tsoc

You are tired of the same old thing,hitting the spots you have always hunted even though there may be no good reason to do so.What's your plan? Glassing in the evenings to identify good bucks,studying the topo's and aerials and then putting in the shoe leather to checklikely hot spotsout?
What is your strategy right now to identify where you want to hunt in the fall for each phase of the season? Opening week,October lull,scraping,chasing,breeding,post rut.
I know that you could write a book about this topic,please state your condensed version.

GMMAT

Yes.

From then on....I'll hang on the ouskirts and work my way in.

txjourneyman

100 sq yards behind a high fence with feeders doesn't require a plan![8D]
EDIT: In truth I don't yet know what I'll do. The place I'll do most of my hunting is 4 hours away so I won't do a lot of pre-season scouting. Maybe one or two weekends and I'll have to hang my stands then also. I will have to be prepared to move during the season if needed.

rybohunter

Soon I will begin riding around glassing & spotting. There will be deer everywhere, I’ll just be hoping to see a few big ones within a mile (half mile preferably) of my hunting land. If I actually see one ON my hunting land great, but I don’t really expect to see any. As the time nears, I’ll take a quick check to make sure which oak stands are producing the most, so I know where to focus early. After that, I already know my good spots, but will keep an eye out for higher than normal activity in specific areas and adjust if needed.


Now as far as my far away & newer spots, I’m going to need one more trip thru, maybe 2 if I can find the time, to really get my entrance routes firmed up. While there I will note any sign, but also consider the time frame in which it was made. There I have nothing to rely on for exact buck size, other than being clued in on what types of top end bucks I can expect and seeing a few good ones in the general region.

early in

I don't "scout" my hunting area anymore. After hunting it for 6 years, I pretty much know what's going on. I'll hang my trail cam in Sept/Oct, checking it every 2 weeks.I may clear a branch or two in my shooting lanes, that's about it though.

in da woods

I don't have a problem taking a walk thru where I will be hunting. But mind you only a walk thru & touch nothing. Once only. Check lanes, land etc. Still early enough not to roust them out.

Western MA Hunter

luck.
stay home...
just kidding... i guess if that were the case, rely on past spots that have produced.

Pope94/IA

To tell you the the truth I think scouting is pointless. I know your all thinking I have no clue what im talking about but I just dont care much for that scouting. My way sounds sorta messed up but oh well... What I do is think like a deer. Where would I want to be at this time of the season. (wheather wise). And I place a stand there. Simple as that. I do that during off rut. During the rut I stick with a open view at a huge hillside. So if I see something moving I can try and call it in.

djs06dc5

early in....x2

joliver

Using aerial photos helps, but you have to get in the woods to really assess what's going on. Of course, you also have to consider that patterns are going to change throughout the deer season. I like getting in the woods in February when visibility is good and assessing last years rubs and scrapes. I don't know where your hunting, but I hunt some thick places. February looks nothing like bow season after new growth. I hang my stands in June to give things plenty of time to settle down. At this point in the game, I would suggest like some of the others, to hunt from a distance and move your way in. I have a buddy that's a very successful bow hunter. He uses a climber and rarely stays in the same spot for more than a couple of days. Moving around cautiously and using the wind makes it hard for deer to nail you down.

All you need for happiness is a good gun, a good horse, and a good wife.
Daniel Boone