Just wandering if anybody else spotlights deer. I spot a lot throughout the year and it helps me to keep a tally on the deer population. And also helps to sometimes locate the bigger bucks. Spotting is legal here in PA is it legal in your state?

It is legal in Va. also, but you have to have the landowners permission, when ever I do it I give the property owner a heads up to where they can call the GW on anyone who might be there jack lighting.

It is not legal to spot here in Ohio. They get downright nasty about it. I would if I could legally do it though.

Its legal here in Indiana as long as you don' t have any kind of weapon in the vehicle. I spotlight the fields close to my house year around. It does help keep up with the deer populations and how many big bucks are around. I don' t think it has any more value than that.

Mossy_ Horn dont you think seeing more deer and bigger bucks in a particular area help to pin point key areas, and also key feeding areas for evening hunts? To me that is a high priority to my arsenal. Spotting has helped me take several nice bucks. Without knowing they were there I wouldnt of haved the confidence to hunt those particular areas. Big Bucks become nocturnal and sometimes the only way to see them and locate them is by spotlight. I still do alot of daytime scouting dont get me wrong, but being able to scout at night from you POV is a bonus.

Illegal in South Dakota.

Matthews, like I said, yes, spotlighting has SOME value like knowing what caliber bucks are in the area. But that' s about all it does other than just being plan fun to do! I don' t think it helps in setting up on a buck. You see the buck at night. That' s not where he' ll be when you' re hunting.

Mossy_Horn you see the buck at night he just doesnt appear there like magic. He had to come from somewhere, some bedding area some trail some hillside. If you can pinpoint his travel route then hunt the trail leading to the field.

I know a few of the game wardens around my area and at least twice a year I' ll
go on the WMA' s and the National Wildlife Refuge on their nightlydeer counts.
I found several bucks over the years and some other very good hunting spots by going on these runs. My biggest buck to date is one I saw on a night run. I went back the next day and scouted the area out more and found where the buck was crossing a series of islands and apparantly bedding on a thick penisula. I took some chest waders and waded out to the last island one evening and about 5 minutes before legal shooting time ended he stepped out of the peninsula into the cattails heading for the island. He came right under me and I downed him with a load of 00 buck. [:-] I love it when a plan comes together.[8D]

I don' t know how well it would help other than telling you the quality of deer in your area, if you see a big buck, I am sure you would want to be in your stand as much as possible.