Is it a bad idea to walk through and scout the deers bedding areas, or thick parts of the woods in the off season of hunting? because l think that l have a good idea of where the big bucks mite be bedding and hiding during the day but im not quite sure, so l was going to kinda walk through the thick parts of the woods to see. but l dont wanna spook the deer and ruin the next years hunting season. so please help me out. thanks!!

The more time you spend in the woods, the less likely it is that you will spook the deer in a given area. They get used to all kinds of traffic noises in the suburbs, they will surely get used to you stomping around like a drunken rhinoceros.
The best part is you will know where to find the deer next season, and you will know the best way to get there too.

its ok to walk around & scout areas out. but l would not do it a week or so before l hunted that area. & try not to leave a scent trail ( using the bath room in the woods)

if u find a bedding area, look but do not touch, or walk around on it.

if u find rubs do not touch them.

pretty much the basis, but yes its ok to walk around

also, just because u find a bedding area now, doesnt mean they will still be there in a few weeks, or next season. they do move if they need to.

When deer bed down they will lay there sometimes until u get 10 feet from it & then run. A lot of times u can walk beside a deer & never know it if it does not move.

Here is u a funny story. l had a buck l was hunting. He had a large area he was covering & leaving scrapes everywhere. There was this one area that the buck had a corner of the woods before a large opening beside the interstate. Instead of being confined to that area l decided l would try to spook the deer from that area & move to another area & increase my chances of seeing him somewhere else in his territory. So l peed in his scrapes in that area. Every day l did that in the mornings & evenings. ( l can be a devil sometimes). Anyway . l figured that would scare the buck off. l came back & sure enough the scrape had been reworked. So l continued peeing in it is scrapes. If l could have pooped in them l would have. That deer still worked those scrapes. l guess it made him mad. l shot an 8 point a couple days later but have not been back lately to see if he is still working that scrape.

you wont ruin next years hunting. the more scouting you do, the more successful you will be. learn while you are young.

Deer Hunter,

Please, remember, that it is against the hunting laws of most states to shoot a deer when he is at sleep, feed, & going to or coming from feed. Sounds ambiguous, but be a fair game hunter. If YOU were sleeping or at rest, or eating ur noon day meal, what a bust for an enemy to come blasting in & start shooting away or capture you. The law sounds a little like an over reach, but it was meant to keep people honest & to give a bite to law enforcement when they caught a poacher, not hunt u down & quiz u on ur kill methods. Scouting out a hunt area for patterns is a good idea though, but that is basically what u r doing in season of the said hunt. get it. Later, good hunt & venison makes for excellent finger steaks & jerkie as well.

Which woods? In wilderness areas, any human scent after Spring can make the local herd abandon its best feeding areas & bedding layups. But in near-to-settled-areas where the deer genetically do not care much (or they would have already left), it might not make much difference. And everything in between those extremes. Get a big bag of ''sweet feed'' (grain-molasses mix) from the ranch supply, & well before the season, when u r scouting, leave little piles of it near & generally upwind from deer trails, not on them. The deer will forgive ur scent, & accept the bribe. If it is well before the season, this is feeding, & not baiting, as the goodies r long gone by hunting season. Even if other wildlife eat up the stuff, the scent remains & the deer will get the message. Regards, Larry.

If u think u know where the deer r bedding, scouting those areas immediately after the hunting season is a great idea. You might put them on edge for a week at most, but they will return to normal quickly. If u get a good understanding of topography, trails, & plant types/density in the bedding areas now, it will help u understand behavior & movement pattern changes next season when the pressure heats up. Plus, if u know (vs just think) that an area is a deer hotel then you're more likely not to doubt yourself when the hunting is tough.you will stick it out knowing where the deer are, not just guessing. That confidence alone will help bag a deer.

dont worry youll not be alone stay on the trails some body will be there shed huntin best right at spring green up

ya. if u want to get a buck l would say look around the woods about 2 months before ur first hunt that season and look for rubs, beds, or any other signs of buck and set trail cameras. so that way u no what time they're coming and how big they are. and the best thing to do is hold off on them and let them get bigger and at the end of the season then get 'em.