Late season scouting question???

[RedShaft]

If i go out now and walk areas and find beds and trails and heavy tracks in the snow what are the odds that those places will still hold deer in the fall? after my again pathetic season. im trying to scout while theirs snow down to find where deer are. i was out yesterday and today. one area i walked for miles and only found like 5 sets of tracks. obviously they dont want to be there. but can i feel confident that areas with sign will be hunt-able come next fall? i want to try and stay away from having to scout in season all the time. or just prior to the season. rather just do it now and mark areas to concentrate on. thanks

[Altiman94]

When the snow starts to fall in IA and we get these cold nights, the deer are basically bed to feed.  They try to minimize the amount of area that need to cover to food so they'll bed closer than normal.  Most areas here they dont need to travel that far anyway to feed, so the same areas hold deer.

I would scout all year around if it's possible and make notes about what you see each time out so you can reference back later.

[mwosborn]

Here in nebraska this time a year deer will bunch up where they can find food and cover.  As spring arrives they will disburse out again as more food becomes available.  That being said, any time is a good time to scout.

[Zbone]

Regardless of what the books say about whitetails being home bodies, if there is snow or if food sources are depleted, I know for a fact whitetails in the east and Midwest will migrate to different areas, even miles or so from their home summer range. Depends upon the winter’s harshness and severity of the weather on how far they’ll travel.

[Al Natural]

I agree with Altima94, but now is a great time to scout for deer.  Trails and future stand location are easy to find at this time of the year.  Whitetail deer are not migratory.  They are staging or wintering within a mile from where you will find them on opening day next year.
Al

[Zbone]

Call it what you like, but when one moves from one location to another at long distances, its migrating.