ORIGINAL: Illinois Buck Hunter
Duke-
While scouting do you mark the sign you find on a map or gps?
Also, is this when you hang your stands, or do you wait until later in the season?
I don't mark the sign on a map or GPS. But that's only because I don't hunt the same pieces year after year... and I don't much see same connections year after year when hunting a particular buck.. at least not often. Most of the properties I hunt.. it's only for a few days.. then I am done.
However, when I do find a distinct line of rubs or scrapes I will mark them on a Topo.. and take a better look at it when I get home.
For myself scouting is much more than just a few hours in a piece of woods. I'll spend as much as 200+ hours between Jan. and April walking the same properties over and over again.. til I get it just right.
As far as stands being hung. Some will go up during this time. But not many really.. depends on the piece. Many
stand sites will be cleared all over each piece in relation to what I have found. Armed with my LW arsenal.. I'll just move to each tree with good winds.. and fresh sign. Depending on the timing of the following season of course.
If I like what I saw during that sit.. the LW set up will stay. Then I'll just grab another from my garage.. and move to the next already trimmed set. Repeating throughout the season.