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ALEXANDRIA — If I had to pinpoint one thing that started consistently leading to more mature buck encounters during archery season for me, it has to do with scouting.
I enjoy scouting almost as much as hunting itself. That's because I have watched how much it works.
Nothing leads to confidence in bow hunting like doing work in the spring, having a spot ready to go and then slipping in for the hunt months later while executing a plan.
Scouting is where we put together the puzzle for the following season, and spring is my favorite time of year to scout.
A lot of factors go into that. The previous year's rut sign like rubs and scrapes (when the snow is off the ground), along with the best trail systems, jump off the landscape at this time of year.
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I find it's easier to identify areas of good bedding, whether that's seeing worn-down beds once the snow is gone or even identifying the thickest areas of cover on a property. Everything can look like a jungle if you wait until the summer months.
Most people do a lot of their hunting during the rut. You will be able to better identify things like pinch points and trail intersections in proximity to those bedding areas that make for the best rut spots.
When I do a scouting trip in the spring, I'm looking to identify bedding, then figure out a way to set up off of that bedding location, either within it or near it. I don't want to go back in there until it's time to hunt the following fall.
These videos below break down three spots I identified on a recent scouting trip in Minnesota on March 17, 2022.
This first video looks at an overlooked spot that shows a huge amount of sign, indicating deer are using it in spite of human activity in close proximity.
This second video looks at a specific setup using river access that has a huge amount of rut sign from 2021.
This third video shows exactly why I chose the tree I did to set up within 100 yards of an island in a river system that is some of the best bedding on this property.
