1 00:00:01,000 --> 00:00:05,720 Speaker 1: Welcome to the Wired to Hunt Foundations podcast, your guide 2 00:00:05,760 --> 00:00:10,799 Speaker 1: to the fundamentals of better deer hunting, and now your host, 3 00:00:11,119 --> 00:00:14,280 Speaker 1: Tony Peterson. Hey, everyone, welcome to the Wire to Hunt 4 00:00:14,280 --> 00:00:17,360 Speaker 1: Foundations podcast, which is brought to you by First Light. 5 00:00:17,680 --> 00:00:20,760 Speaker 1: On this week's show, it's all about evaluating your scouting 6 00:00:20,800 --> 00:00:23,640 Speaker 1: efforts throughout the summer and deciding how much more boots 7 00:00:23,640 --> 00:00:26,200 Speaker 1: on the ground time you really need before the season opens. 8 00:00:36,320 --> 00:00:39,560 Speaker 1: White town hunters, they often fall into two camps. I'd 9 00:00:39,560 --> 00:00:44,000 Speaker 1: call one super cautious and the other cavalier, or maybe 10 00:00:44,040 --> 00:00:46,440 Speaker 1: like just care free would be a better choice of words. 11 00:00:46,880 --> 00:00:49,080 Speaker 1: This is no more evident than when we are in 12 00:00:49,120 --> 00:00:52,440 Speaker 1: the midpoint of summer and it's close enough to both 13 00:00:52,520 --> 00:00:54,880 Speaker 1: season to consider the real damage you'll do by heading 14 00:00:54,920 --> 00:00:56,600 Speaker 1: into the woods, or at least the real damage you 15 00:00:56,640 --> 00:00:59,440 Speaker 1: could do at this time of the year. Some hunters 16 00:00:59,640 --> 00:01:02,720 Speaker 1: ensure they have a master plan laid out and it's 17 00:01:02,800 --> 00:01:06,240 Speaker 1: just good enough they're ready to go, but most don't, 18 00:01:06,720 --> 00:01:10,000 Speaker 1: which means it's time to decide when or if you 19 00:01:10,040 --> 00:01:12,400 Speaker 1: need to get out and do some more in person sleuthing. 20 00:01:13,240 --> 00:01:15,720 Speaker 1: That dilemma along with what you should look for. If 21 00:01:15,720 --> 00:01:18,320 Speaker 1: you do decide to get out there is what this 22 00:01:18,400 --> 00:01:22,520 Speaker 1: whole episode is about. So here's the big question. Should 23 00:01:22,560 --> 00:01:24,640 Speaker 1: you play it safe or should you stay out of 24 00:01:24,640 --> 00:01:40,200 Speaker 1: the woods right now? The biggest mid to late summer 25 00:01:40,319 --> 00:01:43,240 Speaker 1: question all of us deer hunters should ask ourselves is 26 00:01:44,040 --> 00:01:46,840 Speaker 1: how much more time should you spend in the woods 27 00:01:46,880 --> 00:01:50,559 Speaker 1: before the season opens. After all, you've got trail cameras 28 00:01:50,600 --> 00:01:55,120 Speaker 1: out there capturing intel, and you've been long range glassing 29 00:01:55,200 --> 00:01:59,360 Speaker 1: with an eye towards maximum observation with minimum dear disturbance. 30 00:02:00,120 --> 00:02:02,320 Speaker 1: Why go in and screw up their natural movement when 31 00:02:02,360 --> 00:02:05,400 Speaker 1: we are in a lot of cases, maybe only a 32 00:02:05,440 --> 00:02:09,040 Speaker 1: few weeks out from the bow opener. And even if 33 00:02:09,040 --> 00:02:10,840 Speaker 1: you live in a state with a later opener like 34 00:02:10,880 --> 00:02:13,200 Speaker 1: Iowa or New York where you can't hunt until some 35 00:02:13,280 --> 00:02:16,040 Speaker 1: time in October, should you be playing it safe right now? 36 00:02:17,440 --> 00:02:19,560 Speaker 1: I know you want a definitive yes or no answer, 37 00:02:19,600 --> 00:02:22,120 Speaker 1: but that's not how this stuff works. This is an 38 00:02:22,160 --> 00:02:24,960 Speaker 1: interesting time of year for deer hunters because we no 39 00:02:25,080 --> 00:02:27,240 Speaker 1: doubt have somewhat of an idea of the bucks we 40 00:02:27,280 --> 00:02:30,120 Speaker 1: are likely to be hunting. And that's freaking exciting. But 41 00:02:30,160 --> 00:02:32,519 Speaker 1: it can do two things to us. The first is 42 00:02:32,560 --> 00:02:35,280 Speaker 1: that we overplay our hand and spend too much time 43 00:02:35,320 --> 00:02:37,760 Speaker 1: dogging them in the hopes of really pinning down a 44 00:02:37,800 --> 00:02:39,800 Speaker 1: couple of good ones. Or we just go the other 45 00:02:39,840 --> 00:02:42,320 Speaker 1: way and we get too cautious and we decide that 46 00:02:42,360 --> 00:02:45,240 Speaker 1: the knowledge of them just being there is good enough 47 00:02:45,960 --> 00:02:48,200 Speaker 1: the hunt plan will fall into place and there's no 48 00:02:48,240 --> 00:02:52,160 Speaker 1: need to booger them. Both of these are worthy of consideration, 49 00:02:52,320 --> 00:02:55,640 Speaker 1: but personally, I always wonder what I'm talking myself out 50 00:02:55,680 --> 00:02:59,040 Speaker 1: of or into when it comes to deer. For example, 51 00:02:59,080 --> 00:03:00,600 Speaker 1: at this time of year, if I have a spot 52 00:03:00,639 --> 00:03:02,480 Speaker 1: where I can watch a big one come out and 53 00:03:02,480 --> 00:03:05,280 Speaker 1: feed in the evening, just about have to be in 54 00:03:05,280 --> 00:03:07,840 Speaker 1: a hospital hooked up to life support to not go. 55 00:03:08,520 --> 00:03:11,000 Speaker 1: Even in that scenario, I might break free in my 56 00:03:11,040 --> 00:03:14,280 Speaker 1: little non butt covering hospital issued gown to take a 57 00:03:14,360 --> 00:03:17,600 Speaker 1: quick look. Self control has never been my strong suit, 58 00:03:17,639 --> 00:03:20,600 Speaker 1: and it might not be yours either. There's a saturation 59 00:03:20,680 --> 00:03:23,480 Speaker 1: point to pressure around deer, and you don't want to 60 00:03:23,480 --> 00:03:25,920 Speaker 1: be the one who tips the balance just because you 61 00:03:26,000 --> 00:03:28,839 Speaker 1: really want to see that velvet racked one fifty every night. 62 00:03:29,720 --> 00:03:32,359 Speaker 1: At the other end of the spectrum is the paralysis 63 00:03:32,560 --> 00:03:35,320 Speaker 1: that comes with any intrusion is bad, and it will 64 00:03:35,360 --> 00:03:38,120 Speaker 1: be a net loss in your potential hunting success. This 65 00:03:38,160 --> 00:03:42,160 Speaker 1: is a tricky one because extreme caution might be warranted. 66 00:03:42,600 --> 00:03:45,720 Speaker 1: If you think you've got them dialed, and I mean really, 67 00:03:45,760 --> 00:03:49,360 Speaker 1: really super dialed, then staying out might be the right choice. 68 00:03:49,960 --> 00:03:52,480 Speaker 1: But how confident are you in your early season plan 69 00:03:53,080 --> 00:03:55,800 Speaker 1: or are you hoping to sit a few evenings randomly 70 00:03:55,920 --> 00:03:58,560 Speaker 1: while ramping up for more serious effort once it's a 71 00:03:58,600 --> 00:04:01,600 Speaker 1: little bit later, maybe in the end October. What are 72 00:04:01,640 --> 00:04:05,240 Speaker 1: you talking yourself out of there? For me? While I 73 00:04:05,360 --> 00:04:08,720 Speaker 1: love glassing deer and checking cameras, I don't particularly like 74 00:04:08,960 --> 00:04:11,160 Speaker 1: being in the woods in August. I'm not a huge 75 00:04:11,200 --> 00:04:14,320 Speaker 1: fan of nettles and other Bernie pokey types of plants 76 00:04:14,440 --> 00:04:17,960 Speaker 1: or omnipresent insects. I know this about myself, and I 77 00:04:18,000 --> 00:04:21,279 Speaker 1: know that August is a time of sweaty nastiness in 78 00:04:21,279 --> 00:04:23,520 Speaker 1: the woods, So I can use that to keep myself 79 00:04:23,560 --> 00:04:26,280 Speaker 1: out while claiming it's all in the name of being 80 00:04:26,279 --> 00:04:29,320 Speaker 1: a very wise deer hunter who simply won't risk spooking 81 00:04:29,320 --> 00:04:33,440 Speaker 1: a big one for silly reasons. This is a symptom 82 00:04:33,480 --> 00:04:36,320 Speaker 1: of a curious thing that happens with deer hunters. We 83 00:04:36,400 --> 00:04:39,800 Speaker 1: often shout from the rooftops how much we absolutely love hunting. 84 00:04:40,279 --> 00:04:42,400 Speaker 1: But then when the conditions aren't perfect, or we are 85 00:04:42,400 --> 00:04:44,400 Speaker 1: a little tired, or we just don't think the big 86 00:04:44,400 --> 00:04:47,279 Speaker 1: bucks will be suicidal on any given day, we don't 87 00:04:47,279 --> 00:04:51,520 Speaker 1: go hunting. Well, the same thing happens with scouting. In fact, 88 00:04:51,800 --> 00:04:54,720 Speaker 1: it happens more with scouting, because scouting isn't as much 89 00:04:54,760 --> 00:04:59,000 Speaker 1: fun as hunting. Typically. What this means is you've got 90 00:04:59,000 --> 00:05:01,680 Speaker 1: to evaluate where you're at and decide if you need 91 00:05:01,720 --> 00:05:04,520 Speaker 1: to get out there and look around some more. But 92 00:05:04,600 --> 00:05:06,520 Speaker 1: how do you decide if you're ready for the season 93 00:05:06,600 --> 00:05:09,440 Speaker 1: or not. For some hunters, that might be a buck 94 00:05:09,520 --> 00:05:12,320 Speaker 1: or two that has patterned really well on a specific 95 00:05:12,400 --> 00:05:15,520 Speaker 1: chunk of private land. That's enough, they say, that's that's 96 00:05:15,600 --> 00:05:18,880 Speaker 1: good for me. For the public land hunter, it might 97 00:05:19,000 --> 00:05:22,200 Speaker 1: be a set of ten different well scouted spots that 98 00:05:22,240 --> 00:05:25,279 Speaker 1: all have a saddle friendly tree in them given themselves 99 00:05:25,279 --> 00:05:29,760 Speaker 1: some options. This is your hunting and it's your call. 100 00:05:30,400 --> 00:05:32,920 Speaker 1: Ask yourself if you're really comfortable with the work you've 101 00:05:32,920 --> 00:05:35,960 Speaker 1: put in so far and the plan you've got in place. 102 00:05:36,400 --> 00:05:39,040 Speaker 1: If you're a little shaky and your conviction, that's okay. 103 00:05:39,160 --> 00:05:41,160 Speaker 1: You've got time to head in the woods, but you 104 00:05:41,200 --> 00:05:44,599 Speaker 1: want to use your time wisely. For example, even though 105 00:05:44,680 --> 00:05:46,360 Speaker 1: just a few weeks ago you took note of the 106 00:05:46,400 --> 00:05:49,400 Speaker 1: deer groceries and the property you hunt, you can really 107 00:05:49,520 --> 00:05:52,520 Speaker 1: dial them in now. How does the soybeans look? Has 108 00:05:52,560 --> 00:05:56,520 Speaker 1: the alphalfa been cut lately? Are the acorns really shaping 109 00:05:56,600 --> 00:05:58,920 Speaker 1: up to be a factor this season. You can also 110 00:05:58,920 --> 00:06:00,880 Speaker 1: take a look at the water courses you might hunt. 111 00:06:01,000 --> 00:06:04,480 Speaker 1: Are they actually holding water? If so, what's the sign 112 00:06:04,560 --> 00:06:07,279 Speaker 1: look like around them? Where the deer eat and drink 113 00:06:07,320 --> 00:06:09,800 Speaker 1: Now they'll probably eat and drink at in a few 114 00:06:09,880 --> 00:06:12,400 Speaker 1: weeks or a month down the road. Now this is 115 00:06:12,480 --> 00:06:16,440 Speaker 1: confirmation time, because you'll be prepping stand sites and making 116 00:06:16,480 --> 00:06:18,440 Speaker 1: your final plans for where to sit in the next 117 00:06:18,440 --> 00:06:21,120 Speaker 1: week or two. This is also the best time to 118 00:06:21,160 --> 00:06:24,479 Speaker 1: consider how many hunting spots you've got. If you only 119 00:06:24,560 --> 00:06:27,680 Speaker 1: hunt one private forty acre chunk, you probably don't have 120 00:06:27,720 --> 00:06:29,920 Speaker 1: much white tail work left to do. But maybe you 121 00:06:29,960 --> 00:06:32,280 Speaker 1: can mix in some public even if you think it 122 00:06:32,360 --> 00:06:35,400 Speaker 1: won't be as good as your little private parcel. That's 123 00:06:35,440 --> 00:06:39,320 Speaker 1: probably worth figuring out. Giving yourself real options and not 124 00:06:39,360 --> 00:06:43,919 Speaker 1: writing off any ground you could potentially hunt is majorly important. 125 00:06:44,360 --> 00:06:46,560 Speaker 1: It's one of the reasons some people feel a lot 126 00:06:46,640 --> 00:06:49,560 Speaker 1: of tags no matter where they go, while others have 127 00:06:49,680 --> 00:06:51,880 Speaker 1: to tell you all about the bucks that they air 128 00:06:51,960 --> 00:06:55,120 Speaker 1: quote passed up for the seventeenth year in a row 129 00:06:55,160 --> 00:06:58,479 Speaker 1: because they can't actually kill anything. Get out there and 130 00:06:58,480 --> 00:07:01,360 Speaker 1: confirm the best parts of your plan, but also keep 131 00:07:01,400 --> 00:07:03,520 Speaker 1: an eye out for anything new or anything you might 132 00:07:03,520 --> 00:07:07,320 Speaker 1: have missed. The best deer hunters are also crazy good 133 00:07:07,839 --> 00:07:10,960 Speaker 1: at noticing changes in the woods. They noticed that the 134 00:07:11,000 --> 00:07:13,400 Speaker 1: bucks that were like clockwork in the milo are now 135 00:07:13,440 --> 00:07:16,720 Speaker 1: showing up every few days. They noticed that the pounded 136 00:07:16,760 --> 00:07:19,480 Speaker 1: fence crossing that was going to be their number one 137 00:07:19,520 --> 00:07:22,800 Speaker 1: stand side on opening night showing a little less sexiness 138 00:07:22,800 --> 00:07:26,040 Speaker 1: in August for some reason. Instead of walking through the 139 00:07:26,040 --> 00:07:29,600 Speaker 1: woods just to confirm their deer hunting awesomeness, they're looking 140 00:07:29,600 --> 00:07:32,520 Speaker 1: for holes in their game, parts of the plan that 141 00:07:32,600 --> 00:07:35,400 Speaker 1: just don't seem to be built on a super solid foundation, 142 00:07:35,440 --> 00:07:39,400 Speaker 1: if you will, the simple goal of scouting right now 143 00:07:39,560 --> 00:07:41,360 Speaker 1: is to fill as many of those holes as you can. 144 00:07:41,840 --> 00:07:43,960 Speaker 1: In a couple of weeks, you'll have a maybe pile 145 00:07:44,000 --> 00:07:46,480 Speaker 1: of ambush sites and a list of absolute go to 146 00:07:46,640 --> 00:07:49,640 Speaker 1: spots where each site ends up in the order will 147 00:07:49,680 --> 00:07:53,720 Speaker 1: be determined now. Most likely I'll really break this down 148 00:07:53,720 --> 00:07:56,080 Speaker 1: in the next couple of episodes, but for this week, 149 00:07:56,400 --> 00:07:59,200 Speaker 1: think about your scouting efforts, like a final inspection on 150 00:07:59,240 --> 00:08:02,480 Speaker 1: a house purchase. Are you really ready to take this 151 00:08:02,560 --> 00:08:06,240 Speaker 1: big plunge? And hopefully you are. Hopefully when you head 152 00:08:06,240 --> 00:08:08,800 Speaker 1: out into the human summertime woods, you just confirm what 153 00:08:08,840 --> 00:08:11,440 Speaker 1: you already knew and the whole thing is coming together 154 00:08:11,480 --> 00:08:15,520 Speaker 1: the way you anticipated. But it's probably not. Probably just 155 00:08:15,560 --> 00:08:18,400 Speaker 1: won't work out like that. You might find that someone 156 00:08:18,440 --> 00:08:21,200 Speaker 1: else has decided to hang stands and your go to spots, 157 00:08:21,600 --> 00:08:24,760 Speaker 1: or far more likely, you'll notice a new camera hung there, 158 00:08:24,840 --> 00:08:27,760 Speaker 1: or three cameras on the field edge and other obvious 159 00:08:27,840 --> 00:08:31,640 Speaker 1: trail camera locations. This happens a lot, and it sucks, 160 00:08:32,040 --> 00:08:34,439 Speaker 1: but it's also the way of the white tail these days, 161 00:08:34,880 --> 00:08:36,840 Speaker 1: when more and more of us are pushed into the 162 00:08:36,880 --> 00:08:40,280 Speaker 1: same open access ground. If you hunt where others hunt, 163 00:08:40,640 --> 00:08:43,359 Speaker 1: this is going to happen, and you've got to adapt. 164 00:08:44,120 --> 00:08:46,240 Speaker 1: You've also got to adapt. If you're out there sniffing 165 00:08:46,240 --> 00:08:48,360 Speaker 1: around and you find a new spot that is full 166 00:08:48,360 --> 00:08:50,640 Speaker 1: of deer sign or I don't know, you jump a 167 00:08:50,679 --> 00:08:54,280 Speaker 1: bucker three in a specific spot. Both of those are 168 00:08:54,280 --> 00:08:56,800 Speaker 1: happy accidents, and they've put a few deer on my 169 00:08:56,880 --> 00:08:59,760 Speaker 1: walls over the years and really can be even more 170 00:09:00,040 --> 00:09:02,240 Speaker 1: valuable then confirming that there's still a bunch of deer 171 00:09:02,240 --> 00:09:04,960 Speaker 1: poop scattered all over your kill plot, indicating that yes, 172 00:09:05,280 --> 00:09:08,560 Speaker 1: deer still eat clover when we grow it for them. 173 00:09:08,679 --> 00:09:11,800 Speaker 1: Now is the time to think about these locations, these 174 00:09:11,840 --> 00:09:15,440 Speaker 1: sightings the sign and start to flesh out where you'll sit, 175 00:09:15,760 --> 00:09:20,319 Speaker 1: when and why. As you're walking around, you'll undoubtedly gravitate 176 00:09:20,360 --> 00:09:23,080 Speaker 1: toward thoughts about evening sits on food sources in the 177 00:09:23,120 --> 00:09:26,040 Speaker 1: early season. The next phase after that is the one 178 00:09:26,080 --> 00:09:29,560 Speaker 1: that matters if you hunt around other people. Where will 179 00:09:29,600 --> 00:09:32,400 Speaker 1: the deer go a few days or a week into 180 00:09:32,400 --> 00:09:34,920 Speaker 1: the season when the hunting pressure really close them into 181 00:09:34,920 --> 00:09:38,880 Speaker 1: the fact that once again it's open season on them. 182 00:09:38,920 --> 00:09:41,040 Speaker 1: This is what you're looking for now, when you're waiting 183 00:09:41,080 --> 00:09:44,320 Speaker 1: through neurpal high nettles, when you're sweating out there and 184 00:09:44,360 --> 00:09:47,640 Speaker 1: generally hating the jungle like conditions, you're building a plan 185 00:09:48,000 --> 00:09:50,840 Speaker 1: that will go four steps beyond the average hunter, who 186 00:09:50,840 --> 00:09:54,559 Speaker 1: I might add is probably not out scouting much right now, 187 00:09:54,800 --> 00:09:58,520 Speaker 1: besides maybe checking a camera every couple of weeks. You 188 00:09:58,600 --> 00:10:02,360 Speaker 1: have to outsmart the deer, of course, but you really 189 00:10:02,760 --> 00:10:06,000 Speaker 1: have to outwork the competition to be successful, and some 190 00:10:06,200 --> 00:10:10,200 Speaker 1: of that happens right now. Make a plan to be 191 00:10:10,280 --> 00:10:13,319 Speaker 1: efficient and see what you need to see. This isn't 192 00:10:13,360 --> 00:10:16,400 Speaker 1: just walk along a field edge time. It's about targeted strikes. 193 00:10:16,920 --> 00:10:20,080 Speaker 1: Swing into the hidden cattle tank and look around before 194 00:10:20,080 --> 00:10:22,200 Speaker 1: looping up onto the oak ridge and then back through 195 00:10:22,200 --> 00:10:24,880 Speaker 1: the most likely betting area. Look at what you need 196 00:10:24,920 --> 00:10:27,480 Speaker 1: to see, not what is easiest to walk through or 197 00:10:27,520 --> 00:10:31,120 Speaker 1: what will guarantee you lots of deer sign and make 198 00:10:31,120 --> 00:10:33,840 Speaker 1: you feel good about your skills. If I'm on private 199 00:10:33,920 --> 00:10:36,400 Speaker 1: land for this task, I tend to carry a float 200 00:10:36,440 --> 00:10:39,840 Speaker 1: or camera or two. If I find something interesting sign wise, 201 00:10:40,120 --> 00:10:42,160 Speaker 1: or I jump a buck in a weird spot, I 202 00:10:42,160 --> 00:10:44,199 Speaker 1: can leave a camera until the season opens, just to 203 00:10:44,240 --> 00:10:46,760 Speaker 1: see what I was missing there. If I'm on public 204 00:10:46,840 --> 00:10:49,440 Speaker 1: land and either of those things happen, I drop away 205 00:10:49,480 --> 00:10:51,559 Speaker 1: point on my phone, I file it away in the 206 00:10:51,760 --> 00:10:55,720 Speaker 1: interesting pile, and I crossed my fingers. You might be 207 00:10:55,720 --> 00:10:58,719 Speaker 1: thinking at this point, okay, fine, I'll spray down with 208 00:10:58,760 --> 00:11:00,640 Speaker 1: bugged dope and I'll head out there for a few hours, 209 00:11:01,000 --> 00:11:02,960 Speaker 1: But is there a better time to go so I 210 00:11:03,000 --> 00:11:06,280 Speaker 1: won't screw up things too badly? Now, Assuming you don't 211 00:11:06,320 --> 00:11:08,960 Speaker 1: have unlimited free time because you're out there adult ng, 212 00:11:09,480 --> 00:11:11,320 Speaker 1: the best time to go is if you can hit 213 00:11:11,360 --> 00:11:14,520 Speaker 1: the woods a few days after some rain, since it's August. 214 00:11:14,559 --> 00:11:17,400 Speaker 1: These conditions don't always offer themselves up. If they do, 215 00:11:18,000 --> 00:11:19,880 Speaker 1: I like to head out maybe two or three days 216 00:11:19,880 --> 00:11:22,000 Speaker 1: after a good storm, so that I can see tracks 217 00:11:22,559 --> 00:11:25,199 Speaker 1: fresh tracks. In fact, if you are lucky enough to 218 00:11:25,200 --> 00:11:28,440 Speaker 1: be Mark Kenyan's best friend, like I basically am, now, 219 00:11:28,800 --> 00:11:31,720 Speaker 1: you'd hear him drown on and on about tracks and 220 00:11:31,720 --> 00:11:34,439 Speaker 1: how important they are. As annoying as it can be, 221 00:11:34,600 --> 00:11:37,400 Speaker 1: He's not wrong. The thing is that when it's been 222 00:11:37,480 --> 00:11:39,839 Speaker 1: dry for weeks, most sign looks old and it's hard 223 00:11:39,880 --> 00:11:42,160 Speaker 1: to read. If you know that three days ago, half 224 00:11:42,200 --> 00:11:44,520 Speaker 1: of an inch of rain fell, and now you're seeing 225 00:11:44,600 --> 00:11:49,120 Speaker 1: clear edged, big deer prints on a specific trail, that's actionable. 226 00:11:49,679 --> 00:11:52,960 Speaker 1: Fresh sign that allows you to pinpoint quantity of deer 227 00:11:53,040 --> 00:11:56,760 Speaker 1: visitors in a given time period is the recon that 228 00:11:56,800 --> 00:12:00,880 Speaker 1: should really get your spidy senses tingling. These often prompt 229 00:12:01,000 --> 00:12:03,440 Speaker 1: us to hang cameras, But when I find something that 230 00:12:03,520 --> 00:12:06,560 Speaker 1: is on fire deer. Wise, I often don't hang a camera. 231 00:12:06,920 --> 00:12:09,760 Speaker 1: This is counterintuitive, but if the deer have been there 232 00:12:09,840 --> 00:12:12,680 Speaker 1: absolutely pounding a spot, I don't need to see them 233 00:12:12,800 --> 00:12:15,440 Speaker 1: if they've left enough clues in the mud. Plus, if 234 00:12:15,480 --> 00:12:17,520 Speaker 1: I don't leave a camera, I won't be tempted to 235 00:12:17,520 --> 00:12:20,120 Speaker 1: come back and check it, and I know I won't 236 00:12:20,160 --> 00:12:23,280 Speaker 1: have a camera out there, potentially spooking the deer. When 237 00:12:23,320 --> 00:12:27,080 Speaker 1: I hunt, I want to be around concentrations of deer, 238 00:12:27,600 --> 00:12:30,680 Speaker 1: and this type of finding qualifies. Even if I don't 239 00:12:30,679 --> 00:12:35,280 Speaker 1: have trail camera images of a specific trail, I know 240 00:12:35,360 --> 00:12:38,600 Speaker 1: a lot of deer are using it. That means there's 241 00:12:38,640 --> 00:12:41,880 Speaker 1: probably a good food source nearby and likely some kind 242 00:12:41,920 --> 00:12:44,920 Speaker 1: of appealing betting. Sure, there might be a pile of 243 00:12:45,000 --> 00:12:47,760 Speaker 1: dose traveling the trail, or a bunch of youngsters, but 244 00:12:47,880 --> 00:12:50,440 Speaker 1: there will also be a buck using the area that 245 00:12:50,520 --> 00:12:53,600 Speaker 1: I want to shoot. That's almost a guarantee. And it's 246 00:12:53,640 --> 00:12:56,920 Speaker 1: a different approach to summer scouting than identifying specific books 247 00:12:57,000 --> 00:13:00,800 Speaker 1: and haunting them anyway possible. This stylid talking about is 248 00:13:01,120 --> 00:13:04,520 Speaker 1: it's like a shotgun approach instead of a rifle approach. 249 00:13:04,920 --> 00:13:08,240 Speaker 1: It's not so precise, but it will put you around 250 00:13:08,240 --> 00:13:11,200 Speaker 1: a lot of deer, and I don't know anyone who 251 00:13:11,280 --> 00:13:12,880 Speaker 1: doesn't want to see a whole bunch of deer from 252 00:13:12,920 --> 00:13:15,760 Speaker 1: stand whether they're on a freezer filler mission or looking 253 00:13:15,760 --> 00:13:19,640 Speaker 1: for a one seventy year bust. So ask yourself, are 254 00:13:19,679 --> 00:13:22,480 Speaker 1: you comfortable with your level of scouting so far? Do 255 00:13:22,520 --> 00:13:26,160 Speaker 1: you have enough information on current buck movement to plan 256 00:13:26,280 --> 00:13:28,760 Speaker 1: your season at least up until the pre rut. If 257 00:13:28,760 --> 00:13:31,520 Speaker 1: you say yes, how sure are you? If you're not, 258 00:13:32,320 --> 00:13:34,720 Speaker 1: You're goddamn right, I'm ready kind of hunter right now, 259 00:13:35,320 --> 00:13:36,880 Speaker 1: then it's probably a good idea to get out and 260 00:13:36,880 --> 00:13:39,240 Speaker 1: just take a last look around. If you don't want 261 00:13:39,240 --> 00:13:41,800 Speaker 1: to spoiler, go to spot, spend some time walking on 262 00:13:41,840 --> 00:13:44,360 Speaker 1: a backup spot. If you don't have a backup spot, 263 00:13:44,520 --> 00:13:47,480 Speaker 1: find one walk that public that you know doesn't have 264 00:13:47,520 --> 00:13:49,560 Speaker 1: any good bucks because the rifle hunters drive the crap 265 00:13:49,559 --> 00:13:52,480 Speaker 1: out of it every November and they shoot everything. Keep 266 00:13:52,480 --> 00:13:55,640 Speaker 1: an eye out for question mark spots, and of course, 267 00:13:56,080 --> 00:13:58,920 Speaker 1: look at your best areas to decide if they're still 268 00:13:58,960 --> 00:14:02,199 Speaker 1: your best areas. Keep an eye out for new information 269 00:14:02,200 --> 00:14:04,320 Speaker 1: that could change your plans for the better or the worse. 270 00:14:05,240 --> 00:14:07,680 Speaker 1: Take a targeted approach to the white tail jungle now, 271 00:14:08,040 --> 00:14:09,920 Speaker 1: because the next time you come in it will be 272 00:14:10,080 --> 00:14:12,880 Speaker 1: time to set up ambush sites, and then it'll be 273 00:14:12,880 --> 00:14:14,839 Speaker 1: time to get out in the woods and actually go hunt. 274 00:14:16,080 --> 00:14:19,440 Speaker 1: But before we get there, it's worth noting something. Even 275 00:14:19,480 --> 00:14:22,320 Speaker 1: the best work you do now might fall apart through 276 00:14:22,320 --> 00:14:24,440 Speaker 1: no fault to your own. This is part of the 277 00:14:24,480 --> 00:14:28,240 Speaker 1: reason I think why hunters don't scout as much as 278 00:14:28,240 --> 00:14:31,040 Speaker 1: they should. After all, some bucks will bail on your 279 00:14:31,040 --> 00:14:33,880 Speaker 1: property in the space between midsummer and the actual hunting season. 280 00:14:34,200 --> 00:14:36,720 Speaker 1: They'll have a fall range that isn't anywhere near where 281 00:14:36,760 --> 00:14:41,360 Speaker 1: you can hunt, and that sucks. Hopefully, some bucks move 282 00:14:41,400 --> 00:14:43,440 Speaker 1: in and fill their place, and it all kind of 283 00:14:43,440 --> 00:14:46,760 Speaker 1: evens out. The food sources will change too, and someone 284 00:14:46,840 --> 00:14:48,800 Speaker 1: might get permission to hunt the same farm as you, 285 00:14:49,040 --> 00:14:51,000 Speaker 1: and the landowner's daughter might marry a guy who loves 286 00:14:51,000 --> 00:14:53,160 Speaker 1: big bucks more than anyone, and all of a sudden, 287 00:14:53,160 --> 00:14:56,440 Speaker 1: your year long scouting efforts amount to mostly lost time. 288 00:14:56,840 --> 00:14:59,840 Speaker 1: That stuff happens, but it's not a guarantee the bucks 289 00:15:00,080 --> 00:15:03,080 Speaker 1: patterning now, they might stick around, and you might get 290 00:15:03,080 --> 00:15:06,120 Speaker 1: to execute your plan without interference from anyone else. That's 291 00:15:06,160 --> 00:15:08,160 Speaker 1: the best you can hope for. And it's how you 292 00:15:08,160 --> 00:15:10,960 Speaker 1: should think about scouting. You should count on the deer 293 00:15:11,000 --> 00:15:13,560 Speaker 1: being there and the plan to work, because it doesn't 294 00:15:13,560 --> 00:15:15,520 Speaker 1: do you any good to worry about what might happen 295 00:15:15,560 --> 00:15:17,400 Speaker 1: that you just can't control. You're just gonna have to 296 00:15:17,400 --> 00:15:20,920 Speaker 1: react to that. But you can control scouting, and you 297 00:15:20,960 --> 00:15:24,840 Speaker 1: can control having all kinds of ambush sites ready to go, 298 00:15:25,320 --> 00:15:30,320 Speaker 1: which is the topic of next week's episode. That's it 299 00:15:30,440 --> 00:15:32,800 Speaker 1: for this week, my white tail loving friends, be sure 300 00:15:32,840 --> 00:15:35,480 Speaker 1: to tune in each week so you can keep improving 301 00:15:35,520 --> 00:15:38,480 Speaker 1: your deer hunting game. I'm Tony Peterson and this has 302 00:15:38,480 --> 00:15:42,040 Speaker 1: been the Wire to Hunt Foundations podcast. As I always, 303 00:15:42,280 --> 00:15:44,800 Speaker 1: thank you so much for listening. We will see you 304 00:15:44,840 --> 00:15:45,720 Speaker 1: here next week.