[Camocam92]

Just wondering in here how many scout post season in the winter. Before everything greens up and the old sign like scrapes and rubs are covered up? Or easily defined trails and bedding areas.

Last couple days and last weekend I’ve been out covering a lot of ground and definitely noticed where I was maybe 50-100 yards away from a better deer trail or just off the rut line too far in some spots. Started getting my fleet of roughly 25+ non cell cams out now to narrow in the core areas of some of the mature deer in my hunting spots

 

[Tyson10gauge]

Have not been out since Feb , but already have trail cams running and been doing scouting since season ended for next fall , I will scout all thru the spring and summer as well what's left of winter months

 

[WoodsMaster]

Just a thought - Because I don't know the answer to this myself, But if you come across a heavily used deer trail in the snow, would that trail still be used heavily during the fall? My thought is that deer would be travelling to their winter yards in the winter so I'd almost consider it to be a false assessment. I have definitely seen a few trails in the winter months that get me excited but I just don't know how accurate those would be at representing how often it gets used in the fall. Hopefully I explained that in a way that makes sense lol

 

[beaverhunter]

Just a thought - Because I don't know the answer to this myself, But if you come across a heavily used deer trail in the snow, would that trail still be used heavily during the fall? My thought is that deer would be travelling to their winter yards in the winter so I'd almost consider it to be a false assessment. I have definitely seen a few trails in the winter months that get me excited but I just don't know how accurate those would be at representing how often it gets used in the fall. Hopefully I explained that in a way that makes sense lol

I kind of agree with your thought process, deer will be going to different areas during different times of the year based on food etc.

 

[Tyson10gauge]

Just a thought - Because I don't know the answer to this myself, But if you come across a heavily used deer trail in the snow, would that trail still be used heavily during the fall? My thought is that deer would be travelling to their winter yards in the winter so I'd almost consider it to be a false assessment. I have definitely seen a few trails in the winter months that get me excited but I just don't know how accurate those would be at representing how often it gets used in the fall. Hopefully I explained that in a way that makes sense lol

Stick a trail camera on it , you be surprised how close a winter trail is close to a fall trail . One I am monitoring with camera right now has exact same exit coming out but the fall trail follows the edge of my woodlot road from the hard wood in fall time , winter they cut right across the hardwood at end of the road . Same exit but two different travel directions and enter back in only 2-300 yards from both sides .

Plus they still use that winter trail during fall months as I always find fresh sign in there , it's true they have winter grounds vs summer grounds but most times stay in a general 3-5 km area .

I have log books going back now last 16-18 yrs since trail cams were once 35 mm film and costly developing , and have found if area is dead or dormant of activity , give it 4-7 days and they are back again , just moving thru home range of Winter & Summer months feeding / bedding areas . If indeed a group is using a winter trail heavily beaten down you can bet some still use that route fall time when tracking others scent , look around and I bet you will find a old scrape under light snow or old rubbing on trees from bucks on those winter trails .

Hope this helps some of your question

 

[Camocam92]

I look at it this way when it comes to high deer traffic in winter time. It’s something I’ll pay attention to for the last week of rifle and that remaining part of bow season, when after the rut the bucks start to head back to food to regain weight. For my area, the food sources are fields and 4-7 year old choppings. From my experience does bed closer to the bedding with the bucks another 100 yards in the woods further, typically on a saddle on a hill or the best high stem count and best thermal cover possible. And the better the food source the more draw you’ll get from deer in the area. These are the areas I do most of my shed hunting in, not so much focusing on for deer season.

The things I’m looking for as the snow starts to decrease is diving into the bedding areas to see the sign that was left like rubs and scrapes or see what particular beds were used. Sometimes I’ll leave a camera in doe bedding area all year, just to see when bucks come poking around before the rut. For myself, I always seem to be chasing my tail during the rut as they aren’t overly patternable, but early and late season they are. So I use this time to try and narrow in my camera placements by reading the sign to see when some of the mature bucks in the area I hunt, and work the sign back to where I think they are coming from. Then after finding their core area, I keep records in a digital file, of the weather conditions of the times they walk past those cameras, which helps narrow in the conditions to sit in those stands

 

[greybeard]

I like to be in the woods after a fresh snow fall to see exactly what is going through the woods whether it is deer, bobcat, grouse, coyote etc.

 

[greybeard]

This year there has not been to many of those snow falls.

 

[Striper66]

Just a thought - Because I don't know the answer to this myself, But if you come across a heavily used deer trail in the snow, would that trail still be used heavily during the fall? My thought is that deer would be travelling to their winter yards in the winter so I'd almost consider it to be a false assessment. I have definitely seen a few trails in the winter months that get me excited but I just don't know how accurate those would be at representing how often it gets used in the fall. Hopefully I explained that in a way that makes sense lol

Absolutely correct,false assessment.They change their patterns dramatically between winter spring and september.Everything changes in the woods during winter.

 

[Striper66]

Only time i see trails used all year long consistently is where the deer are close to homes or towns,the winter months dont impact them the same.

 

[TrueGrit]

I like to be in the woods after a fresh snow fall to see exactly what is going through the woods whether it is deer, bobcat, grouse, coyote etc.

That is one of my favourites as well! I even look along my driveway and in the backyard when I see tracks cutting across the fresh snow!

 

[gary]

Yep - always scout once the snow leaves the woods. Make a concerted effort to check out rub lines, scrapes, Fall feeding areas, buck trails, etc before green up and AFTER all snow has gone. A lot of times, fishing trips turn into scouting for deer, lol.

 

[Buckmark]

I scout year round. I only have 3 cameras in the woods now. Of all the deer I had around my area last fall … only 3 bucks are coming to the feeder on a regular basis. The rest must be wintering in a different area. With the melting snow, (making walking easier) … I’ll be able to see where they are travelling. I’m heading for the bush this afternoon for a walk. Supposed to be a nice day.

 

[greybeard]

Yep - always scout once the snow leaves the woods. Make a concerted effort to check out rub lines, scrapes, Fall feeding areas, buck trails, etc before green up and AFTER all snow has gone. A lot of times, fishing trips turn into scouting for deer, lol.

I agree that is another good time to be in the woods.
Any time spent in the woods is well spent, I am hoping to get in the woods today or tomorrow.

 

[Buckmark]

I agree Greybeard ... any day in the woods, is a good day. It is my happy place. I love roaming the woods. I love it when my grandsons are with me. I can point out different things to them, like old scrapes or rubs... but I also enjoy just being by myself. Find a spot where the sun is shining and just sit there and take it all in. I tend to forget all about the foolishness going on in the world today.

 

[greybeard]

I agree Greybeard ... any day in the woods, is a good day. It is my happy place. I love roaming the woods. I love it when my grandsons are with me. I can point out different things to them, like old scrapes or rubs... but I also enjoy just being by myself. Find a spot where the sun is shining and just sit there and take it all in. I tend to forget all about the foolishness going on in the world today.

I do the same thing Buckmark, some days are hikes and others are me standing around watching and listening.
Today or tomorrow when I get into the woods the plan is to check over an area for downed trees.
Trees have kept falling with every wind and snow ever since Fiona in the Fall.
Could be a bad year for forest fires with all the downed trees.

 

[Camocam92]

Yep - always scout once the snow leaves the woods. Make a concerted effort to check out rub lines, scrapes, Fall feeding areas, buck trails, etc before green up and AFTER all snow has gone. A lot of times, fishing trips turn into scouting for deer, lol.

Definitely relate to this, a lot of fishing trips turn into deer or rabbit scouting missions lol

 

[Camocam92]

Nice walk through the woods today, found a bunch of rubs and older scrapes around this doe bedding area about 300 yards away from a traditional hay field. I was on the outskirts of it when I shot my last buck last year. Definitely an area to focus more in on myself, picked up one small shed that was mostly green so was fairly old. And laid two cameras in the area to see what shows up. Be out again all day Sunday when it’s 10 degrees

 

[Tripple D]

Don’t spend as much time in the woods now as I used too mainly because now I just shoot good eating deer. But try to get out once every couple weeks just to enjoy the solitude of the woods and the grandness of nature. You know the hardest part of deer hunting is letting the big ones walk away!!!
Like others have said most of my fishing trips end up being scouting trips even when I’m somewhere I know I’ll never hunt there! Heading into Tangier wilderness area round the end of next month and although the fishing is awesome ( for those willing to hike in that far ) will likely spend as much time scouting out the area as I will fishing.