Post season scouting advice for next year?

[RedShaft]

this mite be alittle early, butt. if i scout in feb and march when there is snow on the ground and find deer sign congregated in particular areas can i assume the deer will be there come fall? or that it would be a good area to resume scouting for the fall season?
Or are those areas just for the winter months and have no bearing on the upcoming year? thanks

[lpcjon2]

IMHO late season scouting never hurt. They may congregate around a particular late season food source that may not be a hot spot come the fall. I would look for rub lines and funnels.Late season scouting can be a good thing and you may find some nice sheds around those food sources.But use it as a starting point for the fall.And don't be afraid to scout in the spring and summer.

[Bowwild]

I think late season scouting, with the aid of ground cover is an excellent technique. I plan to do this very thing at week's end as we have a rare 4" snow on the ground now.

Deer have a relatively small home range of 1/4-2 miles -- less than one mile most of the year and less for Does than Bucks. The area they are using now is the best cover they have (because much cover is gone by now) and very dependable food supplies, because a lot of food is also gone by now.  You'll find where the deer go when the going gets tough.

This is also the time of the year when I might do any kind minor clearing work for shooting lanes or walking in and out without making too much noise.  I'll be making some ladder-style fence crossings too.

[Mike Spaulding]

What the others said.  I also like to scout that time of year because I'm not concerned about going right into their bedding areas.. If I jump deer, that's fine, they won't remember by the next fall.. do that to a good buck in September, and in my experience, not good. If you find buck bedding, you'll know, there will usually be rubs all over the place.  Then you have a jump on him in the fall and he won't be the wiser.  To me, it's an open ticket to scout wherever and really get them figured out for the fall.  I'm not really interested in the fresh sign that time of year because they're patterns are different between late winter and fall, it's the "old" sign I'm looking for.

[RedShaft]

thanks!

[**DONOTDELETE**]

Originally posted by RedShaft:
this mite be alittle early, butt. if i scout in feb and march when there is snow on the ground and find deer sign congregated in particular areas can i assume the deer will be there come fall? or that it would be a good area to resume scouting for the fall season?
Or are those areas just for the winter months and have no bearing on the upcoming year? thanks

I find that time of year to be the best.. Mark that are, and when spring starts to show and everything turns green. Go back to that area and look for more signs...

Now when summer gets closer take a treestand with you and set it up about 50 - 60 yards away from that spot so You can still see it and scout from the tree. mark all movement, now You'll see where they come from and where they go..

Deer hunting is a 365 day a Year Job. Take a small note book and write everything down... make a map of trails, food, water, bedding and so on.. Come the start of the next season You'll be ahead of the game...

[ron w]

Depends on how much snow you get annually. If you get a lot and the deer yard up, then it's not much good because it's not their home range, it's where they winter. If you don't get much snow ever then it can be a good idea and a chance to find some sheds.