Trophy Buck Scouting

October 1, 2008, Today I wanted to go hunting after working 12 hours but decided I was to tired and the wife needed the truck for some shopping with our daughter. Plans changed quickly after reaching our daughters house and I ended up doing some scouting with my future son-in-law who had been telling me that he was finding big buck rubs in his neck of the woods. We headed out the door at 9:00 a.m. and upon getting into the area he told me had all rubs I couldn't believe my eyes there was big rubs everywhere and tracks and trials that looked like a herd of 50 or more deer where in the herd. The woods were under selective timber cutting by the owner and was all steep hills. I could tell the area hadn't been hunted for years and supported a large number of deer in the area. As we walked and climbed up and down the hillsides my hunting buddy told me he and my grandson had jumped two monster bucks just before bow season started with really wide and tall racks on them and that the best he could tell the smaller of the two bucks was either and 8 or a 10 pointer and wasn't sure about the other one but that it was even larger. After seeing the tracks, trials and the rubs for myself, I decided to put up some stands and see if I can help him take one of these trophy bucks. I 've never seen bucks in our hunting area here in Tennessee rubbing trees as these bucks are until late October or November so these bucks are for sure worth hunting. The brush on these hills are really thick but has some areas where the woods just kind of open up and will make for some great rifle hunting when time comes. I should be able to limit out on this farm with no problem and if I do I'll be sure to donate a couple of my deer to the " HUNTERS FOR THE HUNGRY " program as I challenge all hunters to do this year.

Deer Season Preparations ( Part 2 ).

Perhaps the best time of year to begin scouting your hunting property is 2 weeks after the close of the last hunting season. Though you have your existing hunting areas where you know you can see deer, it's always a good bet to take alittle time to check the woods and fields for just one more place to try to take a real trophy. Maybe the hunting area your using is producing some nice deer but there's always some place that holds that trophy of a lifetime and even though that trophy may not be on property you have permission to hunt, there are ways to persuade that trophy to your property. There's alot of ways to scout your hunting properties but for me it's good ole fashion leg work. Getting out walking through the woods and fields looking for shed antlers, old rubs, old scrapes and big tracks and just being able to enjoy the great outdoors in itself is all worth the leg work whether I find a good trophy to hunt or not. Alot of people are using field cameras (game cameras ) to do their scouting which works really well and prevents human odors from spooking the game out of the area. Game cameras give you lots of photographs so you know exactly what your hunting and can even give you a time schedule as to when to hunt that particular area but for me this would take all the fun and excitement out of wondering what will come by my stand. For many hunters, they see deer or are told of deer someone else has seen and that's where they hunt, These people almost always have a long hard season trying to take just one deer and could do so much better just by doing alittle scouting for themselves. Scouting is a key asset to being successful year after year and finding that trophy of a lifetime that could just be in your neck of the woods.

Deers Not The Only Meat----

Well folks the deer season has come and gone with the moment of anticipation passing like a dove flying across the field. Of coarse as with a raccoon in the corn field there's still many more seasons that are open and some that are open year round( at least in Tennessee). Hog hunting is open year round here and many hunters take advantage of this hunting experience to sharpen their skills for deer season and to put a little extra in their freezers. Though I've never hunted the wild hogs, I have given it some thought and my decide to give it a try one day in the near future. Squirrel season and quail season is still open so time allowed I plan on going before the season is over in February. Season after season deer change and give it two weeks after the close of the season is about right for locating the next years buck of a lifetime. I 'm talking about "Shed Hunting", one of the best ways for locating that big buck without disturbing any ones hunting area while their hunting. Shed hunting can be very rewarding even if your not finding any antlers cause your still getting the enjoyment of the outdoors,nature,and the wildlife of Gods great earth undisturbed. I myself don't get out and hunt the shed antlers but I do enjoy after season scouting for old rubs, scrapes and bedding areas which the deer use from one year to the next. Usually around the last of July the deer begin to change over to their winter feeding grounds where they will stay until about the end of January or the first of February. So if your out finding sheds,rubs and bedding areas two weeks after the season closes your in the deers winter grounds. You may not see any deer but come next season you'll know exactly where to set up your stand with little or no difficulty. Get out in the woods and take advantage of the seasons that are still open in your state and find a new place to hunt your trophy buck while you can. Remember deers not the only meat for your freezer,it's just the other red meat we all love.