Who Loves Winter Scouting?

[Johnny Too-Tall]

Ohhh you mean predator season - I was confused for a minute what winter scouting was. Just kidding I hunt year round it never stops - I hate them yote's

 

[Daveboone]

I love getting out for winter jaunts, but unfortunately, all my grounds are buried under the most snow we have seen in a couple decades ...which is saying alot on the Tug HIll in upstate NY. I enjoy snowshoeing, but most of the snow is too light off trail to make it worth the effort, and most deer have moved to lower grounds.

 

[ETipp]

Interesting. Only time I've ever seen deer dig into the ground, to any great degree, is if there's minerals or salts there they want to lick.

When I was on the lease, we had a number of mineral licks established. Would start one by digging a small hole, pouring in 10 or 15 pounds of salt/minerals, then cover it up. Within the first year it would be dug out several feet wide and about a foot deep. We'd add a bag of minerals each spring. We had licks 6 to 8 feet in diameter and two to 3 feet deep. Nose impressions were evident. And they weren't just digging out dirt...they were eating it.

The last couple years I was at the lease, new CWD regulations banned creating licks, but because of the previous concentration of minerals already in the soil, those licks continued to be heavily used.

Below is an example of one. Took the pic last February while on a squirrel hunt there. Larry Smith of Larry Smith Outdoors owns the property now, but is generous enough that he gives me permission to go over once or twice a year in Jan/Feb for small game. That whole area, from the very bottom of the pic to the rifle and side to side, was level across ground when the lick was started in 2012. You can see that as rain washed minerals downhill and down into the soil, how the deer dug there as well.

The rifle is a 1933 Wards Western Field Rifle Mod 356 .22 single shot my Dad bought when he was 10 years old! I put it there to scale the picture. When he passed, my brothers couldn't believe that rifle was my first pick out of Dad's gun collection! It was the rifle we all learned on and I didn't care it was low monetary value. Dad wouldn't let us move on to a pump, lever, or auto until we mastered killing with the first shot. Could be that helped spawn my interest in bowhunting, and later, muzzleloaders...same concept.

View attachment 375611

I agree, Spike. An old salt lick was the only thing I could think of when I saw it, but then I noticed several old beds near by?????

 

[Spikebuck]

I do all mt scouting in winter. The tick-borne diseases are extremely bad in the areas I hunt in Virginia About 10 years ago I have stopped going in woods after green up. At 67 I don't want Lyme or anything else and have about 10 friends that have gotten very sick and lost 2. Spring Turkey season I use insecticide on clothes.

I hear ya. Along the Mississippi river valleys in SE MN, the deer ticks are so thick you can brush them off your clothes. I used to spend lots of time in the woods year around, but not anymore. Decades ago you might get a common dog tick or two. Now its dozens of deer ticks. And it doesn't even have to be summer or greenup. Get a 40° F day and the little terrorists are out.

 

[longcruise]

I do all my scouting in August. With bow and ml in September it gives an idea of where they are that year. Summer weather patterns can have a big effect on elk so where they are in late August is the best predictor. Deer not so much effected.

 

[Spikebuck]

I do all my scouting in August. With bow and ml in September it gives an idea of where they are that year. Summer weather patterns can have a big effect on elk so where they are in late August is the best predictor. Deer not so much effected.

Good to hear from someone "out west." I imagined that the best time could vary quite a bit depending on species, terrain, etc.

Here, my Winter/early Spring scouting is just a precursor to get an idea where they might be next fall. A good time to get out and cover a lot of ground. Like you, late August is a good time to recheck for "early season", but while hunting in late October it is critical to me as I look for fresh buck sign...rubs & scrapes and how they intersect to current bedding and feeding areas. Big difference if we have a big mast crop vs a bust, etc. Logging activity and changes in human activity can really change it up as well. So, important to always be reassessing.