Question About Deer Hunting

If you’re gonna do any in season scouting you better know the lay of the land and use wind to your advantage. Also great to do on rainy days to cover up your scent.

That said, if you get to boogering deer in their bedding areas, it could spell trouble for you going forward

I mean, the less walking around, the better but if you're gonna deer hunt a new area, you pretty much have to do some scouting. As long as you don't go kicking leaves and sprint through the woods, you can still scout and be successful during deer season.

Scout coming and going from the stand.

On a rainy day, put on a rain suit and go slipping. Notice the rubs and scrapes.

Let the cameras scout for you.

Hunt observation stands on occasion.

This applies to all year. Deer do not have a calendar and know when deer season is open or closed.

Human intrusion should always be limited regardless of time of year, it’s never good to spook deer.

I walk out my back door to hunt. They say not to hunt scrapes. Well, we have shot a lot of nice deer working scrapes...I mean what should I do, move my stand? Scrapes are everywhere.

It depends. Sometimes all you need to do is be patient in good spots.

For public land or a new property, scouting and changing your aproach may be the ticket. Just the other day I carved a new trail on my place to a hillside overlooking a slough/creek bottom with trails, hooking and pawing everywhere.
I won't hunt it for a week or so, but after seeing only small deer at my established stands I decided to try a new angle.

It may pay off before 2/15 when the season ends.

If you hunt public land like I do, it dosent matter. I’m a real world, it would be great if everyone did this. But from my experience, from sitting on a stand and trail cameras, people are everywhere at all times the day on public land.

I don’t know how you would even hunt public land without scouting during the season. I’m sure not going in the woods unless to go to the stand is fine when you’re sitting over a corn pile, but when you can’t bait and draw the deer to you, you have to go find them. I usually hunt the morning, scout mid day so I don’t mess up other hunters, and I’ll either stay for the evening hunt or just call it a day after scouting for a bit. But I scout at least a little bit, probably 90% of the days I go to the woods.
My scouting is basically still hunting though. I’m not out there stomping through the woods making unnecessary noise. I’m still trying to kill a deer while I’m scouting.

Depends on several factors.

Size of the property. I own 100 acres. I don’t scout it once season begins. I use cell cameras to try and limit my foot print.

I hunt a place that’s just under 2,000 acres. Yes, I scout during the season and move cameras periodically.

Terrain plays a role. Can you glass from a distance (high line, gas line, long roads)

The smaller the property, the less time I spend on it walking around

Depends on time of season. Early season and rut I am in and out as quiet as I can. Late season up here when the snow starts to stick I will put my face to the wind and take my time moving in and around bedding areas.