Whitetails 365: Scout it Out! Summer Tips for a Successful Fall Hunt

Whitetails 365: Scout it Out! Summer Tips for a Successful Fall Hunt

By Aaron McKinney

Hunting deer can be a challenging and rewarding experience, and scouting is an essential part of the process. To be successful, hunters need to understand where deer are likely to be found and what they are doing at different times of the year. Three key areas to focus on when scouting for deer right now are food sources, water sources, and mineral sites.

Food sources are a primary concern for deer during the summer months, as they need to build up their fat reserves and antler mass for the coming fall and winter. This means that scouting for deer in areas with abundant food sources such as fields of crops, fruit trees, or dense vegetation can be an effective strategy for locating deer and patterning specific bucks during the summer months.

In this article, we’ll take a closer look at tips for scouting deer, and provide some advice and strategies for effectively locating deer. Whether you’re a seasoned hunter or a beginner, understanding how to scout for deer in food sources, around water, and using mineral sites can help you become more successful in the field once fall arrives.

Observational Data
One of the most important things to keep in mind when scouting for deer during the summer is that deer are most active during the cooler hours of the day. This means that you’ll have the best chances of spotting them if you scout during early morning or late evening hours, when temperatures are lower and deer are more likely to be feeding or moving around. When you’re driving to and from work, keep your eyes open, searching for deer as you pass your hunting areas.

During the hottest parts of the day, deer tend to bed down in cool, shaded areas to conserve energy and avoid overheating. They may not move around much during this time, which can make it difficult to spot them. That’s why it’s important to plan your scouting trips for the early morning or late evening hours, when temperatures are cooler and deer are more likely to be active. Observing deer during the summer months is one of the most underutilized tactics when it comes to hunting.

Deer can be patterned in the summer months, and you can use the data you collect to put a plan together for the fall. Particularly during early season, you can pattern and get on a targeted buck. Driving around gravel roads in the summer evenings is one of the best ways to scout for deer. You can park and observe a field or timber edge that you may hunt in the fall. Some of the best places to observe deer are green soybean fields, cornfields, and alfalfa. This can help you gage and evaluate bucks. Soon you will learn where deer are entering and exiting fields and how they choose to move through a field. This takes some time to observe, but can pay off once bow season opens. Deer will change their patterns in the fall when mast crops fall. However, the insight gained during the summer months can definitely help you during the first two weeks of bow season.

Leverage Trail Cameras
I like to wait until late June or July to get trail cameras up and running. I think you can see more about a buck’s antlers and its potential closer to the summer months. However, if you are scouting new areas, now is the time when you can put a camera up and monitor overall movement. Now, you can find active paths and monitor how often they are used. If you did hinge cutting or timber stand improvement during the winter and spring months, this may change how deer move through your property. Set up cameras now to find early travel patterns that can indicate popular area in the fall.

Mineral sites are a debated topic in Iowa. We have heard of hunters going to court over using active and inactive mineral sites in the fall. Additionally, concentrated mineral sites attribute to the spread of disease among deer. You may or may not be comfortable having a mineral site on your farm. If you do employ a mineral site, these spots are super active right now. Deer are growing back their racks right now and need minerals to support the rapid growth. If you have one, you can bet this is the prime source to take inventory of the bucks in your area. This does not necessarily mean that you will see them this fall, but you will know the deer that are around and could potentially frequent your farm this fall. Additionally, you can try and attract these deer to your location in the fall by putting in food plots and scrapes.

Water is Key
In the summer months, deer tend to stay close to water sources. Water sources are critical, particularly during hot summer months when temperatures are high. Scouting for deer around ponds, streams, or other sources of water can be a good way to locate deer, as they are likely to congregate in these areas to drink and stay hydrated.

Having cameras on paths leading to and from ponds can provide additional information on how deer are moving through the property. It seems we often hit a dry spell during the summer months, and this can increase the activity around reliable water sources. Streams and puddles will dry up and the need for a reliable water source becomes more important.

Another way hunters use attractants to inventory deer is through water attractants. For instance, Banks Outdoors; water supplement, Wild Water, is added directly to the water source. You can add it to troughs, water tanks, or ponds. The mineral is consumed when the deer drink water. Additionally, this can attract and funnel deer as they will prefer water with mineral rather than untreated water.

Scouting Summary
Scouting for deer in soybean, corn, and alfalfa fields, around water sources, and using mineral sites can be a highly effective way to gather valuable information about local deer and potential target bucks. By focusing on food sources and water sources, you can identify areas where deer are likely to congregate and feed. More importantly, you can figure out how and when deer enter and exit these areas and use this information to plan your hunting strategy for the upcoming season without putting too much pressure on the deer close to opening day.

Additionally, using trail cameras and scouting during the early morning or late evening hours can help you identify movement patterns, giving you a better understanding of deer behavior in your area. It is imperative to remember that scouting for deer is a year-round activity, and that the information you gather during the summer months can be valuable throughout the year. By taking a proactive approach to scouting and paying close attention to deer behavior and movement patterns, you can increase your chances of success and have a more enjoyable hunting experience, particularly in the first couple weeks of bow season.