Massive blocks of public land enchantment to me. There’s one thing distant, nearly legendary about them. The cool factor about these locations is that it seems like deer can come from anyplace at any time. Personally, that offers me extra confidence in a spot. Usually, these locations require extra strolling, which tends to weed out a few of the competitors.
I’m additionally drawn to locations the place I do know I’ve room to roam, and I nearly at all times begin e-scouting with the most important tracts I can discover. Whereas a lot of these giant blocks aren’t essentially huntable, you possibly can definitely discover the candy spots with somewhat work.
Scouting the large woods and even large chunks of land might sound intimidating, however they’re not that completely different from looking smaller properties. You simply should kind via the areas that deserve your time and blow previous those that don’t. Like small properties, you simply want to seek out the x. Listed below are a number of methods to interrupt down giant tracts of public land this deer season.
E-Scout Edges
Until you’re nonetheless utilizing bodily maps in 2025, you’ll want to begin with onX or one other digital mapping platform to seek out giant chunks of public land. From there, you should use options like onX’s Leaf-off Imagery to seek out laborious or delicate edges within the timber. As a result of deer use edges to navigate the panorama, you’ll wish to begin your scouting there.
For a refresher, edges happen the place two or extra terrain or habitat varieties meet. This may embody a ridge that dumps right into a hardwood backside or the place the sting of a slough meets open timber. In different phrases, it’s the place some type of change occurs on the panorama.
As an example, perhaps you find a staging space the place bedding meets a extra mature patch of timber. Mark this spot in your map to additional examine later. You’ll wish to mark as many of those spots as potential, since only some of them will truly produce. As soon as you’re feeling such as you’ve dropped sufficient waypoints, you’ll wish to get some boots on the bottom.
Velocity Scout
The important thing to scouting giant tracts of land is effectivity. You’ll by no means cowl sufficient floor in the event you don’t skim via the desert areas. A variety of these tracts, particularly within the large woods or pine barrens, are lifeless zones. It’s not that deer received’t transfer via there, however good luck discovering the precise place to hold a stand. Even in the event you spot an enormous rub or scrape in the midst of the large woods, simply make a psychological observe and maintain shifting. That type of signal isn’t ineffective, but it surely received’t let you know the place to hunt.
As a substitute, examine all these edges and potential crossings you marked whereas e-scouting. If they’ve a whole lot of deer signal, then you can begin to formulate a looking plan. In any other case, maintain shifting. That is one of the best ways to maximise your scouting time. If you happen to don’t, you’ll scout half the day earlier than realizing that you just didn’t cowl practically sufficient floor.
Discover Anchor Factors
Anchor factors are vital for looking giant tracts of monotonous land. Basically, anchor factors are factors of curiosity for deer on the panorama. These might be meals plots, water holes, creeks, rivers, a single ridge, a slough, you identify it. They’re locations on that panorama that entice deer both for canopy, journey, meals, or a mix of those.
Normally, anchor factors stand out on the map. Typically they received’t. Regardless, they’ll usually have a whole lot of deer signal round them, which is relative relying on the place you’re looking. If you happen to see a ton of tracks, droppings, or different deer signal, you’re getting hotter.
As an example, I hunt a whole lot of flat, monotonous habitat, so anytime there’s even a slight change in elevation, you possibly can wager there’s deer signal on it. Whereas scouting my means into a spot, I as soon as discovered a small rise that made a jetty into the timber. The top of that time had an enormous group scrape with a number of damaged branches. I arrange for a grasp and hunt that afternoon. Not an hour later, I had a buck cruise downwind of that scrape.
Scour Missed Areas
You may need to cowl a ton of floor to seek out the precise spot, however that doesn’t imply you shouldn’t examine areas near roads or entry factors. A variety of hunters will strategy these giant areas with the mentality that they should get as far-off as potential. If you happen to ignore spots near the street or entry factors, you can be strolling previous sizzling signal.
If you happen to occur throughout a promising location, don’t dismiss it simply because it’s near the street or a parking space. Search for different hunter signal such as you would for deer. Stands and cameras shall be a lifeless giveaway, but in addition search for boot tracks, the makings of pure floor blinds, and (sadly) trash. If it’s apparent that different hunters have frolicked there, transfer on. If nothing, you possibly can at all times drop a digicam there for extra intel. Simply ensure you cowl as a lot floor as potential, even when it’s inside eyesight of the truck.
