Pre-Season Scouting Tips

Pre-season scouting is taking note of important habits, actions, quantities, locations, environments, and other key details that allow you to better understand how you need to hunt your game of interest before the actual hunt. Whether you're a weekend warrior, full time property manager, or anything in between there are a few things that you will need to keep in mind when you are scouting.

TIPS TO KEEP IN MIND: 

1. Your timing in relation to the weather patterns of when you're going to be hunting and when you're scouting.

2. The quantity of animals that fit the desired target you are looking for.

3. Those desired animal activities. 

4. Possibly most importantly, their direction of travel during the time in which you plan to hunt them.

Your success is related to how well you can answer these questions and how well you can use them to your advantage for your hunt. For example if I am scouting for a few specific deer within the area that I am planning to hunt, the key environment notes that I will take note of would be; barometric pressure change at the time of scouting, what time it is, and what the overall temperature is, I would need to log these things, because remembering those details in as little as just a few weeks is difficult for someone like me who can’t seem to remember what I just had for breakfast. After determining the answers to those questions I would try to take note of where the deer they are, what they’re doing, how sensitive they are, where they’re going, and how aggressive they are in taking these actions. Again take these notes and log them thinking at the same time “how I will plan to use what I’ve learned to better my odds at making a hunt successful?”  While this specific example is for deer the same is true for migratory birds and other big or small game species. Adding these notes to your repertoire will allow you to make the big decision when it's time to actually hunt. The unfortunate part about all this is that getting all of this information really only helps you decide on one question (where do I specifically set for the hunt?) Truthfully this is a question decided largely on hunt day factors rather than pre-season scouting. However, if you do the work ahead of time you are already headed down the right path to choose a location before the day gets there, and you know how the current (hunting day's) conditions will make the animals act because you’ve watched how they acted in similar conditions just weeks or days before.

Learning to read geographical impact of water and land on animal movement / behavior:

Both have their similarities and differences. In my opinion it is actually easier to read how birds will react over bodies of water than it is to determine how a deer will react to terrain and cover. Either way, I like to start with the path of travel of the game. Taking a look at the terrain along the path of travel, seeing which parts stand out making them take a specific shift in direction. This is typically easier to identify when trail cameras are available to use. Little side note: “remember that we always hunt the change, it’s the most consistent inconsistency that you’ll get from that animal. Often providing the greatest times to hunt.” For example if I was following a group of birds that were coming off roost and heading to their first morning spot I would watch turn changes, flight elevation changes, ect.. to find where they wanted to be. Although a little different for deer and other game the principles are the same, I’m looking for a shift in travel which is my break to capitalize. At the end of day you have to remember that animals are wild and they won’t always do the same thing over and over again even if the conditions stay constant. 

The Beauty in scouting:

Shockingly I hear relatively often of people who really don’t not like scouting. They say it’s boring, or they don’t have time for it, it’s not relevant to the actual hunt, or whatever other reason it may be, but I don’t quite see it that way. I remember being young just freshly driving in highschool and needing something to keep my time occupied in a way that was healthy and active. For me that was scouting, loading up in my 4 wheel drive 2003 chevy tahoe I would muster up enough energy to get up in time to scout the early morning movements. Getting my coffee brewed and having it fresh while listening to some old 70’s tunes on my way to the spot. Knowing that you’ve been theorizing for months hoping you’ll see what you’re going to look for. Then getting there and going through that early morning Fall fog that all the other wild animals go through and seeing them in their environment is so majestic for me. That feeling of walking in the cold morning knowing that you're the only one around. Almost always a more rewarding feeling than a successful hunt for me, is when I find what it was that I was looking for when scouting. Hidden away in a space only for people who are willing to push just a little more than the rest to find, and when you do it's marvelous! To me it’s a little glimpse of our creatures greatness. A small slice of what time once was, and how it still is if I take time to come and notice it that way. Scouting isn’t a job, it’s enrichment to me being, It’s further honoring the animal or animals that I am trying to harvest by way of right. It widens my perspective on who I am in this world and who we all are. Scouting is a tool for more than just hunting; scouting has a special way of capturing the heart and soul of what we as hunters love. It gives us time to really enjoy our passion and love for hunting and the outdoors. Sometimes the hunt itself can feel more like a job rather than a walk in the park. Hunting is hard and rightfully so, it’s one of the many reasons we love it. Scouting can be hard, but it’s more relaxing and fun. There’s no stress of feeling like you have to be successful and scouting maintains that adventurous spirit. At a severe risk of being cliche, scouting is the Yin to huntings Yang, and I highly recommend that you take some time for yourself. Go scout and venture out on your own, push just a little further and peer into a space hidden away waiting for someone like you to find it.