kwaldeier

i scouted today for about 3 hours and i am stumped! i couldnt find a trail for anything with all the underbrush...i was wondering what you guys look for when scouting?? i looked high and low for any deer sign that i could set a camera up over for a future tree stand..i have looked in corn fields and bean fields and open hay fields and timber and i found 0 sign...i really need to get a spot for a stand! help please

rh160kid

first off are you sure there are deer in this area? Sounds stupid but no deer-no sign. Second, ive found with thick vegetation and abundant food deer dont need to move alot this time of year. Deer usually bed very close to their food source right now. Look for a water hole, stream crossing or any other water source where deer are drinking. They will have to drink several times a day, so water is key in the summer. It has been very wet where i live this summer so water is everywhere. If this is the case where you are thats also less the deer need to move. I walked through a cornfield the other day and found a large puddle area in the middle of it loaded with tracks and sign, yet no distinct trails in or out of the cornlot anywhere. Food, cover, and water all right there, why would you move much? also try glassing fields and take note where deer are entering and exiting the fields-set your cameras there even tho no distinct trail is visible. Hope this helps-good luck!!

kwaldeier

yes sir. we have killed deer there before...here is what i am dealing with...http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo...eat=directlink
right now i set my camera up in the bottom right box..i plan to set up a stand there for bow and rifle season but i cant seem to find any sign...its thick in there!

rh160kid

wow its hard to really get a feel for whats goin on there by looking at that map. yer spot looks good in that it connects to the timber to the east. my best suggestion here is be mobile. be ready to move with sign and deer movement. when i really dont know where to go on a given property i hang a stand where i can see the most and move from there. good luck and keep us posted.

Wingbone

Sometimes the summer trails can be hard to see, especially if it's been dry. I start by looking for entrances into fields. These may be just a faint trail in the grass. Sometimes I find that they will actually be living in corn fields at this time. I'll find very little sign in the woods, but lots of tracks in the corn. Look for white oaks if you have them. No matter where they are now, they'll be under the white oaks when the acorns drop.

srwshooter

i don't like to go into any of my hunting area's this early,deer pattern will change fast as food sources become available and deer may not be in the same spot. i know where the travel and i just wait til time to hunt. i will watch from a distance with bino's and try to get pics with my digital camera. i have 609mm lens on it.

GTOHunter

Personally I would set a stand up in the upper left-hand box where it meets with the middle box,thats a good pinch point where the Deer will be following that thin line of tree's.I would think the Deer would be funneling in there to stay hidden...put a trail camera in that area and I bet you'll get some photo's there.You could even clear out a path through the woods and you would be surprised how the Deer will follow it.I raked a path behind one of my ladder stands and the Deer have been using it ever since!

kwaldeier

thats another problem with finding faint trails...we have cows on our property so they have old trails that im not sure if they are new deer or old cow...and i checked the surrounding corn field and they got out into it and made a good trail too...i did have my camera set up in the location you were talking about GTOhunter and i got nothing i just need to keep goin at it!

cleveland5

id start by finding a spot that looks like it could be a place for a tree stand even if you have no idea where the trails are. put your cam up and dump a bucket of corn and a bucket of apples in front of it. if you come back in a 3, 4 days and have pictures of a bunch of different deer its a heavily traveled area and if its the same deer over and over try doing this else where till you find it. good luck

kwaldeier

good idea....i have my cam up now on what i THINK is a good trail...no idea if bucks or does use it...i think ill go set out a bucket of apples tonight and check it this weekend...