Spring Fever

Early spring is always a season full of anxiety for me.  With so much to look forward to in the coming months, I find myself spending more time THINKING about what I'm going to do, rather than actually DOING anything.  With spring turkey and bear season just around the corner, it's time to start shooting my bow more regularly and making the endless number of small adjustments I regularly do to ensure my equipment is in perfect operating condition.  Oddly enough, no matter how many small adjustments I do to perfect my system - I will inevitably be awake until the early morning hours rechecking everything before my first hunt of the year.  The same holds true for my first spring steelhead trip of the year.  I make checklists for my equipment, and plan every aspect of the following day - where to go in inclement weather, where to go if there's pressure, the list goes on and on.  Therein lies the essence of my early spring cabin fever - I regularly suffer mild to moderate outbreaks of obsessive compulsive disorder.  One thing that I regularly obsess over, that I feel is a very worthy cause, is researching my hunting locations for the coming fall.

One of the best things about spring to a hunter is that there is always a wealth of information about the previous years' hunt that are invaluable.  The hours I spend in the early spring researching data from the previous fall dictates what hunts I apply for in several states, but most importantly here in Idaho. I think too often sportsmen overlook the mountains of data relating to their home state that can help uncover the next "honey hole."  I have known too many sportsman, myself included, that have hunted the same areas for years without ever attempting to expand into new areas.  All too often the population shifts, predation changes, hunting pressure spikes, or recreational development can alter the outlook on a favored hunting area in just one year.  Without a contingency plan - or several for that matter, one can be left very discouraged.

The first place I always turn to when researching new hunting areas, or even old ones, is the Idaho Department of Fish & Game website.  Their website has multiple reports and data compilations that can help quickly isolate an area of interest - and perhaps the first one I look at is harvest data, which is a sub-section in the Big Game Species Info section.  Both controlled hunts (special permit hunts) and general season harvest information is available, with each being broken down by year - and further yet you can view the number of hunters per unit, number of animals harvested, average days hunted per hunter, antlered vs. antlerless harvest, and % of trophy animals taken.  Comparing that data to drawing odds available in the controlled hunt information will help locate a good permit to apply for.  Any hunter that isn't utilitizing this tool in planning their hunts every fall is short changing themselves.  When analyzing unit data for deer, another great page to view is the whitetail distribution map.  Note that in the harvest data, mule deer vs. whitetail deer harvest is specified.

The second thing I do when researching a new area is to view topographic or satellite imagery of the unit in question.  Google Earth is an extremely valuable asset, particularly "Terrain View," as this enables you to see the contour of the geography, and when paired with satellite imagery, provides a wealth of information about likely holding areas for trophy animals.  As they say, to kill a giant you must hunt where giants live - and giants often live in the most remote and inaccessible locations in a given unit.  Animal survival statistics and age spikes dramatically only 1 mile from the nearest road - most hunters only venture to these areas briefly in their hunts, and almost never at times when animal activity levels are at a peak.  Most hunters simply aren't willing to work hard enough to get back into these areas, or only briefly hunt them.  A dedicated public land trophy hunter should almost EXCLUSIVELY hunt these areas.  This often requires beginning your hike long before sunrise and returning long after sunset, remember; the vast majority of your hunting day should be spent in the more remote areas you are hunting.  More on this topic will follow on future articles.  Targeting these specific locations to hunt is crucial before putting in the time and effort to scout on foot.  You can either work harder, or work smarter.  Utilizing satellite imagery and topographic maps will enable you to pinpoint these areas with far greater accuracy.  The major criteria in play for determining a potential trophy area are accessibility, water sources, bedding grounds, and feeding grounds.  The majority of these elements can be determined with relative accuracy prior to scouting trips.  Google Maps allows mapping hunting areas with phenomenal detail. My maps with all my notes are printed each time I go on a scouting trip so that I can detail any new information with pinpoint accuracy.

I happened onto this buck right before dusk in late July.  Poor lighting conditions and distance prevented a good picture, but it was great to see the fruits of my labor materialize after months of research.

These photos have enabled me to hunt this buck for 3 seasons, during which time he has grown from a respectable 160" buck to a tremendous 180" buck last season.  I'm yet to loose an arrow at this monarch.

The final step in developing a new area is obviously getting some boots on the ground.  Leg work can't be substituted by any other activity, you have to get some time on the ground to learn the geography and animal movements.  Avoid pressuring animals when doing preseason scouting, this means going to the same lengths to cover scent, be mindful of wind direction when approaching likely bedding areas or travel routes, wear full camo, and most importantly - USE OPTICS.  Optics may be your greatest asset when scouting a new potential area.  Try to view animals from a distance and minimize any time spent in or around bedding areas.  Blowing a trophy buck or bull out of his bedroom can upset his entire routine and invalidate hours of scouting.  Too many times scouting trips result in bumping an animal, only to never lay eyes on him again.  If it does happen - back out for a few days and note the location so the same mistake won't be duplicated.  On these scouting trips, remember to record information you gather.  Mental notes are not enough!  I regularly use Google Maps to mark bedding areas, feeding grounds, travel routes, water sources, rubs, wallows, etc. This information allows me to make informed decisions when trying to locate an animal that seemingly disappeared into thin air, as well as branch out into adjoining territory.

Finally, don't give up!  I often hear hunters talk about spending a few days in a new area give up because they simply aren't seeing the animals.  If the elements discussed prior are present, and animal sign indicates there are animals in the area - stick it out!  Just because there aren't many animals, doesn't mean there aren't trophy animals.  In some of my best locations I can go days without seeing an antlered animal, low animal density doesn't equal low trophy density.  Also bear in mind that hunting pressure will change an animals habits, and if you've done your research it may be possible to relocate your animal(s) using information you already know!  Another critical aspect of scouting - particularly in hunts with a short duration or early season when patterns are still predictable - arrive a day prior to the opener.  Your hunting time is too valuable to be wasted hoping that nothing has changed since your last scouting trip.

With turkey season just around the corner, the hunt is already on...