Since I usually hunt woods I am very familiar with, my time needed for scouting is not nearly the same as "new" woods. In unfamiliar woods, it may take me 2-3 days out of 8 to finally be comfortable with the area to hunt and strategies I have decided to use.

If you hunt the same woods over and over again, is a lot of scouting necessary?Also, if hunting new woods, how much time do you would you think need if hunting for a week (8days) in another state? Do you ever need to "re-scout" an area during mid-season?

I mostly hunt woods I know VERY well. Things don't change too much year to year. I scout enough to see what's going on, and where the deer seem to be congregating for that year. When finding new places, I've come to trying to scout smarter, rather than scouting often. Rescouting in mid season can be very important, because the deer's patterns can change. Assuming you know the general lay of the land already.....I'd trade a months worth of scouting in the summer, for an afternoon of scouting the day before I plan to hunt for a week.

Jimmy, I may be the exception but I continuely scout regardless if new or familar terrain. Reason being isgame patterns change for a variety of reason in my area: could be land changes:development/fires/etc, food or water source changes, breeding, weather, pressure, etc. While it may only take a day or two to get the jist I always keep looking for a spot with in a spot and have taken a good majority of my animals in places other than where I first began or thought would bring success. I scout much more than I hunt every year and when I hunt I am often scouting at the same time, sinceI have to be in their space Imight as well use it to my advantage.

Obviously when dealing with a short window one must play the odds to his favor but I have never been affraid to make things happens either by working myself further than I may have anticipated. When I am going to be hunting area with limited knowledge I spent time looking over topo maps and if possible pre-season scouting trips. If not I basically plan on needing 2-3 days to figure the lay of the land, game and essential elements, then go their.

Even if I do pre-season scouting, I always bank on time spent scouting while hunting to pinpoint any changes that may have occurred.

About the only scouting I do is on a new parcel of land that I get hunting rights to. We have a very high deer population, so there are plenty of deer about any place you hunt. Most of the land I hunt I know the layout well.

I'm always scouting as i drive around my home.Looking for the crossings.then just follow the crossing to a spot. Sometimes I set up within veiw of the road

NO WHERE near enough ..thats for sure .....

Doc

I scout as much as possible .
But I also have several spots that I never scout , last winter I grabed a stand and hunted a spot I new .
Had not been there in over a year.
Didn't shoot but I let several does and 2 medium bucks pass
I saw the buck I wanted but 80 yds with a bow is not for me.

Johnch

Come on, half the fun of the hunt is scouting. Besides I usually see a lot bigger deer when I'm not carrying a rifle

I agree, not nearly as much as I would like.

i've always hunted the same woods that i've been hunting and messing around inall of my life but i still spend a good bit of my time scouting because the deer do still change there habits. i am hunting some new areas this year and i will be scouting it as much as i can before the season opens. that may be limited to info the landowner gives me and however much time i can get over to the area while i'm in ky the 2 weeks or so after july 4th.