I will be camping &hunting the Whiteshell Provincial Park in Manitoba next week w/ the bow.

I have a few spots picked to hunt from lat years venturing but am very inexperienced when it comes to scouting properly.

Anyone have any ideas where I could go in the park that might increase my chances to bag my first archery deer in six years?

Any help would be appreciated!!!

Thanks.

You may have already done this but since time is short probably the best adviceis to stop in at the Conservation Headquarters in Rennie or Seven Sisters (or is it Eleanor Lake). I am sure that the resources officers would be willing to give you some suggestions as to where to hunt, etc. Probably you would be better off picking out some of the rock ridges that have good sign, and then set up a ground blind or tree stand. Hope that those spots you have picked out work for you.

Good luck!! Let us know how you do.

Bowhunting the early season in the Whiteshell is not very easy. I have tried around Big Whiteshell Lake and never got close to any deer. From what I have heard (and seen) there are always lots of deer in the ditches around Eleanor, Nutimik etc. If you crawled back into the woods around those areas you might find some active trails. ? Just a suggestion (but something I've always wondered about).
Good luck and tell us how you do!
Jono

I've been bowhunting deer in the Whiteshell for the past 7 years. It is a challenge because its a big park. However this is what works for me:

Its too early to hunt deer - still too hot and too many leaves on the tree. Since I am an avid grouse hunter, I look for deer signs while hunting grouse. I usually find good rubs around Thanksgiving (Canadian Thanksgiving). I search around the rubs looking for other signs - tracks, droppings, trails, other rubs. Once i find a hot site I put up a stand. Four years ago I had a wolf chase a nice 8 pointer by my stand. I missed him (the deer) but that's a whole other story.

I have seen some bruisers while grouse hunting. Sometimes I use my bow when I'm grouse hunting just in case I come across a deer. As luck would have it I've only seen shootable deer on Sundays while grouse hunting