Off-Season Scouting for Whitetail: Timing and Tools for Finding Deer

Finding deer and deer sign during the off season is a requirement for any serious hunter. Leaving your sits to chance by going in blind is risky business. Time is scarce, so plan the hunt and hunt the plan.

There are two primary methods of scouting: on premise and digital. The former requires physical labour and stealth, the latter an app on your phone and some technology know-how.

Boots on the Ground

Scouting by hiking through known or potential deer habitat will give you advanced knowledge of game trails and bedding areas. Looking for deer sign like scrapes and rubs, droppings and sheds, it something most serious deer hunters invest time in.

Scrapes are made in popular travel corridors. They are frequently visited and deer will deposit scent in the form of urine here to mark the territory.

A classic deer track exhibited here. 2-3 fingers is common size. A moose track can be larger than a grown mans open hand.

Timing an in-person scout can be challenging. The catch 22 with off-season (vs. in-season) scouting is that you are adding pressure on the deer. If you scout in July (months ahead of season), the sign you observe might not align to that in-season. Deer will change their behaviour seasonally based on the available food, water, and shelter.

Risking in-season scouting means you get better intelligence, but are putting human scent in the woods at a critical time. Most experts have strong opinions one way or the other... Be aware the trades offs with timing on premise scouts.

eScouting

Many tools exist to eScout (or scout electronically with digital maps). Google Maps / Earth, OnX, iHunter App (Canada) are popular choices for eScouting. Having a tool that shows the legal hunting boundaries for public land is extremely useful.

There are thousands of videos online demonstrating how to eScout for whitetail. Hunting Beast (Dan Infalt) is one of my personal favorites.

Trail Cameras

A hybrid of both approaches is a game camera. Cell cameras are very popular (where legal) as they transmit photos and video wireless (no extra pressure on the forest checking SD cards). If you hunt public land, you're out of luck (cameras are typically against the rules).

Private land hunters should capitalize on this valuable intelligence and hang a few cameras near known stands. Finding the food-to-bedding travel routes with cameras will give you confidence in your location when hunting season opens.