Deer scouting...

[daveg01]

Ok - so I need some advice from the deer hunters out there

This is one of the areas we have permission to hunt, but never really have hunted in there as our other areas always produce deer.

Anyways, I have been out scouting regularly but have yet to cover even a fraction of the area.

Most of the area is low, as in it gets wet. In fact, some years you can't get into this area without getting wet. As far as topography, the land is basically the same elevation on the map (5M increments).

The red area has cattle and houses, so we need to not hunt in there. The blue line is a creek which is 2-3 feet deep in most areas. I've also marked what the fields have in them now, but everything will be off (except the hay) by the rifle season but may have waste beans/corn in them.

The only time we see deer in the fields is at night or occasionally in the early morning. The flags are areas that we have had cameras in, with the cameras 'DG2' and 'TF2' showing the most deer activity.

North is the top left of the picture and the wind is usually from the NW or N.

If you could hunt this, were would you focus your scouting efforts?

 

[rsp1761]

Not going to offer advice but will commend you for really getting serious about pre-season scouting...Nicely done.

 

[Qhergt]

have u seen where the deer are bedding down?
from what u have said it seems they moving from the creek to that F2 camera and possibly feeding in the feild close to it.

so giving that id hunt in that area

 

[fiddler]

Go out early for some partridge hunting. You get a chance to see the deer activity before the shooting starts. I hunt in much bigger areas, and the hot spots always move from year to year. They're all over the place until the first week of shooting, but after that they like to be seen less, but stick to the same schedules.

 

[daveg01]

I have found a few beds in tall grass areas in the woods, but nothing that looks like it being used regularly.

I do know that the guys who used to hunt this property would do a drive along the creek, pushing towards the flag 'TF2".

My suspicion is that the scrub area to the left of DG3 is where they are bedding. This area appears to have thick patches of shrubs with open areas, where as the rest of the area is mostly tall hardwoods (elm and soft maple). I would really like to walk through this area, but I don't want to disturb it if they are bedding in there so I've been skirting the downwind edges.

If time and weather permit, I may drop a canoe in the creek and scout that way as I just won't have time to scout it all on foot before I leave for the moose hunt, and I intend to stay out of there for a few weeks before the deer hunt.

 

[Kelly Timoffee]

Set them cameras up parallel to the tree lines, close to the corners, deers like to walk just inside and along those tree lines, not easily seen that way and can quickly get into cover. IMO that way you can see where they are traveling most and back track their travels.I'd have to say that the low brush area just south west of DG3 is a place they may hang up in in twilight hours and start to emerge from, Myself i would focus there.

 

[Mount Sweetness]

Where the creek enters the bush, 15 yards back in the bush, 10 yards off the creek.

That's where I would start without ever stepping foot on the land and not knowing wind direction.

If there is corn anywhere near this area....Standing Corn is a Deer Magnet.

 

[Easterner]

What they said. I'd be found where the river and treeline make a point. Left of DG3.

 

[daveg01]

Excellent. These suggestions are similar to what I've been thinking. Hopefully I will get out this weekend for a tour.

There is corn at the bottom of the map where the google copyright is and further down below that. Probably 150-200 acres worth.

 

[daveg01]

Go out early for some partridge hunting. You get a chance to see the deer activity before the shooting starts. I hunt in much bigger areas, and the hot spots always move from year to year. They're all over the place until the first week of shooting, but after that they like to be seen less, but stick to the same schedules.

Not much for partridge in there unfortunately but I have jumped the odd one in there.

This area is probably 500 acres (3 farms) in total. We have probably 2000 acres in total, but some of it we never get to.

Luckily we don't have many neighbours who hunt, so the deer don't get too spooked in this area. This block of flooded timber goes on for about 3-4 KM and backs into another property we hunt so I'm not too worried about them getting spooked other than my travels through the area.

 

[CROWCA]

Go to the other area that produces deer,shoot one and get a extra tag for the new spot.The
wind might make it a night stand??

 

[daveg01]

Sadly, no extra tag for me this year. The plan is to fill the other tags in camp first

Most of the guys in camp only hunt one week. I'll be out for the duration of the season if I can stay out that late.

 

[Mount Sweetness]

Deer are in the corn, the absolute best days to hunt will be the days that the corn comes off.

 

[CTS]

Where the creek enters the bush, 15 yards back in the bush, 10 yards off the creek.

That's where I would start without ever stepping foot on the land and not knowing wind direction.

If there is corn anywhere near this area....Standing Corn is a Deer Magnet.

My thoughts exactly.....you can never go wrong with water.