Bowhunting for deer requires quite a bit of preparation time. Few are lucky enough to step into the timber for the first time and stick a big buck. Pre-season scouting is essential, and I don't mean in September. Walks in the woods in September can cause more harm than good. You'll probably alert the buck to your presence and make him nervous even before the season starts.
Scouting should begin during the previous season and be completed by midsummer. Your stand location should be chosen and your stand in place by July. Deer are creatures of habit. Seldom do I find new trails where I hunt. Rubs are often in the same locations and quite often on the same trees. Scrape lines are usually consistent year after year.
Bucks are much easier to pattern early in the season, before the rut begins. When scouting for buck sign, especially in the spring and early summer, don't look for lots of tracks. An area that has an abundance of tracks and droppings probably holds mature does and their offspring. This time of year, bucks are not likely to be with the females. Places with a high density of deer sign are not likely to include the sign of a mature buck.
It is a good idea, however, to remember where those spots are
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