that we can leverage later, knowing where deer are and what they are doing in-season should always be the focus.

As the popularity of game cameras (especially cell cams) and the number of states legalizing hunting over bait grows, it seems that traditional “boots on the ground” scouting has fallen to the wayside in most hunting camps. Being able to have eyes on every feeder, 365 days a year has given a false sense of security to hunters that now think they know exactly what deer they are hunting, as well as when and where those deer are moving. I can’t begin to count the number of times that I’ve heard a private land hunter say something like “I’m probably not hunting today…my buck hasn’t shown up on camera the past few days.” In most cases, the hunter has had numerous pictures of a deer over a period of time, and expects to kill that deer in that spot. In a lot of cases, that spot is a feeder or food plot, and they’ve conditioned themselves to thinking that’s the place to kill the deer since that’s where they have the most pictures of him. I’d also suggest that more times than not, a hunter in that mindset hasn’t done much scouting since the season started. Deer patterns change, regardless of how tasty your corn or protein feed is, and just because you don’t have pictures of the deer where you expect him to be, doesn’t mean he’s not still killable. If your property has the right combination of food, water and cover, chances are that deer isn’t gone, he’s just likely changed his habits due to hunting pressure, or natural food options like acorns, or even the breeding season. When a deer stops showing up on camera, the move isn’t to back off until he’s back…the move is to move! One of my favorite techniques in this situation is to grab your weapon of choice, and spend time slowly moving through the area that you expect him to be. If you have a climber or mobile hunting set up, carry that too just in case you find the hot spot and want to set up on it right away. In just a short amount of time, you’ll likely find some sign that points you to what that deer is doing now. Rubs, trails, and big buck tracks might be just out of sight from your stand or camera and relying solely on that camera might have you just out of the kill zone.

I also see hunters (myself included!) that become so comfortable with the areas they hunt, that they think they know the deer behavior. While I absolutely believe there is some truth to that and that experience along with historical data are super important to current or future plans. Relying on just our past experiences can also be a negative. Even small changes to the environment can alter movement and behavior slightly, and these slight changes can have big implications on a hunter’s success. Maybe a recent burn has turned a bedding area into a feeding area or travel corridor. Maybe a neighbor recently cut a portion of their timber, changing how deer move in between you and them. Maybe a late summer storm caused a few trees to fall in your favorite hardwood bottom and the deer are skirting around those differently now, keeping them just out of range or sight of your stand. Historical data is good, but you can never quit learning. Even in a place that you think you know like the back of your hand.

There are also some legitimate concerns that might keep hunters from scouting. Specifically, the concern of putting pressure on a deer and bumping him out. This is one I struggle with a lot, but I keep coming back to the need to hunt where the deer are now. If I’m not seeing them, I’ve got to go find them. In these cases, proceed with caution. Try to make some educated guesses based on e-scouting or your knowledge of the area. Where is the deer likely bedding? Where might he be moving since he’s not coming to the food plot regularly? Using this info, formulate a plan that allows you to bite off small chunks of the property, without too much intrusion. And if you happen to bump a buck, don’t fret. Jumping a deer from his bedding area actually gives him confidence that his bed is in a safe spot. Every time he gets bumped from there and escapes safely, he’s reinforcing in his mind that bedding there will continue to keep him safe. Chances are, he’ll be back in that area sooner rather than later. In an effort though to combat concerns of pressure, I like to scout on the last day of a hunt. Like most hunters, I’m usually hunting weekends, then it may be a week or longer before I’m back. Using what I’ve observed while hunting, I’ll spend the last portion of my hunt scouting, which allows any excess pressure ample time to wear off before my next trip.

There are a number of reasons that might keep a hunter from wanting to or thinking they need to scout. Whether it’s the use of cameras, leaning on historical knowledge, or maybe concerns like putting too much pressure on a place, continuing to keep your finger on the pulse of current deer movement is too important to overlook. The tools and technology hunters have access to now are incredible and can be valuable as a part of our process, but nothing beats old school, boots on the ground scouting.