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 --> 00:00:10,360 Speaker 1: to the fundamentals of better deer hunting, and now your 3 00:00:10,440 --> 00:00:16,680 Speaker 1: host Tony Peterson. Hey everyone, welcome to the Wire to 4 00:00:16,760 --> 00:00:19,800 Speaker 1: Hunt Foundations podcast, which has brought to you by First Light. 5 00:00:20,239 --> 00:00:23,120 Speaker 1: I'm your host, Tony Peterson. In today's episode is all 6 00:00:23,160 --> 00:00:37,080 Speaker 1: about the finer details of winter scouting. Now, last week 7 00:00:37,360 --> 00:00:40,760 Speaker 1: I covered winter scouting and kind of a big picture sense, 8 00:00:41,400 --> 00:00:44,600 Speaker 1: but this week is all about digging into the details, 9 00:00:44,600 --> 00:00:48,760 Speaker 1: getting into the nitty gritty here, which basically means, dear sign, 10 00:00:49,120 --> 00:00:51,080 Speaker 1: there are so many clues out there in the woods 11 00:00:51,240 --> 00:00:53,560 Speaker 1: right now. They can help you put together a great 12 00:00:53,600 --> 00:00:55,800 Speaker 1: season this year as long as you really know how 13 00:00:55,840 --> 00:01:00,680 Speaker 1: to find them and how to read them. Winter scouting valuable, 14 00:01:01,320 --> 00:01:04,720 Speaker 1: so valuable. So if you're not doing it, do it. 15 00:01:05,000 --> 00:01:06,760 Speaker 1: If you don't know what to do, go back to 16 00:01:06,840 --> 00:01:09,360 Speaker 1: last week's episode. You give that a listen first, and 17 00:01:09,360 --> 00:01:12,160 Speaker 1: then give this one your attention. I promise you it'll 18 00:01:12,160 --> 00:01:25,119 Speaker 1: be worth it. Who doesn't get excited when they run 19 00:01:25,120 --> 00:01:28,000 Speaker 1: across a concentration of buck signed I know I do, 20 00:01:28,520 --> 00:01:31,640 Speaker 1: and I know you probably do too. The thing about 21 00:01:31,720 --> 00:01:34,640 Speaker 1: this is it gets even more exciting at least to 22 00:01:34,720 --> 00:01:38,240 Speaker 1: me when I don't expect to find it. When I 23 00:01:38,240 --> 00:01:41,399 Speaker 1: think I've got things all figured out in a specific property. 24 00:01:41,920 --> 00:01:44,560 Speaker 1: I love being shown that there's a lot that I 25 00:01:44,640 --> 00:01:47,600 Speaker 1: don't know. Now, Dear, Why is this happens all year 26 00:01:47,680 --> 00:01:50,760 Speaker 1: long in a variety of ways, But it really happens 27 00:01:50,760 --> 00:01:54,000 Speaker 1: a lot when I'm winner scouting. Probably the best example 28 00:01:54,040 --> 00:01:57,680 Speaker 1: of this is rubs. Now, I love rubs. You guys 29 00:01:57,760 --> 00:02:00,840 Speaker 1: know I love rubs. I mean other than hounded trails 30 00:02:00,840 --> 00:02:02,960 Speaker 1: in a funnel or a pinch point. I think my 31 00:02:03,160 --> 00:02:06,560 Speaker 1: favorite sign by far as rubs. I like how they 32 00:02:06,640 --> 00:02:10,200 Speaker 1: show us so many things. A rub, if you know 33 00:02:10,240 --> 00:02:12,560 Speaker 1: how to read it, can show you whether a buck 34 00:02:12,680 --> 00:02:15,760 Speaker 1: likely made it in the morning or the evening, just 35 00:02:15,880 --> 00:02:18,840 Speaker 1: by how they are positioned on a tree, in relation 36 00:02:18,919 --> 00:02:22,520 Speaker 1: to food and likely betting. I love that rubs can 37 00:02:22,520 --> 00:02:25,200 Speaker 1: show you where a buck staged. I love that they 38 00:02:25,200 --> 00:02:27,640 Speaker 1: can show you the direction he traveled when he left 39 00:02:27,639 --> 00:02:31,400 Speaker 1: his bed. I love that they are definitive evidence of 40 00:02:31,440 --> 00:02:33,480 Speaker 1: a buck using a little patch of sumac in the 41 00:02:33,520 --> 00:02:36,840 Speaker 1: middle of nowhere, in a place you'd never think to hunt. 42 00:02:37,800 --> 00:02:41,520 Speaker 1: And right now rubs are more visible than they are 43 00:02:41,560 --> 00:02:44,000 Speaker 1: at any other time of the year except for maybe 44 00:02:44,080 --> 00:02:46,680 Speaker 1: right in the heart of the hunting season, and even 45 00:02:46,720 --> 00:02:49,519 Speaker 1: then you likely aren't seeing all of the rubs that 46 00:02:49,560 --> 00:02:53,919 Speaker 1: are available for your viewing pleasure. But now you can 47 00:02:53,919 --> 00:02:57,000 Speaker 1: see them all. When I head out to winter scout. 48 00:02:57,760 --> 00:02:59,840 Speaker 1: In addition to what I talked about last week is 49 00:03:00,080 --> 00:03:03,680 Speaker 1: US terrain and edges. I'm looking for every rub I 50 00:03:03,680 --> 00:03:07,240 Speaker 1: can find, from field edges to the middle of swamps. 51 00:03:07,600 --> 00:03:10,080 Speaker 1: I want to see every spot a buck took the 52 00:03:10,200 --> 00:03:13,560 Speaker 1: time to make a rub. This information can tell you 53 00:03:13,639 --> 00:03:17,160 Speaker 1: so much about deer usage because you know almost without 54 00:03:17,240 --> 00:03:20,320 Speaker 1: question that every rub was made during a time period 55 00:03:20,600 --> 00:03:24,440 Speaker 1: when you could hunt those specific deer. Now, in some 56 00:03:24,480 --> 00:03:27,200 Speaker 1: cases with later bow openers, some of the rubs probably 57 00:03:27,200 --> 00:03:29,880 Speaker 1: showed up before you could hunt. This is the case 58 00:03:30,040 --> 00:03:33,320 Speaker 1: definitely in states with an October one or later opener, 59 00:03:33,760 --> 00:03:37,760 Speaker 1: But remember even so many of them were made during 60 00:03:37,760 --> 00:03:41,400 Speaker 1: the actual season no matter when you're opener is whatever 61 00:03:41,440 --> 00:03:45,040 Speaker 1: state you live in. That's important because the more rubs 62 00:03:45,040 --> 00:03:47,960 Speaker 1: you find in a specific area, the more likely there 63 00:03:48,000 --> 00:03:51,680 Speaker 1: are to be bucks there next season making rubs. This 64 00:03:51,760 --> 00:03:55,440 Speaker 1: is because those places offer bucks an advantage not only 65 00:03:55,480 --> 00:03:57,800 Speaker 1: from the perspective of leaving signed for other deer to 66 00:03:57,840 --> 00:04:02,800 Speaker 1: interact with. But from a vivability perspective as well, a 67 00:04:02,880 --> 00:04:04,880 Speaker 1: buck is just not that likely to make a hundred 68 00:04:04,920 --> 00:04:08,440 Speaker 1: rubs in three acres of cover if he's constantly getting 69 00:04:08,480 --> 00:04:12,760 Speaker 1: harassed by predators or other hunters. There a buck, or 70 00:04:12,800 --> 00:04:15,240 Speaker 1: more likely a whole bunch of bucks, they're not going 71 00:04:15,280 --> 00:04:17,440 Speaker 1: to leave their calling cards on the side of saplings 72 00:04:17,480 --> 00:04:21,720 Speaker 1: along a specific ridge without being awful confident that's an 73 00:04:21,760 --> 00:04:24,200 Speaker 1: area they are generally safe, and there's a reason they're 74 00:04:24,240 --> 00:04:27,800 Speaker 1: there to begin with. Now, I know what you're thinking, 75 00:04:28,480 --> 00:04:31,640 Speaker 1: What if they're making all those rubs at night? Well, 76 00:04:32,200 --> 00:04:34,800 Speaker 1: some of them are made at night, for sure. The 77 00:04:34,839 --> 00:04:37,359 Speaker 1: field edge rubs you find are more likely to be 78 00:04:37,480 --> 00:04:40,599 Speaker 1: made in the dark than probably in the daylight. But 79 00:04:40,680 --> 00:04:43,240 Speaker 1: any random rub could have been made in the nighttime, 80 00:04:43,839 --> 00:04:45,680 Speaker 1: so you just have to use your best judgment on this. 81 00:04:46,120 --> 00:04:48,960 Speaker 1: I generally look at rubs like this. If they are 82 00:04:49,000 --> 00:04:52,240 Speaker 1: in a really obvious spot, like a field edge, I 83 00:04:52,279 --> 00:04:55,279 Speaker 1: can probably write them off as giving me much intel 84 00:04:55,360 --> 00:04:58,279 Speaker 1: to work with because they are probably made at night. 85 00:04:58,920 --> 00:05:02,200 Speaker 1: But there is a catch. Sure, a field edge rub 86 00:05:02,400 --> 00:05:04,560 Speaker 1: is what it is. Bucks make them in the dark 87 00:05:04,560 --> 00:05:07,080 Speaker 1: a lot of times, but they also make them during daylight. 88 00:05:07,160 --> 00:05:10,560 Speaker 1: Sometimes it's a coin toss at best. But take a 89 00:05:10,560 --> 00:05:12,880 Speaker 1: look beyond those field edge rubs to see if you're 90 00:05:12,920 --> 00:05:16,440 Speaker 1: not seeing a one off spot where a buck challenge 91 00:05:16,480 --> 00:05:19,440 Speaker 1: a young tree to a fight, maybe there's more going on. 92 00:05:20,160 --> 00:05:23,560 Speaker 1: Oftentimes I see rubs maybe ten or fifteen yards off 93 00:05:23,600 --> 00:05:28,520 Speaker 1: of a definitive food source. When I walk to those rubs, 94 00:05:28,760 --> 00:05:33,400 Speaker 1: often see other rubs in well a rub line. If 95 00:05:33,440 --> 00:05:36,960 Speaker 1: you follow those bucky breadcrumbs, you'll see his likely direction 96 00:05:37,000 --> 00:05:38,560 Speaker 1: to travel in the morning as he had it back 97 00:05:38,560 --> 00:05:41,279 Speaker 1: to bed. Reverse course on those rubs leading up to 98 00:05:41,279 --> 00:05:43,599 Speaker 1: the food, and you'll see how he got there from 99 00:05:43,600 --> 00:05:47,440 Speaker 1: his betting or a staging area. This isn't an exact science, 100 00:05:47,480 --> 00:05:52,160 Speaker 1: of course, but that's helpful information either way. You've also 101 00:05:52,200 --> 00:05:55,239 Speaker 1: got to find those rubs in the woods, the ones 102 00:05:55,320 --> 00:05:58,240 Speaker 1: deeper in the cover a rub or a whole bunch 103 00:05:58,279 --> 00:06:01,000 Speaker 1: of rubs in a thicket or a wood law. Now 104 00:06:01,080 --> 00:06:05,040 Speaker 1: we're onto something. It's likely that the thicker the cover, 105 00:06:05,240 --> 00:06:09,000 Speaker 1: the more remote the spots. Well, rubs in those places 106 00:06:09,640 --> 00:06:12,520 Speaker 1: have a way higher likelihood of being made in daylight. 107 00:06:13,080 --> 00:06:15,359 Speaker 1: Those are the spots where you might just kill a 108 00:06:15,400 --> 00:06:19,520 Speaker 1: buck next year that's actionable intel, my friends, and worth 109 00:06:19,560 --> 00:06:22,440 Speaker 1: the effort to get out there right now. When you're 110 00:06:22,440 --> 00:06:25,479 Speaker 1: scouting in the rub connection only gets better when you 111 00:06:25,560 --> 00:06:28,120 Speaker 1: realize that the random rub you found along your access 112 00:06:28,200 --> 00:06:31,359 Speaker 1: trail in October is actually part of a rub line, 113 00:06:31,640 --> 00:06:33,679 Speaker 1: just like those rubs leading off of the food source 114 00:06:33,720 --> 00:06:36,280 Speaker 1: I just talked about. When you can stand in one 115 00:06:36,320 --> 00:06:38,920 Speaker 1: spot and see a series of rubs descending down into 116 00:06:38,920 --> 00:06:42,600 Speaker 1: a draw, you are looking at a buck's line of travel. 117 00:06:43,360 --> 00:06:46,919 Speaker 1: Tell me that's not important. Or imagine, I don't know. 118 00:06:46,960 --> 00:06:49,320 Speaker 1: You're hiking up out of that bottom in a different 119 00:06:49,320 --> 00:06:51,680 Speaker 1: spot and you hit a benchy area that is two 120 00:06:52,080 --> 00:06:54,640 Speaker 1: yards from the egg fields on top, and it's just 121 00:06:55,000 --> 00:06:58,800 Speaker 1: covered in rubs. Now you've found either a betting area 122 00:06:59,000 --> 00:07:02,360 Speaker 1: or a staging area. Uh, Are there more rubs leading 123 00:07:02,440 --> 00:07:04,719 Speaker 1: up to the field or back down to the bottom. 124 00:07:04,920 --> 00:07:08,920 Speaker 1: Look around sixty degree style to see what other clues 125 00:07:08,920 --> 00:07:11,960 Speaker 1: are there. And another thing that I love about rubs 126 00:07:12,400 --> 00:07:15,400 Speaker 1: is how many I find now that I wouldn't really 127 00:07:15,440 --> 00:07:18,840 Speaker 1: care about or maybe wouldn't even notice during the actual 128 00:07:18,920 --> 00:07:22,160 Speaker 1: hunting season. For example, let's say you have a route 129 00:07:22,160 --> 00:07:25,760 Speaker 1: to one of your favorite stands. You know the route 130 00:07:25,800 --> 00:07:29,400 Speaker 1: well you travel it often, you might easily not look 131 00:07:29,440 --> 00:07:32,040 Speaker 1: down into the timber as you travel that road, and 132 00:07:32,080 --> 00:07:34,880 Speaker 1: you might miss a great big rub tucked into the cover. 133 00:07:35,520 --> 00:07:37,320 Speaker 1: And even if you did notice it as you were 134 00:07:37,360 --> 00:07:40,520 Speaker 1: making your way in for an afternoon sit, how likely 135 00:07:40,560 --> 00:07:42,680 Speaker 1: are you to veer off of your hunting plan to 136 00:07:42,760 --> 00:07:47,600 Speaker 1: check it out? Probably not too likely. Now go check 137 00:07:47,640 --> 00:07:51,200 Speaker 1: it out, you should. You should go check out those rubs. 138 00:07:51,640 --> 00:07:53,680 Speaker 1: I look at every rub I find, and I look 139 00:07:53,720 --> 00:07:55,320 Speaker 1: to see if it will lead me to another one. 140 00:07:56,160 --> 00:07:57,760 Speaker 1: I also look to see if there are any beds 141 00:07:57,800 --> 00:08:01,120 Speaker 1: close by, or if there isn't any snow. Some scrapes. 142 00:08:01,920 --> 00:08:05,120 Speaker 1: The thing about this sign, whatever sign you find, is 143 00:08:05,160 --> 00:08:08,960 Speaker 1: how you use it to figure out, dear travel. This 144 00:08:09,040 --> 00:08:11,680 Speaker 1: is different from what we kind of conventionally think about 145 00:08:11,720 --> 00:08:14,280 Speaker 1: with sign. So let me explain this by using scrapes 146 00:08:14,320 --> 00:08:16,960 Speaker 1: as my example. If you head out and you have 147 00:08:17,000 --> 00:08:20,240 Speaker 1: the opportunity to find last season scrapes, that's a good thing, 148 00:08:21,000 --> 00:08:23,680 Speaker 1: But what you do with it matters more. And what 149 00:08:23,880 --> 00:08:26,880 Speaker 1: most of us do try to find the biggest community 150 00:08:26,880 --> 00:08:29,160 Speaker 1: scrape we can, and then we just kind of plan 151 00:08:29,320 --> 00:08:33,440 Speaker 1: to hunt over at next October and listen. That strategy 152 00:08:33,480 --> 00:08:37,000 Speaker 1: alone kills bucks sometimes, But I look at it a 153 00:08:37,000 --> 00:08:41,679 Speaker 1: little differently when it comes to scrapes, especially great big 154 00:08:41,720 --> 00:08:44,760 Speaker 1: scrapes with a good licking branch that are located in 155 00:08:44,800 --> 00:08:49,440 Speaker 1: the cover. You know you're probably looking at some type 156 00:08:49,480 --> 00:08:54,760 Speaker 1: of a hub of dear movement. Scrapes are Dear communication devices, 157 00:08:55,280 --> 00:08:58,000 Speaker 1: and it would be pretty stupid trying to establish a 158 00:08:58,000 --> 00:09:01,640 Speaker 1: communication device were very few dear travel You see where 159 00:09:01,640 --> 00:09:03,760 Speaker 1: I'm going with this. This would kind of be like 160 00:09:03,800 --> 00:09:05,679 Speaker 1: if you were single and looking for a new lady 161 00:09:05,679 --> 00:09:07,960 Speaker 1: friend and you decided to devote your time to the 162 00:09:07,960 --> 00:09:11,400 Speaker 1: public library and not the nearest club, or hell, even 163 00:09:11,400 --> 00:09:15,640 Speaker 1: the nearest target. You got to play those odds. Guys, Dear, 164 00:09:16,040 --> 00:09:18,800 Speaker 1: they play the odds too, and they established the best 165 00:09:18,800 --> 00:09:21,240 Speaker 1: scrapes for you to hunt over in areas where lots 166 00:09:21,280 --> 00:09:26,200 Speaker 1: of deer traffic converges. What do you do with this discovery? 167 00:09:26,400 --> 00:09:29,400 Speaker 1: You can just pick out a tree twenty yards away 168 00:09:29,480 --> 00:09:31,320 Speaker 1: that is worth setting up in and call it good. 169 00:09:32,600 --> 00:09:34,520 Speaker 1: Or you can start to look at the terrain around 170 00:09:34,559 --> 00:09:37,920 Speaker 1: you and the rubs and the trails and try to 171 00:09:37,960 --> 00:09:41,480 Speaker 1: figure out how the deer getting to the scrape. You 172 00:09:41,559 --> 00:09:43,880 Speaker 1: might not be able to easily hunt over a specific 173 00:09:43,880 --> 00:09:46,800 Speaker 1: scrape because of the wind or available access or whatever. 174 00:09:47,320 --> 00:09:50,120 Speaker 1: But figuring out not only where those scrapes are, which 175 00:09:50,160 --> 00:09:54,200 Speaker 1: is valuable, but likely how the deer get to them, 176 00:09:54,240 --> 00:09:57,319 Speaker 1: and then where they go once they visited them is 177 00:09:57,360 --> 00:10:00,079 Speaker 1: the key to putting together a real hunting pla. And 178 00:10:01,480 --> 00:10:04,360 Speaker 1: when I walk up on a no brainer scrape, my 179 00:10:04,440 --> 00:10:09,520 Speaker 1: first thought is why is it here? And usually where 180 00:10:09,559 --> 00:10:12,040 Speaker 1: are the other ones? The more deer that spend time 181 00:10:12,080 --> 00:10:14,240 Speaker 1: in a specific spot, the more sign that is likely 182 00:10:14,280 --> 00:10:17,520 Speaker 1: to be there. It's simple stuff, but it's true, and 183 00:10:17,559 --> 00:10:20,200 Speaker 1: when it comes to the scrape that's worth hunting, do 184 00:10:20,280 --> 00:10:22,200 Speaker 1: yourself a favor and try to figure out where the 185 00:10:22,200 --> 00:10:25,600 Speaker 1: deer are going to travel around that scrape. How would 186 00:10:25,640 --> 00:10:29,360 Speaker 1: a buck approach down wind of it? Where would dear 187 00:10:29,559 --> 00:10:31,360 Speaker 1: likely be coming from if they want to check it 188 00:10:31,400 --> 00:10:34,640 Speaker 1: in the morning? How about in the evening? Is it 189 00:10:34,720 --> 00:10:37,679 Speaker 1: in such a spot where there's a high likelihood of 190 00:10:37,760 --> 00:10:40,960 Speaker 1: daylight visitors or is it closer to a field edge 191 00:10:41,040 --> 00:10:43,720 Speaker 1: or a bigger opening where maybe more of the deer 192 00:10:43,880 --> 00:10:46,720 Speaker 1: using it at night. When I find a scrape like this, 193 00:10:46,920 --> 00:10:49,880 Speaker 1: or maybe some rubs that get me really interested, I 194 00:10:50,000 --> 00:10:52,120 Speaker 1: drop a pin on on X with some notes on 195 00:10:52,160 --> 00:10:56,760 Speaker 1: the sign and what my initial impression is of the area. 196 00:10:57,040 --> 00:11:00,080 Speaker 1: This does two things for me. The first is it 197 00:11:00,160 --> 00:11:02,920 Speaker 1: just simply ensures I don't forget about the discovery when 198 00:11:02,920 --> 00:11:05,880 Speaker 1: summer kicks in and I'm thinking about other things. The 199 00:11:05,960 --> 00:11:09,400 Speaker 1: second is that lets me use satellite imagery to start 200 00:11:09,440 --> 00:11:13,240 Speaker 1: to make some connections on a given property. To illustrate this, 201 00:11:13,800 --> 00:11:17,640 Speaker 1: consider how bluff country terrain works. You're likely to find 202 00:11:17,720 --> 00:11:22,480 Speaker 1: rub lines going up and downhill and big community scrapes 203 00:11:22,520 --> 00:11:25,400 Speaker 1: in the bottoms. Now, knowing what we know about deer 204 00:11:25,440 --> 00:11:27,720 Speaker 1: in sign, you could start to make a plan for 205 00:11:27,760 --> 00:11:31,000 Speaker 1: the early season to about mid October just based off 206 00:11:31,000 --> 00:11:34,199 Speaker 1: some of those rubs and scrapes. When mid October hits, 207 00:11:34,800 --> 00:11:37,000 Speaker 1: you could start looking at where you found the bigger 208 00:11:37,040 --> 00:11:41,080 Speaker 1: community scrapes last winter and play the wind and the 209 00:11:41,120 --> 00:11:44,560 Speaker 1: conditions to start hunting those bottoms as bucks start to 210 00:11:44,559 --> 00:11:47,680 Speaker 1: feel the first whispers of the rut. If you don't 211 00:11:47,679 --> 00:11:50,160 Speaker 1: have your tag filled by Halloween, you can pull up 212 00:11:50,160 --> 00:11:52,200 Speaker 1: your on X and look where you found those big 213 00:11:52,200 --> 00:11:55,240 Speaker 1: clusters of rubs. The more sign you find in the winner, 214 00:11:55,720 --> 00:11:58,800 Speaker 1: the more options you give yourself during the season. I 215 00:11:58,880 --> 00:12:01,480 Speaker 1: know this seems like a lot, but it's not. If 216 00:12:01,520 --> 00:12:03,720 Speaker 1: you learn to read the sign and mark only the 217 00:12:03,720 --> 00:12:07,920 Speaker 1: most promising locations. This is most easily accomplished right now, 218 00:12:09,000 --> 00:12:11,640 Speaker 1: and in addition to working this rub and scrape angle, 219 00:12:12,160 --> 00:12:14,760 Speaker 1: you should also be paying attention to tracks and trails. 220 00:12:15,360 --> 00:12:17,720 Speaker 1: But you should also acknowledge the reality this type of 221 00:12:17,760 --> 00:12:20,600 Speaker 1: sign in the winter might not really mean a whole 222 00:12:20,600 --> 00:12:23,480 Speaker 1: lot to you when it comes to fall deer movement 223 00:12:23,679 --> 00:12:27,600 Speaker 1: in the upcoming season. Take a pounded trail leading from 224 00:12:27,600 --> 00:12:31,720 Speaker 1: a swampy bottom to a standing cornfield, for example, if 225 00:12:31,760 --> 00:12:34,560 Speaker 1: you run across that right now, it might very well 226 00:12:34,559 --> 00:12:37,839 Speaker 1: look like a deer highway there. The problem with it 227 00:12:37,880 --> 00:12:40,480 Speaker 1: is that next October the deer aren't going to be 228 00:12:40,559 --> 00:12:44,080 Speaker 1: nearly as desperate for carbs, nor are they as likely 229 00:12:44,120 --> 00:12:46,880 Speaker 1: to take one route day after day after day after 230 00:12:47,000 --> 00:12:49,000 Speaker 1: day to go from bed to food, food to bed, 231 00:12:50,200 --> 00:12:51,960 Speaker 1: kind of like they do in the winter. On the 232 00:12:52,000 --> 00:12:54,880 Speaker 1: other hand, a trail etched through the snow right now 233 00:12:54,920 --> 00:12:58,720 Speaker 1: that curls blow a rocky outcropping and crosses a drainage 234 00:12:58,720 --> 00:13:02,160 Speaker 1: on a side hill might be a different story. This 235 00:13:02,200 --> 00:13:04,360 Speaker 1: is what I covered last week to some extent, but 236 00:13:04,400 --> 00:13:08,040 Speaker 1: it's really important ask yourself if the deer have to 237 00:13:08,160 --> 00:13:11,200 Speaker 1: use a certain trail because it's the only route or 238 00:13:11,240 --> 00:13:15,280 Speaker 1: the best route from point A to B all season 239 00:13:15,640 --> 00:13:19,440 Speaker 1: or just right now. If you think, by looking at 240 00:13:19,440 --> 00:13:22,640 Speaker 1: the terrain that they almost have to use it, then 241 00:13:22,679 --> 00:13:25,440 Speaker 1: you're onto something. If you think it might just be 242 00:13:25,480 --> 00:13:28,200 Speaker 1: the result of winter and wintry conditions, it might not 243 00:13:28,240 --> 00:13:30,559 Speaker 1: be so great. But you can take this a step 244 00:13:30,640 --> 00:13:34,240 Speaker 1: further and ask yourself, are there rubs along the trail? 245 00:13:34,559 --> 00:13:37,240 Speaker 1: How many? If you can walk a winter trail now 246 00:13:37,280 --> 00:13:40,040 Speaker 1: and see plenty of rubs, then you know, damn well, bucks, 247 00:13:40,040 --> 00:13:42,640 Speaker 1: we're using it last season, and that's what Daddy likes. 248 00:13:43,360 --> 00:13:45,600 Speaker 1: If that trail that goes through a specific pinch point 249 00:13:46,160 --> 00:13:48,640 Speaker 1: is marked by rubs and also happens to lead to 250 00:13:48,640 --> 00:13:51,600 Speaker 1: the bottom that has a big community scrape in it, well, 251 00:13:51,760 --> 00:13:53,480 Speaker 1: I don't know. You might just want to start saving 252 00:13:53,520 --> 00:13:56,920 Speaker 1: up for next season's taxidermy bill. Now do you see 253 00:13:56,960 --> 00:13:59,440 Speaker 1: where this is going. It's not enough to just walk 254 00:13:59,480 --> 00:14:02,040 Speaker 1: around and and some of last seasons sign, although that's 255 00:14:02,080 --> 00:14:05,280 Speaker 1: a great start, but a better strategy is to try 256 00:14:05,320 --> 00:14:08,520 Speaker 1: to look at every acre you can and ask yourself 257 00:14:08,520 --> 00:14:12,480 Speaker 1: a lot of questions, analyze the sign no matter where 258 00:14:12,480 --> 00:14:16,200 Speaker 1: it is you're looking to answer the why as it 259 00:14:16,240 --> 00:14:18,960 Speaker 1: relates to dear movement, because the more you can do that, 260 00:14:19,440 --> 00:14:21,600 Speaker 1: the more you'll be able to predict where bucks should 261 00:14:21,640 --> 00:14:24,920 Speaker 1: move next season and honestly in ten seasons from now. 262 00:14:25,720 --> 00:14:28,840 Speaker 1: As I've stated, this is a valuable exercise, and I 263 00:14:28,880 --> 00:14:30,880 Speaker 1: really think winner scouting is one of those things that 264 00:14:30,920 --> 00:14:33,560 Speaker 1: separates the weekend warriors from the die hard white sail 265 00:14:33,640 --> 00:14:36,840 Speaker 1: hunters who just get it done season after season. The 266 00:14:36,880 --> 00:14:39,640 Speaker 1: more miles you put on doing this, the more time 267 00:14:39,680 --> 00:14:43,520 Speaker 1: you spend in the woods obviously helps, but it's also 268 00:14:43,560 --> 00:14:46,360 Speaker 1: about seeing every dear clue you can and putting it 269 00:14:46,400 --> 00:14:49,360 Speaker 1: to use to understand big picture dear movement during the 270 00:14:49,400 --> 00:14:52,640 Speaker 1: time when you can actually hunt them, So use this 271 00:14:52,720 --> 00:14:55,520 Speaker 1: month for that. Make sure to drop plenty of way 272 00:14:55,560 --> 00:14:57,800 Speaker 1: points and make sure to go out of your way 273 00:14:57,880 --> 00:15:00,480 Speaker 1: to look at areas of the properties you hunt you 274 00:15:00,600 --> 00:15:03,760 Speaker 1: typically don't go in during the season. The sign in 275 00:15:03,800 --> 00:15:06,400 Speaker 1: the places we like to hunt just reinforces what we know, 276 00:15:07,400 --> 00:15:09,880 Speaker 1: or we think we know about white tails. But the 277 00:15:09,960 --> 00:15:12,880 Speaker 1: sign we find that makes us ask questions. That's the 278 00:15:12,920 --> 00:15:15,440 Speaker 1: stuff that will get you thinking new thoughts about where 279 00:15:15,440 --> 00:15:17,840 Speaker 1: to set up and just how the deer avoid you, 280 00:15:18,080 --> 00:15:20,760 Speaker 1: and how they avoid other hunters, and why they choose 281 00:15:20,800 --> 00:15:24,200 Speaker 1: to travel where they want to travel. After all, what 282 00:15:24,280 --> 00:15:26,520 Speaker 1: else do you have to do this month? Probably not much, 283 00:15:26,840 --> 00:15:28,880 Speaker 1: So this is my call to action for all of 284 00:15:28,960 --> 00:15:32,760 Speaker 1: you listeners. Go win or scout your go to spot, 285 00:15:33,400 --> 00:15:37,040 Speaker 1: really dive in and see if you are missing something anything, 286 00:15:37,680 --> 00:15:39,760 Speaker 1: And then go win or scout a spot you've never hunted, 287 00:15:40,120 --> 00:15:42,280 Speaker 1: which will likely be a chunk of public land somewhere. 288 00:15:42,840 --> 00:15:44,720 Speaker 1: Go look at a place that you've never been all 289 00:15:44,720 --> 00:15:47,560 Speaker 1: that interested in, or that you've made up your mind 290 00:15:47,640 --> 00:15:49,800 Speaker 1: and said, there's no way this place is worth my 291 00:15:49,800 --> 00:15:53,120 Speaker 1: white tailed time. You might find that to be absolutely true. 292 00:15:53,480 --> 00:15:55,400 Speaker 1: Or you might look through the bare woods to see 293 00:15:55,400 --> 00:15:58,000 Speaker 1: a plane is day rub line snaking its way through 294 00:15:58,000 --> 00:16:01,600 Speaker 1: a creek bottom where clearly a buck spent some serious 295 00:16:01,600 --> 00:16:04,760 Speaker 1: time last fall. Either way, winner scouting is just a 296 00:16:04,800 --> 00:16:08,480 Speaker 1: good use of your time. Also, be sure to tune 297 00:16:08,520 --> 00:16:11,080 Speaker 1: in next week, where I'm going to make a pretty 298 00:16:11,080 --> 00:16:13,400 Speaker 1: good case that you should plan an out of state 299 00:16:13,480 --> 00:16:16,440 Speaker 1: scouting trip that may or may not involve trying to 300 00:16:16,440 --> 00:16:18,720 Speaker 1: shoot a turkey in the face while you're out there. 301 00:16:21,240 --> 00:16:23,680 Speaker 1: That's it for this week, my friends, I'm Tony Peterson 302 00:16:23,840 --> 00:16:26,360 Speaker 1: and this has been the Wired to Hunt Foundations podcast, 303 00:16:26,440 --> 00:16:29,160 Speaker 1: which is brought to you by First Light. As I always, 304 00:16:29,160 --> 00:16:31,000 Speaker 1: thank you so much for listening and if you want 305 00:16:31,040 --> 00:16:33,600 Speaker 1: to get more of a white tail fixed, head on 306 00:16:33,680 --> 00:16:36,160 Speaker 1: over to our YouTube channel and check out how to 307 00:16:36,360 --> 00:16:39,400 Speaker 1: videos we drop every week, or head on over to 308 00:16:39,440 --> 00:16:42,240 Speaker 1: the meat eater dot com slash Wired to read white 309 00:16:42,240 --> 00:16:44,440 Speaker 1: tail hunting articles written by some of the best hunters 310 00:16:44,440 --> 00:16:45,040 Speaker 1: in the business.