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Contrary to what you read in the deer hunting magazines, you probably waited, as I did, until a week or so prior to the gun season to scout the woods for logical locations to set up your stand. There is absolutely no doubt that sloppy scouting can alert deer to human presence and affect their movement prior to opening day, but if you take some basic precautions and keep a few things in mind, it can be accomplished effectively close to the opener.

If possible, choose a windy or rainy day to do your scouting. Deer are far less likely to be active during daylight hours during bad weather, and it greatly increases your odds of getting into and out of the woods undetected. A windy or rainy day will mask otherwise noisy activities such as cutting limbs to create shooting lanes and setting up a stand. As quiet and careful as we’d like to be, tree-steps, climbing harnesses and portable stands are “clanky,” and there’s nothing like a day without a stitch of wind to carry those sounds a great distance through the woods.

Controlling and masking human scent while scouting is extremely crucial. For the past number of seasons, I’ve become somewhat of a nut when it comes to odor elimination and luring deer prior to the start of the season with the aid of scents. Unlike noises in the woods that quickly come and go, human scent can linger on the trees and brush for a long period of time. I wouldn’t think of spending any time where I intend to hunt without first doing all I can to eliminate and mask my scent.

I’ve had good luck using a popular spray-on product for my outerwear, and I use this product liberally. I swear by these products because I’ve lured deer to my stand using a drag rag soaked in estrus fastened to one of my boots. If a mature deer will keep its nose on the path I’ve taken to my stand without spooking, that’s all the proof I require.

Another good idea is to keep your hands covered - at all times - during the scouting period. If it’s a warmer day, wear rubber dish or surgical gloves sprayed with scent killer while doing your brush work and a pair of leather gloves, treated the same way, while setting screw-steps and your stand.

My last consideration while scouting is to set up a mock scrape and dripper near my stand. If there are active scrapes and fresh rubs nearby, this practice, in my mind, becomes essential. While a rub may only indicate a buck’s pent-up aggression, a scrape is a telltale sign that a mature buck has laid claim to a particular area and is looking for receptive does. If a mock scrape is set up with care in close proximity to a natural scrape, it will be visited - sometimes often – prior to the start of the season.

I recall sitting quietly in my stand a few years ago on opening morning, waiting for shooting time to begin. I heard something splashing on the ground nearby and assumed I’d accidentally spilled a bottle of scent. While checking my pocket for the uncapped bottle I was sure to find, I witnessed a larger deer squatting over my mock scrape. He left the scrape as quietly as he approached it and silently disappeared down the trail.

No, it’s not too late to do your scouting, but be smart about it. Spend no more time than it takes to get the job done when you’re out there. Deer are very keen animals, so when we attempt to insert ourselves into their environment, it pays to be cautious.

Dan Brown’s weekly outdoor column is brought to you by Frankies Bait and Marine in Chisago City and St. Croix Outdoors in St. Croix Falls, Wisconsin.

Dan Brown is a director at the Chisago Lakes Achievement Center in Chisago City. In addition, Brown is a fly casting instructor and trout fishing guide at Seven Pines Lodge in Lewis, WI. Recently Brown was featured on Ron Schara’s Minnesota Bound and ESPN II’s Backroads with Ron and Raven, as well as KSTP channel 5’s Eyewitness News Morning Show. He is a Taylors Falls resident and can often be found on the area lakes, trout streams and the St. Croix river.

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