ORIGINAL: bushanic
Question-1
If I find signs of deer in the area now would it be likely to see them there later in the season? saw a lot of poo today in a 1.5 mile walk.
It is somewhat likely that deer sign you find now will be indicative of an area where deer will likely be next season. However, remember that deer and their patterns vary seasonally so you can't expect to find the exact same things next fall that you are finding now during winter scouting. I'd recommend also doing a little pre-season scouting next summer or perhaps even early fall to see what you come across then as the patterns may have changed.
Question-2
Rubs what can they tell you.(on trees)
What if you find a line of them? not much of a line but 2 along a good trail. might need to look a little harder at this area to find more, is it worth that.
Part A of question-2 will a buck return to the same area(trail) or rub line next season?
It is still up for debate as to what exactly deer are telling one another when it comes to rubs. However, on thing is certain and that is that a rub on a tree indicates that a deer was there! Late season rubs often show that buck is coming back into his home range from the miles upon miles he has traveled during the rut. These late season rubs are like territorial markers with a buck letting the other deer he is back in the area. Early season rubs act much in the same way, but often a buck may move to a completely different region following the area where he made his first rubs.
Rub lines are good indicators of where a deer is traveling often. Also, make sure and check under rubs for scrapes and for licking branches on above trees. Scrapes can be very, very important to monitor as where a rub will begin to "fade" if a buck is frequenting an area you will likely be able to see where is freshening up his scrapes. Rub lines and scrape lines often go hand in hand. Again, seasonal scouting will help you determine whether a buck is in the same area. I'd highly recommend getting a trail camera, that's one of the best ways to scout if you have trouble getting in the woods to do so.
Question-3
I need some help with topo maps.
What makes a area appealing to deer movement based on topos.
funnels, funnels, funnels. Look areas that funnel between say a bedding area you discovered while scouting a food source. Funnels act as travel corridors and you can often catch the deer heading two and from particular locations in these funnels. Also, what is often forgotten by topo-users is that deer DO head to the top of hills and ridges to bed midday in many cases as the thermals are rising. They head to the top of ridges as they are more capable of detecting danger with their excellent sense of smell