Alex Killman is a guest writer for SCWF sharing his experiences of connecting with nature, enjoying the outdoors, and advocating for conservation – all through hunting.
Busy. That’s the word that describes most Americans living in 2023, especially when you throw a family in the mix. Get up, get the kids fed and ready for school, head off to work minutes later, get home in time for dinner, put the kids to bed, watch a little Netflix, then rinse and repeat the next day. The exhaustion that comes from all that we do on a weekly basis can make it extremely difficult to find the time or energy to head off to the woods looking for deer on the weekends. But I’m here to tell you that summer scouting is one of the single most effective ways to have success in the fall. Without it, putting venison on the table is a roll of the dice for most folks. Unless you’re managing a property with preset stand locations, food plots, and limited hunting pressure, past intel may not help you fill a tag this year.
Why Summer Scouting?
Not everyone scouts post-season. Not everyone shed hunts during the spring. That’s ok. A solid foundation for a successful season can still be laid through summer scouting. The information you gather with boots on the ground is going to help you make informed decisions when determining when and where to set up, which will inevitably increase your odds of success. By observing warm-weather patterns, identifying food sources, and understanding how deer use the terrain you’ll be hunting, your confidence can be high with each sit because it will be based on evidence versus high hopes of tagging a nice buck. But you have to know what to look for.
Food, Water, Security, and Does
White-tail deer by Lindsay Pettinicchi.
In a nutshell, scouting basically boils down to locating the things that influence deer movement. Food, water, security, and does – that’s basically it. All year round, food is king for both does and bucks except during the rut when bucks are more focused on chasing and breeding does than a full belly, which makes does another major influencer. And just like us, deer require hydration, so water is key. But perhaps the greatest influencer in deer behavior is security. Their need to stay hidden from predators is top priority for all deer, especially older age class bucks. That’s why hunting pressure negatively affects deer movement more than anything else.
Locate Food
Food is a critical component of a deer's daily routine and knowing where to find it can greatly improve your hunting success. Scout for preferred food sources such as agricultural fields, mast-producing trees – white oaks, particularly - and natural browse. Natural browse includes vegetation, such as greenbrier, honeysuckle, and ragweed. Pay attention to the abundance and quality of food as well, as it can influence deer movement and the size of their home range. Keep in mind that food sources may change throughout the summer as crops ripen and vegetation develops.
Where Are the Does?
Doe by Tina Schnell.
To increase your chances of encountering bucks during the rut, it's crucial to locate doe groups during the summer. Does serve as magnets for bucks during the breeding season, so look for areas where does and fawns congregate, such as bedding areas and transition zones between feeding and bedding areas. Observing doe behavior and movement can provide valuable insight into potential buck activity during the pre-rut, rut, and possible second rut.
Thinking Through Tree Selection
Selecting the right tree for your stand is critical. Look for trees that provide adequate cover and concealment while offering a clear shooting lane to where you expect to have encounters. Consider the prevailing wind direction, and position your stand accordingly, to minimize your chances of being downwind of the dominant trails. Thermals should also play a large part in tree selection. If you’re not familiar with the term, just know that in the mornings as temps rise, the air rises with it. The process reverses in the evenings as temps cool. So, even if the forecast says that the wind should be blowing uphill from a creek bottom, during the evening, the air will actually be pulled down to the bottom as temps fall.
Entry and Exit
Planning your entry and exit routes carefully is essential to avoid bumping deer heading in and out of your hunting spots. Bumping deer while entering or exiting is one of the best ways to ruin a stand for the entire season. Learn to use topographical maps and aerial imagery to e-scout for potential routes that minimize your pressure and the scent trails that we all inevitably leave behind. The Spartan Forge app is a great tool for e-scouting.
Put The Pieces Together
Rack in the Grass by Bailey Slice.
My favorite locations to hunt are the ones that bring food, water, security, and does together all in one place. Swamps, marshes, and creek or river bottoms often check all the boxes. They provide deer with the browse they need to feed all day without having to leave the security of a location bordered by water with high vegetation that conceals them when bedded. They obviously have all the water they need as well, and with ample bedding opportunities among thick vegetation, you’ll often find lots of does, and during the rut, bucks as well. Of course, these are also great locations for bucks to use year-round. Summer is the ideal time to gather crucial information and lay the groundwork for a successful fall. Record everything you find when scouting in some type of journal. The paid version of the Spartan Forge app includes a journaling feature, but any type of journal will work. Just make sure to write it all down so you can build a strategy around your season that takes everything you find into account. And if possible, use cellular trail cameras. They’re an invaluable tool that helps you pattern movement without having to routinely go in, leaving your scent all over the woods you’re hoping to hunt. Investing time in the woods now will give you the necessary intel to tag one in every stage of the season. So, don’t wait and enjoy the time afield.