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For those new to central mid-west deer habitat and our private land it is that
we have too much land under lease to scout it all and not all land in the
central mid-west requires boots on the ground scouting. This aerial will help
with that explanation.
The first year member will receive from us a farm number listing of recommended starting spots for any deer scouting or hunting trip. We also assist with other than first year members that are breaking into a new region in any one state or crossing over to any state where we have land. That member with that list of recommended deer spots then draws his own aerial pictures down from his own favorite aerial picture website. We do not provide aerials as deer hunters are too finicky with aerial resolutions to even attempt to satisfy them. With several free online aerial photo websites it makes it easy for all that want them to get them using our lease land/road maps to navigate by. After reviewing all aerials of recommended farms and any others nearby that may also have been collected that member starts a priority of first to last farm he wants to walk, glass or drive by. Then of that collection of aerials/farms in his priority of work he marks those parts of the aerial that should be scouted and those to be ignored. The aerial above illustrates for us two key terrain features that assist with narrowing down where on any farm to foot scout. On that lease above little time should be spent anywhere direct observation from the three farm yards or roads is possible. Those remaining non-observed spots are where the deer and deer sign will be most prevalent. It is by this narrowing down of where to spend the daylight hours that any scouting, especially the first year is the most effectively spent. To further narrow down scouting spots avoid direct observation from pastures as most cattlemen will check cattle every day or two. Find year round water sources in those isolated areas as a more likely deer loafing spot. Then evaluate during the season food sources. A no-till grain field is better than clean till. Corn is better than soybean, milo is good early season. Winter wheat is best during late season. Tall grass bedding area is a bonus. And so on. Getting this work done at home and lining up a two hour minimum scouting time period per 1/4 section (160 acres) to be scouted allows for effectively filling the entire scouting trip with spending the most ground time in the best potential trophy whitetail deer spots. These ground photos are of the farm in the aerial at the top of the page.
This picture was taken from down in the drainage itself looking along the length of it at this one point. While we may use the phrase: "wooded creek bottom", that does not always mean water running down any kind of stream. This is a typical dry Kansas drainage. What is also useful to note is that our trees grow out with branches as much as up. A lock on stand is far more useful with steps or ladder sections than a climber.
The day we were on this lease during the season was overcast with the morning shrouded in fog making for dark pictures. This lease was a bit different as there is a sloped strip between the elevated farm fields and depressed wooded portion of the drainage allowing for much concealed movement of deer and on this farm a large Rio Grande Turkey flock as well. We suspect the mixed weed and grassed slope provided nesting for the Rios.
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