Hunting Gear

Scouting- An Important Part of Every Successful Hunters Regimen

It is a common misconception that practice shooting alone will bring a hunter great success. Practice shooting alone is good for honing skills and is an important part of a regimen, which should including scouting. A person can be the best shot in the world but without game to shoot at they will not be a successful hunter. Conversely a person who finds the game but can’t hit the broad side of a barn does a great disservice to himself, those in the woods with him as well as the name of hunting.

Scouting is defined by Webster Dictionary as “the action of gathering information about enemy forces or an area.” When scouting for game the hunter should be considering the area first. This means simply spending time in an area to become familiar with the terrain and the animals within that area.

Scouting begins with selecting an area to hunt and most importantly having permission to hunt the area. Next do some research before setting foot on the land you want to hunt. Google Earth and Google Maps are amazing tools for scouting. Google Maps now have a terrain detail, which is a virtual topographic map. Unfortunately the free version maps are sometimes outdated. Nothing beats the good old tried and true laminated topographic map. These can be taken in your pack as well for study in the field as well. Determine from the map, water sources, food sources, and areas of cover as well as open areas. Search for any natural or man-made barriers. On your first visit you can use these features to orient yourself while in the area. If you are carrying a topographic map you can mark your map and make any changes you find to an area.

Begin by searching open areas through binoculars or from a distance and observe the activity. Some hunting areas will not have these types of terrain so simply search as much as you can from a distance. These are soft scouting techniques meaning they are non-invasive.

Hard scouting means slow methodic and deliberate travel into the area observing the terrain, and movement of the animals through sign. When hard scouting an area look for trails that usually run just inside the cover around all sorts of open areas, as well as trails that extend into mature wood lots, heavy cover. Identify bedding areas and resting locations and trails that lead into and out of these areas.

Secondly as we scout we are considering the “enemy”(our game animal of choice) and how to set up for ambush. Consider the animal and its needs. Food, water, secure resting location and an annual sexual drive are all things to be considered. Trails leading to and from open fields where animals can congregate some seasons may see little activity compared to trails between food and water sources and bedding area. These sources may change with the season so the more familiar one becomes with an area year round the more successful of a hunter they will become. Familiarity will help the hunter to decide where to set a stand at any given time of the hunting season, which in some areas can last 4 months for bow hunters. Sneaking into a bedding area while that big buck is eating and then ambushing him on his return to a common resting area can be a great plan.

Now we have our location(s) chosen for ambush, it is time to find our route(s) of egress. The goal is to find a routes that are non-invasive upon the trails that the animals we are hunting will be traveling. A good route can be traveled with little noise and clearing the occasional branch or pile of tree leaves for quieter entrance and exit of an area is a good idea. Be sure to ask landowner before removing anything living or attached along your trail. Leaving quietly can be just as important as gaining entrance quietly. The less the game animal knows that the hunter is around the more likely the animal will present itself for a well placed shot.

Any person who hunts is already a success in my book, because they’ve found something wonderful even without harvesting game. With the proper combination of practice shooting and scouting the hunter can hone his skills and apply them in the proper manner to become more successful in harvesting game.

Happy Hunting!

Greg Bruning

Predator Hunting / Scouting Trip

PRIMOS TRUTH CAM 46 INFRARED DIGITAL STEALTH SCOUTING CAM CAMERA $76.00

New 2012 Simmons Bushnell Trophy Whitetail Digital Infrared Scouting Cam Camera $40.00

Wildgame Innovations S1.3 Scouting Trail Stealth Camera $46.00

Steyr Scout rifle HC adapter black 243 308 7mm/08 260Rem 10 round $19.99

girl/boy SCAVENGER HUNT Patches Crests GUIDES/SCOUTS $1.00

Sarge Boy Scouts Of America Lockback Pocket Knife Camping Hunting Fishing 402BS $25.00

9 hunting survival knives hiking fishing camping knife scouting full tang BONUS $24.99

NEW 2012 Moultrie Game Spy D-55IRXT Digital Scouting Infrared Trail Camera 5.0MP $78.00

Bushnell Trophy Cam Infrared No Flash Trail Stealth Scouting Security Cam Camera $94.00

MOULTRIE BEAR SECURITY BOX FITS M-80 M-80X M80XT M80XD & M-100 SCOUTING CAMERAS $11.00

New 2012 Moultrie Game Spy M-80XD Digital Scouting Infrared Camera 5.0 MP M80XT $102.50

5.11 Tactical Scout Folding Knife $39.95

NEW! HUNTING Fishing Camping Deer Buck Style Survival Scout Bowie Knife w/Sheath $0.09

GUT HOOK Saw Back Blade Hunting Fishing Camping Survival Scout Buck Style Knife $0.09

Handbook For Boys 1940 Edition Boy Scouts + Hand-written Scavenger Hunt List $19.99

5MP Scout Guard Trail Cam Infrared Security IR Camera $209.00

BUSHNELL TROPHY CAM 8.0 MP TRAIL CAMERA NIGHT VISION # 11-9435 GAME SCOUTING $139.95

Wildgame Innovations S 1.3 Digital Scouting Camera FREE SHIPPING!! $200.00

NEW 12″ FISH Fillet Angler Fishing Skinning Bass Trout Scout Bait Knife W/Sheath $0.09

COLT FRONTIER SCOUT REVOLVER DISASSEMBLY PROCEDURE CD $9.99

LaRue Tactical LT172 Surefire Scout Mount QD (New) $56.01

Wildgame Micro w2xc Infrared Flash Digital Deer Scouting Camera TWO 2GB SD CARDS $79.99

LaRue Tactical LT752 Offset Surefire Scout Mount QD (New) $76.00

Mountain Men 30 Books CD Camp Hunting Hike Backpacking Collection Scout Ultimate $0.99

Coghlans Chow Kit Knife/Fork/Spoon Camping Cooking Hiking Fishing Hunting Scouts $3.19

Kershaw Damascus Silver Shallot Rare Boys Scout Edition (1840-DAM) New Knife $299.75

New OEM 12MP Digital Scouting Hunting Game Trail Camera $159.99

NEW MMS Game CamTools_Camera_Wildlife Scouting Camera $276.99

Gerber BEAR GRYLLS Survival Series SCOUT Folding KNIFE Carbon Stainless Steel $28.99

Wildgame D10 10-megapixel Wi-fi Digital Game Scouting $147.00

Wildgame X10 10-megapixel Wi-fi Digital Game Scouting $142.74

New OEM 940NM low glow 12MP Digital Scouting Hunting Game Trial Camera Ltl-5210A $129.90

Tasco 3 MP Bowhunting Scouting Deer Trail Camera – New $87.16

Wildgame Innovations game scouting camera external battery pack $54.95

Wild Game Innovations 10MP WiFi Digital Scouting Camera $199.95

Bear Grylls Scout Knife Locking Blade $16.99

Large Bear Grylls Scout Gerber Serrated Pocket Camping Folding Knife 31-000754 $15.50

Bushnell SCOUT 1000 ARC Rangefinder 20-1932 $225.00

Gerber Bear Grylls Scout Hunting Camping Fishing Pocket Folding Knife with Clip $10.99

Marlin 1895 Scout Scope Mount .45-70 .450 .444 XS Sight Systems NIB $24.99

STEALTH CAM 2.0 MP DIGITAL SCOUTING CAMERA STC-WD2X GRADE B $54.99

STEALTH CAM 4MP DIGITAL SCOUTING CAMERA WITH 50’ FLASH RANGE STC-V450 GRADE B $54.99

Bushnell 5 X 24 SCOUT 1000 Rangefinder $329.99

US WESTERN OFFICIAL BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA HUNTING FIGHTING KNIFE $85.00

Boy Scout Neckerchief Black White Logo1960′s $7.95

Boy Scout Neckerchief Troop 39 Red green leaf 1960′s $7.95

Cub Scouts Neckerchief Yellow Logo Blue Trim 1960s fob $8.95

DURASIGHT DS411B BLACK Z-2 ALLOY DEAD-ON MOUNT CVA OPTIMA, SCOUT, WIN. APEX $32.95

Day 6 PlotWatcher Game Camera Time Lapse HD Video Camera Scout 10x More Area $200.00

Moultrie GameSpy I35 Digital Scouting Deer Camera 4MP $119.99