New hunting area: Scouting Techniques

[SSuperCHARGed]

I'm going to be hunting in a new area this year (public land) and I was wondering how I should go about scouting for a stand location. What should I look for on my topo map? What should I look for when I'm out scouting? Of course I have a general idea of what to look for, but I want to know how everyone else would go about finding a spot.

[timbercruiser]

While topo's and aerial photos are a big help, there is no substitute for hours in the woods looking for food sources, trails, old scrapes and rubs. Its a little early, but a couple of trail cameras and a few sacks of corn might be the biggest help once you find a good area.

[So. Ohio Outfitters]

Is this going to be a place your hunting all season? or are you hunting it maybe 1 or 2 weeks? If only a couple weeks, what time of the season...early, rut, late season? and does this public land plant corn, etc...as some do, or is this all big woods?Answer these and we'll be able to better come up with something...

[SSuperCHARGed]

I'll be hunting there all season and it's public land with no foodplots... It's a state park with a lake surrounded by wooded hills.

[So. Ohio Outfitters]

SSuperCHARGed....

First, I would go talk to someone that has worked there for sometime taking care of the area..they might be able to give you some valuble clues...

Second, You may want to drive the roads and look for several major crossings in one section, get out, do your scouting, and you may find an awesome place without all the walking..

third, if you do have to walk, get out your topo...look for area's that naturally draw deer, and then when your in the woods, look for area's with rubs and scrapes..usually these places hold bucks consistently from year to year whatever that reason might be, whether it be food, cover, etc...if this place is hard to get to, you may want to reserve your energy for the rut when the bucks will be most likely to use this area..just remember to hunt it smart...

fourth, sorry for the half butt response, I had a much much more written the first time around and it timed out on me, i lost everything and this is the second time around...[:@]

[DeerSlayer93]

On the topo map look for funnels and fingers mainly. The funnels are basically the area in between two hills where the landscape sort of forces the deer to walk through there.

[WKP Todd]

I've hunted new areas and continue to hunt new areas constantly. Get yourself a good mobile stand set-up and pound the ground with you're stand on you're back, and bow in-hand ready to hunt. Start scouting based on photo's and maps, but put yourself on fresh sign, then based on sightings, move until you have located somthing you would like to kill. Keep moving until you do - this is the best advise I can give you!

[whitetaildreamer]

Being on public land I would find a travel corridor and follow it as deep into the bush as you can and then set up off that where you have a few good shooting lanes. Since it is public land there may be other hunters in the area so use them to your advantage. You may be as stealthy as possible but the other hunters may not be. Get into your stand way early and if other hunters start to move the deer around you will be ready. I have noticed with public land that many that hunt it do not do detailed scouting and often set up not far off the roads or trails, looking for a position of ease for themselves and not the best deer harvesting situation. These hunters will push the deer farther into the bush so use it to your advantage.

[bryant1]

I would suggest Google Earth for scouting large areas. I use it daily in my job, and it helps with identifying interesting features. The only problem is that I hunt in a clubleased
by a large timber company who are constantly cutting timber, which is not updated on Google Earth that quickly.(Not complaining, it is great technology