Though the main focus of this article is for bow hunting on public land, most of these tactics apply no matter what your choice of weapon.

   Summer scouting is one of my favorite ways to get through the long hiatus between seasons. There are countless articles and books on the obvious signs to look for & how to read them but nothing is more effective than spending time in the woods. Yes, you should start with aerial photos & topos but you also need to put in the legwork. One of my best spots has a topographical feature, which funnels the deer traffic into a 20’ strip. I never would have known about this had I not hiked out there and looked at the surrounding area. It’s about 150 yards from where I had originally planned on setting up a stand (from studying aerial photos of the area). The first morning I hunted it, I arrowed two does from that stand.

   The key to finding good spots on public land is to try to figure out how other hunters are using the property. There are a lot of public hunting grounds where I live and consequently there is a lot of   hunting pressure. First off I only hunt with a bow and I try to hunt in archery only areas. I do this for 2 reasons. 1 – bow hunters need to get closer to deer so they have to be more conscience about the impact they have entering the woods (i.e. less pressure).   2 – During muzzleloader & rifle season I pretty much have the woods to myself. When I start scouting, I look for remote areas on aerial photos that are difficult to get to. Let’s face it; people (in general) are lazy. If you put in the extra effort, you eliminate the hunting pressure by about 90%. When I find an area I want to check out, I hike out there as if I were hunting it. That means I’m as scent free as possible and I try to enter with the wind in my face. By doing this, I have a better chance of actually seeing what kind of deer are in the area. I carry a notebook to jot down anything I see that may be helpful when I return to hunt. When you find that seemingly perfect spot, start looking around for the most important sign, other hunters. Look for trail markers, marks on trees from climbing treestands, homemade treestands (these things usually get left in the woods because they’re such a pain to drag out), discarded doe in heat bottles, trash, etc.. Chances are you’re not the first guy to set foot here. Don’t be discouraged when you find these things. You can use this to your advantage. Always assume the other guy doesn’t have a clue what he’s doing. I don’t mean this to be arrogant (after all he did pick the same spot you did so he must know something). It’s just that we all get a little sloppy sometimes. We go to our stands when the wind isn’t quite right, we put on stinky camo we wore 3 days in a row, we forget our pee bottle and think it won’t hurt to go under the stand just this once. So, try to figure out how this guy is getting to his stand. Try to decipher the traffic flow of the deer. Ask yourself, where will the deer go if this guy gets busted. Find a happy medium between an escape route and the natural flow of the deer and that’s where you hang your stand. If you run into other hunters while scouting, or during hunting season, don’t be afraid to share information. You’ll be amazed how many guys will open up and tell you about every deer they’ve seen out there. Pride is a funny thing. Most guys would rather risk blowing they’re best hunting spot by telling you all about the bruiser they saw than have you think they don’t know what they’re doing.

   When you find your spot, be very discreet on how you mark your trails. I usually don’t put any markers near a main trail or road and I never use flagging tape. I always use a GPS so I can find my way in & out in the dark. I also use brite eyes (reflective tape) to mark my trails in & out (its an uneasy feeling when your GPS crashes or the batteries die). Becoming as familiar with the area as possible is also important. It’ll help you adjust your stand location during the season to be more effective or let you find an alternate route in or out of your stand if the wind shifts or there are deer in the area.

   Set up as many stand sites as you can. It’s crucial to have alternate locations to hunt as you are competing for space with so many other hunters. Finally, don’t wait for opening day. Go hunt it now. Of course, leave your bow at the house. Tom Miranda gave a good tip on his program about setting up far from the core area you want to hunt, just observe the deer and each day progressively move your stand closer to them. I’ll take it a step further and say, start this process long before opening day so when you do go into the woods with your bow, you’re in the best possible spot on the first day. Be aggressive, be confident and most importantly don’t be afraid to make mistakes. The trick is to learn from them.