From late winter until Spring we arescouting and getting to know our hunting areas better during shed hunting. Since it is open here, I like knowing how to sneak into an area or out after the hunt without being seen or winded. It doesn't matter how good a spot is if you messed up on your entry or exit. The hunt is over with the bigger bucks being the wiser.

Now that most deer have filtered back to their normal haunts from wintering other places... it's time to stay out. We are taking a break until mid July before we hit scouting hard. Well we are paying attention to what crops are being planted where. That will help usdecide where to setupfor long range scoutingwhen we get serious about it. Then we will be watching bedding areas and food sources.

We mainly concentrate on the bedding areas though. With crops being their main feeding areas... things will changed from summer food sources to fall sources. The bedding areaswill stay the same for both time frames.

Example... the deer will hit the soybeans during the summer. They will be hitting the greened up harvestedwheat/barleyfields the start of bow season ( 1st of Sept )when the soybean " plant "starts to dry down. Deerdon't feed in the soybeans much at this time. Once the soybeans seeds harden in the pods( mid - late Sept )and the corn kernals harden ( 1st of Oct )then the deer will startfeeding there.

By long range scouting during mid to late summer... we know what bucks are bedding where. We plan our hunts and how we think they will use the area getting to the appropiate food source during a certaintime frame in the fall. Things change so much, so fast here in the fall. You need to know where the deer will be at a certain time frame. An area can have a ton of fairly fresh deer sign but it doesn't do you much good if you hunt it a week late.

To show you how anal we are with time frames. The " Bulk "of Velvet Shedding normal takes place duringthe end of Augustthrough the 12th of Sept with the 4th - 8th of Septbeing the hot days forrubbing from what I've seen. If we have tree/shrub patches by good bedding area we will huntthose areas during the 4th - 8th... hoping to catch a buck coming in to rub his velvet off. You will not find us hunting trees otherwise until pre-rut or rut. The bucks don't spent much time in the few tree areas we have otherwise since there are no mast bearing trees in my area. Trees are not a food source here.

We hunt off the ground. Not much for prep work other then picking ambush spots while scouting using thenatural cover that is there. We have a few ladder stands that will be movedor put up in Juneto be ready for velvet rubbing. Otherwise not much other then scouting, practicing shooting and getting our gear ready for hunting.

Sorry if this got windy and it isn't much help to most since our area andearly startingbow season is not the norm for most here. Justlove the scouting/plotting aspect of hunting.

Tim