Why and How to Scout for Deer Hunting Land Year-Round

We've talked about how the off-season is a crucial time to prepare if you want to be successful during the season. Off-season target shooting, surveying trail cameras, and managing your stands are all essential tactics for staying active during the off-season. 

However, we feel that scouting is one of the most important and often overlooked tactics. Now, you might be thinking to yourself, "I always scout before the season starts," – but "How early do you start scouting?" is a better question.  

So, today, we talk about how to spend your off-season and why scouting should be a priority for avid hunters year-round!

5 Tips for Scouting Year-Round

Even though the hunting seasons end, that doesn't mean you have to stop hunting best practices – or pine away in solitude and boredom until the season opens again next year. 

At HuntWise, we believe serious hunters should scout land year-round, as terrain and conditions constantly change on the land we hunt. 

Where should you start? How can you scout during the off-season? We're glad you asked! Here are five tips on how to scout when it's not time to hunt yet. Enduring those "not-so-nice" weather conditions in winter and spring will give you an advantage come fall! 

1. Locate Bedding Areas and Food Sources

Bedding areas and food sources are two of the most crucial elements in unlocking a whitetail's world. 

Bedding areas are the key role players during rut activity, and food sources will often help you locate whitetail during the late season or post-rut. In other words, bedding areas and food sources affect deer behavior year-round because they drive their motivation to be active. 

Deer are typically bedded near a food source, and that is why you must locate them. Typically, you will want to scout for areas such as oaks that provide whitetails with acorns or trees that are dropping fruit. 

If you note these areas during the off-season, your odds of success will increase. We like to use our HuntWise markers to make special notes of these areas; that way, it is easier to determine whether or not a change in our stand location is necessary.

2. Find Thick-Covered Areas

Next, when scouting and assessing whether or not you should move your stands during the off-season, it is important to find areas with thick coverage during the off-season (particularly in winter and spring). 

Locating proper coverage is important because it provides whitetail with coverage for bedding, fawning, and other activities that deer will carry out only if they feel safe. Therefore, it is best to assess these areas during the winter and spring, when many of the leaves and brush have fallen. 

Doing this will give you a better idea of where to hunt because it will resemble the rut and later-season much better.

3. Take Note of Scrapes, Rubs, and Licking Branches with HuntWise Markers

Using your HuntWise Markers is crucial when scouting during the off-season. 

Why? They allow you to see when buck signs have changed more easily. If you constantly note any changes in rubs, deer scrapes, and licking branches near your stand, your hunts for the upcoming season will most likely be more successful. 

Again, this is the perfect time to utilize your customized markers on HuntWise, as you should be scouting multiple times throughout the off-season. Doing this will help you better pinpoint any changes you might have experienced in deer activity. 

So, while you are scouting, take a few extra moments and mark how close these signs are to your stands, or mark if they are no longer there, which means that a buck has left that area.

4. Don't Worry About Spooking Deer

Although we never want to spook a deer, it is not as big of a deal if it does happen when you are scouting in the winter or springtime. 

Spooking a deer during this time of year will allow the buck or doe proper time to settle back into their area and, hopefully, make their way back to their bedded area. Therefore, it is crucial to scout during these times as you can check out the area a little more in-depth and take your time rather than rushing right before the season begins. 

5. Look for Antlers (Go Shed Hunting)

Many whitetails will shed their antlers during this time of year before growing their new set in the spring and summer time frame. 

Therefore, searching for winter feeding and bedding areas can help you often locate big antlers while scouting. 

How to Scout for Deer Year-Round: Use HuntWise and These Tips

We want to see you tag out each season! So, whether you hunt during gun season or prefer archery season, we want you prepared.

Taking the time to locate your favorite hunting locations and conducting several in-depth scouting sessions during the off-season can help you improve your chances of a successful hunt each season. Take the off-season to prepare for your next hunt and put in the work. 

Use the tips we've provided today, and make sure you've downloaded the HuntWise app! Use the free trial during the off-season to set yourself up for success on opening day.