I started thinking about areas that I can improve on in my hunting game. I thought a lot about it over the last week. The one thing that boiled up was my hunt to scout ratio. I really believe I scouted my butt off last year given everthing else that is going on in my life, logging around 50 hours of scouting in the off-season. I don't have access to fields to scout or trail cams as I hunt on a military base. I just slip on the boots and scout, really just learning the terrain and examining the deer sign from the previous hunting season.
That being said, I think I have hunted around 30 sits, averaging about 4 hours a sit, putting me at around 120 overall hunting hours. So my hunt to scout ratio is around 2.5 to 1. I don't think that is good enough. Not to get too technical or anything, but I know that I need to scout even more, probably more than I am hunting to get the edge I need.
How about you guys, what is your hunt to scout ratio? For those of you who have a ratio close to 1:1, hunt to scout, are you seeing the benefits? Thanks.
Im not sure exactly, but I know that my scouting time is much greater than my hunting time. After all, thats when then work is done right? The rest is just waiting...
__________________ DARK HORSES: The Undisputed Kings of Archery.
When I scout, I mark what I see on maps (GPS makes it easy but I did it manually before the GPS). All of the scrapes, rubs, trails, beds, poops, stuff like that so I get a good idea of their movement patterns. I know where they'll eat, usually, depending on what is available. Once you can see all of this stuff on a map it makes it easy to see good patterns. Then, what you need to do is discern when those patterns are active.
I think it is not always how much you scout but how you scout and what you do with the info gleaned from scouting. I do scout a lot though.
This map has changed a bit from this picture but you get the idea:
__________________
Nature does nothing uselessly.
- Aristotle -
Im looking to change mine as well. I hunted more than I scouted this year, and oddly enough had one of my better seasons for both success and sightings.[&:]
I like to think the most important scouting is what you observe during season and apply in real time changes and adaptations. Knowing what they do in July is good, but knowing what they are doing in October and November is much better, lol.
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Hoyt and Benelli.....Best of the Best.
Trevor
www.lostrivergamecalls.com
You tried your best and you failed miserably. The lesson is 'never try'
Knowing what they do in July is good, but knowing what they are doing in October and November is much better, lol.
Very true. Always pay attention during hunting season and save the info and adjust accordingly but I do my most intensive scouting starting in Feb/Mar/Apr (Jan 31 ends bow season here). That is when I am very intrusive and pounding their locations. I don't really do much, if any,scouting during the summer.
__________________
Nature does nothing uselessly.
- Aristotle -
Knowing what they do in July is good, but knowing what they are doing in October and November is much better, lol.
Very true. Always pay attention during hunting season and save the info and adjust accordingly but I do my most intensive scouting starting in Feb/Mar/Apr (Jan 31 ends bow season here). That is when I am very intrusive and pounding their locations. I don't really do much, if any,scouting during the summer.
Which is what I should do.[&:]
I guess in a way I am scouting during those times. I am predator and then turkey hunting every week from Jan through May...that adds up to alot of time in the woods.
I should try that map system you did...that looks pretty slick, and would really open eyes to the bigger picture. I have access to neighboring properties for predator/turkey hunting that I dont for deer, extending the mapping into these areas would REALLY help see the whole picture.
__________________
Hoyt and Benelli.....Best of the Best.
Trevor
www.lostrivergamecalls.com
You tried your best and you failed miserably. The lesson is 'never try'
I should try that map system you did...that looks pretty slick, and would really open eyes to the bigger picture. I have access to neighboring properties for predator/turkey hunting that I dont for deer, extending the mapping into these areas would REALLY help see the whole picture.
Exactly! I scout way more area than I actually hunt. The map picture I posted was trimmed down a bunch and not updated from this season. I have updated ones, I continuously update during the season based on sightings and sign,that I print for use but that one was on my desktop from an earlier "project". I have these maps for all of the public lands I hunt.
__________________
Nature does nothing uselessly.
- Aristotle -
I think it is not always how much you scout but how you scout and what you do with the info gleaned from scouting.
I'm sure there's some guys who could get more from a topo/aerial combo in an hour than many who could spend 10 hours walking the piece. I agree with the above, wholeheartedly.
I don't scout much at all. I hunt some observation stands, at times. With 350+ acres to hunt, now....it's still amazing to me that it seems small. I'll be out there in a few weeks walking it all over and marking some spots/cutting lanes/making ground blinds/clearing trails/etc...
After that....it'll be the occasional glassing the fields in the summer.....or whatever I can observe during turkey season. But when it's all said and done.....I won't be anywhere NEAR 1:1. Not even CLOSE!
Your Hunt to Scout ratio?
