Scouting Whitetail deer

First you want to begin by using topo & aerial maps to locate your water sources and major changes in contours. If you have a stream or creek bottom you would begin looking for deer sign there, looking for scrapes, rubs, deer droppings, fresh deer tracks, nibbled tree branches and such. Also look for crossings and trails leading to and from the stream, these are great locations for stands and blinds.


As you work your way along the creek bottom look for the ditches, fingers and run offs coming down to the creek, these are great travel areas for bucks especially if there’s thick cover along this route or curves and hills so the deer can stay out of sight of predators. Keep looking for the same deer signs as well as places that are pushed flat in taller grasses and brush where deer have been bedded.

Another place to look for signs is ridges and changes in contour or thickets and heavy vegetation. These are usually travel routes that deer will use to work their way up from the bottoms to doe feeding areas, look for the hidden trails or cross trails these are great stand locations.


Finally look at the edges of fields or food plots for signs of deer droppings, beds under trees or in heavy grass, scrapes under the hanging limbs of trees and fresh tracks in the field. Always look for the freshest sign first but if you have old rub lines even if there’s no sign now, bucks continue to use the same travel routes and will come thru.

I like to carry an aerial map of the property with me as I scout marking trails and such as I go. Many times deer will lay at the top of ridges and hills, winding up top while watching below finding a shed at one of these locations just means you're on the right track. If your scouting before hunting season, it gives you a chance to explore and put together a game plan for hunting later.