When to stop scouting

[atltrafficisterrible]

I plan on heading out to a WMA i plan to hunt this season tomorrow morning. Ive already gone a few times the past couple months but heard some interesting information and want to check it out. Since Squirrel seasons started the 15th and archery starts the 9th I told myself this would be my last scouting opportunity.

Am I going to disrupt a bunch of Squirrel hunters?
Is it too late to keep scouting or do i have another week or so?

 

[Dupree]

You will be more successful if you scout weekly. Food now is not what food will be when bow season opens. Bow opener hot spots may or may not be hot spots in October. If hunting natural food, which you would be on a wma if hunting legally, it changes often from late summer to winter.

 

[NCHillbilly]

I plan on heading out to a WMA i plan to hunt this season tomorrow morning. Ive already gone a few times the past couple months but heard some interesting information and want to check it out. Since Squirrel seasons started the 15th and archery starts the 9th I told myself this would be my last scouting opportunity.

Am I going to disrupt a bunch of Squirrel hunters?
Is it too late to keep scouting or do i have another week or so?

Acorns. When they start dropping, everything changes. Scouting now isn't telling you much, unless you're looking for oak ridges that will be on fire for the next couple months.

 

[atltrafficisterrible]

You will be more successful if you scout weekly. Food now is not what food will be when bow season opens. Bow opener hot spots may or may not be hot spots in October. If hunting natural food, which you would be on a wma if hunting legally, it changes often from late summer to winter.

I'm about 2 hrs away so I have to pick and choose when I can do it. It ends up taking the entire day. Sounds like I should look for more green and not near ripe food sources then.

Acorns. When they start dropping, everything changes. Scouting now isn't telling you much, unless you're looking for oak ridges that will be on fire for the next couple months.

I've really only hunted on private lands until now. If everything changes after acorns fall then is any scouting worth it? Or am I just picking trees

 

[Full Draw McGraw]

Scouting this time of year IS worth it.
What i'm usually looking for is areas that look like they will be good once the season starts, then I scout them again in season to confirm whether i was right or not. If they're hot, hunt them ASAP. If they're cold, move on.
I'm always looking for the opening morning, go in blind spot too. I just haven't had much luck with that one.

 

[LONGTOM]

never stop scouting

 

[atltrafficisterrible]

Scouting this time of year IS worth it.
What i'm usually looking for is areas that look like they will be good once the season starts, then I scout them again in season to confirm whether i was right or not. If they're hot, hunt them ASAP. If they're cold, move on.
I'm always looking for the opening morning, go in blind spot too. I just haven't had much luck with that one.

When you scout again during season do you try and scout around noon so your not bumping deer or walking up on someone?

 

[Big7]

Acorns. When they start dropping, everything changes. Scouting now isn't telling you much, unless you're looking for oak ridges that will be on fire for the next couple months.

This ^^^^^
AND Clean Water and Bedding

 

[Full Draw McGraw]

When you scout again during season do you try and scout around noon so your not bumping deer or walking up on someone?

Normally i would try to scout in the noon or early afternoon, looking for a spot to set up that evening. I have gone back into those spots before dawn without scouting too on occasion, but that doesn't always work out well.
I guess it depends on why i liked that area to begin with. If it's an oak spot i would definitely try to go back in looking for acorns and feeding sign before deciding to hunt there.

 

[WOODIE13]

Always scout, food sources, water, pressure all make critters change habits

 

[35 Whelen]

When I lived in Gwinnett County I hunted almost exclusively public land for many years. When scouting, what I looked for were places that other hunters would not be. What I have observed is most public land hunters do not stray far from roads, trails, creeks, etc. They also mark where they are going to be with flagging or reflective tacks. Find areas where other hunters won't go because it is thick, swampy, or hard to get too. That is where deer will be or go to when the shooting starts.
Also, hunt all day on public land. Most hunters leave for camp or their truck at 10 am and come back at 4 pm. All that movement will bump deer to isolated areas where you should be. Also, hunt until legal shooting time is over and learn to be able to walk out in the dark. I can't tell you how many deer I have killed at last legal shooting time. Most public land hunters walk out while it is still light so they don't get lost.

 

[sportsman94]

I’m not sure where you are hunting, but around me there are very few hunters out in squirrel season and not much more during bow season. I do a lot of scouting during those seasons. Just treat it like any other time. If there’s a truck parked, just go to another spot

 

[sprewett]

When I lived in Gwinnett County I hunted almost exclusively public land for many years. When scouting, what I looked for were places that other hunters would not be. What I have observed is most public land hunters do not stray far from roads, trails, creeks, etc. They also mark where they are going to be with flagging or reflective tacks. Find areas where other hunters won't go because it is thick, swampy, or hard to get too. That is where deer will be or go to when the shooting starts.
Also, hunt all day on public land. Most hunters leave for camp or their truck at 10 am and come back at 4 pm. All that movement will bump deer to isolated areas where you should be. Also, hunt until legal shooting time is over and learn to be able to walk out in the dark. I can't tell you how many deer I have killed at last legal shooting time. Most public land hunters walk out while it is still light so they don't get lost.

100%

 

[sprewett]

Here is my disclaimer. I am not a great hunter actually probably not even a good hunter. But I do highly enjoy it and see alot of deer on public land and not any people (I hunt a highly pressured WMA. Most WMAs I hunt have pigs and as a result I am continuously scouting. Maybe not to the degree before season begins but the hogs will push deer out of bedding areas, at least in one particular place I have seen this. This can change their patterns. I gravitate to areas that are too difficult for alot of guys to get to or too far from the access for them to travel and as a result as mentioned in previous post I usually hunt all day. I love observing and learning about new places looking for saddles in ridges and old logging roads waaaay back in the woods. While it is exhilarating to kill a deer or any animal your hunting for that matter the hunt goes way beyond the kill. What an awesome hobby we get to be a part of. I wish you the best and hope you have a great season.

 

[fireman32]

I’d scout, looking for old rut sign, thickets near food and trails. Also carry binoculars, look for white oaks then red oaks with acorns that will drop this fall. I’d scout every chance I could until I knew the area well. Doubt you’ll bother many folks during midday.

 

[coastalredneck]

IMO the only scouting that's bad is guys that religiously check cameras and corn up.. . the worst members to hunt with.. stay out of those areas and you can maybe hunt them and get a decent deer. guys treading every week in those areas and they figure it out quick. scouting natural food sources through out the season.. all for it.

 

[livinoutdoors]

Generally after 10 am is late enough to scout and be polite about it. Most folks should be gone or walking out. If you leave after dark wear a headlight and turn it on high.

 

[antharper]

Generally after 10 am is late enough to scout and be polite about it. Most folks should be gone or walking out. If you leave after dark wear a headlight and turn it on high.

I’d much rather walk out of the woods on public land after dark with a light than before dark without one .

 

[livinoutdoors]

I’d much rather walk out of the woods on public land after dark with a light than before dark without one .

Yeah thats kinda what i meant. Wait till dark and put a light on makes you most visable. Creepin out at dusk with no light? Naw.

 

[bfriendly]

Scouting this time of year IS worth it.
What i'm usually looking for is areas that look like they will be good once the season starts, then I scout them again in season to confirm whether i was right or not. If they're hot, hunt them ASAP. If they're cold, move on.
I'm always looking for the opening morning, go in blind spot too. I just haven't had much luck with that one.

This^^ Me too! Besides if nothing else, you can eliminate places you’ve never been before and have fun doing it! I’m not hiking miles in, but a closed gate and an ebike is getting me places I’ve never been And I’m having a blast doing it! Yesterday I went past 3 gates, bike on 2 and walked down the other. I also walk a long way alongside a popular river. I swear I’ve Never seen such a lack of deer sign in such a gorgeous place! I was happy to mark a few dusting bowls I found…….I heard them birds good too! Just that excitement gave me enough energy to check out 4 or 5 different areas!
I know one thing for sure, they won’t be the same place they are now! I mark oak trees and anything else I see as I go on my HuntStand app, and a few notes to jog the memory bank. Im constantly doing this every time I’m in the woods And I try to see a different part of the woods each time as well. There’s over a million acres at my fingertips, but I just lost the closest one to me. Time to drive a little further and find new areas which I’m doing…….gonna consider it a good thing!