Who Loves Winter Scouting?

[Spikebuck]

One of my favorite winter and early spring (before green up) activities is scouting for last fall's deer sign. I don't know about your area, but usually scrapes, rubs, bedding areas, trails, feedings areas, etc. used by deer remain fairly constant unless there is a major change or disruption. Even though many of the deer that made that sign are now dead and in someone's freezer, the next generation of deer seem to pick up where the last one left off.

This year, in SE MN, we had almost zero snow...bare ground mostly. Scouting has been great! Last fall's scrapes and trails stick out like a sore thumb. No bugs, skeeters, or ticks. I grab my longbow & some stump arrows or my .36 flinter squirrel rifle and hit new areas to explore.

How about you?
...............................

Think they are crossing this river here?

Scrapes have been abundant. This trail paralleling the river had a lot of them.

Never saw field corn in Coyote droppings before! Not sure if he ate a gut pile or actually ate some field corn, but clearly it wasn't digestable!

And sometimes you find last season's "unclaimed" warriors that you wish had made it another year. Wish these two had made it!

 

[Jaeger]

One of my favorite winter and early spring (before green up) activities is scouting for last fall's deer sign. I don't know about your area, but usually scrapes, rubs, bedding areas, trails, feedings areas, etc. used by deer remain fairly constant unless there is a major change or disruption. Even though many of the deer that made that sign are now dead and in someone's freezer, the next generation of deer seem to pick up where the last one left off.

This year, in SE MN, we had almost zero snow...bare ground mostly. Scouting has been great! Last fall's scrapes and trails stick out like a sore thumb. No bugs, skeeters, or ticks. I grab my longbow & some stump arrows or my .36 flinter squirrel rifle and hit new areas to explore.

How about you?
...............................

Think they are crossing this river here?
View attachment 375307

Scrapes have been abundant. This trail paralleling the river had a lot of them.

View attachment 375308

Never saw field corn in Coyote droppings before! Not sure if he ate a gut pile or actually ate some field corn, but clearly it wasn't digestable!
View attachment 375306

And sometimes you find last season's "unclaimed" warriors that you wish had made it another year. Wish these two had made it!

View attachment 375310
View attachment 375311

We're having the same kind of 'mini-drought" in Michigan. Good pictures.

 

[Stykbow]

That’s a shame those two bucks weren’t recovered. Of course that’s assuming they were shot and lost. Either way, yes, I like scouting in the winter. With all the leaves down you can see great and since season is over you don’t have to worry about ruining a good spot.

 

[Brazos John]

I like your photos.
I used to play in the woods all the time, as a kid, but since my boys have Eagled, I haven't been in the woods much lately.
In the second photo, you say there are scrapes there. Despite lots of time in the woods, I'm not a hunter, and never recognized the deer signs like scrapes. I can see paths quite well, but I don't know what a scrape looks like.
So, can you describe where it is in your photo, or circle it and post it?
Thanks,
Brazos

 

[sussexmuzllodr]

I do miles each day on foot with a recurve. Deer or no Deer nothing beats being out there.
It,s a spiritual thing.....

Not much kicking up this year but I lost weight and feel great.

 

[longcruise]

We have a lot of wild plums in some areas. In the fall the coyote droppings in those areas always have plum pits in them. They will eat anything.

 

[TRow]

I love this time of year as well. Thanks for sharing.

 

[ETipp]

I too, love scouting. IMO, it’s absolutely necessary for most hunts. It’s always one of those “what can I find this time” scenarios. I stop hunting at times but I never stop scouting. I’m always looking.

Much of the time I scout and hunt and scout at the same time. Found these cool boulders early last fall up in the mountains here. I’ve also found arrow heads, old jars and a few old bottles. Back in the early 80’s when I live in TN, I found what was left of an old moonshine still.

 

[Spikebuck]

...I don't know what a scrape looks like.
So, can you describe where it is in your photo, or circle it and post it?
Thanks,
Brazos

Scrapes are where a buck will use his front feet to clear out leaves, grass, or other debris down to bare dirt. Some scrapes are made and abandoned with virtually no use. Around my area those are usually along field edges well before the rut. Sometimes, however, those are kept open throughout the rut and for years and can grow to enormous size. Other scrapes appear along trails, and the ones I really like are in thickets and can get exceptionally large being 6 to 10 feet across.

Most scrapes have an overhanging branch(es) that the deer lick, chew, rub the scent glands on their foreheads on, or interlock in antlers twisting and breaking the branch, etc. I have personally witnessed this many times. Deer virtually "make love" to that overhanging branch. They roll their eyes, rubbing, licking, etc for long periods sometimes, as if in a trance. They also urinate in it. Bucks will squat and urinate down their hind legs over their tarsal glands.

While many will say that dominant bucks are the scrape makers and users and no other buck will dare to use it, my time on an 1100 acre lease with many cameras sitting over scrapes taught me that virtually every deer in the area...bucks of all sizes, mature does, and even fawns will work the licking branch, paw the scrape, and urinate in it.

My opinion is that these large perennial scrapes are simply "meeting places" for deer...kinda like a bar or other human social gathering place. By visiting, they know who is around (by scent) and can even track them, if desired. Our trail cams would sometimes capture many deer (upwards of 10) all gathered together at scrapes. Of course, this is usually in the middle of the night.

The circled scrape looks like an ordinary trail scrape...certainly not one of the giant ones, but still around 3 feet in diameter. It's not being used right now as there was no fresh sign in it, but when you have a string of many of these on a trail, it might be a good place to spend some time next year Oct/Nov.

Probably way more than anyone wanted to know!

 

[Spikebuck]

I do miles each day on foot with a recurve. Deer or no Deer nothing beats being out there.
It,s a spiritual thing.....

That's exactly it for me. Never do I feel more at peace than when I am in the fields and woods. If all I had ever experienced in life was a big city I am not sure I would even be a "believer." It is experiencing the wonders of nature that bring that feeling of spirituality to me.

As Gene Wenzel said in Primal Dreams I: "Some people feel closest to God in the Cathedral of the Pines."

 

[sussexmuzllodr]

That's exactly it for me. Never do I feel more at peace than when I am in the fields and woods. If all I had ever experienced in life was a big city I am not sure I would even be a "believer." It is experiencing the wonders of nature that bring that feeling of spirituality to me.

As Gene Wenzel said in Primal Dreams I: "Some people feel closest to God in the Cathedral of the Pines."

When im out there I am in Paradise. So many things on the macro scale that most do not even consider how insignificant we really are.
That rock formation that peaks one,s interest was formed a million years before we chipped flint....

 

[sussexmuzllodr]

As Gene Wenzel said in Primal Dreams I: "Some people feel closest to God in the Cathedral of the Pines."

Very true.

 

[sussexmuzllodr]

Winter Scouting puts life back into me. All in the same time it exhilarates me and at the same time it humbles the living s*** out me.
It being I have modern resources at my fingertips in my short journeys.
It drives home on how it must have been just to exist or survive on just a basic level with no longevity of life in front of you.

 

[tenngun]

Not been out this year
Some photos from last winter

 

[Spikebuck]

...
It drives home on how it must have been just to exist or survive on just a basic level with no longevity of life in front of you.

I am a member of the American Civil War Museum in Virginia (they run the Confederate White House, Appomatix Museum, and Tredegar Iron Works Museum). Visited in 2023 and decided they were well worth supporting.

In their last quarterly magazine they had a great article called "The Art of Dying." Something we don't think much about anymore when average lifespan is into the 80's with 90's common. When death was far more common in one's 30's and 40's, dying bravely and well was more important. It's fun to think about life "back then" but most of us are far too spoiled to be able to do it.

 

[sussexmuzllodr]

The difference between then and now is that they way back then in some instances turned to their best friend and companion and with great heart wrenching and no other way around it had to kill and butcher it just make it though the next week or maybe month.
In modern times such choices do not have to be made as things foodstuffs are plenty now.

I could conceive on making such a decision as it not required in modern times but im sure that there are times in history where a person had to kill his DOG to survive..

 

[Omahkapi'si]

Around here you just have to make sure that what you're tracking isn't already tracking you.

 

[sussexmuzllodr]

I am a member of the American Civil War Museum in Virginia (they run the Confederate White House, Appomatix Museum, and Tredegar Iron Works Museum). Visited in 2023 and decided they were well worth supporting.

In their last quarterly magazine they had a great article called "The Art of Dying." Something we don't think much about anymore when average lifespan is into the 80's with 90's common. When death was far more common in one's 30's and 40's, dying bravely and well was more important. It's fun to think about life "back then" but most of us are far too spoiled to be able to do it.

Spike, I think about it. I also think about the things that are important and dying well.
And leaving a little bit to those I leave behind. But the reality is im just a crazy old Uncle.
I have done the best to the youngsters to leave my impressions upon them and should they share the same feelings I dont know.
My best bet is to drop dead in the Woods that I love so much that would be be the best answer for my ashes to be scattered. For I will be where I loved to be.

 

[Daryl Crawford]

I appreciate using the late muzzleloader season here in PA to hunt, but also to scout new terrain. Last weekend I found a small swamp I didn't even know existed. Found 7 fresh beds in it. I pushed the deer out as I crawled around checking the place out.
Found scrapes and rubs near it, dense trail around and through it.
I know one place I'll be next October in the early muzzleloader season.

 

[Brazos John]

Probably way more than anyone wanted to know!

That was a great explanation of a scrape. Thanks a lot!
I've learned a bunch on this forum.
Hang around with old guys, and you learn stuff!

And if you're not old, Spikebuck, that's even more impressive!
Thanks, again.