Scouting for Deer in Winter?

[Vinny_HC]

Does anyone scout for deer in Winter or wait until Spring. The reason that I ask is it seems to me that they have a modified routine for winter survival. Many beds seem to be relocated, travel through fields at night has ceased, etc.

Does anyone scout in the winter and find useful information to apply for the following hunting season?

[Dacotensis]

Any time is a good time to go for a drive and look for deer.
Winter time is good time.
You can get a good idea of populations in the area.They are more relaxed and interested in food.
They may still have some head gear on (if this is important)
Nothing wrong with scouting year round. If I had the time I would.

[HuntingAlberta]

I got hay and oats out right now to keep the whitetails happy. The 2-3 feet of snow we have would be killing alot of deer this winter if people didn't help them out a bit. The winter of 2010 killed too many to not help out again.

We got about 200 coming in the yard eating wheat, oats and alfalfa. Trail cameras have picked up some nice bucks but nothing worth writing about. Hopefully they can survice and we can find them again with some improved head gear in the fall.

[nube]

If your thinking of targeting a certain buck for the most part I think it is a waste of time. Whitetails are now migrated to their winter survival areas. Feed felds could be up to 5 miles away from their home range during the summer. I chases a 190+ buck for 2 years in a row that I would see every year in January and Feb in one area and when I hunted him I found him miles away from where he would be later in winter. He travelled a long ways. I never did catch up to him. Some areas right now will be totally void of deer since they have vacated to go where the feed is.

[Vinny_HC]

If your thinking of targeting a certain buck for the most part I think it is a waste of time. Whitetails are now migrated to their winter survival areas. Feed felds could be up to 5 miles away from their home range during the summer. I chases a 190+ buck for 2 years in a row that I would see every year in January and Feb in one area and when I hunted him I found him miles away from where he would be later in winter. He travelled a long ways. I never did catch up to him. Some areas right now will be totally void of deer since they have vacated to go where the feed is.

Ahh, that makes sense. One target buck I am after has his beds totally abandoned too.

[Dan_Andres]

This all depends on habitat and winter conditions. Some bucks (and does) are homebodies. I have found that even migratory herds have some deer that stay on their summer range (i.e. most deer might migrate from a given property, but a few, especially the bigger bodied bucks, will stick around). In areas where deer don't migrate but just shift their home range, you will find the bucks where the food is. I learn something every day I am out there in the winter. Old rubs can reveal a buck's bedding area, and some bucks leave characteristic rubs on trees - good example here are bucks with knurly bases often leave deep gouges in trees. If you can scout his bedroom when he is off wintering somewhere else, then all the better. You may also find sheds from a ghost buck that you haven't caught trail camera photos of before. Sometimes these bucks will come from miles away and are only wintering on a property, but others the bucks are actually just camera shy residents.

So yes - scout in the winter. Scout whenever you get the chance, but be smart about it. Don't bump deer that are trying to survive a tough winter with deep snows, and don't bust your bucks out of an area around the time they will be shedding.

Ahh, that makes sense. One target buck I am after has his beds totally abandoned too.

[Dan_Andres]

Also, your buck might be there still, but he is likely bedding somewhere else. During the rut and early fall, bucks are trying to keep cool. Ridges with conifers or sloughs are where you will often find their autumn beds. Come winter, the story is the opposite. On a cold sunny day, the bucks will almost invariably be somewhere that they can intercept the rays of the sun.

[Vinny_HC]

Also, your buck might be there still, but he is likely bedding somewhere else. During the rut and early fall, bucks are trying to keep cool. Ridges with conifers or sloughs are where you will often find their autumn beds. Come winter, the story is the opposite. On a cold sunny day, the bucks will almost invariably be somewhere that they can intercept the rays of the sun.

Yes that makes sense, because most seem to bed on North facing slopes, but those have totally dried up. They have all probably shifted to south slopes, etc due to lack of hunting pressure.

[MK2750]

Does anyone scout for deer in Winter or wait until Spring. The reason that I ask is it seems to me that they have a modified routine for winter survival. Many beds seem to be relocated, travel through fields at night has ceased, etc.

Does anyone scout in the winter and find useful information to apply for the following hunting season?

Deer are under a lot of stress and should for the most part be left alone in winter. A mature buck will change his behaviour if he feels a predator is in the area or he may even leave the area. If you push him off his winter hide out he may starve or fall to predators in a less ideal spot. The does are also under stress preparing for the birth of young.

Having said that, I too like to get out (especially in December's secondary rut) and scout for deer. I try to make a lot of noise from the time I leave the truck. I generally take the dogs and talk loudly to them constantly ensuring they stay close. Deer are not bothered by this intrusion as they do not associate this with hunting them. I generally see them 1-300 yards away just watching intently. I stick to the edges/main trails and never enter a bedding area or safe haven like stands of spruce.

They encounter farmers and oil field workers going about their work and of course snowmobilers and other recreational users on a regular bases in most areas. They know they are not a threat.

Even if you are stealthy enough to sneak through a buck's area undetected, your sign will remain and at the very least add stress to the deer's life.

I have some areas that hold a lot of grouse and thought it would not bother the deer to take the dogs in September and bag a few. There are still lots of deer in the areas but never any pre-rut scrapes and rubs from the big bucks. They don't show up until peak rut and seem to limit their activity to after dark. So even if one does not bother the deer in general you may still change deer behaviour.

[Vinny_HC]

I have some areas that hold a lot of grouse and thought it would not bother the deer to take the dogs in September and bag a few. There are still lots of deer in the areas but never any pre-rut scrapes and rubs from the big bucks. They don't show up until peak rut and seem to limit their activity to after dark. So even if one does not bother the deer in general you may still change deer behaviour.

Whoa. Shows how easily you can alter their patterns.

[JTRED]

I go out snowshoeing all winter long and always watch for deer, elk, and moose. I don't really call it scouting but it does interest me how the herds are doing and where they overwinter. During the spring and summer every time I go out hiking with family, friends, or on my own I am also actively checking sign, scanning for animals, and marking well beaten trails(in my gps or just taking note of where I see them). I don't spend much time just scouting but every time I go into the mountains I always try to pay attention to what I'm seeing and where. To my way of thinking you can't spend too much time in the bush trying to figure out the habits of wild game you never no what important scrap of information you might pick up.

[roger]

Does anyone scout for deer in Winter or wait until Spring.
scouting starts the day after season until the first day before season.
to apply for the following hunting season?
like nube says it 'could' tell you where to begin to start securing permission in the off-season and station a camera or two...couldnt hurt.