Deer Scouting!

[azhunter_122]

Hi All,

I am going scouting for deer on Sunday! I have never scouted before so am kind of lost. I am going to head out to woods and just look for signs and good spots to hunt. Is this right? I also plan on taking out a .380 handgun in a holster for animal defense or if I see some squirrels haha. Does everyone think this is enough and if I end up bringin home a few squirrels will is scare the deer into October?

[armedandsafe]

I have heard hunters and guides say that activity in the deer's area will accustom them to activity in their area.

I have heard hunters and guides say that activity in the deer's area will spook them into the next county for the rest of their lives.

Personally, I have seen deer living in many areas that are very popular with humans for summer activities.


Hmmmmmm

Pops

[Double Naught Spy]

I have my own gun range on my land and several game cameras. All of the cameras are within 300 yards of where I shoot and one is located along my rifle range. The first pic is from the rifle range and shows my 200 yards shooting stand in the background.

You won't spook the deer away. They spend their entire lives engaging in avoidance behavior. It is what they do and it is standard operating procedure for them. They understand that a given location may have a threat there right now, but will re-occupy the same territory once the threat is perceived to not be there.

We will shoot in the morning and have images of deer on the cameras in the early afternoon, evening, night of the same day.

[Pahoo]

Activity does not seem to spook deer in my woods, even with a fresh gut-pile, close by. Your post makes me question whether it might scare the big old smart bucks as they can get pretty spooky. I would say this is not a problem. Remember that they have a very short memory and pretty much work with what is happening at the time. Not sure about the .380 as a .22 might serve your purpose better. Don't know your terrain but look for well traveled trails, creek crossings and trail heads on roadways. Good luck and :


Be Safe !!!

[Double Naught Spy]

Remember that they have a very short memory and pretty much work with what is happening at the time.

No and yes.

They do work with what is going on at the time, as do most animals, but their memory isn't short per se. Its not like they have Alzheimers. They don't forget where the food is everyday and rediscover it anew or forget dangers and relearn them every day. The difference here is a cognitive one. They don't have the same association with "place" that humans maintain. Keep in mind that in nature through the ages, their threats have been transient and not associated with a given place. A bear or wolf or mountain lion doesn't doesn't hang out in the same tree stand every day such that the deer learn to avoid the tree stands over the millenia. Just because a mountain lion was at a given locale today doesn't mean it will be there tomorrow and so they evaluate their immediate environment on an ongoing basis. Similarly, just because they were safe in a place yesterday doesn't mean it will be safe today and they treat it accordingly.

The bottom line isn't that they have short memory, but that they evaluate their environment differently that we do and perceive it differently as well.

[Wildebees]

Oh-Oh-Spy,

You should not post pics like that-

I hunt all the Southern African venison, and regularly, and eat it all.

Now I know that I shall not be able to shoot those cuties of your great country.

[Pahoo]

No and yes.

Okay then:

No! in your woods and,
Yes, in mine. Obviously they are smarter or whatever, in your woods.

To qualify, once had a doe and yearling that came past my deer stand, for three days running. Talked to her and she kept coming back. Perhaps she liked the conversation or perhaps she did not REMEMBER the day before?? Have a nice day. Oh, Yes I sometimes talk to the deer.

Be Safe !!!

[Wildebees]

"The bottom line isn't that they have short memory, but that they evaluate their environment differently that we do and perceive it differently as well".

My experience is that impala and kudu have very good memory for a set pattern, so the once-off scouting and presence and gun reports shall not scare them off.

Once this becomes a pattern, followed by the pattern of hunting and the knowledge of related trauma - in a few seasons they shall leave the local area after the scouting and shooting, before the killing starts.

Naught+ Spy, is your property fenced? The water is the variable here, I think, particularly if the families are fenced in.

[guntotin_fool]

WHen the father in law had his farm here in Minnesota, I would run the tractor out to the back pastures and flush up does and bucks regularly, As the bucks grew, it was easy to ID the same ones moving as the tractor came thru, to them it was no threat, nor was someone walking around the tractor or the 4 wheeler doing chores. I shot several deer by driving the tractor out to the field at dawn and sitting in the heated cab. after a few minutes, they would walk back out and be taken.

[Wild Bill Bucks]

One trip through an area ( hunting bushy tails or not) will not keep any game from coming back to that area later. It is REPEATED visits to the area that will make them avoid an area. If you shoot a few squirrels today, the deer may avoid the area for a day or two, but once they figure out you are not there all the time, they will resume their activities as normal.

It's kind of like finding doggy poop on your carpet. You will avoid it till its gone, but once it is removed and cleaned up, you will walk over the area as normal. ( Don't know how, or why, that went through my mind, but it seemed to fit.):

I know lots of guys who shoot squirrels out from under their feeders, and it doesn't seem to bother the deer coming back to them.

[crowbeaner]

Well, I was cleaning a couple freshly caught catfish a couple weeks ago, and the resident doe that lives within 100 yards of my mum's house crossed the road with her fawn. HMMM. Only one fawn? Did she have twins and the coyotes get one, or did she only have one? This bears checking into. If she only has one per year with all the tasty corn, alfalfa, vetch, acorns, apples and the occasional garden raid available I may have to cull her this year. If the wooly boogers don't have 2 lambs they turn into mutton. I've already started watching the fields around home for deer, and I've seen some BIG tom turkeys now that season has passed; maybe one will make the mistake of coming within bow range. I scout deer all year long; I used to watch the fields along my delivery route just to see if I wanted to apply for the DMU permit for that area.

[wpcexpert]

I am going to head out to woods and just look for signs and good spots to hunt. Is this right

Sure. But do you know what the signs are to look for? I don't know what you already know, so I'm going to treat it as an absolute newbee. Sorry if I offend you.

First, you need to know the lay of the land. What kind of terrain? Mountains, prarie, desert. I see Arizona in your location. I have never hunted there, but basic principles are the same.

You need to find out what primary food sources are in your area, and how to recognise them. Are you hunting on private or public land? That will determine if you can use bait or not.

What type of stand set-up are you using? Ladder stand, climber, lock-on, ground blind, or plain ole spot and stalk?

When you are looking for deer signs, remember, tracks are good, but trails are better. Look for old buck rubs and scrapes. If you can find multiple old rubs, chances are there are other bucks that will like the same area.

There is a world of info to give a person that has never been scouting before. The best advise, is to do some research on your area, read all you can about deer and their habbits, and find an experienced hunter in you area and ask for advise. More often than not, most folks would be more than happy to lend a hand.

If you have any more specific questions, I would be glad to assist.

[Wild Bill Bucks]

Since you have access to a computer, why not download the free version of Google Earth. The free version is old but unless there have been a lot of logging or the such, it will give you a good idea of where the funnel points on the property are, and a good look at the terrain, and any creek beds, and such.

I use mine all the time for hunting and fishing, and every now and then it shows me something, I just wouldn't find on foot. It is really good for finding small opening in the middle of the woods, that make good bedding grounds for deer.

By knowing the lay of the land, it will help keep from making wasted steps. A guy can walk a long way, and never find anything useful, if you don't have a game plan.

Just a thought