James Howell asked, “I was just wondering what your top 5 things you look for when scouting an area. Also what time of year do you scout? I think I could really learn from someone like you. Many years ago I sat with Jack Eddy and he said you were one of the best hunters he knew.”
Thanks for the question. Although it is basically impossible to write down everything I do when scouting an area I will try and answer as best I can.
The main thing I start with is looking for an area that can actually support mature bucks. What I’m looking for is a protection zone where these animals can actually get old enough to get big. They need an area where they can get away from the hunting pressure. On public land, approximately 70% of the bucks taken are 1.5 years old. So out of 10 bucks, that will only leave 3 that will make it to 2.5 years old. The next year 2 of those 3 will probably be harvested. So that only leaves 1 buck that will make it to the 3.5 year old mark. That is generally the age when a buck will start to reach their size potential.
Now that I’ve found that, I start looking for set ups. I will go in and look for available food sources and bedding areas. Their main travel route will be between those two areas. Vegetation, mass crops, fruit trees, etc. If there is deer in the area, there is a food supply of some sort. Everything a deer does revolves around available food sources. Something to remember is deer will move with food sources. The deer herd may wipe out one food source and then will move to another food source. They can travel miles to find other available food. The hunter needs to learn to move with the available food sources as well. Keep in mind that while doing all of this, I’m also looking for buck signs as well. Last years rubs, fresh rubs, scrapes. As far as the time of year to scout, I scout during the hunting season for the most part. Sometimes you have to sacrifice hunting time to learn how to set it up. Other times of the year, the deer may not even be in the area that you want to hunt. When finding buck sign, if it’s around a food supply, then that is usually an evening set up because the buck is making that sign when heading to the food supply. If there is buck sign around a bedding area, then that is usually a morning setup. The buck is making that sign when heading to his bedding area in the morning.
For me, one of the best times for scouting is right now. The end of the hunting season. Right now in Michigan we have snow on the ground and that allows me to really learn an area and see where the deer are traveling. Another good time is late summer although any patterns you find in late summer are going to be temporary. Once pre-rut starts those patterns will change. The transition from late summer to pre-rut is a good time to find a set up because the bucks are still somewhat predictable. All they care about is eating and sleeping and they tend to stay in a smaller range.
I hope that helps. Jack Eddy was very knowledgeable and shot some very nice bucks. I always cherished the conversations we had together.
