Scouting ??

[Nebraska Outlander]

Have a few questions for those who scout.

1st - When do you start scouting?

2nd - How far do you travel to scout?

3rd - Do you use trail cameras if you have a long ways to travel for scouting so you are scouting more when you have 500 miles to drive?


4th - if you have a long ways to drive to get to your hunting spot for scouting and only have a weekend to scout what would be your strategy?

I want to really start scouting however I have around a 500 Mike trip. Mostly weekends to scout and would be leaving late Friday and could come home early Monday before work. Just wondering how some of you would approach this issue.

 

[Tim McCoy]

Depends on the species/season, but generally somewhere in late July, Aug and Sept. Furthest I've gone is about a 9 hour drive. Have not used trail cameras to scout yet, but finally got some, and will likely use them next time I need to scout for a hunt.

No easy way to do a weekend scouting trip 500 miles away. I'd probably try one, and then be trying to arrive 2-3 days before the season, so long as I had another 5-7 days to hunt.

 

[Nebraska Outlander]

Just realized I put this in optics whoops

 

[Slugz]

We do a trip mid to late July in prep for the archery opener. We stash cut and split wood and go to the top of a peak and glass am/pm for 3-5 days depending on schedule. I'm looking for overall herd health, bedding areas remained the same and overall forage condition and the obvious something that's drastically different.

I don't travel far to scout. 2-7 hour drive is my window usually of travel.

I use trail cams while hunting if I cant find the animals and need to re-pattern them.....will put one on a major intersection, wallow....etc.....something that should get high traffic in order to confirm or not the movements if I cant glass them up.

Travelling that far is a tough one to balance.....however nothing really replaces boots on the ground. Its a safe estimate that it takes 2-4 years of really hunting a GMU until you know what's really going on in there from season to season.

 

[Colorado Cowboy]

I'm meeting a couple of guys (from here on this forum) Saturday who are coming to Colorado from Mo. They are hoping to draw a 3rd or 4th season deer tag for one of my favorite units. I will show them some areas where to expect to animals to be for late season. Season is a week later than last year and could be outstanding, depending on the weather.

 

[Colorado Cowboy]

I'm meeting a couple of guys (from here on this forum) Saturday who are coming to Colorado from Mo. They are hoping to draw a 3rd or 4th season deer tag for one of my favorite units. I will show them some areas where to expect to animals to be for late season. Season is a week later than last year and could be outstanding, depending on the weather.

Just got home from a really great day. Saw lots of elk, a few deer, a big flock of turkeys and best of all on the way home I saw a great desert bighorn ram standing next to the road. The bad part is that my camera was in my 4 wheeler which was in the bed of the truck. It was full curl with some ewes and kids where I've seen sheep many times. This was the biggest ram I have ever seen here. There are 3 tags available each year for residents, but I have yet to draw in 15 tries.

 

[kidoggy]

Have a few questions for those who scout.

1st - When do you start scouting?

2nd - How far do you travel to scout?

3rd - Do you use trail cameras if you have a long ways to travel for scouting so you are scouting more when you have 500 miles to drive?


4th - if you have a long ways to drive to get to your hunting spot for scouting and only have a weekend to scout what would be your strategy?

I want to really start scouting however I have around a 500 Mike trip. Mostly weekends to scout and would be leaving late Friday and could come home early Monday before work. Just wondering how some of you would approach this issue.

I never stop scouting , everywhere I go is a scouting trip, 24-7-365. I seldom try to hunt anywhere I have never been , so usually if I draw a hunt I at least have an idea where to start and wing it from there.

if you only have a weekend to scout, the best you can really hope for is to get an idea for a plan for your first day.
I would try to pick the brain of anyone you come across that has hunted that unit prior and scroll through forums and read any post you can find on said unit. you may learn more doing that then driving the 500 miles. good luck on your hunt.