ROAD HUNTER
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GREAT SUMMER SCOUTING TIPS
The primary big game hunting season may begin in the fall, but preparing for it should be a year-round activity STORY AND PHOTOS BY SCOTT HAUGEN
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Velvet-covered antlers are the reason summer scouting will lead you to so many bucks and bulls. The author found this massive Columbian blacktail in while scouting on a hot day in August.
ell, that didn’t take long,” replied a buddy when I told him I filled my blacktail deer tag within the first hour of opening day. “Actually, it did,” I retorted with a smile. While the hunt itself took less than an hour, the preparation for it started in January, when I set out trail cameras and began looking for sheds. Shed hunting through March, I started scouting in May, and stepped up the scouting missions in early July. I also exercise and watch my diet throughout the year, which is all part of the hunt preparation process. So, in actuality, I had numerous hours into that buck before the season even opened. Like my buddy said, the hunt didn’t last long, but that was due to a dedicated preparation process. If you are interested in starting your preparation now so you can experience more successful hunts when the fall season opens, here are 10 steps you can take to get ready.
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SCORCHER SCOUTING July and August are the two hottest months of the year, which is why they’re my favorite time to scout. I see more bucks and bulls during these months than all others combined, and it’s because they’re in velvet. Velvetcovered antlers are some of the fastest growing tissues on the planet, and the blood-rich racks are very sensitive to the touch. As a result, bucks and bulls often spend all day in the open, outside of the timber and thick brush. americanshootingjournal.com 75