Trock63

Just thought I would put up a post for members to post their tactics for off season scouting to prepare for the next bow season in the fall.
Let us know what it is that you do in the off season that you contribute directly to your success in the fall.<img src=icon_smile_big.gif border=0 align=middle>

Kill em' Wide and High!!!

Steven J. Collins (Trock63)
Bowdaddy Productions

THWACK

I have an arial map of the three main places I hunt and I also keep a daily hunting log with weather conditions and major sign I've seen or specific deer. I mark out the main trails on the map, larger scrapes and rubs, and sheds I find. Combined with the hunting log, and then with pre season scouting next year I can pinpoint stand locations. I also put in the log the wind direction and what problems I have with certian areas wind wise. Some times the eddies in swirling winds have to be hunted a certian way and I make sure i have those areas listed on the map. Then I look it over from time to time to see if different approaches show up when I study it. This year I killed the buck I had scouted since August without ever stepping foot into the area until the 3rd week of October. I killed him and an 8-point in 2 weeks. When I saw him through my spotting scope i knew where he was coming from and where he was going because of the maps. Made it easy to ambush him when pre-rut kicked in.

THWACK!

jetblast

Now is when I like to scout WMA's that I've never hunted before. I like to break out the shotgun and hunt squirrels while looking for rub lines etc. Also, I don't mess up others deer hunting when the season is in. Soon I plan on going up to scout the bow only counties in WV. Hopefully there will be snow to spot deer or tracks. Plug some waypoints in the gps and hopefully be ready for this fall.

GForce

I'm coyote hunting 'til turkey season. Already seen a couple of big toms' and found a number of roosting tree and lots of tracks.

Watching deer trails for movement and direction while there is some snow on the ground. Glassed three does feeding in the pocket of a field on the way in to work this morning.

Start shed hunting this weekend while walking between 'yote calling locations.



Shoot often - Hunt always