Went out today while there was still snow on the ground to do some scouting. We seldom get snow and I wanted to see how it would play into scouting. What a difference it made.
Trails were very easy to see but I was suprised how much ground didn't have a track on it. It made me relize how important stand location really is.
3 times I saw deer tracks on the top of knee high logs. Kind of suprised me. I thought they would just jump over the log instead of putting a hoof on top of the log. I saw tracks where a deer had walked several steps down a big log's leangth before jumping off. Weird but I saw it.
While out and about I ran across a duckhunter. He was impressed that I would hunt with a longbow and asked if it could kill a deer. After chatting a few minutes about longbows and hunting he really liked the idea of hunting with traditional bows.
I wanted to let him shoot my bow but he was very tall 6+. My arrows are only 28" long and I knew they would never work with his long arms and draw. I believe it would have been easy to get him started in trad. Wish I got some contact info but didn't even think about it until later.
I learned a lot about deer movment at my local wma due to the snow. I hope to go back next week and capitalize on what I have learned.
Find any sheds? The time of year makes a difference in the northern climates along with the amounts of snow on location and movement. Deer yards up north here this time of year. Food source when the snow gets deep is what deer need. Fresh snow does make for freshest of sign.
I love scouting in the snow
I have been in areas with snow my whole life. I still get excited about getting out in it. Reading your post makes me realize how lucky I have been to be able to learn so much from what the snow can show me. Glad you were able to get a taste of it and to learn some thing new. You will be a better hunter because of this experience.
They put one hoof up on a log when they stop to light their pipe. Hap
Pac,you cannot count on the sign left in snow as gospel.Deer here in the north will go in to a winter pattern.They will use certain trails they use during spring to fall movements but they don't use all of them.They hammer those few trails to keep the snow pack down.Sometimes they make new ones into areas they rarely go.There's no really any reason for them to go into open oak woods where the snow is 12" deep when they can walk easier in pine woods where the snow is 6".You'll rarely see them in the fields either.
That's just from what I see here.Maybe Arkansas deer are different as you guys don't get snow like we do here in the north but keep it in mind.
I did the same thing behind my shop today, only have about 3 acres back there that border a creek. It was amazing how much you could see, and what you could learn. 3 different sets of tracks, 1 being a nice buck, found a new path I wasnt aware of.
Kind of gave me some new insight where to put my stand next year.
ive been looking around 4 sheds while rabbit hunting... havent found any yet tho
Just got back from a 3 hour stroll in the 12" we got here in TN on Monday. Went to two new places been wanting to scout. MAN, this snow sure makes it easy ! Cut my scouting time in half and no doubt where they are bedding and feeding. Found all kinds of beds right where I thought they would be. Fresh droppings and lots of feeding sign where they dug down to leaves under white oaks. Sure envy you Yanks with regular tracking snows.
I enjoy scouting in the snow as well. One of my favorite things to do is follow a track backwards on a fresh snow. Following it backwards teaches you so much about deer patterns without worrying about jumping or pushing the deer so that you know it's normal movement.
adeeden,
Never though of that trick. Good thought.
I really like to travel in the woods after the snow has been on for a couple of weeks. It really shows you how the deer are traveling. The deer do travel a little different in the fall, depends on the food source. I alway said 90% of the deer spend their time in about 10% of the woods.