I went scouting yesterday
 

I decided to go scouting for the upcoming season yesterday. I decided to go at three in the afternoon, because it was a cool 99.1 degrees out. I tried three different sections of the woods, with the first two being swamps. The third section was absolutely amazing. It was pretty open, with heavy brush on the outer edges of it. I could squeeze off a thirty yard shot in this area.

The one problem is I do not know how to tell if there are deer in the area. It is public land, so a trail camera is not an option. It has not rained for months, so the ground is hard and cracked, preventing any tracks to be seen. Is there anything that I could do to check for any deer travel?

I am going to go back out scouting tomorrow evening. It was so much fun. I saw beetles, a cardinal, two doves, and an owl! It was the most fun I have had for a long while.

RE: I went scouting yesterday
 

Without any rain and in that sandy soil environment, I wouldn't expect to see a tonof sign at this time of the year..... You should, however, be able to find deer pellets and faint trails...... I'd be looking for Oaks and Persimmons right now and just making note of them.... Also, any other natural food sources that deer may key on, such as dew berries, honey suckle, etc.....

What do the post Katrina woods look like down there?

RE: I went scouting yesterday
 

You could use the pre-trail cam method of tying a string across a possible trail.

RE: I went scouting yesterday
 

Zak
At this time of year when tarrian is full of follage and high temps it is difficlut to scout for any wild life.
But the next time you go out look for deer droppings on the ground and if there is tall grass in the swamps, see if you find where the grass is apart or trampled down a little that should tell you that deer have walked thru it.
You might want to look at the trees for last seasons rubs and like D.C. said in his thread look for oaks and berries anything that they may be feeding on, I know this sounds like alot leg & eye work but you won't know unless you try.

RE: I went scouting yesterday
 

ROOKIE.[8D][8D][8D] Yup, it's tough this time of year. While you're in there you should be looking for food, mast crops etc. Best done after a little rain. Just look for the slightest of difference in ground cover. As deer travel trails they'll nibble causing a lane you should beable to see. I've found deer trail just by feeling the ground under foot. Just have to know what's what. Start at field edges in likely crossing, field entrances etc. REalize of course, just about anything you find this time of year will change in most cases by September or Oct. whenever your season starts. This time of year I generally just take a quick trip through the woods looking for trees for all seasons, trails, learn the ground and see if I can get feel for what's up. Serious stand placement to me is not done until August or Sept. I'm usually hunting from a climber but I do put some in for emergency and guest. Public land that's out. I'd say do it again in August. Your best bet is now to find where they're feeding in the fields and then you can figure out what they're doing and when. You won't see as much field traffic this time of year because the does have fawns and keep them in the woods during daylight. In July and August the bucks will be hitting the fields hard and during daylight. Then about the time the season starts they get scarce again.

RE: I went scouting yesterday
 

The Post-Katrina woods look horrible. There is hardly a tree left standing straight. Several trees have fallen completely over, making walking in the woods a chore. It is very different from Pre-Katrina. I will post pictures once I get my camera developed.

RE: I went scouting yesterday
 

Are there any noticable trails?

Are there places where you think deer might possibly be traveling?

Next time you go, take a rake with you, a small hand rake for your graden will do fine.

Go to the spots where you think deer might be traveling and rake a 5 foot by five foot area out. Come back in a few days, if deer are traveling over these raked spots, you'll be able to see their tracks very well.