Kind of new to patterning deer all year round simply because my property has been too far away. This year I have the chance to do this out my back door. I was wondering though - when are you in the woods too much? Do they get used to that or will it push them to another area? I would think it would be impossible to be in their world without ever spooking them. Thanks.

You'll probably hear contradictory opinions on this, but for me it's almost impossible to really booger up a deer herd. I think the deer settle down about 30 minutes after you're out of sight and smell.

Depends on the deer. Some will move and some wont. Ive been busted by the same buck 5 times in 2 weeks during rifle season. He never left that bush, and was still there the following year until a hunter bagged him.

I have recently becoming very wary of putting too much scent in the woods and I will tell you that the amount of deer sightings has increased dramatically since. I have been hunting the same property for 8 years and literally know it like the back of my hand. this is made a lot easier when you are hunting farmland like I am. So I am very hesitant to go into the bush for much other than going to and from a stand, and to track a deer. I don't even hunt small game any more on the properties I deer hunt. Some may think I am being a little obsessive, but hey, it's working. When I do put up stands or have to do some work in the bush to clear shooting lanes or whatever, I try to do as much of it as possible in the middle of winter when the deer aren't moving as much and are way more forgiving of human intrusion. Don't get me wrong, you will still see deer after spooking them, but you will see them moving in daylight a whole lot more when they haven't been pressured.

I would say Goosie has the right idea, sounds like exactly what I do. I would bet he has more big bucks than the rest of you combined.

For Goosie just a question, do you think your enhanced success of late is really due to limiting your scent, or to 8 years of experience on the same ground?

For Outdoor scribbler, let me say I don't subscribe to the school of thought that if one guy has 8 bucks to his credit and the other has 7, then the guy with 7 just has to bow his head humbly and take any b.s. the guy with 8 bucks chooses to shell out.

Well said dirt2 my thoughts exactly

you still have spring summer and the start of fall for them to get back in a pattern so get out and have fun how close can you get (one year i was 10 feet) have fun with it and in the summer when the bugs are drinking all your blood then let up a bit

Dirt, you need to get the "fertilizer" out of your brain so that you can think properly. Your statement that "it is almost impossible to really booger up a deer herd" shows how little you really know. It doesnt matter if you have killed 7 bucks or 700, I would be willing to bet that no more than 2 of them are over 2 1/2 years old.

I do most of my indepth scouting at the end of the season and winter time. Once spring has sprung, I scout from a distance mostly and continue to do so until hunting season. I don't stand hunt usually so a lot of time I have my opening bell ambush spots picked out from my scouting and what I am seeing from a distance. I believe the more you know the better but also one must limit the education we give to the deer, thus any pressure is not good pressure. While bumping deer will not ruin you, it is better if possible to not bump them and keep your pressence limited in their core areas. Let me also say some of my best scouting is done while actually hunting by way of adapting to the deer habits. One must remember deers patterns change with season and any given year, that being said if you keep tabs on their activity you can adjust quite quickly when required to do so. Main reason I go deep early to add knowledge base of their core areas and then watch from a distance until I actually am hunting where my pressence in the woods is required.

I am not going to say this is the only or best way, but I hunt deep transition areas(Ie close to beds) and as such scouting close to season is not an option.