Scouting on public land

BlueGrass Man · 08-03-2007, 07:12 AM

Our archery deer season here in KY starts Sept 1, how often should a person scout?
2 weeks out, 3 weeks out, or more?

The only bad thing is this will be public land and dove season opens the same time.
That would really throw the deer off of regular routes then what to do?
Any and all suggestions greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

big rockpile · 08-03-2007, 08:28 AM

I would look things over and figure on the Dove hunters pushing the Deer out of the fields.Find food source deep in the woods,and don't forget water.

big rockpile

deadstick · 08-03-2007, 10:19 AM

ND starts end of August (within days of yours). I started scouting about a month ago. Located a group of 3 nice bachelor bucks (2 very nice, one of which would be my largest deer to date). I have watched them about 3 nights/week since then from a long distance so as not to scare them (although even at 1 mile+ away, the big guy looks up in my direction every now and then). By this time, I have a map showing 8 different times I have seen the buck I'm after, which way he was heading, etc.. I know where he beds, I know which 2 fields he prefers to feed in (early on it was a sugarbeet field, last 2 weeks it's a corn field). Knowing all of this, I was able to find locations between the bedding and feeding area and contact landowners to get hunting access. After work today, I'm heading out to hang a treestand and a game cam, with a bit of attractant by the camera.

The more I see him, the more I learn his patterns, the more I become confident in where to hunt him. I admit I'm a fanatic, and get a lot of joy out of hunting a particular deer, which is why I do what I do. Since ND is so agricultural intensive, there is a lot of feed for the deer. Their bedding area is likely to stay static, but their feeding areas will change. I know where I'll be as soon as the season opens, but if I don't get him in the first couple weeks, I'll have to start scouting him again as he might move from the corn into the soybeans or back to the sugar beets as the crops ripen up and the early crops are harvested.

If your question deals more with up close and personal scouting, i.e., walking the actual area, then I can't help you. I do long-distance scouting, then pick a single day where I go out and hang a camera, find the trails, and put up a stand or blind (of course, I have a pretty good idea of exactly where I want it having watched the area multiple times and know where the deer "funnel" through).

Good luck

whitetaildreamer · 08-03-2007, 12:08 PM

Use the dove hunters to your advantage. They will definitely be moving the deer and if they are shooting and you are stealthy then the deer will be more concerned with them rather than you. Find the deer escape routes off the fields and look for their bedding areas. The deer will not venturetoo far off the fields, but I believe will be in positions where they can observe as much as possible. Try to find downwind in the bush and let the bird hunters push to deer to you. This system has worked for me many times in the past. You must get in the bush early, well before sun up and watch to movement of the deer off the fields. This will give you a great idea of where to set up when hunting season starts.