Six Scouting Tips Every Deer Hunter/Small Game Should Know/Missouri, Kansas, Illinois And Nebraska

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Scouting is one of the most overlooked aspects of hunting. Many hunters blindly traipse around the woods hoping to find a likely area where a deer might cross. Though success can occur, scouting the area you will be hunting is by far the best way to learn the area and the travel routes of a trophy buck.

These six tips will help you harvest a trophy buck

1. Hunt small game to learn the area and look for early season sign

Many hunters use small game hunting for their scouting excursions, choosing to add a squirrel or two to their larder while checking out a potential area. Squirrels make good neighbors and both deer and squirrels partake in the acorn mast each fall. Where you find squirrels, deer won´t be too far away.

2. Match your hunting style to your scouting

Archers must scout differently than rifle hunters while both are looking for trails and deer sign, archers are looking for precise stand placement areas where they can hang their stands or blinds to be in close proximity of the trails which isn´t as critical when gun hunting.

3. Scout food sources early season

The key to early season success is finding the food source the deer are using. In many states this means hunting planted crops. As the days begin to get shorter, the food source changes in much of the whitetail home range. This means acorns though other areas might see a different food source.

4. Where the girls are

By mid October whitetail bucks begin the pre-rut rituals and by mid November the rut is in full swing. Find the does and the bucks won´t be far away.

Knowing the areas where the scrapes and rubs are located once the rut heats up, will increase the odds of connecting.

5. Scout scent- free

Many hunters will go into an area in their street clothes. I prefer to shower and wear the same scent- free clothing. Take the same precautions as though you were hunting. Not going scent-free will signal your presence to the deer. Don´t forget to go through the same scent-free process when hanging stands either before season or during season. This includes rubber soled boots and gloves.

6. Non-intrusive scouting

Expert hunter and TV personality, Dan Perez of Whitetail Properties believes the best time to scout for big buck is after the season closes; especially when snow is on the ground. Perez prefers non- intrusive scouting in the months leading to deer season– erecting stands or blinds and planting and maintaining food plots in early August. Once they are in place Perez chooses to glass the areas – not setting foot in them until opening day.

Most hardcore deer hunters stress the importance of scouting by following their example, you can harvest a buck of your dreams, too.

Need a place to scout call us at 1-800-341-3444

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