Scouting Tips Next For Season’s Hunt

It’s practically May already and everything is starting to get greener – especially out in the woods. So, if you haven’t already done so, you’d better get out and start scouting for next season’s stand locations. Why? Well, when all that undergrowth starts to come up, it’ll eventually cover all of last year’s deer signs such as trails, scrapes and in some cases rub lines. You’ll want to see all the signs of patterned deer movement so that you’ll know exactly where to put your stand this year.

Grant yourself a huge benefit by getting out there now; otherwise, it’s all going to be guess work for you come opening day. Identify where their bedding and feeding areas are as well as primary scrapes, rub lines and main travel routes. Look for bottleneck areas, isolated watering holes and narrow points which deer will most likely during the early part of the season. During the hot, sweltering days of the early bow season, even big bucks will be forced to find water during the daytime hours.

As for tools, bring a portable hand saw to cut clearings as well as tree branches on the tree where you plan to put your tree stand in. Bring some tree steps to get up as high as you need to be when sitting in your stand. At this point it’s going to be difficult to envision how thick the undergrowth and foliage will actually be, but try to envision where you’ll have the best cover.

Locate your deer stand or blind area ten yards off of the trail, scrape or rub line which deer regularly use. You don’t want to be on top of them when they approach. Always, always set up your deer stand or blind downwind from where you believe the deer will travel past you. This is just an extra good measure for preventing the deer from smelling you when the winds pick up in the fall.

When you’re out scouting around, practice the same scent control techniques as you would when you’re hunting. Remember, deer will shift their daily patterns or go nocturnal to avoid potential dangers and that would have you at a disadvantage right from the start. I recommend wearing scent-control clothing or cover-scent treated clothing along with rubber boots and gloves to keep from spreading human odor everywhere.

If you have a long hike into your stand or blind area, use those little reflective push pins to aid you in finding your way in the dark. Again clear a path to your stand location so your not brushing up against branches, tripping over deadfalls or anything of that sort. Once you have your stand or blind location set up leave the area alone for for about three months before you go back to see what the undergrowth looks like. Minimizing your travels keeps the deer from getting spooked resulting in what I mentioned earlier about affecting their daily patterns or eventually becoming nocturnal.

So, get out there now if you haven’t already done so. Scouting is one of the biggest factors for ensuring a successful hunt. If you don’t do your homework now, your chances of intercepting deer or even a big buck will be slim to none.

 

Do Bucks Really “Growl”?

I didn’t believe it myself until I saw this video:

Watch ‘The GROWL’ video

I still think it’s something that needs to be explored more. Why haven’t I ever heard this in the last twenty years of my hunting career? Is this type of call common only to certain areas or regions? Who knows. One thing is certain, whitetails quickly adapt to changes in their surroundings. Maybe that has something to do with this unique phenomenon. 

Check it out and let me know what you think. 

Tree Saddle™ Allows for 360º Shooting

I just bought a brand new Gorilla Greyback Elite climber tree stand because I forgot to bring my last one home from a deer hunting trip in Illinois. I love it except now I’m looking at a Tree Saddle™ that looks even more versatile than my climber. With the Tree Saddle, I can hunt wide open forests that are limited as far as natural cover. This is a fine example of how ingenuity takes us one step closer to that elusive whitetail. 

I would like to hear from anyone that’s used it to hear what they have to say about it. Is it easy to set up and dismantle? I need to know more before I flip out the cash. Stay tuned for updates. I might just get one regardless of what people say about them.

Quick Deer Hunting Tip

Before walking out into the woods make sure you spray yourself and your equipment down with some type of cover scent. Spray everything from head to toe. You should even spray cover scent on your tree stand or deer blind (ground blind). Contaminating an area with human odor is the number one cause of deer becoming nocturnal. Every time you brush up against a tree branch or tall grass, you are potentially contaminating the site with human odor if you don’t take some precaution.

Most hunters don’t realize it, but your hands and feet are major producers of the strongest human odor concentrations. This is why I wear rubber boots and some type of gloves when I go out hunting. If you buy brand new boots and gloves you’ll need to deodorize them before using them during your hunt. Leave your rubber boots outside in a sunny location for about two weeks to help get rid the of the rubber’s odor. As for the gloves, wash them in a scent eliminating soap that you can find at most outdoor sporting goods stores.

Scent control has always been an issue and now there are more products out there to help you combat your nasty odor. Put your odor in lockdown mode before you go out to hunt and I can promise that you’re going to see more deer.