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Summer Scouting

DeerHunter42

Junior Member
23
13
Medina, Co.
I wanted to make a thread on summer scouting. When does everyone get serious about summer scouting? June? July? August? When does everyone like to set up their stands? What are your summer scouting tactics to locate the bucks in your area? Just wanted to hear some of your guys thoughts...
 

Rutin

Senior Member
2,029
0
Ina Duck Blind
Personally it used to be 365 for me, ALWAYs had cameras in my spots. NOW.... with a family, kid, dogs to train, and DUCK hunting.... its more like August. The last 4 years I've struggled more and more to locate a shooter to hunt the first week. Most of my deer don't start showing up until late Oct. which is perfect bc it allows me to duck hunt and then focus on deer during the rut. If I had a shooter I located and patterned before Oct I would def spend some more time trying to kill him during the right conditions. Killing a mature deer during the Oct lull is all about knowing their bedroom, if your not in their bedroom the games up. I find myself laughing as I get older about how much time I spent screwing my woods up checking cams and doing dumb shit just to be out there, when in all reality all I did was educate them more and more to my presence. So to answer your question I prefer long distance scouting until Aug. and then key in on specific deer during September. Patterns always change the last few weeks of Sept when beans brown and deer stay close to their beds and acorn flats. Then again.... its all specific to the deer your hunting and the pressure around you!
 

moundhill

Senior Member
Supporting Member
5,327
103
Hebbardsville..
I usually start getting serious come late July, and try to set my stands around mid august. Make sure you pick the hottest muggiest day too. I always manage to lol. I'm personally not huge on summer scouting though. The deer always move and pattern differently come prime time anyhow. But it's still a good way to build the excitement and see what all is roaming on your properties.
 

hickslawns

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
39,721
248
Ohio
I like to have stands hung by July or August at latest. Summer scouting from a distance is pretty much whenever I can. When you can see antlers past the ears it is time to spend your every evening available in scout mode. Just my opinion. Work and family obligations eat up lots of time though.
 

finelyshedded

You know what!!!
Supporting Member
31,855
260
SW Ohio
IMO, scouting for sign and potential tree stand sights is best after the season is over during shed hunting trips. I like putting cameras out in June over salt or minerals for inventory and antler growth monitoring. Stands up before September and start shooting a little in the evenings checking my form,grouping and equipment. I try to have all my hunting clothes cleaned,smoked and stored all ready for action by Septmener as well.

Any deer monitoring is done from the road like on "deer patrols" with the kids and binos. The farmers plant my food plots in either corn or beans.
 

Boarhead

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
I pick out any new stand sites after season is over while shed hunting and start my minerals the end of February and let my cameras show me what's out there. Have hunted my areas for many years so try not to bother them very often.Will try to have my stands up and trimmed by the end of July.
 

Huckleberry Finn

Senior Member
15,973
135
I drove 60 miles home from my sister's tonight and saw a deer in damn near every field. I couldn't believe it. On the back road portion, rolled my window down to mouth bleat at a decent body buck with antlers at the top of his ears. A lot of singles out in the fields, but a few with 3 or 4 - I think one field had 5.

I quite honestly haven't seen deer from the windshield on that drive in a LONG time - tonight has to have been the most deer on that portion of 71 (yes Curran, there were 4 across the highway from you) probably ever.
 

motorbreaker

*Supporting Member I*
1,542
63
North of Toledo
We try to get all are stands up or moved before it gets to hot. usually in may. Put cameras out by june. Only go back to refresh minerals and check cameras maybe once a month. In Augest we'll do some brush hogging to make trails for the deer to follow and for shooting lanes.
We have been hunting this property for 5 years so there is no need to scout, We know where the deer will be. Just hope for some mature bucks to show up on the cams. Nice to have an idea whats out there. Good luck all.
 

MK111

"Happy Hunting Grounds in the Sky"
Supporting Member
6,551
66
SW Ohio
Since the last couple years I only hunt on my farm I need no real scouting. I see almost everything going on during routine upkeep. About Sept. I do go around and check if for any new trails or trees down on existing trails to change deer movement.
I try to get stands up or moved by mid summer. Then right before a possible rain.
 

bowhunter1023

Owner/Operator
Staff member
48,879
274
Appalachia
Like Zach, I used to be a 24/7/365 deer guy and have spent hundreds upon hundreds of hours in the woods during the summer. It has never once equated to a dead deer in the fall. And like Zach, I know have a family and duck hunting obsession, so my drive/time to summer scout for deer is next to nothing at this point. I put my cameras out when I've seen a buck with my own eyes that has enough rack to identify him throughout the summer. Once they have developed enough to distinguish them, then its time to see what I have to look forward to. I'm done laboring on steamy hot summer days hanging stands, clearing lanes and all that junk. I'm taking the minimalist approach to things this year and will not be running cams like I used to and will be hunting based on fresh sign and observations come fall. I'm hunting a lot of familiar ground, so I have past history to help me. However I have some new ground and will be using maps and fresh sign to form a game plan.
 

GoetsTalon

Senior Member
Supporting Member
4,293
128
Walbridge oh
Have been crusing around with the bino's looking and its looking really good so far. Some bucks with some horn that is starting to branch and a couple does with twins. last friday after the rain they were in the fields at 2:00 in the afternoon.
 

Gern186

Dignitary Member
Supporting Member
10,171
201
NW Ohio Tundra
First and 2nd week of July are traditionally peak times for seeing bachelor groups of bucks in broad daylight...its not uncommon to see groups of 5 to 10 bucks running together that time of year around here.
 

Redhunter1012

Senior Member
Supporting Member
I've been cruising in the evenings for a couple weeks now. Usually when they start hitting the beans, I road scout with the Bino's. Generally in my area where the deer are now is where they will be the first 2 weeks of season. I have a pretty good record on early season bucks. By cruising around more you can tell which bean field are gonna be cut last, which is where I prefer to hang a new stand for early season. Most of my areas give the deer multiple choices of fields to go to within short distances of their bedding areas. I feel some deer just really are like us and have an "old reliable" spot to go to that they may feel a bit more relaxed at. That is what I really look for
 

matthewusmc8791

Junior Member
288
46
NE Ohio
I like to have stands hung by July or August at latest. Summer scouting from a distance is pretty much whenever I can. When you can see antlers past the ears it is time to spend your every evening available in scout mode. Just my opinion. Work and family obligations eat up lots of time though.

Totally agree. I started, a few weeks ago mowing and fixing my feeder. I topped off all 3 spare drums with shelled corn, and filled feeder and set timer for 3x feedings a day.. They've been pounding the mineral and salt blocks great all Spring and Summer thus far.. We did some field mowing and we've put down a ton of Seven tick killer around the camping area and will reapply around late September. We hung all our cams now on the field, the 4wheeler paths and all the old scrape sites that still get traffic and without question 3 around the ladder stand over looking the feeder. Plan will be early September to hang all our drippers and get great pics of bucks hitting scrapes again.... We passed up a bunch of nice bucks last year, so I am really looking forward to seeing this years crop!!!! WE have a real good chance at hunting the 200+ acres next to us, so we should have a great season.. Only bummer is I don't have the vacation to take that I usually do. So that's my early Summer report.... :)