bentbarrel

Recently got permission to hunt this property and my state' s opener is next weekend. Is it too late to get one last look around? I generally scouted this place a month or so ago but I decided to stay away from it until the opener. Now I' m having second thoughts because I never got a close look. I' ve got some real good maps and I' ve got a pretty good idea b/c there' s minimal bedding areas adjacent to the fields. I don' t want to stink the place up and spook the deer. What would you do?

6ptsika

I' d hate to go in there now.
I' d probably hunt somewhere else in the mroning, then hunt the field in the evening, see where they come out. Try to make some decisions based on that, and any arial photos you have for further attacks.

Of course, if you get some good rain with this hurricane, that' d be a great time to poke your head in there without spooking anything too bad, and leaving any scent.

JZarr

I' d make it a quick in and out trip, maybe set 2 stands, and then get out. Unfortunately you don' t want to really pound the woods too hard right now. Gonna just have to kinda scout as you hunt. Setting a few observatory stands and sitting them early in the season just might help you score with a nice buck when the rut hits.

RedAllison

lol, bent I dont think we in west TN (I' m in nearby Jackson, TN) have anything to worry about with the hurricane (God Bless those who do!). Scouting isn' t a " season" , its something you should do EVERYTIME you go afield be it hunting, putting up/moving stands or just looking around and killing time. Let the deer tell you what they are doing and what they want and you will be in a much better posistion to capitalize on those tendancies. Past experiences have probably the biggest impact on my strategies as does anything else. Deer are creatures of habit and barring anything drastic like clearcutting or fire, they will typically use the same corridors and bottlenecks year after year.

As good as the summertime is to watch bucks it teaches you very little about their actual fall/season movements and activities, especially once the crops are picked and the leaves begin to fall. I only use the the summertime as a " whats on the buffet" time to see what kind of bucks made it through the previous season and see what quality they are because they generally move unhampered this time of year. I simply setup in areas that allow for long range viewing and an easy escape route once the sun goes down.

For right now it doesnt appear that we are going to have much in the way of bad weather or even rain until later towards Sunday if then at all. This weekend would be a great time to get out and investigate the new place, that will still give them a week to calm down if you even did mess with them. Also remember this, though we arent getting much rain right now in west TN, with this cool weather we are getting an awfully heavy dew each night/morning and that is just as good for scent dispersal as a light rain. So I wouldnt worry about " stinkin up" the place, it practically gets hosed off each night. Just wear your rubber boots and be mindful of what you touch in the woods.

Take care and like you I am " SITTIN ON GO" for the 27th!!!
RA

bentbarrel

Thanks guys. All good points.

RA...it' s nice to see a fellow West Tennessean [] around. Small world...my grandparents and other family members lived in Jackson until they passed on. Nice town. Good luck to you next weekend.

wimp

Its never too late to scout, if that' s the situation you are dealt. Many times you need to scout as the season progresses becuase the deers pattern changes and you need to find the hot area. Treat your scouting as if you were hunting and don' t worry about being late.

comndr45

Hey, Bent, I live in Cordova. I have hunted some in the Arlington area. I like to pick days when it is supposed to rain the next day or so to do a late scout. I just assume that a lot of my scent will be washed away by the rain. With the hurricane sure to throw some rain on us soon, it shouldn' t be a bad time to do a quick, non-intrusive scouting job. I don' t do much lane clearing during those quickies, and I usually use a climber, so I don' t set stands too much. I' m going to once again miss the archery opener because my annual training trip to Detroit is from this Saturday to next Saturday. Good luck. Maybe we can sling some arrows some time.

Mykey

I agree with wimp, it' s never to late to scout. I have stands set but i scout year round. Once the season starts deer tend to change their patterns and the only way to find out where they' ve gone is to scout and look around. I' m not saying move in and stay but you can go in and make some quick observations place a few stands and get out. Just wear some rubber boots and spray down with a scent control and try to keep scent down to a minimum and i think you' ll be ok. It' s never to late imo! Good Luck!

Rack-attack

As stated - Its better to scout late then to not scout at all

Budbowhunter

I agree with the panel. It' s never too late to scout. But I would do everything scouting that I would do hunting, i.e., I would be as scent free as possible and approach from the downwind side. I would come in during midday when the chances of spooking deer are minimal. Look around for 15 or 20 minutes, find a likely spot for a ground blind and get out. Then not approach it again until I' m hunting. Hope this helps. Good luck.