I know tomorrow is only May but when do you start actually walking in the woods to start whitetail scouting?

Tomorrow is good a day as any to start....
I'm of the mindset that there's always something to learn or look for in the woods.  Getting after whitetails provides an ongoing education for me and I always like to see what they are up to.  Even if its something as simple as checking out travel routes in areas I know, to see if anything has changed.  I find that the more time I spend in the woods pre season,  the better I do come game time. Kinda cut and dry that way for me anyways...........

I do 90% of my scouting in February through mid-April prior to leaf out.  The balance is some minimal pre-season food source low impact scouting...checking white oaks etc in September. I want to know what the deer did last fall, I couldn't care less where they are in the summer.  The time to see last year's rut sign is early spring.


R

About the same here early spring is perfect plus your shed hunting while scouting. We don't run any cams from January to July either for deer just a waste of time for me, mineral licks are refilled early to and left alone for the deer to use.

We start scouting for the season watching soybean fields, putting cams back up, and refreshing mineral licks in July.

Tracy

I don't anymore; hunted the same properties for many years and none are big so I pretty well know where to set up. Just walk them in September and do whatever cutting needs done.

I never stop

I've been doing some scouting while turkey hunting the past couple weeks.

Most of my stands have been in the same locations for several years without the need to do extensive scouting, because nothing in the area changed. However, last year we cut wood on the place, which has caused me to do a lot of scouting for last season. I will need to again check the placement of several of them that did not produce many sightings. I go to my small property every couple of weeks to walk over it and check on things. I always use this time to scout extensively.

Never stop. Trail cameras are great tools.

Everyday I'm in the woods! Good luck.

What Ryan said

I'm doing some mental note taking as I'm turkey hunting where I also deer hunt. Saw 10 deer yesterday. Five of them in an area I've never hunted.

Going out tomorrow for a few days, I am calling it            Turkey hunting, but really it's elk scouting..

This year due to work demands, I will hunt mostly behind my house
Already cleared an area out for a shot plot and a road for a travel route.
Not a lot to choose from there, but get some nice cruising bucks the week before the rut hits.
My nieghbors bait, have feeders, etc.
So its hard to get them to come over to me.
I mostly hunt for stress releif anyway.

I also go whenever I can. August I start bringing the climber. I hunt all public land. This year I'm doing more ground hunting. I'm waiting for my hunters seat to get here.

QuoteOriginally posted by DaveT1963:
I never stop

Ditto.  I hunt my own property and watch deer activity year-round.

I don't stop.  All year I take walks, with the dog, without the dog (as leash laws permit, WI public land rules).   Where I hunt, a lot stays the same but a lot changes too.  Often a move of ten yards will make a difference, due to maturing plant life, fallen trees, agricultural changes
etc.

SLickhead,  look for the trails that the deer use to go from feeders on one property to another.  That works too.
ChuckC

QuoteOriginally posted by joe ashton:
Going out tomorrow for a few days, I am calling it                    Turkey hunting, but really it's elk scouting..

X2! I went to help my wife open up some campground restrooms she manages for the summer. What do you know there was turkey and elk tracks together. Going back up to scout for Mondays opener

I do some throughout the year. More during the early spring, late summer, and through the fall, but I always keep my eyes open any time I'm in the woods, regardless of what I'm there for.

Bob

I love the woods but in south Ms. summertime can get tough on extensive scouts. My favorite time is during late acorn development when they can be spotted high up the trees. Persimmons and Crab apples need to be somewhat developed so I'll know if they're gonna be worth hunting. Sept. 1 thru Oct.1