Questions after scouting this weekend

[Jackrhendricks]

This is my favorite time of year to scout. I was able to make the long drive from my home in CO to a chunk of public in central Kansas. I hunted this in 2018 and had a great hunt but didn’t tag a deer. My goal was to check up on a stand site and I was greeted by great buck sign along the trail/scrape line I had hunted previously. Although I stayed undetected the majority of encounters in 2018 my goal was to find a better tree with more cover. Unfortunately I came up short. I’m hesitant to use a ground blind on public, and the best spot for one in this area puts me in a bad spot for the prevailing wind.

I know others have hauled up more cover to their treestand. Does anyone have any tips on this?

 The trees in the area are skinny cottonwoods with very few branches. I’m going to try to get slightly higher but don’t want to change my shot angle too steep either.

I’m trying to get better with tree and fauna identification. Anyone know what tree drops these? Black walnut? In CO we have pines, aspens, and cottonwoods so my experience with others is little.

The deer are bedding in this tall, cane like grass. What is this called?

[Pat B]

Is there a nut inside or is it just a skin? My first thought was oak leaf gaul.

[Jackrhendricks]

Is there a nut inside or is it just a skin? My first thought was oak leaf gaul.

I should have grabbed another pic. Hard center with some type of nut inside, looked as though the squirrels were chewing them up and piling them at the base of the trees.

[Bowguy67]

Looks like a black walnut. Take a pic of tree.
I’m not sure bout what you’re asking at least why now. You said scouting. That involves actively finding/checking new areas. Things change. Food is in shorter or better supply. Agriculture changes. There may be way better spots and you’ll never find em scouting now. Only lay of the land and late season spots can be learned now.
Not sure if you hunt oaks or corn, bean, etc that all changes. You need to change, move as the seasons progress.
Btw deer don’t eat black walnut. Least not in my area. Find preferred local food in the area. If food is in high abundance try to cut off bedding areas, in a drought, key in on water.
Bow hunting October Whitetails. Find what’s in less abundance n key in on that as a starting point

[Jackrhendricks]

Looks like a black walnut. Take a pic of tree.
I’m not sure bout what you’re asking at least why now. You said scouting. That involves actively finding/checking new areas. Things change. Food is in shorter or better supply. Agriculture changes. There may be way better spots and you’ll never find em scouting now. Only lay of the land and late season spots can be learned now.
Not sure if you hunt oaks or corn, bean, etc that all changes. You need to change, move as the seasons progress.
Btw deer don’t eat black walnut. Least not in my area. Find preferred local food in the area. If food is in high abundance try to cut off bedding areas, in a drought, key in on water.
Bow hunting October Whitetails. Find what’s in less abundance n key in on that as a starting point

I appreciate the response but I tend to disagree with the notion to not scout right now. The landscape now is much more comparable to october/November then it is in summer early fall. Come summer, foliage is so overgrown, and springy and makes it harder to identify trails, scrape locations etc. Deer will bed in very different areas in early fall then November after much of the cover has decreased. On public land, sign this time of year is way more relevant to how deer will be moving and the areas they will use in regards to hunting pressure compared to summer/early fall .

My question was regarding the area with the lack of trees with great cover. I was hoping some may have tips in hauling up additional cover to their stand(the Wensels talk a little about this).

I could tell deer weren't eating the black walnut(if that's for sure what it is) I was just unfamiliar with the tree itself, along with the grass as well.

Thanks for your time.

[Bowguy67]

I didn’t say don’t scout now, it just isn’t as beneficial most times but I’m no expert out there. The fact you said the deer were eating them has me thinking it’s not a black walnut. The shells are extremely tough. Deer would find them hard to break open. I bet they’d eat em if they could though. I’m just suspicious that’s what it is.
If you have a hang on or ladder, pull up cover w a rope n lash it on.
It’d be harder w a climber. At least where I hunt too much blob all of a sudden has them look real hard at you.
Now when I hunted Illinois, you could get away w all kinda stuff. Those deer never looked up. In that case don’t even worry about it.
Sorry I can’t help more. I bet if you had a climber, using zip ties you could tie branches on it to help. Remember, if that stuff dries it’ll get noisy.
Barry Wensell had a segment in one of his videos he used Christmas tree parts for cover

[arrow30]

that is a black walnut,(deer dont eat them) , circle the edges to find trails entering.    climb a tree and observe the trails going in and out to find the best trails to setup on. that looks like switchgrass...?

[Jackrhendricks]

that is a black walnut,(deer dont eat them) , circle the edges to find trails entering.    climb a tree and observe the trails going in and out to find the best trails to setup on. that looks like switchgrass...?

Thanks

I didn’t say don’t scout now, it just isn’t as beneficial most times but I’m no expert out there. The fact you said the deer were eating them has me thinking it’s not a black walnut. The shells are extremely tough. Deer would find them hard to break open. I bet they’d eat em if they could though. I’m just suspicious that’s what it is.
If you have a hang on or ladder, pull up cover w a rope n lash it on.
It’d be harder w a climber. At least where I hunt too much blob all of a sudden has them look real hard at you.
Now when I hunted Illinois, you could get away w all kinda stuff. Those deer never looked up. In that case don’t even worry about it.
Sorry I can’t help more. I bet if you had a climber, using zip ties you could tie branches on it to help. Remember, if that stuff dries it’ll get noisy.
Barry Wensell had a segment in one of his videos he used Christmas tree parts for cover

Thanks, the deer definitely aren't eating the Black walnuts.I just wasn't sure if it was Black walnut, I was unfamiliar with it. I know where I need to set up. The trees just could be better. I can get a stand into them just fine, but I was hoping some folks would have some tips for adding additional cover. For the most part in 2018 I remained undetected in this spot but I definitely could use more cover if possible.

[Yooper-traveler]

Looks like switch grass.  Where I hunt in lower Michigan my friend plants it as the deer love to bed in it and it helps block out his field from prying eyes from the road.


Deer don't eat black walnuts, but squid love them. 

[BAK]

If it's public ground not much you can do to add more cover.  I hang old Christmas garland and branches off old artificial Christmas trees to brush in my tree stands but that's on private ground too.  I also hang camoed burlap.  It moves in the wind and the deer get used to seeing such in the tree when you're not there.

And yes, absolutely black walnut.  I've got two 5 gallon pails full I'm working on out in the shop and I best get to it.

[GCook]

Black walnut or hickory nut.

[Krex1010]

Looks like either a black walnut or a butternut...neither of which a big deer drawers. Squirrels love them though...

I know you said you’re not keen on the ground blind possibilities...but if you don’t want to climb high and the trees have no cover....sometimes being on the ground is the best bet. Move some natural cover to brush in some spots you’d want to sit.